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How to Write a Non-Cliche College Essay About Sports + Examples

What’s covered:, what makes a sports essay cliche.

• How To Make Your Sports Essay Unique

Great Examples of College Essays About Sports

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You’ve been brainstorming essay topics for your college applications, and you think you’ve finally found the right one: an extended metaphor likening your experience on the field with overcoming personal struggles. The problem: many other students have this same thought. 

The purpose of a college essay is to make yourself stand out as a unique individual, but when students write about sports, they often blend in. Because of that, students are usually advised to pick a different topic.

That being said, it is possible to write a non-cliche college essay about sports if you put in a little extra effort. Read along to learn how to make your sports essay different from all the other sports essays.

Sports essays are cliche when they follow a standard trajectory. Some of these trajectories include writing a story about:

• An agonizing defeat
• Forging bonds with teammates
• Overcoming adversity
• Overcoming an injury
• Refusing to quit
• Victory during a big game

Because sports essays have very similar themes and “lessons learned,” it can be difficult to make your story stand out. These trajectories also often focus too much on the sport or storyline, and not enough on the writer’s reflections and personality.

As you write your essay, try to think about what your experience says about you rather than what you learned from your experience. You are more than just one lesson you learned!

(Keep in mind that the sports essay is not the only college essay cliche. Learn about other essay cliches and how to fix them in our complete guide).

How to Make Your Sports Essay Unique

1. focus on a specific moment or reflection..

The college essay is a way for students to humanize themselves to admissions officers. You do not feel human if you are describing yourself as just another player on the field!

One important way to make your essay about you (not just about sports) is by focusing on a specific moment in time and inviting the reader to join you in that moment. Explain to the reader what it would be like to be sitting in that locker room as you questioned the values of the other players on your team. Ask your reader to sit with you on the cot in the trainer’s room as your identity was stripped away from you when they said “your body can’t take this anymore.” Bring your reader to the dinner table and involve them in your family’s conversation about how sports were affecting your mental health and your treatment of those around you.

Intense descriptions of a specific experience will evoke emotions in your reader and allow them to connect with you and feel for you.

When in doubt, avoid anything that can be covered by ESPN. On ESPN, we see the games, we see the benches, we even see the locker rooms and training rooms. Take your reader somewhere different and show them something unique.

2. Use sports to point out broader themes in your life.

The main risk when writing about sports is neglecting to write about yourself. Before you get started, think about the main values that you want to express in your sports essay. Sports are simply your avenue for telling the reader what makes you unique. 

As a test, imagine if you were a pianist. Would you be able to talk about these same values? What if you were a writer? Or a chemist? Articulating your values is the end, and sports should simply be your means.

Some values that you might want to focus on:

• Autonomy (you want to be able to set your mind to anything and achieve it on your own)
• Growth (you seek improvement constantly)
• Curiosity (you are willing to try anything once)
• Vulnerability (you aren’t afraid to fail, as long as you give it your all)
• Community (you value the feedback of others and need camaraderie to succeed)
• Craft (you think that with deliberate care, anything can be perfected)
• Responsibility (you believe that you owe something to those around you and perhaps they also owe something to you)

You can use the ESPN check again to make sure that you are using sports as an avenue to show your depth.

Things ESPN covers: how a player reacts to defeat, how injuries affect a player’s gameplay/attitude, how players who don’t normally work well together are working together on their new team.

Things ESPN doesn’t cover: the conversation that a player had with their mother about fear of death before going into a big surgery (value: family and connection), the ways that the intense pressure to succeed consumed a player to the point they couldn’t be there for the people in their life (value: supporting others and community), the body image issues that weigh on a player’s mind when playing their sport and how they overcame those (value: health and growth).

3. Turn a cliche storyline on its head.

There’s no getting around the fact that sports essays are often cliche. But there is a way to confront the cliche head-on. For example, lots of people write essays about the lessons they learned from an injury, victory, and so on, but fewer students explain how they are embracing those lessons. 

Perhaps you learned that competition is overwhelming for you and you prefer teamwork, so you switched from playing basketball to playing Dungeons & Dragons. Maybe, when your softball career ended abruptly, you had to find a new identity and that’s when you became obsessed with your flower garden and decided to pursue botany. Or maybe, you have stuck with football through it all, but your junior-year mental health struggle showed you that football should be fun and you have since started a nonprofit for local children to healthily engage with sports.

If your story itself is more cliche, try bringing readers to the present moment with you and show why the cliche matters and what it did for you. This requires a fair amount of creativity. Ensure you’re not parroting a frequently used topic by really thinking deeply to find your own unique spin.

Night had robbed the academy of its daytime colors, yet there was comfort in the dim lights that cast shadows of our advances against the bare studio walls. Silhouettes of roundhouse kicks, spin crescent kicks, uppercuts and the occasional butterfly kick danced while we sparred. She approached me, eyes narrowed with the trace of a smirk challenging me. “Ready spar!” Her arm began an upward trajectory targeting my shoulder, a common first move. I sidestepped — only to almost collide with another flying fist. Pivoting my right foot, I snapped my left leg, aiming my heel at her midsection. The center judge raised one finger. 

There was no time to celebrate, not in the traditional sense at least. Master Pollard gave a brief command greeted with a unanimous “Yes, sir” and the thud of 20 hands dropping-down-and-giving-him-30, while the “winners” celebrated their victory with laps as usual. 

Three years ago, seven-thirty in the evening meant I was a warrior. It meant standing up straighter, pushing a little harder, “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am”, celebrating birthdays by breaking boards, never pointing your toes, and familiarity. Three years later, seven-thirty in the morning meant I was nervous. 

The room is uncomfortably large. The sprung floor soaks up the checkerboard of sunlight piercing through the colonial windows. The mirrored walls further illuminate the studio and I feel the light scrutinizing my sorry attempts at a pas de bourrée, while capturing the organic fluidity of the dancers around me. “Chassé en croix, grand battement, pique, pirouette.” I follow the graceful limbs of the woman in front of me, her legs floating ribbons, as she executes what seems to be a perfect ronds de jambes. Each movement remains a negotiation. With admirable patience, Ms. Tan casts me a sympathetic glance.   

There is no time to wallow in the misery that is my right foot. Taekwondo calls for dorsiflexion; pointed toes are synonymous with broken toes. My thoughts drag me into a flashback of the usual response to this painful mistake: “You might as well grab a tutu and head to the ballet studio next door.” Well, here I am Master Pollard, unfortunately still following your orders to never point my toes, but no longer feeling the satisfaction that comes with being a third degree black belt with 5 years of experience quite literally under her belt. It’s like being a white belt again — just in a leotard and ballet slippers. 

But the appetite for new beginnings that brought me here doesn’t falter. It is only reinforced by the classical rendition of “Dancing Queen” that floods the room and the ghost of familiarity that reassures me that this new beginning does not and will not erase the past. After years spent at the top, it’s hard to start over. But surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become. In Taekwondo, we started each class reciting the tenets: honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet. 

The thing about change is that it eventually stops making things so different. After nine different schools, four different countries, three different continents, fluency in Tamil, Norwegian, and English, there are more blurred lines than there are clear fragments. My life has not been a tactfully executed, gold medal-worthy Taekwondo form with each movement defined, nor has it been a series of frappés performed by a prima ballerina with each extension identical and precise, but thankfully it has been like the dynamics of a spinning back kick, fluid, and like my chances of landing a pirouette, unpredictable. 

Why it works:

What’s especially powerful about this essay is that the author uses detailed imagery to convey a picture of what they’re experiencing, so much so that the reader is along for the ride. This works as a sports essay not only because of the language and sensory details, but also because the writer focuses on a specific moment in time, while at the same time exploring why Taekwondo is such an important part of their life.

After the emotional image is created, the student finishes their essay with valuable reflection. With the reflection, they show admissions officers that they are mature and self-aware. Self-awareness comes through with statements like “surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become” and maturity can be seen through the student’s discussion of values “honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet.” These are the kinds of comments that should find their way into a sports essay!

“Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one. 

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we compete with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

In the beginning, you might think this is another cliche sports essay about overcoming adversity. But instead, it becomes a unique statement and coming-of-age tale that reads as a suspenseful narrative. 

The author connects their experience with martial arts to larger themes in their life but manages to do so without riffing off of tried-and-true themes. Through statements like “I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was” we learn about the students values and their desire to be there for those who depend on them. 

The student also brings it full circle, demonstrating their true transformation. By using the “Same, but Different” ending technique , the student places themself in the same environment that we saw in the intro, but experiences it differently due to their actions throughout the narrative. This is very compelling!

“1…2…3…4 pirouettes! New record!” My friends cheered as I landed my turns. Pleased with my progress, I gazed down at my worn-out pointe shoes. The sweltering blisters, numbing ice-baths, and draining late-night practices did not seem so bad after all. Next goal: five turns.

For as long as I can remember, ballet, in all its finesse and glamor, had kept me driven day to day. As a child, the lithe ballerinas, donning ethereal costumes as they floated across the stage, were my motivation. While others admired Messi and Adele, I idolized Carlos Acosta, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet. 

As I devoted more time and energy towards my craft, I became obsessed with improving my technique. I would stretch for hours after class, forcing my leg one inch higher in an effort to mirror the Dance Magazine cover girls. I injured my feet and ruined pair after pair of pointe shoes, turning on wood, cement, and even grass to improve my balance as I spun. At competitions, the dancers with the 180-degree leg extensions, endless turns, and soaring leaps—the ones who received “Bravos!” from the roaring audience—further pushed me to refine my skills and perfect my form. I believed that, with enough determination, I would one day attain their level of perfection. Reaching the quadruple-pirouette milestone only intensified my desire to accomplish even more. 

My efforts seemed to have come to fruition two summers ago when I was accepted to dance with Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet at their renowned New York City summer intensive. I walked into my first session eager to learn from distinguished ballet masters and worldly dancers, already anticipating my improvement. Yet, as I danced alongside the accomplished ballerinas, I felt out of place. Despite their clean technique and professional training, they did not aim for glorious leg extensions or prodigious leaps. When they performed their turn combinations, most of them only executed two turns as I attempted four. 

“Dancers, double-pirouettes only.” 

Taken aback and confused, I wondered why our teacher expected so little from us. The other ballerinas seemed content, gracing the studio with their simple movements. 

As I grew closer with my Moscow roommates, I gradually learned that their training emphasized the history of the art form instead of stylistic tricks. Rather than show off their physical ability, their performances aimed to convey a story, one that embodied the rich culture of ballet and captured both the legacy of the dancers before them and their own artistry. As I observed my friends more intently in repertoire class, I felt the pain of the grief-stricken white swan from Swan Lake, the sass of the flirtatious Kitri from Don Quijote, and I gradually saw what I had overlooked before. My definition of talent had been molded by crowd-pleasing elements—whirring pirouettes, gravity-defying leaps, and mind-blowing leg extensions. This mindset slowly stripped me from the roots of my passion and my personal connection with ballet. 

With the Bolshoi, I learned to step back and explore the meaning behind each step and the people behind the scenes. Ballet carries history in its movements, from the societal values of the era to each choreographer’s unique flair. As I uncovered the messages behind each pirouette, kick, and jump, my appreciation for ballet grew beyond my obsession with raw athleticism and developed into a love for the art form’s emotive abilities in bridging the dancers with the audience. My journey as an artist has allowed me to see how technical execution is only the means to a greater understanding between dancer and spectator, between storyteller and listener. The elegance and complexity of ballet does not revolve around astonishing stunts but rather the evocative strength and artistry manifested in the dancer, in me. It is the combination of sentiments, history, tradition, and passion that has allowed ballet and its lessons of human connection to become my lifestyle both on and off stage.

