College Essay Whiz is thrilled to announce that we have 7 winners in the 2014 essay competition. Over 80 qualified applicants from all over the country entered the competition, submitting essays that dealt with their personal experiences in the college application process. A five-person panel of judges evaluated each essay on the basis of content, style and personal insight. The winners, who were notified about their awards on August 15, demonstrated clear and articulate writing as well as valuable and unique perspectives about a wide range of application issues. We will be posting these essays on the College Essay Whiz website for the benefit of future applicants.

The winners are:

First prize:
Adriano Iqbal (Harvard) “Who wants to be a paragon?”

Second prize:
Darya Bor (Amherst) “The Importance of Speech”

Third prize:
Ryan Lenea (Middlebury) “Don’t Be Frightened”
Madison Tschauner (University of Redlands) “The Number”

Fourth prize:
Megan Riann Sekiya (Tulane) “Plan B”

Fifth prize:
Ella S. Conte-Wood (Western Washington U) “Finding Power in College Shopping”
Kendall J. Paris (University of Iowa) “More than just a number”

We thank the judges who spent their time and expertise evaluating the essays, and we learned something from everyone who submitted an essay to our competition. All of the applicants provided fascinating stories, commentary, and conclusions. We wish all of you the best as you begin your college experience!