the new school essay

The New School 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 15

You Have: 

The New School 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations 

The Requirements: 2 essays of 400 words each

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Community

The New School asks applicants to respond to two essay prompts in 400 words or fewer. It’s very possible that if you’re applying to a specific major, you may have to write a third essay! We recommend starting your application in the Common App to see what’s in store. In the meantime, let’s dive into the two essays all students have to write!

In your study or work at The New School, what social issue or system would you make the focus of your efforts to effect change? (400 words)

The New School wants to welcome students to campus who not only want to make their mark, but also feel passionate about making the world a better place. The issue you choose to discuss can really run the gamut. Which social issues are close to your heart and why? Maybe you would love to address reproductive rights and expand healthcare access for people in historically underserved communities. Perhaps you’d like to address systemic racism and discrimination within your area of study. Remember to connect the social issue you’re passionate about to your vision of life at The New School. You should be able to point to specific examples of their offerings that will help you to effect change, whether they be classes, networking opportunities, research, etc.

What specific aspects of The New School’s academic programs or community drew you to apply? Please pay particular attention within your essay to the college, program, and/or campus to which you have applied. ( 400 words)

This is a pretty standard “why” essay that allows students to choose their line of focus: academics or community. Admissions wants to know what has inspired you to apply, so save their time (and yours) by cutting to the chase. Of course, brevity isn’t the same as generality, so make your point with specifics. As with any other “why” essay, take some time to do your research. Scour your program’s website for information about classes, professors, unique opportunities, and notable alumni. What catches your eye? What inspires you? How does it connect to an interest you have? How does The New School’s unique curriculum satisfy your needs in a way no other school could? If the community drew you in, why is that? Have you heard wonderful things from your older brother who attends? Do you dream of studying in New York City? (If so, why is The New School the NYC institution for you, out of all the myriad options in the area?) This is your opportunity to impress admissions with your knowledge of what The New School has to offer, your vision for your future, and why those two things are aligned.

About Kat Stubing

View all posts by Kat Stubing »

We have school-specific prompt guides for almost 100 schools.

Contact us for information on rates and more!

• I am a * Student Parent Potential Partner School Counselor Private College Counselor
• Name * First Last
• Phone Type Mobile Landline
• Street Address
• Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
• Which best describes you (or your child)? High school senior High school junior College student College grad Other
• How did you find CEA? Internet Search New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Other
• Common App and Coalition Essays
• Supplemental Essays
• University of California Essays
• University of Texas Essays
• Resume Review
• Post-Grad Essays
• Specialized Services
• Waitlist Letters
• Private School Essays
• General College Counseling
• School list with priorities noted:
• Anything else we should know?
• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

School Stats:

• Agnes Scott College
• Alvernia University
• American University
• Amherst College
• Babson College
• Bard College
• Barnard College
• Baylor University
• Bennington College
• Bentley University
• Berry College
• Bethany College
• Bishop’s University
• Boston College
• Boston University (BU)
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• Butler University
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• California Lutheran University
• Capitol Technology University
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Catawba College
• Centre College
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Clark University
• College of Mount Saint Vincent
• College of William and Mary
• College of Wooster
• Colorado College
• Colorado School of Mines
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Culver-Stockton College
• D'Youville University
• Dartmouth College
• Davidson College
• Drexel University
• Duke University
• Earlham College
• Elon University
• Emerson College
• Emory University
• Flagler College
• Fordham University
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia State University
• Georgia Tech
• Gonzaga University
• Harvard University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Haverford College
• Hillsdale College
• Hofstra University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Indiana University Bloomington
• Ithaca College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kalamazoo College
• Lafayette College
• Lehigh University
• Lewis and Clark College
• Linfield University
• Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
• Lynn University
• Macalester College
• Malone University
• Manchester University
• Marist College
• Mary Baldwin University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Meredith College
• Monmouth College
• Moravian University
• Morehouse College
• Mount Holyoke College
• New York University (NYU)
• North Park University
• Northwestern University
• Occidental College
• Oklahoma City University
• Olin College of Engineering
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Pomona College
• Princeton University
• Providence College
• Purdue University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rice University
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Santa Clara University
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Scripps College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Smith College
• Soka University of America
• Southern Methodist University
• St. John’s College
• Stanford University
• Stonehill College
• Swarthmore College
• Syracuse University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University
• The College of Idaho
• The George Washington University
• The New School
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• University of California
• University of Central Florida (UCF)
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Florida
• University of Georgia
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Richmond
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Tulsa
• University of Vermont
• University of Virginia (UVA)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Williams College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
• Yale University

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guide
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

• Cost & scholarships
• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at New School?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

New School’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Community service short response.

In your study or work at The New School, what social issue or system would you make the focus of your efforts to effect change?

Why This College Short Response

What specific aspects of The New School‘s academic programs or community drew you to apply? Please pay particular attention within your essay to the college, program, and/or campus to which you have applied.

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

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.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts

Welcome to Lang, a progressive liberal arts college within The New School. A place where small classes and big ideas meet. A close-knit community of free thinkers immersed in the diverse, dynamic city of New York. An environment where we are applying a new kind of critical thinking needed to address the most pressing issues of the day.

College, Self-Designed

Lang students are intellectually curious and creative, mentored by our faculty and staff to turn their passions and self-discovery into rigorous research and changemaking careers. Here you have the freedom to take courses offered across the university or pursue an interdisciplinary dual degree at Parsons School of Design or at the College of Performing Arts. You can also earn a combined bachelor’s-master’s degree in five years.

Real-World Relevance

Our faculty members help you develop the knowledge, skills, and flexibility you need to navigate an ever-changing world. Many Lang professors teach in our university’s graduate programs too, and bring cutting-edge research into the classroom. Courses challenge you to engage with communities and organizations and cultivate tools that apply throughout your life.

Education That Transforms

At Lang, you’ll find a community of creative and independent thinkers, inspiring and challenging you. In an environment of guided academic freedom, lively debate leads you to new ideas and action.

NYC as Your Campus

At Eugene Lang College, we open up the city for your growth and learning. Coursework connects you to New York City and its groundbreakers. Faculty organize partnered projects, facilitate internships, expose you to emerging fields, and share their networks throughout the city.

of students received institutional financial aid (2023)

students enrolled at Lang

Average class size at Lang

courses offered at Lang each year

Average student-to-faculty ratio at The New School

Lang ranked among the Best 389 Colleges and Best Regional Colleges by the Princeton Review (2024)

Virtual Admission Events

Experience the Lang community virtually! We offer a regular schedule of online information sessions, virtual class visits and mock seminars, one-on-one pre-admission appointments, and more.

Your academic curiosity and passion should drive your education. Our flexible, rich, and diverse curriculum allows you to dive deep into theory and practice-based learning. You'll have both the advising resources and the intellectual space you need to chart a curricular course tailored to you.

Anthropology is the study of human beings and the environments that shape them. Explore a wide range of topics such as race, human rights, migration, war, gender, and culture, and gain new perspectives and insight from courses that reflect the diverse interests of an international faculty. Major (BA), Minor

Study visual and performing arts in a liberal arts context. Connect academic inquiry and research to creative practice and use the arts as a powerful tool for self-discovery and advocacy. Choose one of two concentrations: Visual Studies or Arts in Context. Major (BA)

Investigate capitalism in its historical context and from the perspectives of economics, policy, ethics, culture, media, and the visual arts.