This essay is about lessons. While the author is a dancer, this narrative isn’t really about ballet, per se — it’s about the author’s personal growth. It is purposefully reflective as the student shows a nice character arc that begins with an eager young ballerina and ends with a reflection on their past. The primary strength of this essay is the honesty and authenticity that the student approaches it with.

In the end, the student turns a cliche on its head as they embrace the idea of overcoming adversity and demonstrate how the adversity, in this case, was their own stereotypes about their art. It’s beautiful!

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

This essay uses the idea of sports to explore a more profound topic—growing through relationships. They really embrace using sports as an avenue to tell the reader about a specific experience that changed the way they approach the world. 

The emphasis on relationships is why this essay works well and doesn’t fall into a cliche. The narrator grows not because of their experience with track but because of their relationship with their coach, who inspired them to evolve and become a leader.

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Essay on Sports: 100+ Topics and Examples

How to Write an Essay on Sports

Various sports, like basketball, tennis, and soccer, are popular among young and older generations worldwide. In addition to the fact that playing sports brings mental and physical health in shape, it also projects sportsmen and women's leadership skills. These role models give sports fans reasons to keep rooting for their favorite players and fuel young athletes' motivation to keep practicing and perfecting themselves in various youth sports.

If you are interested in professional sports or the career development of professional athletes, we encourage you to write a college essay on sports.

Choosing a relevant topic when writing an essay on sports requires deep knowledge of a specific sports industry and its representatives.

• Choose a topic of your interest. Usually, tasks we are genuinely curious about require equal mental stimulation but less tension and stress. For instance, you could choose the topic of the influence of physical fitness on mental health in case you are interested in health science.
• Look for relevant resources to provide trustworthy and valuable information regarding the shortlist of sports essay topics. For example, you could check out famous journals that prioritize writing about physical activity and sports cultures, such as the British Journal of Sports Medicine or the Journal of Human Sport and Exercise.
• After gathering relevant data, list the major issues you will write about in the sports essay. For instance, if you'd rather concentrate on the features your favorite athlete acquires, we suggest you write on persuasive sports essay topics. Highlight the major events in the sports career of chosen male or female athletes that helped them go pro.
• Construct an essay outline highlighting the major points you will touch down throughout your essay. This will loosen the essay writing process and will save some time for you as well.
• As you point out the major issue of reflection in the thesis statement part of your introductory paragraph, proceed with the body paragraphs of arguments supporting your perspective regarding the statement.

Keep reading to find a variety of essay topics like an essay on sports day in English, as well as specified issues relating to sports competitions, such as an essay on concussions in sports, etc.

Essay Topics on Sports

College students who are interested in doing and writing about sports can find many essay topics listed below on sports ranging from Olympic games to performance-enhancing drugs, sports nutrition to sports injuries, and so on.

Persuasive Essay Topics on Sports

• Cross-country skiing is the most dangerous winter sport.
• American universities should pay college athletes
• Ice-Skating is the most aesthetically pleasing sport.
• Soccer is one of the most played college sports in the US.
• Alcohol consumption should be prohibited during the Olympic games.
• More awareness should be raised about racist team players in all kinds of sports.
• FIFA's primary mission is to promote intercultural relations.
• We should reconsider the age range of baseball players.
• There is a link between team sports and math.
• Dealing with Medicine is the most disputable issue of the Olympic Games.
• Sports culture in the US is much higher than in East European countries.
• Cricket should be included in the Summer Olympics.
• The UEFA Championship promotes youth sports.
• The New Orleans Saints as a revolutionary NFL team.
• Everyone should be developed at least in one sport.
• Fitness obsession is a benefit for physical health.
• Sports nutrition is more important than physical activity.
• Dancing is one of the best confidence boosters.
• The rise of Charlotte Horne's value because of MJ.
• International teams in football attract a wide range of audience.

Feel free to ask to ' write me an essay ' on a wide range of persuasive essay topics on sports. Our writers are always at your service to help you achieve academic success.

Argumentative Essay Topics on Sports

• Should major sports events be taken in politically dangerous zones?
• Sports programs should be accessible through all types of TV channel packages.
• Transgender athletes should have the freedom to choose their own pronouns.
• Current sports organizations are corrupt.
• Athletic training should be psychological too.
• Soccer is number one of the most popular sports around the US.
• The most quality games were played at the World Cup 2022.
• School athletics should be paid for.
• American football is not popular around the world.
• Ice hockey is the most dangerous of winter sports.
• Sporting events are mostly watched during work days.
• Physical exercise is as important as mental through athletic development.
• Sports psychology: implementation of a mental training course for student-athletes.
• Many current sports organizations degrade women's sports.
• Sports history: development of baseball around the USA.
• Playing sports should be obligatory for school children.
• Professional athletes should be paid more in Western European countries.
• Toxic masculinity ruins the success of team sports.
• Cheerleading should be part of the Olympic games.
• Are video games sports?

Simply ask to do my paper on various argumentative essay topics on sports and receive the high-quality finished product in the nick of time.

Essay on Sports and Games in School

• Should sports be made compulsory in schools?
• The impact of promoting Air Jordans on developing a winner's mindset in school children.
• The importance of having sports clubs in schools.
• Should school sports participation be an excuse to miss classes?
• Governments should encourage more youngsters to play school sports.
• Is sports a solution to the current mental health crisis in school children?
• Should governments promote more opportunities for high schoolers to pursue aesthetically pleasing sports?
• Which sport is most popular among youngsters around the US?
• Should prospective basketball players be rejected due to height measures in school basketball teams?
• The importance of physical therapy in high school athletes.
• Does sport teach the importance of teamwork?
• Should parents encourage students to play sports?
• Can the gym be a substitute for physical fitness?
• Do sports conflict with academic learning?
• Sports medicine application to mental exhaustion in school athletes.
• Does sport help students develop leadership skills?
• Is playing chess stimulating analytical thinking?
• Importance of media coverage of sports events.
• The pressure of performance in sports
• The chances of school students making it into the national basketball team.

Argumentative Essay on Gender Inequality in Sports

Check out some of the best sports essay topics if you are willing to write an argumentative essay on gender inequality in sports:

• Why are female athletes paid less than their male counterparts in most sports?
• Male athletes have more chances of going pro in basketball than women.
• Club sports exclude some players based on gender.
• Male and female athletes are equally resilient to sports injuries.
• Soccer and Ice hockey are male-dominated sports.
• The marketing strategies of UCR's Women's Basketball are inefficient.
• Height should not be a decisive factor for either men's or women's basketball.
• Gender prejudices discriminate against myriads of potentially successful athletes in various sports.
• National teams should be completed with males as well as females.
• Women's sports are not valued as much as Men's sports.
• Sports medicine is actively used by female athletes under pressure to enhance performance.
• The number of female athletes participating in the Olympic games should increase.
• Fewer female students choose to play sports after graduating from high school compared to the number of male students.
• Negative psychological aspects of post-traumatic stress disorder in athletes.
• More female students should be encouraged to play sports while performing their academic duties.
• Comparatively, more men make it to major league baseball than women.
• Performance-enhancing drugs adversely affect growing healthy muscle groups.
• Ancient sports like the ancient Greek Olympics have nothing in common with modern Olympic games.
• Lack of women professional football players in America.
• Women's soccer is less promoted by European high schools than Men's.

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Essay on Benefits of Games and Sports

Playing professional sports brings about its advantages. Consider writing an essay on benefits of games and sports and choose from a wide variety of topics below:

• Benefits of Playing Sports: Improved concentration
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Increased dopamine and serotonin level
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Improved mood
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Improved sleeping habits
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Reduced stress and depression
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Boosted Self-confidence
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Development of leadership traits
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Improved mental health
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Healthy sleeping habits
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Maintaining healthy body weight
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Improved academic performance in school children
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Better scholastic outcomes
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Active blood circulation
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Developing school athletes as better team players
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Enhanced analytic thinking
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Effective multitasking
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Improved mental and physical health.
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Opportunity to develop a career outside the home nation.
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Better communication skills.
• Benefits of Playing Sports: Smart time management.

Essay on My Favorite Sports Person

Famous sports figures often inspire school students. Take a look at the list of topics to write an essay on my favourite sports person:

• Roger Federer: my favorite tennis player
• Tiger Woods: the best golfer in the US
• Cristiano Ronaldo: The GOAT of GOATs.
• Rafael Nadal: the most prominent tennis player in Spain
• Kevin Durant: the rising star of the NBA
• Lebron James: the best basketball player in the modern NBA
• Usain Bolt: greatest sprinter of all time
• Alexi Lalas: most beloved American soccer player
• Michael Schumacher: seven-time World Champion
• Frank Thomas: greatest baseball player
• Shaun White: the best American snowboarder
• Jennie Finch: most honorable softball player in America
• Dirk Nowitzki: the guy who beat Lebron James.
• Kevin Garnett: most emotional and dedicated in NBA
• Ray Bourque: the best of hockey players
• Billie Jean King: Honor for women tennis players
• Bill Elliot: Nascar's most popular driver
• Mark Messier: greatest leader in hockey history
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: Rising star of European football
• Maradona: most prominent soccer player of all time

Feel free to write an essay on sports and games for 10th class from the above topics.

Persuasive Essay on Sports Betting

If you decide to write a persuasive essay on sports betting, take some inspiration from the topics below:

• Beginners should be taught how to place a bet.
• Money-line betting is addictive
• Sports betting should be prohibited under the 18
• Betting on NFL wins totals
• Scandal and controversy in sports are always connected to betting
• Game theory has a direct relation to gambling
• Online casinos should be banned
• Math is used in gambling to assess the risks of winning
• Sports bettors are great analysts
• Mobile betting is a better option than desktop
• Sportsbooks are the main guide to learning sports betting
• Gambling is more entertaining than addictive
• The FIFA World Cup has the biggest betting volume
• The Super Bowl makes up half of all sports bets summed up
• Kentucky Derby is one of the highest-rated betting events in horse racing
• The Grand National horse racing attracts the highest sports bettings around the UK
• Las Vegas is the best gambling destination in the world
• Singapore has one of the strictest gambling rules in the world
• Monte Carlo is the classiest gambling point
• Aruba is the Vegas of the Caribbean

Common App Essay on Sports

You can easily craft top-notch essays related to sports in your college application. Take some of the examples from the topics listed below, and do not hesitate to write a common app essay on sports.

• Learning to take constructive criticism as a soccer player
• Sports is the greatest teacher of teamwork
• Keeping a winner mindset through the challenges of chess
• How I Learned to be a leader through my college sports experience
• Basketball taught me the value of my own contribution to the team's success
• How Failures in soccer championships boosted my self-confidence
• The constant practice resulted in major success: how sport taught me the value of invested work
• How I learned to appreciate my body through the aesthetics of ice skating
• Hip-Hop dancing is the best teacher of networking with people of multicultural origins
• Winning a national tournament in swimming after numerous defeats
• Overcoming a sports injury and going back to a fresh start taught me resilience
• Being a part of the basketball team helped me better perceive my athletic abilities
• Coming from a family of immigrants, my soccer team helped me develop a sense of belonging on American land
• Being a high school student and an athlete led me to better time management
• Baseball player enhanced my concentration skills; within me
• Getting in touch with professional sports persons and mentors led me to personal growth
• Learning from mistakes and using defeat for my own benefit is what playing ice hockey taught me
• Running on the track made me become mentally sharp
• I learned how to lead the game through soccer
• Playing sports led me to broaden my network of professionals

Sample College Essay on Sports

The winning mindset plays a major role in helping athletes develop to the best of their potential. The profound legend of modern-day basketball, Michael Jordan is one of those rare athlete leaders that set an example for millions of college basketball players in and out of the USA on mastering his mind and shaping himself through tough discipline. Therefore, if you are interested in sports psychology, you could pick a related topic and represent an athlete or specific sports teams that similarly show off psychological discipline through their performance that later results in their success.

