How Should I End It? A Guide and Samples of Common App Essay Conclusions Sarah ONeill Coatesville

 Sarah ONeill Coatesville Supreme Editing 


When drafting a concluding paragraph for the Common Application Essay or even the supplemental essays for major universities, be sure that it does all the customary things a conclusion should do: add a note of finality, pull back and push out major points, extend out the message to the future, and/or end in a quote or other glittery aspect from your bodies. 


Throughout the years, as an admissions essay editor and mentor, I have found that some clients try to pack in too many messages, too many topics, and too many symbols into one essay which makes writing the conclusion even more difficult. 


A strong concluding paragraph in a college admissions essay should leave a lasting impression, tie together your main points, and reinforce why you are a great fit for the school. Here’s a general structure to guide you:

  1. Restate your theme: Briefly revisit the core message or central theme of your essay. This could be a personal value, key experience, or important insight.

  2. Connect to the future: Show how your past experiences have prepared you for college and the specific opportunities or challenges you want to pursue at the school. Highlight how the school’s programs, values, or culture align with your aspirations.

  3. End with confidence and purpose: Conclude with a forward-looking statement. This could be a reflection on how you’ll contribute to the campus community or how your goals will be furthered by attending that particular institution.

Below are GENUINE examples of conclusions to essays admitted to high-level colleges and universities: 

SAMPLE 1

If “art transcends cultural boundaries” as Thomas Kincaid said, then my paintings have done the same but I have also crossed some very important personal boundaries, too. I still paint to connect with others, to rise above divisions between us, and to communicate in a language that is connected to others but is still my own. I truly believe that art is a common tongue that everyone can speak, and I plan to continue to talk this way. 

SAMPLE 2

Today, heading home to visit Inner Mongolia every summer, the land that I used to ride on is now engulfed by yellow sand. I couldn’t sit by watching the grasslands dissolve. I joined Operation Earth, an organization to conduct field research with scientists. I had to know why this was happening in my hometown, so I set out to learn more about what my grandpa had been teaching me at home. I started research at Altay Prefecture where we recorded species through infrared to determine change in biodiversity; comparing past data. I eventually earned a split on the 8th Asia Wetland Symposium (AWS) held in Saga, Japan, and in my final presentation, I shared the deterioration of Inner Mongolia. I still belong to the grasslands, but I also belong to myself. Important changes like learning how to focus, to preserve nature, and the tools from riding horses, I trot towards my future never forgetting where I have come from - the wild. 

Sample 3

At the end of the day, the Rubik’s Cube is still just a puzzle. But, for me, it is a little slice of our world. I realize that by being open to each other despite our differences, we became, and society can become, greater and can solve more significant problems. I saw firsthand how collaboration not only creates a welcoming environment but encourages the transfer of ideas in a globally beneficial way. To this day, I still keep a cube on my desk since cubing has made all the difference in me. 


Sarah ONeill Coatesville Supreme Editing




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