Develop skills in code and computational thinking as tools for critical and creative inquiry and for better understanding how computational systems impact different aspects of society.

Combine intensive dance practice and performance opportunities in NYC with a rigorous liberal arts education. Learn from some of the nation’s top choreographers, dancers, and scholars while considering dance as a way to think about and engage with the world. Major (BA), Minor

Experience the cultural and social significance of music in today’s world. You'll explore the global diversity of contemporary music as well as music history, theory, and criticism, and the evolving technologies used in composing, performing, and listening. Major (BA), Minor

Media plays a central role in shaping culture. Understanding how it is produced and consumed is key to understanding cultures around the world. Analyze media (print, film, radio, television, and the Internet) from the standpoints of history, politics, technology, sociology, textual analysis, and ethnography. Learn to use media as a tool for social change and gain the research and production skills necessary to put your ideas into action. Major (BA), Minor

Investigate the economic dynamics of contemporary society by studying the history of economic ideas, contemporary markets and institutions, and global economic development along with the influence of class, gender, race, and ethnicity on economic outcomes. Develop a robust grasp of the technical and quantitative tools of economic analysis needed to examine pressing questions of policy and productivity. Major (BA), Minor

How can we make our cities more sustainable? Confront the critical environmental issues facing the world’s cities in the 21st century. Bring together the natural sciences, the social sciences, and design to prepare for policy planning and service careers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Major (BA, BS), Minor

Question the culturally constructed idea of sex difference and the way gender and sexuality are renegotiated over time.

Climate change, human trafficking, poverty and hunger, and unprecedented migration are some of the most pressing challenges of globalization. Investigate these problems with a view to developing creative approaches that are just and equitable. Integrate courses across multiple disciplines and engage in research, foreign language study, internships, and fieldwork. Major (BA), Minor

History gives you the skills needed to learn and grow in a global economy. By researching the past, you learn to ask and answer big questions and gain a deeper understanding of contemporary events. Develop critical thinking and professional research and writing skills while engaging with New York City’s many scholarly institutes and museums. Major (BA), Minor

Are you passionate about promoting social justice? Learn how science can be a relevant and effective tool for change. Investigate the dynamic interplay between planetary health and environmental change by integrating laboratory work, scientific thinking, and quantitative reasoning with critical perspectives from the social sciences, humanities, and arts. Major (BA), Minor

Study Jewish art, history, and literature along with concepts of nation, state, religion, ethnicity, exile, and diaspora.

A free press is an essential part of a functioning democracy. This program allows you to focus on your own area of interest, whether that be food, fashion, or the environment. Merge the sharp critical thinking fostered by Lang with the creative design solutions of Parsons School of Design to develop the capacity and confidence to thrive in any communications field that values imagination, agility, and expertise. Major (BA), Minor

Learn how to employ the law as an instrument of social change. 

Bring together subjects you’re passionate about in a rigorous curriculum focused on interdisciplinary, multicultural, and issue‐based perspectives. Work closely with a faculty advisor to design your own course of study. Select courses from the broad range of subjects offered at The New School, and bring together themes and methods that match your personal interests and goals. The skills, knowledge, and confidence you gain will provide a foundation for a number of careers. Major (BA), Minor

View the written word from both critical and creative perspectives as you acquire broad knowledge of the history of world literature in English and in translation. Hone your skills as a critical reader, writer, and researcher. Choose one of two concentrations: Literature or Writing. In the Writing concentration, you’ll study the craft and technique of writing fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. In the Literature concentration, you’ll acquire a broad knowledge of literary criticism and theory. Major (BA)

Study literary texts from various periods and across linguistic and geographical borders, guided by faculty members who bring scholarly and aesthetic expertise to English writing and world literature in translation.

Philosophy is the study of our sense of self, what we consider important, and how we pursue knowledge and life. In this program, you will explore and criticize the intellectual traditions that have played a central role in shaping the world. By reading and interpret philosophical texts, you will learn to understand philosophical arguments, locate them within contemporary debate, and clearly express and defend your own arguments. Major (BA), Minor

Politics is one of the most challenging, engaging, and exciting areas of inquiry one can imagine. Consider politics—the exercise of power in society—on many scales, from the micropolitics of the family to the geopolitics of international relations. Use New York City as a laboratory in which to explore issues like immigration, civic engagement, and economic inequality. Major (BA), Minor

Psychology will help you understand how social interactions and culture shape the individual. Analyze the phenomena of human behavior, perceptions, and mental processes at the individual and group levels. Study the application of the scientific method to psychological research and learn how to evaluate the literature of psychology with a critical eye. Major (BA), Minor

Address the role of race and ethnicity in academic, artistic, and political discourse in the United States and around the world.

Study the intersections of and intimate connections between systems of belief and ethical codes, rituals, narratives, and social and political structures.

Immerse yourself in the rich history of motion pictures and their transformation into today’s rapidly changing screen-based media and cultures. Choose from courses in subjects such as screenwriting, directing, editing, and cinematography. You will gain technical expertise and creative confidence in all areas of digital film production by working on your own and other students’ projects. Major (BA)

Sociology is the scientific study of societies. It’s a tool for explaining the complexities of human behavior, exploring the forces of social change, and bringing facts and reason to public policy debates. Our distinctive curriculum introduces you to key texts, concepts, and research methods, as well as design strategies for responding to social problems. Major (BA), Minor

Explore acting, directing, and playwriting from the classics to contemporary work in theater. This interdisciplinary program will ground you in theatrical practice and allow you to examine experimental innovations in theater in the context of liberal arts. The curriculum combines performance and production opportunities with seminars in theater history, theory, and dramatic literature. Major (BA), Minor

Approximately half the world’s population lives in urban areas. What does this mean in a social and political context? Examine the complex cultural, governmental, physical, and social ecosystems of the modern city. Choose to focus your studies on geography, history, culture, public policy, or planning and development. Major (BA), Minor

Explore the power of images in contemporary culture. By learning to analyze and interpret visual works ranging from great paintings in world-class museums to experimental performance art to the constantly streaming pictures in media, you will gain deeper insight into issues such as race, class, gender, and politics. Major (BA), Minor

Explore the written word from both critical and creative perspectives. In this program, you’ll choose a writing genre and progress through a carefully designed set of sequenced writing workshops, culminating in a “capstone” semester devoted to creating a longer work. Major (BA), Minor

Featured Courses

Each semester, our faculty design hundreds of relevant courses that reflect the latest cultural, political, and social developments. Here’s a snapshot of some of the current courses that are available for you to choose from.

Internet Geographies

The internet, like many technologies, is often claimed to possess the power to collapse time and space. As emphasis is placed on the capacity of communication networks to erase distance, the physicality of the internet itself tends to disappear from public view and public concern. At the same time, ...

New Korean Cinema and Critical Theory

[Tracks C & S] This course will examine the shifting Korean-icity of contemporary Korean Cinema according to several key historical, ideological, and aesthetic frameworks by which ‘New Korean Cinema’ has been understood – as a response to the social and political turmoil of the 70s and 80s, its emer...