We have prepared a sample essay on sports below. Examine it carefully to understand a sports research paper format better!

Final Words

We are hoping that not only have you gained some ideas about essay topics on sports, but you are also leaving this article with the motivation to keep working despite any rejections or failures that come along the way.

Meanwhile, you can always use a research paper writing help service, and our experts will guide you through your winning essay writing process.

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5 Great Examples On How to Start A College Application Essay on Sports

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Where do you even start when you’re brainstorming possible essay topics for your college application essays ? Some go for a walk to get inspired, and others look back on their own experiences. Here are 5 college students who decided to talk about their athletic achievements, or used sports as a metaphor:

Amherst College ‘20

The lessons I have learned in tennis can apply to everybody’s life. When someone begins learning tennis, the main focus is to keep the ball in play. Keep the ball going back and forth until you win the point. I honestly struggled keeping up my motivation in high school. However once I finally found a very steady source, it made life much easier and it kept me going much longer. Keep reading.

University of Pennsylvania ‘18

Numerous times I felt like giving up on my basketball dreams yet I didn’t want to be labeled a quitter. Instead, I wanted to one day tell a story just like Michael Jordan’s and how he was initially cut from the varsity team only to end up becoming the best player in the world; this became the driving force of my basketball obsession after I didn’t make the varsity team during my freshman year. View full profile .

Green Water

Dartmouth college ‘18.

Gliding above the liquid glass, I take deep breathes, setting a rhythm for my crew to act together with one mind. Putrid green bubbles can be seen, rising to the water’s surface to gently greet the most crimson-colored sunset found in the Sacramento Valley, only to be crushed by the blade found at the end of my Yao Ming-sized sweeping oar. Each stroke, I pull harder than I did on the one that came before it; each stroke I tear skin from the blisters found on the joints of my fingers that grasp my oar; each stroke I carry my weapon of bubble destruction with more and more confidence. In the long haul of a two-thousand meter race I remember that the pain I feel is temporary and that I am fully capable of pulling my way past the finish line. Read more .

Harvard University ‘17

It all happened within a split second.  I held the orange leather ball firmly between my hands as steaming droplets of sweat ran from my forehead to the tips of my fingers. My lungs desperately begged for oxygen as I stood right before the maroon line fifteen feet away from the basket, crouched into my shooting stance that had been perfected through the hours of repetition spent on this very spot.  Despite the meticulous preparation, my knees trembled out of fear and anxiety.  All eyes within the gymnasium were placed on me—the shortest of the ten in uniform on the hardwood floor.  Tightly shutting my eyes and stiffening my lips, I deeply meditated on the foul shot that was about to be taken.  As the cheers filled my ears, I recalled the days in the past when all of this was a brand new experience; slowly, the roar of the crowd faded to a low murmur then to an utter silence. Continue reading .

Whartonschool19

University of pennsylvania ‘19.

“The 50m freestyle is next. Swimmers, take your positions.” I stepped onto the diving platform as the announcer’s voice echoed through the natatorium and tightened my goggles, not too tight, but just right, like Goldilocks’ porridge. This was my debut since my hiatus from the U10 YMCA Sharks. Standing on the diving board, I could feel the power of the room engulf my being; energy filled my body while my fingers began to tingle. “Chariots of Fire” by Vangelis began to play in my ears. View full profile .

Have you started brainstorming what you should write for your college application essay? If you’re interested in writing about it on sports , unlock the one of the above profiles for free to read the full essay for inspiration! 

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About The Author

Frances was born in Hong Kong and received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. She loves super sad drama television, cooking, and reading. Her favorite person on Earth isn’t actually a member of the AdmitSee team - it’s her dog Cooper.

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Home Essay Samples

Essay Samples on Sports

When college athletes have to start with an academic writing task, they often feel lost and do not know how to start. It’s exactly the same with other academic subjects because one should take time and find inspiring information that can be used unless you already have a prompt. You can focus on the importance of sports or talk about the pros of recreational sports and spending time outside. See our sport essay example as a starting point and learn how to structure your writing correctly. Your introduction part should start with a brief introduction or statistical information that explains your writing objectives or the peculiarities of the problem that you plan to address. The majority of college essays about sports that you see below will provide you with inspiring ideas and teach you how to implement various quotes without falling into the plagiarism trap. If you want to use some source, remember that you must introduce it first and explain why it is there. When you’re talking about the use of medication in college sports, turn to some stats and explain why these are important or biased as you research. It will help you to add an author’s voice. 

The Soccer Discourse Community: Passion, Identity, and Global Connection

Soccer, known as football to most of the world, is more than just a sport; it is a universal language that transcends geographical borders and cultural differences. Within the realm of this beloved game lies a dynamic and tightly-knit soccer discourse community. This essay explores...

• Discourse Community

Why Football Is the Best Sport: Multifaceted Dimensions

Sports have a unique ability to capture our hearts, ignite our passions, and bring people together in the spirit of competition. Among the diverse array of sports, football stands out as a phenomenon that captivates millions worldwide. For countless enthusiasts, myself included, football is more...

Why College Athletes Shouldn't Be Paid

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Why Basketball is the Best Sport Among Others

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• Favorite Sport

Why Basketball Is My Favorite Sport: Memorable Moments and Life Lessons

Of all the sports that capture my heart and ignite my passion, basketball stands as the undisputed favorite. Its fast-paced action, camaraderie among teammates, and the thrill of competition combine to create an unparalleled experience that has enchanted me since childhood. This essay delves into...

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Why Baseball is the Best Sport for Me

When it comes to sports, there are countless options that capture the hearts and minds of enthusiasts around the world. However, for me, baseball stands out as the ultimate sport that offers a unique blend of skill, strategy, tradition, and excitement. In this essay, I...

Should Sports Be Segregated by Gender

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• Women in Sports

Overview of Bowling as a Sport for Everyone

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• Competitive Sports

College Athletes Should Get Paid: An Argumentative Exploration of the Issue

College athletics in the modern era have evolved into a billion-dollar industry, captivating audiences across the nation. While these athletes bring in substantial revenue for their institutions, there remains a heated debate on whether college athletes should receive financial compensation for their efforts. In this...

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Beyond the Field: How Competitive Sports Teach Us About Life

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Team Sports: Fostering Unity and Individual Growth

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Harmony of Mind and Body: Exploring the Benefits of Yoga

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The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup: an Overview

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The History of Volleyball: Evolution and Global Impact

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How to Play Volleyball: Mastering Rules of the Game

Volleyball is a dynamic and exciting sport that combines athleticism, strategy, and teamwork. As a passionate player and avid enthusiast of the game, I have come to appreciate the intricacies and joys of volleyball and now I can explain to anyone how to play volleyball....

Why I Love Volleyball: a Passion That Sets My Heart Ablaze

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Playing Volleyball: Benefits in Terms of Motor Learning Skills

Over the past term our class has been investigating the idea of Motor Learning and how to apply our theoretical knowledge into our volleyball gameplay. Volleyball gives different benefits and some of them I will analyse in the essay. To begin with, motor learning is...

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Being a Volleyball Player: Morgan Beck as a Powerhouse on the Court

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Was the Reconstruction Era a Success or Failure: A Look Through Sport

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The Issue of Racism in Soccer: Causes, Effects, and Ways to Combat

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Passion and Perseverance: The Key to Success for Student-Athletes

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The Road to Equity: Evaluating the Case for Paying Student Athletes

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Macronutrient Intake in Team Sport Athletes

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Soccer as My Hobby and How It Shapes My Life

Hobby is an activity, habit or favorite choice of a human, who regularly performs in leisure or extra time for pleasure, relaxation and enjoyment. Everyone has different hobbies that he or she would like to do to have fun or relax. They can be physical...

Lessons from Ancient Greece: Contributions and Limitations

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The Nike's Popularity Among Track and Field Athletes

Not many people know that Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman first started the company as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964. On May 30, 1971, the name was officially changed to Nike. Nike's first employee Jeff Johnson came up with the name of Nike. Phil Knight...

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The Analysis of Movement Used in Track and Field

The track and field sprint is a common event at track meets at the middle and high school, collegiate and professional levels. It is often performed in many meets as a 55, 100, 200- or 400-meter distance, depending on the season. It can be an...

Track and Field: The Funding and Physical Education Requirements

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A Person You Admire: Cristiano Ronaldo

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A Trend By Kneeling During The National Anthem

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College Sport: Good For Health And Well Learning

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Swimming as a Hard Skill Necessary for Human Being

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The 2012 London Olympics Women's Boxing

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Cricket: Main Rules, Tricks and Perspective

Sports analytics play a significant role in numerous issues related to sport. A number of these problems are the ranking of individual players and their specialised skills, the composition of groups with an optimal balance of specialised skills, the ranking of teams, the negotiation of...

Everest: The 'Goddess Mother of the World'

Mount Everest is one of the mountains on the crest of the Great Himalayas region which lies on the edge of both Nepal and China. It’s the world’s tallest mountain above sea level, reaching an altitude of 8,848 metres. Mount Everest remains to be one...

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The Highlights of Some of the Best Kinesiology Tapes

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How the Gym Influences Fitness

A primary concern that both men and women share is how they care about their physical appearance. Gym members believe they have to represent a particular image to be attractive in today’s society. Women are expected to be curvy and thin, while men are expected...

Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali and Cassius Clay

Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in 1964, a reckless new expert fighter, straight from his Olympic gold award triumph, detonates on to the scene, Cassius Clay. Sharp and candid, he cuts an entirely new picture for African Americans in-game with his pleased open self-assurance with his...

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Famous Indian Badminton League and Its Role

The IBL was a first of its kind initiative of the Badminton Association of India. Originally proposed by the Maharashtra Badminton Association, the League was commercially managed by a sports management company, Sporty Solutionz Private Limited. The idea was to make Poona (the original name...

World Record of the Fastest Tennis Ball Hit

Tennis has been known as a game of inches, kings, game of lifetime…. It is incredible even today with its outstanding players, known with their incredible shots. Novak Djokovic is famous for his crazy shots from baseline to the edge of opponents service boxes. One...

The First Reported Hazing Death

In 1838, John Butler died due to a class hazing at Franklin Seminary in Kentucky, the first reported hazing death. October. In 1905, Stuart L. Pierson was hit by an unscheduled train and died because he was being initiated into Delta Kappa Epsilon at Kenyon...

Jackie Robinson as the African American to Play Major League Baseball

Jackie Robinson once said,'I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking of me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”. Born on January 31st, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia on a plantation, Jackie Robinson was the youngest among his five siblings....

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Valinco Skydiving Center and Fondest Memories

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Piles of Books on Chess Strategies

I looked down at the battlefield, checkered with rich maple and mahogany. In a deep half-hour contemplation, I looked down at the fallen soldiers in this ongoing battle. Knights scattered across the field ready to be sacrificed to protect the kings. Pawns and bishops discarded...

Boxing Is Great for Your Physical Health

Boxing is a sport that catches many people’s attention. So many people enjoy watching this sport. This exciting sport has been going on for thousands of years! Boxing has been going on since 1681. Boxing is a great sport. It is a very hard sport...

• Physical Exercise

Sarath Ton and Her Effect Wrestling Techniques

Sasha Banks is one of the fiercest and most respected female wrestlers in the world. Fans and critics alike are in awe of her flamboyant fashion sense, her effect wrestling techniques, and the thrilling performances she always puts on in the ring. Before becoming a...

Taekwondo, Music and Co-creating Own Fashion Line

One of the main reasons I want to study architecture is my passion for French Romanesque-style buildings. It is my ambition to one day contribute to the construction of these. This passion stemmed from my visits to France as a child. On these trips, I...

An Importance of Foundation in a Play of Badminton

The fundamental badminton skills are essentially used as a foundation in a play of badminton; this can be from your stance to how you serve in a play of badminton. Making a habit of extensively practicing these techniques will immensely increase the development of your...

Sports And Life Experiences And How They Shape The Person You Are Today

Over time, people have begun to believe sports shape people poorly, they’ll say that it makes the player arrogant, cocky, and even rude, but what if I told you they were completely wrong? What if I told you sports changed your personality for the better?...

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Equal Pay For Equal Work In Women's Sports 

Women's equal pay in sports is a big argument in today's society. A reason why it is a big argument is because in some sports, for example, “The women’s national team actually generated more revenue than the men’s as well, according to new reports —...

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The Question Whether College Athletes Should Be Paid

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Teachers And Professional Athletes Are Paid Differently: Teachers Should Be Paid More

Is it fair that Teachers and Professional Athletes are paid differently? I think the real question should be if they can even be categorized the same. I don't believe the wages of the two can even compare, simply because who is to say one is...

Paying College Athletes: Should College Athletes Be Paid

There are many controversies surrounding the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the most discussed one being about athletes getting paid. This dispute has been going on for decades, but only recently has it made the news that current and former players strongly disagree with the rule...

Considering E Sport And Video Games As A Competitive Sport

What is E-sport? E-sport is a type of sport competition that uses video games instead of using physical activity. It is believed that there are many people who have a different view on what E-sport is; whether if it is considered as a real sport...

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The Discourse Community Analysis Of A Football Team

I came to UC Merced and joined Writing 001 with no knowledge of what a discourse could be. Now in Lovas’s class reading “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie. I had no idea what a discourse community was, the idea of this is very well...

Defining Sport: Cheerleading As A Type Of Sport

How do you define something like a sport? That has been a debate surrounding cheerleading for the longest time. The discussion on whether it is a sport or art is fiery and characterized by two very passionate sides, each defending their claim. Cheerleading, which was...

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Considering Video Games A Competitive Sport

Many people think of football, basketball, baseball, etc. when you say sport some of you might say shooting and other forms of stationary sports like archery. Others might even debate things like cheese rolling and hot dog eating. But surprisingly not many people would consider...

The Debate Whether College Athletes Should Be Paid

Athletes most of the time incline to getting into sports for the easy and fun way to earn money, but colleges paying young athletes would eliminate the line between amateur and professional sports. According to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) the reason why student...

The Need For College Athletes To Be Paid

College athletics have increased tremendous popularity among Americans in the course of recent decades. This has come about into expanded livelihoods for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the schools taking part inside the affiliation. This has filled the open thought of whether school...

College Athletes Should Be Paid: Opening The Conversation

College athletics have increased tremendously popular among Americans in the course of recent decades. This has come about into expanded livelihoods for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the schools taking part inside the affiliation. This has filled the open thought of whether school...

College Athletes And Whether They Should Be Paid

College sports are turning out to be more and more like the professional leagues with the one exception being the players don’t get paid. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) makes billions of dollars off these student athletes. College basketball and football are two of...

American Sport: Cheerleading And American Football

American football is one of the most watched sporting events in the USA, But lately there has been a debate rather or not football is dangerous and should it be banned for certain ages or no tackle football whatsoever. Football is dangerous, but less dangerous...

All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy: Application Of Saying In P. E.

”All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' this is an example of a proverb that means without time from work a person can become bored of the work being done. This quote itself can be used to tell the importance of physical...

• Childhood Obesity

Importance Of Physical Fitness In Marathon Runners

Running is one of the most popular sports and it is performed in various distances like long distances and short distances and there are also various other competitions as well as the events for the runners and the most popular one is the Marathon. Marathon...

Effects Of Running On Our Health

Running is tiring, it’s tedious, it’s painful and it’s exhausting. We often hear many complaining about aching knees, strained muscles, and how energy-consuming it is, not to mention how hot and humid it is to run here in Singapore. So why do people still run?...

Jackie Robinson And The American Dilemma

Racism. Unfortunately, it is an American dilemma still being battled today. However, in 1919, the year Jackie Robinson was born, was a particularly devastating year in regards to this matter. Case in point, the horrific death of a 17-year-old African-American boy, Eugene Williams. Both whites...

• Racial Segregation

Never Had It Made: Jackie Robinson

From all the options my brain collected, I chose to read and write about Jackie Robinson, who is most famously known for being the first African American to play in major league baseball. Robinson was born in 1919 and died in 1972 of a heart...

The Experience Of Competitive Games Before Spring Break

In this essay, I will be comparing my own life to the hero cycle. It will reflect on a time when I have been forced out of my comfort zone. This was when I tried out for cheer. It was my first time trying out...

• Spring Break

Soccer Vs Basketball: The Uniqueness Of Each Sport

Playing sports is an emotional, physical, and mental adventure. You have the opportunity to know whether you are a team player or a maverick. Soccer and Basketball are two of the most popular sports that are played by people around the world. The purpose of...

Evolution Of Basketball And Football In The World Of Sports

Have you ever thought to yourself, how did the game of basketball become such a worldwide sport? How the game has evolved into what it is now? There’s a lot of questions that pop into the human head when the topic of basketball is introduced....

Study On The Mental Game Of Fencing

Fencing is one of the oldest sports existing, being one of the five sports that was part of the first Olympic Games. Around 1458, fencing wasn’t a sport, but an army training, but Domenico Angelo established in 1763 the first rules and made a sport...

• Psychoanalysis

Story Of The Controversial Case Of Oj Simpson

There are a number of subjects that divide opinions among Americans – guns, healthcare, and more. One other subject on that list is Orenthal James Simpson, more commonly known as O.J Simpson. He has gone from being one of the most adored personalities in America...

Overview Of The Three Ai Strategies For Chess Game

Minimax Tree Minimax is a sort of backtracking calculation that is utilized in basic leadership and game hypothesis to locate the ideal move for a player, expecting that your rival likewise plays ideally. This method is mostly used in two player games like chess, Mancala...

• Artificial Intelligence

Types Of Artificial Intelligence And Algorithmic Strategies In Chess Games

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Essay About Sport Example

10 December, 2020

11 minutes read

Author:  Donna Moores

Physical development plays a critical role in sustaining a healthy living and contributing to wellbeing in the long-term. Various topics on sports are relevant for both the young generation and older individuals at all times. For one, sport is a means of maintaining an excellent physical shape and great mobility; others perceive sports as a way to unwind and get one’s mind together. Alternatively, sport might let oneself learn about self-organization and discipline and experience its positive influence on life.

Regardless of the direction and type of activity, sports always brings out only the best: a team spirit, improved physical health, emotional fulfillment, and psychological relief. Since many youngsters might underestimate the benefits of sports, it is fundamental to emphasize its crucial role in determining one’s personality, health, and wellbeing. 

How to write an essay on sports?

If you so far have a vague idea of an essay about sport but still have enough time for writing, you are on the safe side. Here is what you should do to end up with a marvelous essay about sports.

First of all, try to pick a topic that is both relevant and not boring. By ensuring that the latter is the case, you will prevent yourself from writing meaningless stuff that isn’t even interesting to read. 

There are some tips that will help you stick to an appropriate essay format and save a great deal of time. Here is what you can take into account to take better control of your essay about sport writing:

• Research for a while and make sure you find some sound pieces of literature to back on in your writing
• Draft the main goals of your essay and come up with the question you are about to find answers to 
• Draft an outline and attach comments to each section of your outline. A short comment is a helper in elaborating an idea in each part of your outline
• Pick suitable arguments for each of the body paragraphs. Try to make sure that all the statements are actually reliable and relevant.

Make sure you prepare a piece of paper (or you may use any electronic device as an alternative) to write down your notes. It is always better to keep your drafts in a single place so that you don’t get lost in multiple notes. 

Sports Essay Topics 

If you want your next essay on sports to be an ultimate success, try picking a topic that will sound intriguing and be easy to comprehend at the same time. Below, we’ve listed a few indeed attention-grabbing topics that will be easy for you to elaborate on: 

• How regular sports correlates with a better quality of life 
• Essential skills that any type of sport requires
• Adverse effects of doping in sports 
• An example of a woman/man who went down into the history of sports
• New kinds of sports on the rise in 2021
• Sport has no gender: the women who rocked ‘male’ sports 
• The history of sports in your country
• Reasons for young generations to do sports 
• Arguments for deeming chess a sport 
• The influence of sports on mental health
• Sport and society
• The procedure of college admission for future sports students 

Structure of Essay on Sport 

Whether you are about to compose just a short essay about sport or your teacher expects you to develop a complex paper, the structure always remains similar. If you want to craft a useful outline that will prove its efficiency during the writing process, you first need to learn what the structure of an essay about sport looks like. Below we’ve listed the critical components of such an essay.

Introduction 

At this point, you are free to provide any piece of information that will sound convincing to the reader. This might be some statistical data, a historical fact, or a quote. Remember, your task is to encourage your reader to go through your essay and read it till the end. At the end of your paper, you will need to mention a thesis statement: a sentence that reveals what you will be talking about further.

Body paragraphs

Body paragraphs may contain any information that relates to your topic and a thesis statement. Any fact, statistical data, or a quote will be really welcome. A typical body paragraph follows such a structure:

• The topic sentence with a key idea. 
• Substantiated topic sentence and the main argument
• An example or any fact to make the opinion sound reasonable

In the last paragraph, just summarize the main points of your essay. You may briefly restate your introductory statements and explain how each of the body parts supports your thesis. Usually, there is only one thing you need to avoid in conclusion: repetitions. 

Problems with writing Your Essay About Sport? Try our Professional Essay Writer Service!

Essay Example 

The role of sports in promoting good mental health 

Sports is something that most people cannot imagine their everyday living without. The notion of sport had evolved in ancient times before the Olympic games in Greece started to take place. After the second industrial revolution, sport has become an extensively popular and admired subject in almost any school. As a means of entertainment and, at the same time, a way to relieve tension and move one’s energy in a good direction, the sport has always been associated with individual growth and physical health maintenance. These days, schoolers, students, adults, and older people engage themselves in a variety of sports activities for different reasons. But regardless of the purpose, all of them definitely achieve one target – better mental health. Indeed, performing sports activities regularly contributes to improved mental health by reducing stress, promoting a team spirit and social inclusion, and preventing depression. 

Engaging oneself in a sports activity is positively correlated with better social inclusion. In essence, sport is a team activity, which means that doing a particular kind of sports implies interaction with other individuals. Building social contacts while engaging in sports is exciting and easy: finding common ground with teammates or a sports partner is not complicated since you already share at least one significant interest. A recent study by British scientists suggests that individuals who did sports during their school years show higher social inclusion levels and can easily make new acquaintances in adult age. This means that sport plays a critical role in defining an individual’s future behavior in socializing with other people. And since sports promotes an ability to better engage in social groups and  make new acquaintances, it also contributes to an individual’s mental health. As long as humans live in a community and need communication for a healthy and happy living, sports is the key. 

Regular physical activity does not let stress accumulate and negatively influence one’s mental health. The reason why people experience less stress if they give preference to working out on a regular basis is endorphins production. Endorphins are particular neurotransmitters that a human brain produces as a result of physical activity. Neurotransmitters promote good feelings and make it harder for various stress factors to irritate oneself. Additionally, endorphins produced by a body while performing a sports activity promote a better quality of sleep. The latter, in its turn, leads to significant stress reduction as well. Apart from a guaranteed stress reduction, sports activities reduce the adverse effects of stress. Hence, one can come to the conclusion that since stress is an inevitable and highly annoying phenomenon, it is critical to seek preventative measures, and sports seems to cope with the issue of stress and constant tension brilliantly. Therefore, a moderate workout contributes to one’s mental health in the long term.  