Ethics and History of Journalism

This course tracks milestones in political thought and media history that affect journalistic practice, using the methods of the New Yorker’s checking department. While learning how to check and defend facts, students explore how “fake news” differs from real news; what determines which “facts” are ...

Performance Research: Queering Cunningham & Cage

This hybrid studio/seminar ourse will center on the art-making practices and lives of choreographer Merce Cunningham (2019-2009) and composer John Cage (1912-1992), artistic collaborators and life partners who never, while both were alive, publicly spoke of the queer nature of their relationship, wo...

Climate Fictions

The challenge of representing and responding to anthropomorphic climate change has led to the production of some of the most exciting and innovative novels in recent decades. This course investigates the emerging genre of Climate Fiction, foregrounding novels like Monstro, by Junot Diaz; Gold, Fame,...

Math Tools for Social and Natural Sciences

This course provides students with the basic tools to model dynamic situations in the social and physical sciences. The first part of the course discusses applications to derivatives and integrals, optimization in one and two variables and basic linear algebra. The second half of the course examines...

Building Your Career Ecosystem

In this short course, students will acquire the skills needed to successfully navigate their journey toward careers and graduate schools in various fields, including STEAM (STEM+ Arts and Design), health and environmental policy/advocacy, science communication, public health, and informal education....

Decolonize the Museum

Are museums inherently colonial institutions? Can colonial institutions be decolonized? This course will examine the history of the ‘universal’ museum--from its transnational imperial origins to contemporary attempts to confront these tangled legacies--through a decolonial lens to ask what the place...

Making Sausage: Policy for Food Systems, Environment & Design

Food and environmental activists and designers can have a positive impact on the lives of people, places and neighborhoods. But to have lasting impact on larger systems that define cities and regions, countries or global communities, policy is key. The agreed norms, rules and regulations that make u...

Careers with Impact

The combination of academic rigor, creativity, a commitment to civic engagement and social justice, and immersion in NYC, gives our graduates the diverse skills they need to navigate today’s rapidly changing job market. The individualized academic approach at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts allows you to link your studies to your passions while the supportive real-world learning environment connects you to the field you want to pursue.

Engaged Faculty

Our professors, many of whom are jointly appointed with the renowned New School for Social Research, the university’s school for graduate programs in the social sciences and philosophy, are prominent thought leaders whose work is influential beyond the classroom. These scholars are passionate about teaching and take a deep interest in your development. You will be pushed, challenged, and inspired in intimate seminar settings. 

Research and Work

Explore some of the creative projects, research, and activism of the Lang community.

2024 DHS Spotlight: Presentation and Panel on Power and Oppressive Forces in Reality and Fiction

This interdisciplinary panel of students discussed the need to navigate spaces in which oppressive forces consistently operate. Topics covered include public safety, religion, transmedicalism, and fairy tales.

Lang Has a News Blog

2024 DHS Spotlight: Presentation and Panel on Culture and Collaboration for Change

Students at the annual Dean's Honor Symposium presented a diverse collection of projects about cultural topics, including sustainable fashion, food equity, online feminist communities, Dostoevsky’s lasting literary influence, and notions of body image and oppression.

2024 DHS Spotlight: Presentation and Panel on How to Talk About Revolutions

Students examined the way struggles against empires inevitably produce new language and images and discussed revolutionary subjects ranging from women of the Jewish Labor Bund in the 19th century to the spirits of Haitian prosperity to the legacies of Pan-Africanism.

Our Community

Take the next step.

• Request Info

Submit your application

Undergraduates.

To apply to any of our undergraduate programs (except the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs) complete and submit the Common App online.

Undergraduate Adult Learners

To apply to any of our Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

To apply to any of our Master's, Doctoral, Professional Studies Diploma, and Graduate Certificate programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

Histories of The New School

Editors    Julia L. Foulkes, Professor of History    Mark Larrimore, Associate Professor of Religious Studies    Wendy Scheir, Director, New School Archives and Special Collections

Connections    The New School Archives    Digital Collections from the Archives    Public Seminar    The New School

Contact   [email protected]

P e r f o r m a n c e

L i f e l o n g, d i s s e n t, d e s i g n, n e w   y o r k, dramatic workshop.

The New School was founded in 1919. Or 1896, when the Chase School of Art began, which eventually evolved into Parsons School of Design. Or 1933, on the occasion of the University-in-Exile, which became the Graduate Faculty in Political and Social Science. Or 1989, when Mannes College of Music, first established in 1916, became a part of the school. 

The questions that arise just in establishing the school’s founding exemplify much of the intriguing and complicated history of this storied institution. The beginning is an unsettled matter. So, too, is much of what follows.

The New School Is

• Parsons School of Design
• Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
• College of Performing Arts
• The New School for Social Research
• Schools of Public Engagement
• Parsons Paris
• Continuing and Professional Education

The Arts Curriculum, 1945-1960

Margaret mead.

It is, I think, a rather sad reflection on the present state of political science that our language does not distinguish between such key terms as power, strength, force, might, authority, and, finally, violence—all of which refer to distinct phenomena. Hannah Arendt, Reflections on Violence

Enter Squinting

A new vision, offense & dissent, explore by category:.

• Administration
• Anthropology
• Architecture
• Archival work
• Ecole Libre
• Eugene Lang College
• Immigration
• Interior Design
• Lifelong Learning
• Mannes School of Music
• Philanthropy
• Photography
• Uncategorized
• University in Exile
• Urban Studies

T h e   N e w   S c h o o l

Course catalog, writing the essay ii, eugene lang college lib arts: eugene lang.

CRN : 11154

Credits : 4

WRITING THE ESSAY II: A DEEP DIVE INTO CULTURAL CRITICISM. This is a course for those interested in the art of Cultural Criticism and most importantly human rights and social justice. It is for those interested in contemporary film, visual art literature, music and analyzing it through the lens of race, class, gender. We will look at, view and respond to the phenomena around films like Barbie and Black Panther as well as new trends in streaming shows and topics in literature. This is a class for those who enjoy culture in all of it forms and want to write about it. We will survey writers like Bell Hooks, Sadiya Hartman, Fred Moten, Roxanne Gay, James Baldwin and more all talented cultural critics in an ever expanding form. We will look at hybrid literature and writing across genres. Fundamentally, students will learn about essay writing and it’s varied possibilities.

College : Eugene Lang College Lib Arts (LC)

Department : Eugene Lang (LANG)

Campus : New York City (GV)

Course Format : Seminar (R)

Modality : In-Person

Max Enrollment : 15

Add/Drop Deadline : September 9, 2024 (Monday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline : November 17, 2024 (Sunday)

Seats Available : Yes

Status : Open *

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 9:40am EDT 5/14/2024

CRN : 14585

WRITING THE ESSAY II: METAPHOR IN LANGUAGE AND THOUGHT. Language is fossil poetry–James Geary. Historically, metaphor is often treated as a fanciful device—an imprecise or linguistic trick employed as manipulation, or worse, as laziness. This has never been the case! Let’s illuminate metaphor in all its guises. We cannot subtract metamorphic reason out of ourselves or our thought processes. Human beings utilize metaphors constantly, consistently, in language, speech, image, action and thought. In this course we’ll explore metaphors’ ancient structures. Together we’ll examine metaphoric leaps in logic, convenience, explanation and security. How do metaphors perform such heavy lifting? And how do they “work” with such admirable, eerie efficacy? We’ll read, discuss, write and explore derivatives of meaning: What do metaphors reveal about the mind and why? Class readings may involve First Love, by Ivan Turgenev, Women’s Weird: Strange Stories by Women, 1890-1940, Edited by Melissa Edmundson, How to Carry Water by Lucille Clifton, First Person Singular, by Haruki Murakami, Pandemic, by Slavoj Zizek along with separate essays by George Lakoff in Metaphors We Live By and I Is An Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How it Shapes the Way We See the World, by James Geary.