Finally, sport has been proven to be one of the most potent remedies for depression. According to what clinicians claim, depression impacts both mental and physical health way worse than diabetes. Therefore, depression is a condition that needs treatment. However, it is highly possible to prevent depression just by exercising and adding some sport to one’s daily routine. Sports influence the human brain almost in the same way that medical drugs do: it promotes the brain’s better capacity to absorb serotonin. Not less important, sport activities contribute to nerve cell growth and prevent cells in the hippocampus from dying. Besides, physical activity has been found to improve self-esteem, which in turn improves body image and self-perception. Overall, a regular sport activity can not only guarantee depression alleviation but also prevent further disorders that have to do with psyche. 

All in all, sports can reasonably be deemed a natural remedy not only against physical but also multiple mental conditions. Just by performing moderate exercises a few times a week, one can make their life go in a different, healthier direction. Performing sports activities can reasonably promote stress-free life since exercising influences endorphins production in the brain. Additionally, a regular sport promotes better social inclusion and facilitates communication with peers. Finally, regular exercises serve as a solution to depression. It is critical to preserve one’s mental health, so working out is something to begin with straightaway.

Write an Essay with HandmadeWriting

While writing an essay about sport, it is essential to find the balance between the topic’s complexity and reader engagement. In other words, a winning essay about sport neither has a primitive subject, nor it covers a very specific and potentially boring sports topic. If this sounds quite complicated for you or if you merely have other reasons for leaving your writing for better times, you may get your paper done with HandmadeWriting . We are always available to assist you with your paper promptly. All you need to do is go to our website, submit paper instructions, and take care of yourself while we are taking care of your paper. 

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Essays About Sports: Top 5 Examples and 9 Prompts

Almost nothing compares to the thrill of sports; discover our guide with helpful tips for writing essays about sports through essay examples and prompts. 

Most people would agree on the importance of sports for a well-balanced life. Sports provides us with a multitude of benefits, both physically and mentally. But more than this, sports provide people with fun, even in the darkest times. The thrills of sports games and competitions are almost unmatched in the joy it brings others. 

It is important to keep in mind several risks of playing sports. First, the competitive mindset may consume you, as some of the best books about rugby show, and you are susceptible to various injuries, depending on the sport. However, a healthy love of sports often does not involve these risks.

5 Examples of Essays About Sports

1. importance and benefits of sports by melih sozdinler, 2. the importance of sports in empowering women by jo ousterhout, 3. the fastest growing sport in the world by sean monaghan.

• 4.  Extreme Sports by Archie Simmons
• 5. ​​The Mental Health Awakening Has Reached the Sports World  — Now What? by Maggie Ryan

1. My Favorite Sport

2. physical benefits of sports, 3. psychological and mental benefits of sports, 4. opinions on sports, 5. comparing and contrasting sports, 6. an unconventional sport, 7. an extreme sport, 8. values needed for sports, 9. sports in the modern world.

“We can conclude that there are several advantages and benefits of sports. First, sports are required by people to be fit, smart, and good looking. Second, sports are entertaining due to many facts. Third, sports are the huge market for countries’ economies. In my opinion, despite sports’ advantages, many people can’t believe that sports are useful and beneficial. I hope that in the future these people will tend to be more optimistically to sports since they are the necessity of our lives.”

Sozdinler writes about why people should play sports, elaborating on several benefits of sports. First, sports help improve coordination, cognition, circulation, and physique. Second, they provide us with entertainment and relief from the stresses of life. Finally, sports competitions are economically beneficial, allowing countries to expose their people and goods to foreigners. 

“Women who participate in sports are more likely to do better in school, attend college and make higher wages. In a survey of 401 female executives, 82 percent reported playing organized sports while growing up. Hillary understands the role sports can play in empowering women. As she has said, “Sports can make you stronger, tougher, more confident, more resilient, and those qualities can stay with you long after you finish the race or the final buzzer sounds.”

In this essay, Ousterhout discusses a speech by Hillary Clinton in which she stressed the importance of empowering women through sports. Clinton recognizes women’s talent in all fields, sports included, and Ousterhout, citing research, discusses how sports can help women succeed academically and otherwise. Finally, she uses this as a basis to support Clinton’s 2016 campaign for the presidency of the United States. 

“From a game played by the Navajo tribe, to a game broadcasted to millions of people each weekend. Having a sport that is fast paced and filled with incredible skill, lacrosse is bound to see even more growth in the future. The PLL, college lacrosse, and social media have all impacted lacrosse and all sports forever, proving that lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the world.”

Monaghan writes about lacrosse and how it is becoming more popular. He briefly describes its history, dating back to the Navajo tribe. It started being played as an organized sport in the 1900s and has only grown in popularity. Monaghan believes that Lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and its popularity is much-deserved. Check out these essays about badminton.

4.   Extreme Sports by Archie Simmons

“Various news stories, movies, and other sources in the media help spread the impression of the risks and dangers of the sports. Although the public hears mostly about all the negative effects of extreme sports, there are a variety of ways to decrease one’s risk of injuries through proper precautions and practice. In saying that, there are also many benefits to extreme sports as seen in Bode Miller’s memoir, as well as interviews with other extreme sport athletes.”

Simmons gives a brief introduction to the world of extreme sports in his essay. Extreme sports require specialized gear and much preparation and has an increased risk of injury. Simmons writes that athletes continue to participate in extreme sports because they know the risks and prepare to avoid them. He cites a memoir by Bode Miller, explaining his methods and training to ski quickly and carefully. 

5. ​​ The Mental Health Awakening Has Reached the Sports World  — Now What? by Maggie Ryan

“Sports can provide community, boost physical and mental health, foster self-confidence, and serve as an escape. Sports can also be the opposite of all those things: isolating, physically and mentally debilitating, or something that athletes can come to dread. The dividing line between the two, Post says, lies in the tools and preventative care that athletes have at their disposal.”

Ryan writes about the effects of competitive sports on athletes’ mental health. Sometimes athletes are pressured into making sports the center of their lives, affecting their mental health and social life to their detriment. Ryan cites several athletes who have been open about their struggles, including Simone Biles and Jasmine Blocker. The industry must work on this issue and break the stigma around mental health. 

9 Prompts for Essays About Sports

All sports enthusiasts follow one particular sport. Whether you play it or not, choose your favorite sport and briefly describe how it is played. Also, explain why it is your favorite; this should be based entirely on your opinion. 

Participating in a sport can make you stronger and healthier. In your essay, write about a few of the many physical benefits playing sports can have. This can include, muscle strengthening, cardio workout, increased stamina, and good mental health. Give examples of specific sports and the body parts they can help you strengthen, such as football increasing leg strength and increasing stamina.

Playing sports can also clear your mind and make you healthier mentally. Discuss how sports can improve your cognition and mental health, such as certain skills, values, and emotions they can promote. Ensure your argument is well-supported and provide research and statistics for a convincing essay.

In your essay, write about your stance on playing sports, specifically whether you like playing them or not. Discuss the pros and cons of playing sports, and include anecdotes of the different kinds of sports you have tried out. Conclude your essay by deciding whether you are a fan of playing sports or not.

This essay topic is simple and straightforward. Choose any two sports and give a short description of each. Organize your essay according to their similarities and differences in gameplay, physical activity required, and training. Be sure to choose sports that are not too different, and make sure they have some similarities. For example, you could compare and contrast American football with Rugby, discuss the similarities and differences for an exciting piece of writing.

Some sports are deemed “unconventional” due to a lack of physical activity or belittlement for their more art-centric practices. These include chess, thumb wrestling, and dance. Choose a more niche sport and write about its mechanics and popularity in the world today. 

Many sports force athletes to risk their lives, such as bungee jumping and paragliding. In your essay, you can write about one of these “extreme sports” and what they entail. Focus on your chosen sport’s health risks and dangers and perhaps explain why people still participate despite the risk. 

To excel in sports, one needs to have values such as commitment, courage, and teamwork. Discuss one or more of these skills and values, giving their definition and usage in sports. Be as detailed as possible for an engaging, well-supported essay.

Like everything else in the 21st century, the sports landscape is changing drastically due to the rise of esports and other developments. Research on the state of sports and sports competitions in the modern world. To you, is this a good thing? Briefly explain your stance in the essay as well. 

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining what is persuasive writing .

If you still need help, our guide to grammar and punctuation explains more.

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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How to Write a Sports-Related Admissions Essay

So you want to write about sports in your college essay? The bad news: you’re one of many student athletes that feel sports have had a huge impact on their lives. The good news: we’re giving you insider tips on how to write a unique admissions essay about sports. Watch below!

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Category: Admissions , advice , College Admissions , Essay Tips , Essay Writing , From The Founder , Quick Tips , Tips , Uncategorized

Tags: 2017-18 college applications , Admissions , admissions essay , admissions help , brainstorming , college admissions , college admissions essay , college application , college application help , college applications , college essay , college essay advice , college essay advisors , college essay help , college essay tips , college essay topic , college essay tutor , college essay writing , common app , common application , essay , essay help , essay tips , essay writing , high school athletes , personal statement , sports essay , student athletes , tips , writing , writing about sports , writing tips

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Argumentative Essay Writing

Argumentative Essay About Sports

Win the Debate - Writing An Effective Argumentative Essay About Sports

Published on: Mar 1, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

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Are you searching for a way to score that winning point in the classroom? 

Are you wanting to take your sports knowledge and turn it into an impressive argumentative essay? 

Well, look no further - we have the perfect guide on how to win the debate through effective argumentation! 

This post will provide tips on how crafting an argumentative paper around sports can help you ace your next assignment. 

Let's get started!

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Why Do We Write an Argumentative Essay About Sports?

Argumentative essays are meant to demonstrate a student's ability to think critically.

When writing about sports, you can use an argumentative paper as a way of exploring the different sides of any issue. 

This could include debates on rules changes, the impact of technology in sports, or the role of sports in society. 

By delving into these topics, you will be able to learn more about the topic. This way you  can make an informed argument for your side. 

Check out this amazing blog on argumentative essay outline to craft perfect outlines.

Examples of Argumentative Essay About Sports

Before you start writing your argumentative essay, it's a good idea to check out some example essays. 

This will give you an idea of what to write and the structure of a high-scoring paper. 

Here is a sample written by our experts. 

Here are some great examples by CollegeEssay.org: 

argumentative essay about team sports

argumentative essay about college sports

argumentative essay on sports should be compulsory in schools

argumentative essay about sports and physical activities

What are the benefits of playing sports essay

Check our extensive blog on argumentative essay examples to ace your next essay!

Examples of Persuasive Essay About Sports 

Sports persuasive essay is a form of argumentative writing that presents the writer’s opinion on a certain sports topic. 

The topics can cover anything from professional sports to health issues related to sports, to ethics in sports, and more. 

Writing an effective persuasive essay requires research, organization, and passion. 

Below are some examples of persuasive essays about sports that you can use as inspiration.

Persuasive essay about sports

Persuasive essay about sportsmanship

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Best Argumentative Essay About Sports Topics

Choosing a good argumentative essay topic can be a daunting task. 

But with the right approach and focus, you can easily find one that is both interesting and relevant to your paper.