Max Enrollment : 18

Add/Drop Deadline : February 4, 2024 (Sunday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline : April 16, 2024 (Tuesday)

Status : Closed *

CRN : 10870

WRITING THE ESSAY II: POETRY AND THE CONDITIONS OF POSSIBILITY. Someone in a fallen empire must have said that any poem written in the time of a fallen empire is a miracle. Rumi wrote that poetry is “the score to life.” Lyn Hejinian wrote that “language is psychology.” Etel Adnan writes that “poetry is the anti-occupation”. Tarfia Faizullah says that “syntax is identity” and Carl Phillips writes that “poetry is patterned language.” “A poem is a discovery,” says Yusef Komunyakaa. “A poem starts in the body,” writes Carl Phillips. Jamaal May instructs that “your job is to write, and then share what you made, and then see what the world does with it.” Qays Almajnun, lovelorn and devastated, wrote poems on the wall of his city, moved by the spirit to place his innermost revelations into the public space. “Attention is a form of prayer,” writes Simone Weil. A poem is a bodily impulse and a miracle in the barrage of transactional language. And poetics is the set of conditions that make a poem possible. In this course, we will read poems by and beyond the aforementioned poets; we will read and write essays about and from poetry and poetics. We will write responses, analyses, extensions, and homages to poems; we will learn about poets, poetic devices, and histories; we will experience poems beyond the limits of understanding. And we will allow poems, those portals, to carry us into new ways of experiencing ourselves and the written world/word.

CRN : 13191

WRITING THE ESSAY II: UTOPIA, SCIENCE FICTION, AND COLLECTIVE LIBERATION. We often look at science fiction or speculative fiction as a genre that allows us to envision other possible pasts, presents, and futures, with current trends tending toward darker futures, or dystopias. This course will ask what the political role of science fiction has as a literary genre. Is it simply escapism, or a form of critique? Or does it have the possibility of effecting change through artistic and imaginative means? We will specifically be reading from a queer/transfeminist lens, as well as a critical race/decolonial perspective to see how science fiction novels imagine other worlds of liberation. Black, Indigenous, queer/trans writers use science fiction to imagine the (im)possible worlds of survival and thriving that are exempted by racial capitalism, colonialism, and the state. We will read a selection of stories and novels from the history of science fiction along with theoretical texts to understand science fiction as a genre that has provided a key space for theorizing resistance and liberation and a place where artistic and political imagination combine.

CRN : 13192

WRITING THE ESSAY II: LITERATURE: A SITE FOR FREEDOM. James Baldwin once said, “One writes out of one thing only—one’s own experience. Everything depends on how relentlessly one forces from this experience the last drop, sweet or bitter, it can possibly give. This is the only real concern of the artist, to recreate out of the disorder of life that order which is art.” In these urgent times, this sentiment has never been more true. Despite all attempts to thwart these efforts, writers have always sought to find freedom in their words and stories, and many of us, as readers, often turn to books to reflect and encourage our own desires for freedom and to tell us a kind of truth about ourselves, sweet or bitter, as Baldwin says. This course will explore the ways in which literature has been, especially for those at the margins, a site for freedom. A site for truth-telling, reclaiming, and reimagining. We’ll read a variety of contemporary world literature examining how writers define freedom: what it is, why it's important, and even, in some cases, how to get there. Authors may include Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Kiese Laymon, Terrance Hayes, June Jordan, Ocean Vuong, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Zora Neale Hurston, Octavia Butler, Jesmyn Ward, Natalie Diaz, Jericho Brown, Danez Smith, Akwaeke Emezi, and others.

CRN : 10974

WRITING THE ESSAY II: MIX AND MATCH: THE POSSIBILITIES OF GENRES. In this first-year research seminar, we'll explore works that use experimental forms to push boundaries in creativity and meaning. From epistolary form to retelling of mythologies to prose poetry we'll discuss how your ideas can be enhanced by playing with form. How can you weave together sociology with personal narrative or personal narrative with cultural criticism? Throughout the semester, as you experiment with your own hybrid forms, we'll read James Baldwin, Matthea Harvey, Eula Biss, Kae Tempest, Anne Carter, N. Scott Momaday, Olivia Laing, William Burroughs, Anne Waldman, and more. The course will culminate in a research project.

CRN : 10977

WRITING THE ESSAY II: HUMAN RIGHTS: ARTISTIC RESPONSES-EMPHASIS ON THE PERSONAL ESSAY AND HYBRID LITERATURE. Through selected readings, essay, poetry, combined forms, film, historical perspectives and current events, this course will examine human rights, human expression, themes of survival, freedom, what makes us human to violations of human rights domestically and globally. Through writing prompts and assignments, Writers in the course will respond to given materials with some elements of research over time. We will examine issues of race, women’s rights, immigrant rights feminism, lgtbqi issues, class and workers rights, asking questions such as Where do the personal and political interface in literature? How do artists and respond writers articulate and intervene in human rights abuses? Do artists have a responsibility in record keeping? What constitutes political writing? What is the writers role in society? Can craft and political writing coexist? We will also discuss issues such as self vs. governmental censorship and visibility vs. invisibility. Is writing inherently activism? Some of the writers surveyed will be Safiya Bukhari, Hannah Arendt, Kevin Bales, Sadiya Hartman, Joy Harjo, Karen Finley, Angela Davis, James Baldwin, Ta-Nehesi Coates, Chimamanda Adiche, and more.

CRN : 11835

WRITING THE ESSAY II: RADICAL MEMOIR. In this first-year writing seminar we look at texts that defy the boundaries of genre to create a narrative form true to the fragmented, shifting composition of memory itself. Memoirist, diarist, theorist, philosopher: the authors we will consider perform the ongoing project of the construction of the self, or successive versions of self, through the creation of fragmented autobiographical texts. Students will write a series of essays responding to these texts and also learn to construct a longer, research paper. Authors considered will likely include Roland Barthes, James Baldwin, Anne Carson, Claudia Rankine, Beatriz Preciado, Teresa Hak-Kyung Cha, Wayne Koestenbaum, Edouard Louis, Brian Blanchfield and Saeed Jones.

Seats Available : No

CRN : 13186

WRITING THE ESSAY II: BYE BYE BI. Bisexual erasure is real. The gender binary is real. Non-binary identities are real. Growing up biracial is real. Binary math makes what we see on computer screens real. And, in the U.S., bipartisan politics are all too real. So what does it mean to be bi anything? Why is there biphobia within the LBGTQIA+ community? How do we deal with the reality that any identity labeled with the prefix bi- can be inherently polarizing by definition? This course will try to understand why our world is so dependent on binary constructs. In this first-year writing seminar, we will explore personal, political, and cultural issues related to bi- experiences. We will examine how bi- issues reflect the ways that sexuality and desire are shaped by - yet often liberated from - the patriarchy’s paradigms of gender. To make visible the hidden impact of monosexism in healthcare, relationships, and even DEI initiatives, we will engage in conversation with a wide variety of creative works, contemporary media, and historical documents. Digital media; influencer videos; social activists’ Twitter feeds; .gov and .org websites, along with community-building discussions involving journalistic, literary, and scholarly sources, will also be considered. Students will develop research methods and critical inquiry skill-sets to produce genderographies of truth and possibility.

CRN : 10882

WRITING THE ESSAY II: RETURN OF THE QUEER PAGE. In this first-year seminar we will read, discuss, and respond in writing to a multiplicity of queer texts, from foundational works of queer theory to contemporary fiction, essays and poetry. This course will consider the relationship between body and text, and we will practice close reading a wide range of LGBTQIA textual bodies; queer pages that work to counter hegemonic norms. This course will be a practice in how to incorporate ourselves into our research, and we will explore the intersections of personal essay and scholarly research. This course views research as a conversation and an act of community and solidarity. We will practice responsible and rigorous engagement in the intersections of our own experiences and the (written) experiences of others, learning how to place ourselves among them. We will practice how to speak with, and not for. We will read queerly, and define what that means for us as we go along. Texts may include work by: Sara Ahmed, Judith Butler, Samuel Delaney, Audre Lorde, E. Patrick Johnson, José Esteban Muñoz, Dean Spade, Candace Williams, and Monique Wittig.

WRITING THE ESSAY II: THE MEANING OF MYTH. In this first-year research seminar, we will discuss and write about an exciting range of myths in order to develop key composition and research skills. Myth is a far-reaching category that intersects with such fields as literature, history, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, theology, gender studies, political science, and psychology. Myths are said to address the origin and nature of things, how people should act, what motivates human behavior, and what it means to be human. Readings cover many genres and may include short foundational Western and non-Western tales, such as the Hymn to Demeter and the Inanna tales; excerpts from longer texts such as Genesis and The Odyssey; selected short works such as Grimms’ Fairy Tales, Wells’ Time Machine, Eliot’s Waste Land, and Camus’ “Myth of Sisyphus"; the poetry of Anne Sexton, Adrienne Rich, and others; and essays by Darwin, Marx, Freud, Jung, Malinowski, Campbell, and Eliade. The class also addresses mythic themes in visual art, and how myths continue to inform politics and contemporary thought. In the course of composing and workshopping essays related to the readings, students will explore how to formulate interesting questions, conduct close readings, construct and organize arguments, locate apt sources, marshal evidence, improve grammatical clarity, and reorganize and revise. Essays build toward a fully developed research paper.

CRN : 10954

WRITING THE ESSAY II: OUR LIVING GHOST: PERSPECTIVES IN THE EXPERIENCE OF LEAVING HOME. In this first-year research seminar, we will examine various theories and perspectives on the notion of leaving home. How many ways are there to leave home? What is responsible for the impressions we keep and what is lost? What do we lose about ourselves—and why—and what do we gain? How does the concept of home—once we define it—move through us and, most importantly, why does the mapping of these changes of these perspectives prove so fascinating for writers, artists and philosophers? From coming-of-age narratives, to political homelessness, exile, family trauma, we will read memoirs, essays, and novels. Students will write four critical response papers, conduct research and explore their beliefs and challenge assumptions as we ruminate on concepts and perspectives in the experience of leaving home.

CRN : 10968

WRITING THE ESSAY II: WHAT IS RAPE CULTURE? Ugh. It’s everywhere. But what is Rape Culture? This first-year writing and research seminar looks at sexual violence in literature and pop culture and asks students to consider different, perhaps difficult, points of view. We will investigate social and political issues including violence, equality, sexual justice and patriarchy through critical writing and art from the 1970s to the present. Digital events will be looked at in real time during the months this class is in session. This course emphasizes close readings and a research paper.

CRN : 10971

WRITING THE ESSAY II: MEMORIES IN THE MAKING. This writing and research course will look at how we remember as collectives, cultures, and a country, how the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and our pasts affect our present and our futures. Our concepts of self, as both individuals and collectives, are created through the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. By looking at who gets to tell our stories and whose voices are muffled, we can begin to understand how power, privilege, and politics shape so much of the known world around us. We’ll look at how American culture is recorded impacts us, from the cold stone halls of museums to the very language we use to talk about the past. We’ll ask what our monuments saying, but also what do they say about us? This will ultimately lead to one extended research-based writing project that draws from a semester's worth of reading, discussion, and investigation.

CRN : 10972

WRITING THE ESSAY II: COMING OF AGE SHORT FICTION. Baudelaire says that “genius is…childhood recaptured,” and without question some of our most important fiction—from Twain to Salinger to Harper Lee—is rendered through the eyes of younger protagonists. In this first-year research seminar we’ll explore a variety of short story writers and characters of diverse backgrounds, regions, and ethnicities, including Jamaica Kincaid, Junot Diaz, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Ernest Hemingway, and Dorothy Allison, who together reveal the complexity of what growing up entails. We’ll consider the struggle for identity and belonging, but also for self-determination and independence, amidst mainstream expectations of community, family, or tradition. The course emphasizes close-reading, multiple drafts of essays, and proficiency with research skills, culminating in a longer final research paper.

CRN : 10973

WRITING THE ESSAY II: WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? It is taken as a given that the word “love” functions as a signifier in society, but the question of what precisely it signifies remains elusive. In this first-year research seminar, students read and write about romantic love. Is it just a fantasy, something we hope to be true? Or a reality, for those who are lucky or who work hard to make it true? Students consider whether romantic love is a socially-constructed illusion or merely an elaborate rationalization for physical desire. To do this effectively, students must hone their skills for reading, analyzing, and thinking critically about how notions of romantic love are strongly influenced by cultural assumption. In the process, students are required to think through complicated issues, write in order to critically examine that thinking, share their ideas, and make arguments based on their perspectives and understanding. Authors include William Shakespeare, e.e. cummings, Sharon Olds, and Laura Kipnis.

Max Enrollment : 20

CRN : 10975

WRITING THE ESSAY II: UNDRESSING FASHION. Fashion is often considered too shallow a topic for serious writers. Yet whenever we wear clothes, we are participating in personal rituals and cultural systems. We will begin the course by writing about what fashion means to us. How do we represent ourselves, knowingly or obliviously, through our fashion choices? We will use academic and literary readings to understand how fashion mythologies are created, and who is left out of these mythologies. Approaching fashion from a number of angles, from sustainability to appropriation, we will read writers such as bell hooks, Hilary Mantel, Jia Tolentino, and Shahida Bari, and consider the work of artists such as Frida Kahlo and Paul Rucker. This course encourages students to explore research as an aid to thinking and writing critically about fashion and will culminate in a final essay at the intersection of fashion and social justice.