Here are some of the best sports argumentative essay topics for you to consider: 

• Should student-athletes receive special privileges? 
• Are professional sports teams more important than amateur ones? 
• Should there be greater regulation of doping in professional sports? 
• Is it ethical to pay athletes so much money? 
• Should college athletes be paid for their participation in sports? 
• How can we prevent injuries in youth sports? 
• Are video games an effective way to teach sports skills? 
• Should the use of performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in professional sports? 
• Is it important to have gender equality in sports? 
• How can we encourage more girls and women to participate in sports? 

Check our comprehensive blog on argumentative essay topics to get more topic ideas!

How to Choose an Argumentative Essay Topic?

When choosing an argumentative essay topic, there are some things to consider. 

• Make sure the topic is something you're passionate about or interested in.
• Research your topic thoroughly and make sure it's current and relevant to today's society.
• Consider both sides of the argument when selecting a topic.
• Ensure that there is enough evidence available for your chosen topic to make a convincing argument.
• Choose an argumentative essay topic that you can easily defend.
• Make sure the topic is not too broad or too narrow to fit within your essay's scope.
• With the right topic and approach, you will be able to write a compelling persuasive essay that engages readers.

Check out this video about selecting the right argumentative essay topic.

In conclusion, 

Argumentative essay writing about sports can be a great way to explore and discuss important topics in today’s society. 

With the right topic and approach, you can easily make an informed argument for your side.

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August 28, 2012

Sports in College Admissions Essays

We generally discourage our students from writing about sports in college admissions essays . Is that a rule we always stick to? No. Every once in a while, we read a great sports essay. But, on the whole, they generally tend to be terrible college admissions essays. Why’s that? They’re trite. They’re predictable. They’re the same thing over and over and over again. College admissions counselors read tons and tons of sports essays every day during reading season. Do you think most really want to read another one? Not really.

Sports admissions essays are typically entirely predictable. You worked hard, you improved, and you accomplished your goal. You worked really hard to achieve a goal but ultimately came up short. You did your very best in spite of not being very good and you walked away proud. You are an excellent athlete and you use your college admissions essay to let college admissions counselors know it (oy vey!). Does this sound about right? In what other direction could you possibly take your essay?

Are there exceptions? Yes. Sports can quite often be exciting. They are full of human emotion. They are full of adrenaline and rivalry. As long as you avoid at all cost trite drivel, it doesn’t have to be avoided like the plague. But it generally should be because too few college applicants are capable of avoiding trite content in sports essays. Maybe if you can tie in history or politics (i.e., The Miracle on Ice) or anything that showcases your intellectual side, you have a fighting shot of avoiding cliche drivel. And that’s exactly what it is when you fail to avoid the cliches — it’s drivel. We urge you to avoid sports college admissions essays, but if you choose to write one — take our advice.

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Home > Resources > Study > Skills > Scholarship Application

How to Write a Sports Scholarship Application Essay

Writing sport-related admission essays can be quite challenging for enrollees. Athletes think that they can only perform their sport and can't write about it, but that is a myth. Some students may just need help in increasing their creativity in their writing. For this purpose, they can visit various student blogs and guides to say, "now I finally know how to write my essay properly." We are here to give ideas on how to write about sports and show you our seven great tips you can use for your scholarship application.

1. Make Contact with the college essay adviser

There are many myths about what you can and can't do in a sports scholarship application essay. Ask your college admission consultant about the specific requirements you should follow preparing a sports scholarship essay. Consider the word limit, formatting style, and other details.

2. Create your story

There are many ways to enliven your sports essay. For example, you can tell how you have learned to accept constructive criticism by watching your game recordings while waiting for feedback from your team peers or trainer. Also, you can write about your feelings when you dance as a cheerleader.

Some students ignore the importance of their achievements in sports, but at the same time, so many students have sports-related experiences that have left a deep impact on their lives. Read the unique stories of others or find out about them on YouTube to get powerful inspiration for your own topic.

3. Write an unexpected essay

You can't just write an essay about sports that anyone else could write. Therefore, avoid cliches and just repetition of other stories because your unique story definitely exists. Sometimes, enrollees simply can't remember it, so dedicate time to explore ideas and help your memory. Avoid generalities in a sports scholarship application - be specific and personal enough even if you think you are not successful enough in sports.

4. Isolate Details

Actually, there is no need to describe an entire game process or explain rules to your reader. Your admissions are not interested in how you follow the rules but how you break them. The same concerns your essay: break the rules! Write about your routine actions that brought you to victory. For instance, you can tell how your transport to training sessions affects the result. Maybe you are listening to a special playlist that stimulates your mind or read a book that helps you concentrate on the positive aspects of your sports.

5. Think Smaller

It is not necessary to be a literature expert to create an engaging essay. Admission officers can feel the sincerity in your writing and read between the lines. Make the accent not on the literary tools but the meaning of your story. Write about the simplest thing that affects your decision to dedicate your life to a sport. It could be a clothing uniform that brings you luck or a fan in a crowd that encouraged you. See where details take you!

6. Develop out-of-frame thinking

Look at the subject of sports through a different lens! Excellent sports scholarship application essays are never about sports. They are about underlying personality characteristics that make you good at what you do. Reflect on things that make you more determined and a valuable solo player or member of a team. Think about details that reveal how you've contributed to communities you care about in the past and how that may translate to the university campus you apply to.

7. Sound Convincing

Write about sports in your life even if it is an ordinary one. You are the only author of your essay, so you have full power to tell a unique story. Do you remember that feeling when you've read someone's story, and it touched you? The same could be for the story of your scholarship application. Simply don't concentrate on the result only, but on the process itself.

We wish you good luck in your preparation for the admission process and hope your essay is an outstanding one!

Related Pages

• Do's and Don'ts of Writing a College Application Essay — a guide with helpful insights and practical tips on crafting an impactful and compelling essay.
• Tips for Writing an Essay on Sports: A Student's Guide — steps towards a great sports essay
• Index to courses in sports
• Fields of Study — the large range of areas of study within the field of sports and sport sciences.
• Study skills and resources for students
• Country list for courses
• Jobs in sport
• Tips to finding the right job in sports

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Ncsa: tips for your college personal essay, share this article.

USA TODAY High School Sports has a weekly column on the college recruiting process. Here, you’ll find practical tips and real-world advice on becoming a better recruit to maximize your opportunities and play at the college level. Joe is a former college athlete and coach at the NAIA level, where he earned an NAIA National Championship. Joe is just one of many former college and professional players, college coaches and parents who are part of the  Next College Student Athlete team. Their knowledge, experience and dedication, along with NCSA’s history of digital innovation and long-standing relationship with the college coaching community, have made NCSA the largest and most successful athletic recruiting network in the country.

Admission into college can be an overwhelming process, particularly when it comes to writing your first personal essay. As a student-athlete, in addition to developing your sport skills, you should start thinking about your academic eligibility when you begin freshman year to ensure that you’re eligible for the schools on your target list. No matter your athletic skills, college coaches usually won’t recruit students who they believe aren’t qualified academically for their schools.

Academic Eligibility Requirements for Student-Athletes

Since your courses, grades, and standardized test scores are set factors in your application process, you may want to view your personal essay as an opening to tell your story, display your interests, talents and motivations. The tips below will help you prepare and write an essay that might land you in your dream college.

• Choose the right essay topic. Since there are no restrictions, take your time to choose a topic you are passionate about—one which you can explore extensively. Ideally, pick a topic that highlights aspects about yourself that make you a great addition to a team’s roster.
• Be concise. Be sure to follow guidelines provided for the length of the essay.
• Be honest and use your voice. Genuine work is easily detected. Your essay is an opportunity to differentiate yourself from other applicants with similar tests scores and GPAs, so it’s important to be original and authentic, rather than relying on generic or overused ideas.
• Avoid grammatical errors and weak sentence structures. An essay filled with misspellings, poorly placed words and irrelevant clauses will stand out for the wrong reasons. The admissions board might perceive you as careless.

Application deadlines and processes

Write an essay that shows your character

NCSA’s 2019 State of Recruiting report examined major themes in college athletic recruiting based on results of a national survey to student-athletes, parents, club coaches, high school coaches, and college coaches.

One of the survey’s key findings was that college coaches value a recruit’s character more than athletic ability. While colleges typically only reach out to student-athletes who meet their athletic standards, coaches want to make sure they clear the character test before making an offer. By using your personal essay to showcase your character (things like leadership, values, work ethic, overcoming adversity, respect, and honesty), you can set yourself apart from other potential recruits.

While college coaches aren’t directly involved in the overall college admissions process, writing your personal essay with the coach perspective in mind can be great practice for thinking about and learning how to express your best qualities, and that can help boost your confidence in conversations with coaches.

2019 NCSA State of Recruiting Report

Keep in mind to work closely with your college counselor. Should you decide to tell a sports story in your college essay, let it be something powerful to grab the attention of the college’s admissions committee. Writing an impressive essay won’t occur overnight. Therefore, you might need to write several college essay drafts until you finally craft the message that best represents you as a potential student-athlete. Closely review the application instructions for schools you’ll apply to – at some schools, you may be able to submit a video instead of a written essay.

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College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

• Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
• Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
• Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
• Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

• Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
• Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
• Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
• Tell you what to say and how to say it
• Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
• Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

• An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
• An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
• An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

• If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
• If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
• If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

• Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
• Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
• Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

• Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
• How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
• Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
• Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

• Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
• Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
• Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
• Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
• What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

• You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
• A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
• A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
• A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
• All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
• Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
• If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
• Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Synthesis Essay Examples

A synthesis essay is another piece of academic discourse that students often find difficult to write. This assignment indeed requires a more nuanced approach to writing and performing research. It’s particularly relevant to students taking an AP English Language and Composition exam, so learning how to write a synthesis essay is crucial to getting a high score.

This article will explore the definition of a synthesis essay, its functions, and objectives, and provide a tutorial on how to write a synthesis essay.

What is a synthesis essay?

To understand how to write a synthesis essay, we first need to figure out why it is called this way.

The word “synthesis” comes from the Greek language where it means “composition” or “collection.” This means that a synthesis essay can be interpreted as a piece of writing that combines something together. But what?

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program known for developing complex courses for high-school students includes a synthesis essay as one of its Language and Composition exam questions. In it, the AP Program asks students to analyze several sources of information and write an essay that “synthesizes” (or incorporates) evidence from some of the sources.

Thus, a synthesis essay is a written text that explores a certain issue using perspectives derived from multiple different sources.

Synthesis essay: format and objectives

Unlike other types of academic analysis, synthesis questions do not aim to evaluate the overall persuasiveness of your arguments. As a writer, you should aim to analyze, evaluate, and integrate diverse ideas into a coherent whole. Here are some of the skills students need to demonstrate in their synthesis essays:

• Analyzing sources . Before you learn how to start a synthesis essay, your task is to read and analyze the sources presented to you and understand what they’re about.
• Assessing the arguments . After familiarizing yourself with the available sources, you are supposed to evaluate if the arguments they support are strong or weak, which will help you determine the course of your essay.
• Identifying common positions . The next skill you must demonstrate is identifying common positions across the sources. By comparing and contrasting different viewpoints, the writer should be able to detect repeating ideas that contribute to a deeper understanding of the topic.
• Integrating sources . Your main task in a synthesis essay is combining ideas from different authors to create a cohesive argument. This will help you show how well you can extract information from various sources.

As you see, the chief goal of synthesis questions is to show how well you can analyze sources and derive information from them.

How to start a synthesis essay: tutorial

During an AP examination, you don’t have a lot of time to write the text. It can be stressful, and it’s not rare for students to panic and forget what to do. Don’t worry, with these simple steps, you’ll be able to create a great synthesis essay and ace your exam.

1. Scan the given sources

At first, you will be handed six sources that you’re supposed to briefly examine. These can include academic and newspaper articles, graphs, schedules, prompts, and other documents that can be used to support your future thesis statement.