CRN : 10978

WRITING THE ESSAY II: TECHNOLOGY, SURVEILLANCE, AND CLIMATE CHANGE. Technology, Surveillance and Climate Change: In this first-year writing course we will examine texts that give us a deeper look into the role of technology and its effects on surveillance and climate change. Technology is often thought of as a field that inevitability advances with time. Is there a chance that the height of technology has already been reached? How does it influence how we interact with ourselves and the larger state apparatus? We will also be using autoethnography as a tool to unpack these ideas. Students will write personal essays as well as research papers in this course.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Letter of Recommendation

What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.

Essay on My School for Students and Children

500+ words essay on my school.

Education is an essential part of our lives. We are nothing without knowledge, and education is what separates us from others. The main step to acquiring education is enrolling oneself in a school. School serves as the first learning place for most of the people. Similarly, it is the first spark in receiving an education. In this essay on my school, I will tell you why I love my school and what my school has taught me.

We have all been to school and we have loved each and every moment we have spent over there as those were the building blocks of our lives. A school is a place where students are taught the fundamentals of life, as well as how to grow and survive in life. It instils in us values and principles that serve as the foundation for a child’s development.

My school is my second home where I spend most of my time. Above all, it gives me a platform to do better in life and also builds my personality. I feel blessed to study in one of the most prestigious and esteemed schools in the city. In addition, my school has a lot of assets which makes me feel fortunate to be a part of it. Let us look at the essay on my school written below.

Why I Love My School?

From kindergarten through primary and secondary school, and subsequently, to faculty, school is a place where we always study, grow, and establish ourselves, socialize, be a friend, help others, and love and be loved. School is a buddy that will accompany us from the beginning of our youth till the conclusion of our lives. At school, we share all of our pleasures and sorrows, and we constantly rely on one another. This is made possible through the friendships we share. They assist us in effortlessly overcoming difficulties, sharing moments of enjoyment together, and looking forward to new paths.

My school strikes the perfect balance between modern education and vintage architecture. The vintage buildings of my school never fail to mesmerize me with their glorious beauty. However, their vintage architecture does not mean it is outdated, as it is well-equipped with all the contemporary gadgets. I see my school as a lighthouse of education bestowing knowledge as well as ethical conduct upon us.

Teachers have the power to make or break a school. The teaching staff is regarded as the foundation of any educational society. It is their efforts to help kids learn and understand things that instil good habits and values in their students. While some concepts are simple to grasp, others necessitate the use of a skilled teacher to drive the home the idea with each pupil.

In contrast to other schools, my school does not solely focus on academic performance. In other words, it emphasizes on the overall development of their students. Along with our academics, extra-curricular activities are also organized at our school. This is one of the main reasons why I love my school as it does not measure everyone on the same scale. Our hardworking staff gives time to each child to grow at their own pace which instils confidence in them. My school has all the facilities of a library , computer room, playground, basketball court and more, to ensure we have it all at our disposal.

For me, my school is more than simply an educational institution; it is also my second family, which I established during my childhood. A family of wonderful friends, outstanding teachers, and fond school memories. I adore my school because it is where I learn how to be a good citizen and how to reach my goals. School is the only place where we make friends without judging them. We feel comfortable spending time with those close friends no matter what the situation.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

What has My School Taught Me?

If someone asked me what I have learned from my school, I won’t be able to answer it in one sentence. For the lessons are irreplaceable and I can never be thankful enough for them. I learned to share because of my school. The power of sharing and sympathy was taught to me by my school. I learned how to be considerate towards animals and it is also one of the main reasons why I adopted a pet.

School is an excellent place to learn how to be an adult before entering the real world. Those abilities pay dividends whether you choose to be the bigger person in an argument or simply complete your domestic tasks. When you open your mind to new ideas, you gain a lot of influence in society. Picking up unexpected hobbies on your own will teach you more about what you like to do than simply completing things for a grade.

A school is a place where I developed my artistic skills which were further enhanced by my teachers. Subsequently, it led me to participate in inter-school completions through which I earned various awards. Most importantly, my school taught me how to face failures with grace and never give up on my ambitions, no matter what happens.

Schools also offer a variety of extracurricular activities such as Scouts and Guides, sports, N.C.C., skating, school band, acting, dancing, singing, and so on. Our principal also used to give us a short lecture every day for about 10 minutes about etiquette, character development, moral education, respecting others, and gaining excellent values. As a result, I can claim that what I am today is solely due to my school, which is the best institution in my opinion.

Teamwork is an important ability that schools teach. Schools are frequently the first places where youngsters have the opportunity to collaborate with children who are different from them. Collaboration is essential for the team and individual success. Students are taught that the success of a team depends on each individual component functioning together.

To sum it up, studying in one of the respected schools has helped me a lot personally. I will always be indebted to my school for shaping my personality and teaching me invaluable lessons. It has given me friends for life and teachers that I will always look up to. I aspire to carry on the values imbibed by my school to do well in life and make it proud.

Here is the list of Top Schools in India! Does Your School Tops the List?

FAQs on School

Q.1 Why must every child go to school?

A.1 It is essential for every child to go to school as the school teaches us lessons that cannot be acquired anywhere else. The experience is one a kind and along with education, we learn many other things like socializing, extra-curricular activities and more.

Q.2 What does school teach us?

A.2 School teaches us some of the great things like first of all, it gives us basic education. It teaches us to develop our skills like art, dance, public speaking and more. Most importantly, it teaches us discipline.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write a Stellar “Why This College?” Essay + Examples

What’s covered:, sample “why this college” prompts, faqs about the “why this college” essay.

• Common Mistakes to Avoid

Good “Why This College?” Essay Examples

• Brainstorming for this Essay
• Outlining Your Essay
• Where to Get Your Essay Edited

One of the most common college essay supplements will ask you to answer the question: “Why This College?” These essays are looking to see whether you’re a good fit for the campus community, and whether the college is a good fit for you and your goals. 

In this post, we’ll show you a couple examples of these prompts, go over good and bad sample responses, and break down how to ensure yours is one of the good ones. 

Let’s start by taking a look at real prompts that fit under the “Why This College?” archetype: 

Tufts: Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application? In short, ‘Why Tufts?’ (150 words)

Northwestern: Other parts of your application give us a sense for how you might contribute to Northwestern. But we also want to consider how Northwestern will contribute to your interests and goals. Help us understand what aspects of Northwestern appeal most to you, and how you’ll make use of specific resources and opportunities here. (300 words)

As you can see, these prompts are basically asking why you want to attend the school in question. Northwestern spells it out even further, and specifically asks how you’ll use their resources to achieve your goals.

Both prompts have word counts that are much shorter than that of the Common App, which is typical of supplemental essays. These two word counts are pretty representative, and you can expect the “Why This College?” essay length to be 100-400 words on average. That’s not a lot of space for a pretty important question, so it’s especially vital to use the word count wisely.

What are colleges looking for in the “Why Us” essay?

Colleges want to admit students who will not only enroll (to protect their yield), but also thrive on their campus. They ask this question to see whether you’re truly interested in the school and whether it’s the right place for you. You can write a strong response by citing specific ways the college can support your goals, as well as demonstrating your enthusiasm.

Which colleges have a “Why This College?” essay?

This is one of the most popular supplements among colleges. Here is a selection of top schools that ask this question:

• Northwestern
• Boston University
• University of Michigan

Check out our essay guides for these schools for more in-depth advice on how to write these essays.

What kind of writing style should I use?

This is a straightforward question that generally has a short word count, so you don’t need to use a narrative form at all. You can simply explain what you like about the school and why, but try to use varied sentence structure and organize the essay around your major goals. 

You can start your essay with a story if you want, however. For example, if you visited campus and experienced a really interesting course, or sat in on a meeting of a club you liked, this can make for a strong anecdote to begin your essay. Just make sure that whatever story you tell has some substance, and isn’t just a narration of how nice it was to walk around campus.

Can I copy and paste my essay for other schools?

Absolutely not. If your essay is general enough to apply to other schools, you know you need to rewrite it. The resources you mention should be highly specific to the college you’re writing about.

Common Mistakes When Writing the “Why This College?” Essay

The most common mistake students make is listing generic characteristics that could apply to any school. This negatively impacts your application, since it sends the message that you didn’t do your research, and aren’t truly interested in the school.

Here’s an example of something NOT to list in your “Why this college essay.” We’ll take the example of Tufts since we shared the prompt in the beginning.

What NOT to write: I’m applying to Tufts because of its low student to faculty ratio, the strong math department, and its prime location in Medford, just a hop away from Boston. When I visited campus, the school already felt like home.

This example is bad because many schools have low student to faculty ratios and strong math departments. There are also a ton of schools in or near Boston, many of which have low student to faculty ratios and great math departments too, such as Boston College, Harvard, Northeastern, Boston University, etc. If your statements can apply to other schools, that’s definitely not a good sign (avoid things like location, weather, size, and ranking).

The student also uses an emotional appeal with the line “it felt like home,” which might sound nice, but it has no substance and can be written for any school. You should definitely avoid making any statements like these.

This example shows that the student really hasn’t thought much about their fit with Tufts, and that it probably isn’t their top choice. This will impact your application negatively, especially since Tufts is known for taking applicants’ demonstrated interest more seriously than other schools . So, if you show that you show little interest through your essay, you may end up waitlisted or rejected, even if your stats are excellent.

Another thing that this example gets wrong is that it doesn’t describe the student’s goals or interests at all. It’s important to not only talk about why you picked the school, but also how exactly those aspects will help you grow. Remember, this kind of prompt is two-fold: in addition to explaining why the school is a good fit for you, you want to show why you, out of the many thousands of applicants they get each year, are a good fit for them.

To summarize, the main mistakes to avoid are:

• Citing generic aspects of the school (location, weather, size, and ranking)
• Using empty emotional appeals
• Not describing your goals and interests

Now that we know what a bad example might look like, here’s an example of a rewrite to part of the Tufts essay:

What TO write: As a potential Applied Mathematics major, I hope to gain the tools to model political behavior. I’m especially interested in elections, and am looking forward to taking the course “Mathematics of Social Choice,” as the centerpiece of Social Choice Theory is voting. I would also love to take “Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos,” because it will teach me to use differential equations to predict chaotic behavior. 

This is a good example, as the courses listed are highly-specific to Tufts, as well as the student’s professional goals. We not only learned something about Tufts, but also the student. Keep in mind that this wouldn’t be a complete essay⁠—it’s just an example of good, specific resources to list, and how to connect them to your own interests. 

If you want an example of a complete essay, here’s this real student response for Boston University’s “Why This College?” prompt.

Prompt: In no more than 250 words, please tell us why BU is a good fit for you and what

specifically has led you to apply for admission.

Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) attracts me because of its support of interdisciplinary study among its wide array of majors. In fact, the CAS now offers a course that combines biology, chemistry, and neuroscience. As I hope to conduct medical research into brain disorders, I plan to pursue all three areas of study. These cross-disciplinary connections at BU will prepare me to do so.

CAS’s undergraduate research program would allow me to work with a mentor, such as Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb or Dr. Robert M.G. Reinhart related to their research on neurological disorders. With them, I can advance the work I have already completed related to Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). In a summer class at our local university, my partner and I extracted data from fMRI and PET studies and inputted them into a coding program. We then created an indicator map, which we imported into another software program, AFNI, to display significant activity in the brain regions affected by DID. Seeing the representation of our data thrilled me because I knew it could eventually help people who live with DID. I want to experience that feeling again. Successfully analyzing these fMRI and PET studies and learning to code drives me to pursue more research opportunities, and this desire motivates me to study at a university that offers research opportunities to undergraduates. BU’s interdisciplinary approach to psychology and support for independent undergraduate undergraduate research will optimally prepare me for a career as a neurological researcher.

This student clearly outlines BU-specific resources (the interdisciplinary course and undergrad research program), plus how these resources align with their professional goals (to become a neurological researcher). They do “name-drop” professors, but since their work clearly relates to the student’s interests, it doesn’t look disingenuous, and shows that the student has done research on their fit with BU. The student also provides background on why they want to pursue research, and shows that they already have experience, which makes their interest in the undergrad research program more concrete.

The only thing missing from this essay is the student’s fit with BU in terms of extracurriculars and social life. “Why This College?” essays should also cover extracurriculars, as the residential college experience is about more than just class and homework. Admissions officers are also interested in how you’ll contribute to their broader campus community.

In general, these essays should be academic-leaning (especially if they’re under 250 words), but you should still address some social aspects of the college that appeal to you (we recommend about 70% academics, 30% social, with more or less focus on social aspects depending on the word count). Since the student probably already detailed their previous research in their Common App activities section, they could’ve just summarized their research background in one sentence, and used the space saved to talk about a specific social aspect of BU that interests them.

Here’s another sample essay, but for UPenn. This essay’s word count was much longer, so the student was able to really hone in on several specific aspects of UPenn.

Prompt: How will you explore your intellectual and academic interests at the University of Pennsylvania? Please answer this question given the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying (650 words).

Sister Simone Roach, a theorist of nursing ethics, said, “caring is the human mode of being.” I have long been inspired by Sister Roach’s Five C’s of Caring: commitment, conscience, competence, compassion, and confidence. Penn both embraces and fosters these values through a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum and unmatched access to service and volunteer opportunities.

COMMITMENT. Reading through the activities that Penn Quakers devote their time to (in addition to academics!) felt like drinking from a firehose in the best possible way. As a prospective nursing student with interests outside of my major, I value this level of flexibility. I plan to leverage Penn’s liberal arts curriculum to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges LGBT people face, especially regarding healthcare access. Through courses like “Interactional Processes with LGBT Individuals” and volunteering at the Mazzoni Center for outreach, I hope to learn how to better support the Penn LGBT community as well as my family and friends, including my cousin, who came out as trans last year.

CONSCIENCE. As one of the first people in my family to attend a four-year university, I wanted a school that promoted a sense of moral responsibility among its students. At Penn, professors challenge their students to question and recreate their own set of morals by sparking thought- provoking, open-minded discussions. I can imagine myself advocating for universal healthcare in courses such as “Health Care Reform & Future of American Health System” and debating its merits with my peers. Studying in an environment where students confidently voice their opinions – conservative or liberal – will push me to question and strengthen my value system.