Remember that you don’t have a lot of time, so take a quick look at the documents and leave short remarks that can help you remember which source supports or argues a certain opinion.

2. Develop your stance

After you’ve studied the sources, it’s time to come up with your stance and thesis statement. Note that, unlike other essays, the stance you must take in your synthesis essay might not correlate with your actual opinion.

Your task is to choose a position that you can support with the sources provided to you. This will showcase your ability to draw an unbiased and logical conclusion from a wide range of references. However, your stance should express an original idea and cannot paraphrase the points given in the source texts.

3. Write your essay

Your essay should start with a two or three-sentence-long introduction that gives background to the topic you’re going to be writing about. It should also include your thesis – the idea based on the evidence you’ve gathered that you’re going to defend in the next part of your essay. Don’t use personal pronouns as a synthesis essay provides an overview of facts instead of your opinion

The body of your synthesis essay should be built of several arguments. Each argument should refer to a specific part of your thesis and provide evidence to support the claims. Use the sources provided to you as evidence to validate your arguments. You should use at least three sources, but the more you incorporate in your text, the better. You can draw arguments and evidence from your background knowledge or include counter-arguments from the remaining sources. When you refer to the original documents, make sure to include the number of the source in brackets at the end of a sentence.

In your conclusion, restate your original thesis and summarize what you stated before. Don’t repeat the same thoughts. Instead, include a new idea you haven’t mentioned before or a call to action to finish your essay properly.

Synthesis essay: examples

The list of sources provided as part of the examination:

• A New York Times article about the relevance of blue-collar workers;
• A Washington Post article about the uselessness of art degrees;
• The Economist’s article about the decreasing wages of college graduates;
• A New Your Times article proving that college does pay off;
• An article about a businessman giving money to teens to start businesses instead of going to college
• A survey on whether college education is worth it

Is college worth it?

In the current era of shifting economic landscapes and evolving societal expectations, the value of higher education has become a subject of intense scrutiny. While some decades ago, a college education was considered the only solution to a better life, nowadays this sentiment is no longer relevant. Higher education can no longer guarantee high salaries and employment, not to mention the unbearable strain it puts on a future graduate’s finances.

The modern world of employment has shifted. While decades ago society needed information-centric professionals, now the situation is different. With the Internet, employers can now find new hires from all over the world with much cheaper salary expectations, leaving local college graduates with no choice but to agree to a lower pay than they expected[3]. This demonstrates the new trend of decreasing rewards for higher education that is very likely to continue in the future.

Another issue is the lack of employment in certain areas. It is no secret that Art and Humanities graduates have a tough time finding positions with adequate pay in the field they studied[2]. Many of them have to search for employment in other fields that have nothing to do with their degrees, which further proves that higher education does not provide job security.

Furthermore, the cost of higher education in America has been the subject of many debates. Even with scholarships and financial aid, many students still find themselves facing daunting loan repayments upon graduation[6]. This financial pressure can delay important milestones such as buying a home, starting a family, or saving for retirement. Additionally, the job market may not always align with graduates' expectations, making it challenging to secure well-paying positions to effectively manage their debt. As a result, the financial impact of college can be felt long after receiving a diploma, shaping the economic landscape of young professionals for years to come.

In conclusion, higher education no longer offers guaranteed employment and financial stability benefits, often leaving graduates with an exorbitant debt they can not afford. Because of this, the governments should reevaluate their current educational and economic policies and develop other areas of education like vocational schools to provide stability to future generations.

Conclusion: Writing a synthesis essay

A synthesis essay tests your ability to conduct objective analysis and derive facts from multiple different references. It helps you learn to put aside your personal bias and provide an objective overview of information even if it contradicts your opinion. To produce a high-scoring synthesis essay, work on your analytical skills and use them to find evidence to defend your position.

If answering synthesis questions gives you trouble, use essay generator Aithor to generate sample essays, learn how to derive main information from source texts, create a plan, and express your thoughts concisely and eloquently.

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How to Write the Diversity Essay – With Examples

May 1, 2024

The diversity essay has newfound significance in college application packages following the 2023 SCOTUS ruling against race-conscious admissions. Affirmative action began as an attempt to redress unequal access to economic and social mobility associated with higher education. But before the 2023 ruling, colleges frequently defended the policy based on their “compelling interest” in fostering diverse campuses. The reasoning goes that there are certain educational benefits that come from heterogeneous learning environments. Now, the diversity essay has become key for admissions officials in achieving their compelling interest in campus diversity. Thus, unlocking how to write a diversity essay enhances an applicant’s ability to describe their fit with a campus environment. This article describes the genre and provides diversity essay examples to help any applicant express how they conceptualize and contribute to diversity.

How to Write a Diversity Essay – Defining the Genre

Diversity essays in many ways resemble the personal statement genre. Like personal statements, they help readers get to know applicants beyond their academic and extracurricular achievements. What makes an applicant unique? Precisely what motivates or inspires them? What is their demeanor like and how do they interact with others? All these questions are useful ways of thinking about the purpose and value of the diversity essay.

It’s important to realize that the essay does not need to focus on aspects like race, religion, or sexuality. Some applicants may choose to write about their relationship to these or other protected identity categories. But applicants shouldn’t feel obligated to ‘come out’ in a diversity essay. Conversely, they should not be anxious if they feel their background doesn’t qualify them as ‘diverse.’

Instead, the diversity essay helps demonstrate broader thinking about what makes applicants unique that admissions officials can’t glean elsewhere. Usually, it also directly or indirectly indicates how an applicant will enhance the campus community they hope to join. Diversity essays can explicitly connect past experiences with future plans. Or they can offer a more general sense of how one’s background will influence their actions in college.

Thus, the diversity essay conveys both aspects that make an applicant unique and arguments for how those aspects will contribute on campus. The somewhat daunting genre is, in fact, a great opportunity for applicants to articulate how their background, identity, or formative experiences will shape their academic, intellectual, social, and professional trajectories.

Diversity College Essay Examples of Prompts – Sharing a Story

All diversity essays ask applicants to share what makes them unique and convey how that equips them for university life. However, colleges will typically ask applicants to approach this broad topic from a variety of different angles. Since it’s likely applicants will encounter some version of the genre in either required or supplemental essay assignments, it’s a good idea to have a template diversity essay ready to adapt to each specific prompt.

One of the most standard prompts is the “share a story” prompt. For example, here’s the diversity-related Common App prompt:

“Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”

This prompt is deliberately broad, inviting applicants to articulate their distinctive qualities in myriad ways. What is unsaid, but likely expected, is some statement about how the story evidences the ability to enhance campus diversity.

Diversity College Essay Examples of Prompts – Describing Contribution

Another common prompt explicitly asks students to reflect on diversity while centering what they will contribute in college. A good example of this prompt comes from the University of Miami’s supplemental essay:

Located within one of the most dynamic cities in the world, the University of Miami is a distinctive community with a variety of cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and backgrounds. The University of Miami is a values-based and purpose-driven postsecondary institution that embraces diversity and inclusivity in all its forms and strives to create a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to contribute.

Please describe how your unique experiences, challenges overcome, or skills acquired would contribute to our distinctive University community. (250 words)

In essays responding to these kinds of prompts, its smart to more deliberately tailor your essay to what you know about the institution and its values around diversity. You’ll need a substantial part of the essay to address not only your “story” but your anticipated institutional contribution.

Diversity College Essay Examples of Prompts – Navigating Difference

The last type of diversity essay prompt worth mentioning asks applicants to explain how they experience and navigate difference. It could be a prompt about dealing with “diverse perspectives.” Or it could ask the applicant to tell a story involving someone different than them. Regardless of the framing, these types of prompts ask you to unfold a theory of diversity stemming from social encounters. Applicants might still think of how they can use the essay to frame what makes them unique. However, here colleges are also hoping for insight into how applicants will deal with the immense diversity of college life beyond their unique experiences. In these cases, it’s especially important to use a story kernel to draw attention to fundamental beliefs and values around diversity.

  How to Write a Diversity Essay – Tips for Writing

Before we get to the diversity college essay examples, some general tips for writing the diversity essay:

• Be authentic: This is not the place to embellish, exaggerate, or overstate your experiences. Writing with humility and awareness of your own limitations can only help you with the diversity essay. So don’t write about who you think the admissions committee wants to see – write about yourself.
• Find dynamic intersections: One effective brainstorming strategy is to think of two or more aspects of your background, identity, and interests you might combine. For example, in one of the examples below, the writer talks about their speech impediment alongside their passion for poetry. By thinking of aspects of your experience to combine, you’ll likely generate more original material than focusing on just one.
• Include a thesis: Diversity essays follow more general conventions of personal statement writing. That means you should tell a story about yourself, but also make it double as an argumentative piece of writing. Including a thesis in the first paragraph can clearly signal the argumentative hook of the essay for your reader.
• Include your definition of diversity: Early in the essay you should define what diversity means to you. It’s important that this definition is as original as possible, preferably connecting to the story you are narrating. To avoid cliché, you might write out a bunch of definitions of diversity. Then, review them and get rid of any that seem like something you’d see in a dictionary or an inspirational poster. Get those clichéd definitions out of your system early, so you can wow your audience with your own carefully considered definition.

How to Write a Diversity Essay – Tips for Writing (Cont.)

• Zoom out to diversity more broadly: This tip is especially important you are not writing about protected minority identities like race, religion, and sexuality. Again, it’s fine to not focus on these aspects of diversity. But you’ll want to have some space in the essay where you connect your very specific understanding of diversity to a larger system of values that can include those identities.

Revision is another, evergreen tip for writing good diversity essays. You should also remember that you are writing in a personal and narrative-based genre. So, try to be as creative as possible! If you find enjoyment in writing it, chances are better your audience will find entertainment value in reading it.

How to Write a Diversity Essay – Diversity Essay Examples

The first example addresses the “share a story” prompt. It is written in the voice of Karim Amir, the main character of Hanif Kureishi’s novel The Buddha of Suburbia .

As a child of the suburbs, I have frequently navigated the labyrinthine alleys of identity. Born to an English mother and an Indian father, I inherited a rich blend of traditions, customs, and perspectives. From an early age, I found myself straddling two worlds, trying to reconcile the conflicting expectations of my dual heritage. Yet, it was only through the lens of acting that I began to understand the true fluidity of identity.

• A fairly typical table setting first paragraph, foregrounding themes of identity and performance
• Includes a “thesis” in the final sentence suggesting the essay’s narrative and argumentative arc

Diversity, to me, is more than just a buzzword describing a melting pot of ethnic backgrounds, genders, and sexual orientations. Instead, it evokes the unfathomable heterogeneity of human experience that I aim to help capture through performance. On the stage, I have often been slotted into Asian and other ethnic minority roles. I’ve had to deal with discriminatory directors who complain I am not Indian enough. Sometimes, it has even been tempting to play into established stereotypes attached to the parts I am playing. However, acting has ultimately helped me to see that the social types we imagine when we think of the word ‘diversity’ are ultimately fantastical constructions. Prescribed identities may help us to feel a sense of belonging, but they also distort what makes us radically unique.

• Includes an original definition of diversity, which the writer compellingly contrasts with clichéd definitions
• Good narrative dynamism, stressing how the writer has experienced growth over time

Diversity Essay Examples Continued – Example One

The main challenge for an actor is to dig beneath the “type” of character to find the real human being underneath. Rising to this challenge entails discarding with lazy stereotypes and scaling what can seem to be insurmountable differences. Bringing human drama to life, making it believable, requires us to realize a more fundamental meaning of diversity. It means locating each character at their own unique intersection of identity. My story, like all the stories I aspire to tell as an actor, can inspire others to search for and celebrate their specificity. 

• Focuses in on the kernel of wisdom acquired over the course of the narrative
• Indirectly suggests what the applicant can contribute to the admitted class

Acting has ultimately underlined an important takeaway of my dual heritage: all identities are, in a sense, performed. This doesn’t mean that heritage is not important, or that identities are not significant rallying points for community. Instead, it means recognizing that identity isn’t a prison, but a stage.

• Draws the reader back to where the essay began, locating them at the intersection of two aspects of writer’s background
• Sharply and deftly weaves a course between saying identities are fictions and saying that identities matter (rather than potentially alienating reader by picking one over the other)

Diversity Essay Examples Continued – Example Two

The second example addresses a prompt about what the applicant can contribute to a diverse campus. It is written from the perspective of Jason Taylor, David Mitchell’s protagonist in Black Swan Green .

Growing up with a stutter, each word was a hesitant step, every sentence a delicate balance between perseverance and frustration. I came to think of the written word as a sanctuary away from the staccato rhythm of my speech. In crafting melodically flowing poems, I discovered a language unfettered by the constraints of my impediment. However, diving deeper into poetry eventually made me realize how my stammer had a humanistic rhythm all its own.

• Situates us at the intersection of two themes – a speech impediment and poetry – and uses the thesis to gesture to their synthesis
• Nicely matches form and content. The writer uses this opportunity to demonstrate their facility with literary language.

Immersing myself in the genius of Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, and Maya Angelou, I learned to embrace the beauty of diversity in language, rhythm, and life itself. Angelou wrote that “Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.” For me, this quote illuminates how diversity is not simply a static expression of discrete differences. Instead, diversity teaches us the beauty of a multitude of rhythms we can learn from and incorporate in a mutual dance. If “everything in the universe has a rhythm,” then it’s also possible that anything can be poetry. Even my stuttering speech can dance.

• Provides a unique definition of diversity
• Conveys growth over time
• Connects kernel of wisdom back to the essay’s narrative starting point

As I embark on this new chapter of my life, I bring with me the lessons learned from the interplay of rhythm and verse. I bring a perspective rooted in empathy, an unwavering commitment to inclusivity, and a belief in language as the ultimate tool of transformative social connection. I am prepared to enter your university community, adding a unique voice that refuses to be silent. 

• Directly addresses how background and experiences will contribute to campus life
• Conveys contributions in an analytic mode (second sentence) and more literary and personal mode (third sentence)

Additional Resources 

Diversity essays can seem intimidating because of the political baggage we bring to the word ‘diversity.’ But applicants should feel liberated by the opportunity to describe what makes them unique. It doesn’t matter if applicants choose to write about aspects of identity, life experiences, or personal challenges. What matters is telling a compelling story of personal growth. Also significant is relating that story to an original theory of the function and value of diversity in society. At the end of the day, committees want to know their applicants deeper and get a holistic sense of how they will improve the educational lives of those around them.

Additional Reading and Resources

• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples 
• How to Write the Overcoming Challenges Essay + Example
• Common App Essay Prompts
• Why This College Essay – Tips for Success
• How to Write a Body Paragraph for a College Essay
• UC Essay Examples 
• College Essay

Tyler Talbott

Tyler holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Missouri and two Master of Arts degrees in English, one from the University of Maryland and another from Northwestern University. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in English at Northwestern University, where he also works as a graduate writing fellow.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, sports division at university of richmond.

I'm curious about the sports culture and division at the University of Richmond. What division do they play in, and how strong are the athletic programs overall? Is there a lot of school spirit around sports events?

The University of Richmond competes in NCAA Division I athletics and is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference for the majority of their sports. The football team, however, plays in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The athletic programs at the University of Richmond are quite competitive, with a number of teams consistently performing well in their respective conferences.

In terms of school spirit, students and the local community take pride in supporting their teams. Campus-wide events, such as the annual Robins Stadium homecoming football game and basketball games at the Robins Center, attract enthusiastic crowds of students, alumni, and fans. The atmosphere at these events is energetic and fosters a sense of camaraderie.

Outside of varsity athletics, the University of Richmond also offers a robust intramural sports program and club sports teams, which provide additional opportunities for students to engage with sports at various levels of competition and commitment. These options contribute to an active and involved sports culture on campus.

Overall, the University of Richmond boasts a strong athletic tradition and a positive sports culture, with high levels of participation and enthusiasm from students, faculty, and the local community. If you decide you're also drawn to the academics and broader social scene and end up applying, consider checking out this blog post from CollegeVine, which breaks down how to tackle their school-specific supplemental essays: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-university-of-richmond-essays/. The essays are a great opportunity to show University of Richmond admissions officers all that you have to offer their campus community, not just athletically.

Good luck with your college search!

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Faculty & Student News

Professor silva publishes latest book chapter.

Dr. Mary Lourdes Silva, associate professor in the Department of Writing, has recently published work in Utah State University’s book entitled Teaching and Generative AI .

In response to recent innovation within the world of digital writing software, Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions “provides interdisciplinary teachers, librarians, and instructional designers with practical and thoughtful pedagogical resources for navigating the possibilities and challenges of teaching in an AI era.”

Professor Silva’s chapter can be found online for free . "My Summer with ChatGPT," describes her early experiences with this increasingly popular technology and reviews an assignment that she has developed for her Academic Writing course.

She first learned about AI writing software in December of 2022 with the release of The Atlantic article, “The College Essay Is Dead.” In her own chapter, Professor Silva guides readers through personal experiences with the technology that has created controversy among educators. She concludes the chapter with an in-depth look at the ChatGPT-focused lesson plan she has created for students at Ithaca College.

“Out of necessity, I first used ChatGPT to process mentally and emotionally two major injuries. Trapped at home for the entire summer, I learned to write with ChatGPT to complete a large-scale research project. The anthropomorphizing experience left me feeling less alone,” Dr. Silva says.

You can read more about Mary Lourdes Silva's work as a professor here .

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Guest Essay

Saying Goodbye to My Brilliant Friend, the Poetry Critic Helen Vendler

By Roger Rosenblatt

The author, most recently, of “Cataract Blues: Running the Keyboard.”

One makes so few new friends in older age — I mean, real friends, the ones you bond with and hold dear, as if you’d known one another since childhood.

Old age often prevents, or at least tempers, such discoveries. The joy of suddenly finding someone of compatible tastes, politics, intellectual interests and sense of humor can be shadowed, if tacitly, by the inevitable prospect of loss.

I became friends with Helen Vendler — the legendary poetry critic who died last week — six years ago, after she came to a talk I gave at Harvard about my 1965-66 Fulbright year in Ireland. Our friendship was close at the outset and was fortified and deepened by many letters between us, by our writing.

Some critics gain notice by something new they discover in the literature they examine. Helen became the most important critic of the age by dealing with something old and basic — the fact that great poetry was, well, lovable. Her vast knowledge of it was not like anyone else’s, and she embraced the poets she admired with informed exuberance.

The evening we met, Helen and I huddled together for an hour, maybe two, speaking of the great Celtic scholar John Kelleher, under whom we had both studied; of Irish poetry; and of our families. Helen was born to cruelly restrictive Irish Catholic parents who would not think of her going to anything but a Catholic college. When Helen rebelled against them, she was effectively tossed out and never allowed to return home.

She told me all this at our very first meeting. And I told her the sorrows of my own life — the untimely death of my daughter, Amy, and the seven-plus years my wife, Ginny, and I spent helping to rear her three children. And I told Helen unhappy things about my own upbringing. The loneliness. I think we both sensed that we had found someone we could trust with our lives.

I never asked Helen why she had come to my talk in the first place, though I had recognized her immediately. After spending a life with English and American poetry — especially the poetry of Wallace Stevens — how could I not? The alert tilt of her head, the two parenthetical lines around the mouth that always seemed on the verge of saying something meaningful and the sad-kind-wise eyes of the most significant literary figure since Edmund Wilson.

And unlike Wilson, Helen was never compelled to show off. She knew as much about American writing as Wilson, and, I believe, loved it more.

It was that, even more than the breadth and depth of her learning, that set her apart. She was a poet who didn’t write poetry, but felt it like a poet, and thus knew the art form to the core of her being. Her method of “close reading,” studying a poem intently word by word, was her way of writing it in reverse.

Weeks before Helen’s death and what would have been her 91st birthday, we exchanged letters. I had sent her an essay I’d just written on the beauty of wonder, stemming from the wonder so many people felt upon viewing the total solar eclipse earlier this month. I often sent Helen things I wrote. Some she liked less than others, and she was never shy to say so. She liked the essay on wonder, though she said she was never a wonderer herself, but a “hopeless pragmatist,” not subject to miracles, except upon two occasions. One was the birth of her son, David, whom she mentioned in letters often. She loved David deeply, and both were happy when she moved from epic Cambridge to lyrical Laguna Niguel, Calif., to be near him, as she grew infirm.

Her second miracle, coincidentally, occurred when Seamus Heaney drove her to see a solar eclipse at Tintern Abbey. There, among the Welsh ruins, Helen had an astonishing experience, one that she described to me in a way that seemed almost to evoke Wordsworth:

I had of course read descriptions of the phenomena of a total eclipse, but no words could equal the total-body/total landscape effect; the ceasing of bird song; the inexorability of the dimming to a crescent and then to a corona; the total silence; the gradual salience of the stars; the iciness of the silhouette of the towers; the looming terror of the steely eclipse of all of nature. Now that quelled utterly any purely “scientific” interest. One became pure animal, only animal, no “thought-process” being even conceivable.

One who claims not to know wonders shows herself to be one.

She was so intent on the beauty of the poets she understood so deeply, she never could see why others found her appreciations remarkable. Once, when I sent her a note complimenting her on a wonderfully original observation she’d made in a recent article, she wrote: “So kind of you to encourage me. I always feel that everything I say would be obvious to anyone who can read, so am always amazed when someone praises something.”

Only an innocent of the highest order would say such a beautiful, preposterous thing. When recently the American Academy of Arts and Letters awarded her the Gold Medal for Belle Lettres and Criticism, Helen was shocked.

“You could have floored me when I got the call,” she wrote to me, adding: “Perhaps I was chosen by the committee because of my advanced age; if so, I can’t complain. The quote that came to mind was Lowell’s ‘My head grizzled with the years’ gold garbage.’”

She was always doing that — attaching a quotation from poetry to a thought or experience of her own, as if she occupied the same room as all the great poets, living with them as closely as loved ones in a tenement.

Shelley called poets the “unacknowledged legislators of the world.” I never fully got that famous line. But if the legislators’ laws apply to feeling and conduct, I think he was onto something. If one reads poetry — ancient and modern — as deeply as Helen did, and stays with it, and lets it roll around in one’s head, the effect is transporting. You find yourself in a better realm of feeling and language. And nothing of the noisier outer world — not Donald Trump, not Taylor Swift — can get to you.

In our last exchange of letters, Helen told me about the death she was arranging for herself. I was brokenhearted to realize that I was losing someone who had given me and countless others so much thought and joy. Her last words to me were telling, though, and settled the matter as only practical, spiritual Helen could:

I feel not a whit sad at the fact of death, but massively sad at leaving friends behind, among whom you count dearly. I have always known what my true feelings are by whatever line of poetry rises unbidden to my mind on any occasion; to my genuine happiness, this time was a line from Herbert’s “Evensong,” in which God (always in Herbert, more like Jesus than Jehovah), says to the poet, “Henceforth repose; your work is done.”

She closed her letter as I closed my response. “Love and farewell.”

Roger Rosenblatt is the author, most recently, of “Cataract Blues: Running the Keyboard.”

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