COMPETENCE. Two aspects that drew my attention to Penn’s BSN program were its high-quality research opportunities and hands-on nursing projects. Through its Office of Nursing Research, Penn connects students to faculty members who share similar research interests. As I volunteered at a nursing home in high school, I hope to work with Dr. Carthon to improve the quality of care for senior citizens. Seniors, especially minorities, face serious barriers to healthcare that I want to resolve. Additionally, Penn’s unique use of simulations to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application impressed me. Using computerized manikins that mimic human responses, classes in Penn’s nursing program allow students to apply their emergency medical skills in a mass casualty simulation and monitor their actions afterward through a video system. Participating in this activity will help me identify my strengths and areas for improvement regarding crisis management and medical care in a controlled yet realistic setting. Research opportunities and simulations will develop my skills even before I interact with patients.

COMPASSION. I value giving back through community service, and I have a particular interest in Penn’s Community Champions and Nursing Students For Sexual & Reproductive Health (NSRH). As a four-year volunteer health educator, I hope to continue this work as a Community Champions member. I am excited to collaborate with medical students to teach fourth and fifth graders in the city about cardiology or lead a chair dance class for the elders at the LIFE Center. Furthermore, as a feminist who firmly believes in women’s abortion rights, I’d like to join NSRH in order to advocate for women’s health on campus. At Penn, I can work with like-minded people to make a meaningful difference.

CONFIDENCE. All of the Quakers that I have met possess one defining trait: confidence. Each student summarized their experiences at Penn as challenging but fulfilling. Although I expect my coursework to push me, from my conversations with current Quakers I know it will help me to be far more effective in my career.

The Five C’s of Caring are important heuristics for nursing, but they also provide insight into how I want to approach my time in college. I am eager to engage with these principles both as a nurse and as a Penn Quaker, and I can’t wait to start.

This student takes a creative approach to the essay, by using the Five C’s of Caring as a framework. This technique works especially well since these qualities relate to the student’s future career in nursing. In addition to emphasizing the student’s creativity and passion for nursing, having the Five C’s in all caps at the start of each paragraph gives this long essay a clear, easy-to-read format.

What really makes the essay stand out is the depth of the student’s fit with UPenn, and how they’re able to also share more about who they are. The student lists specific courses, research opportunities, technology, and student groups. We also learn that they are a first-generation student, are passionate about increasing access to healthcare (particularly for LGBTQ+ people, minorities, and the elderly), care about health education, and are a feminist who staunchly defends abortion rights (this controversial topic could be risky, but since UPenn is a very liberal school, this should be fine).

Overall, this essay paints a vivid picture of how the student would engage academically at Penn, and we also see clearly how the student would pursue their intellectual passions outside the classroom. Since this essay prompt focused on “intellectual and academic interests,” there was no need to address other aspects of UPenn beyond those supporting their various interests in healthcare.

See more “ Why This College?” essay examples to understand what makes a strong response.

Brainstorming for the “Why This College?” Essay

Now that we’ve gone through a couple examples, you might be wondering how to get started yourself. 

Here are three steps we recommend to get your essay underway:

• Reflect on your academic and career goals
• Research unique opportunities related to your academic and extracurricular interests
• Pick your top academic reasons for applying, and your top extracurricular/social reasons

1. Reflect on your academic and career goals.

The driver behind this essay needs to be you , and not the school itself. Anyone can write nice things about the college, but only you can explain why you would be a good fit for it.

Ask yourself:

• What do you want to major in, if you know? If you’re undecided, what are the subjects you’re interested in?
• Which career do you want to pursue, or what are the potential options?
• What do you want to get out of college? Any particular skills or experiences?

Once you have a clear idea of your college plan, then you can dig into how the college can support your plan.

2. Research unique opportunities related to your academic, career, and extracurricular interests.

You might be wondering where you can find all these specific courses, clubs, and other resources. The school’s website is a good place to start, or if you have a general idea of what you’re looking for, you can even use Google with the school name in your search, such as “Tufts orchestra.” 

Take a look at the website of your department/major and dig into the courses, fellowships, internships, and other resources. For course syllabi, you can visit the website of the professor who’s teaching the course; they’ll often post more detailed information than the online course catalog, including readings and concepts to be covered.

Clubs may have their own websites, but you can also try to find their Facebook groups or Instagram pages, which might be more current and even show events they’re hosting⁠.

If you can, try to speak with a current student. Your school counselor may be able to connect you with one, or you can also reach out to the admissions office to see if they can connect you. If not, speaking with an admissions officer is also great, or you can try to find day-in-the-life videos on YouTube.

3. Pick your top academic reasons for applying, and your top extracurricular/social reasons.

Once you’ve done your research and found specific opportunities to cite in your essay, pick your top 1-3 academic reasons and top 1-3 extracurricular ones, depending on the word count. Going back to the Tufts essay, the good example we gave actually was already 65 words, and it was only able to mention two courses. 

Keep in mind that you not only have to describe resources specific to the school, but also how they’ll contribute to your goals. This personal aspect is just as important as the actual opportunities, so be sure to allot space to describe why exactly these resources make the school a good fit for you.

When it comes to academic reasons, you are free to list anything from special programs to unique majors to specific courses and professors. We want to caution you against “name-dropping” professors, however⁠—unless their work actually fits with your established interests and professional goals. Otherwise, it might seem like you’re being disingenuous.

We also want to reiterate that you should be sure to not only talk about academics in your essay, but also extracurriculars (unless the prompt asks you to focus only on academics, or if the word count is unusually short, i.e. 150 words or fewer). Again, college isn’t just about what you do in the classroom. Admissions committees want to be sure that accepted students will also contribute to the college community. 

Outlining Your “Why This College?” Essay

Once you’ve identified your goals and the resources to support them, it’s time to start writing. An easy format/outline for your essay would be:

• Introduction to your main goals and the why behind them (great spot for an anecdote). 
• Your first goal and how the school can support it.
• Your second goal and how the school can support it.
• Conclusion where you look towards the future and reaffirm how the college can get you there.

You can adjust the length of the essay by adding or subtracting the number of goals you write about. As noted above, r emember to include extracurriculars when sharing how the college can support your goals. You should plan to spend about 70% of your space on academic reasons, and 30% on extracurricular reasons.

Some students choose to use a more unconventional format, like the Five C’s of Caring essay above, and that works too if you want to show off your creative writing skills. Some examples include a letter to the school or a schedule of your day as a student at the college. These unconventional formats can be harder to pull off though, so only go that route if you’re confident in your writing. The letter format can be especially tricky since it’s easy to sound cheesy and overenthusiastic.

Regardless of the format you choose, remember these two things that your essay should do. It should:

• Reveal more about your goals and interests.
• D escribe how the school can help you develop your interests and reach your goals, by naming highly-specific and unique campus resources, both academic and extracurricular.

If your essay checks both of those boxes, you’re well on your way to making your candidacy more compelling to admissions officers!

Where to Get Your “Why This College?” Essay Edited

Do you want feedback on your “Why This College?” essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

NY must make the electric school bus transition

New York State has mandated that by 2035 all school buses in the state be zero-emission, like the electric buses above.

  Credit: Logan Bus Co. Inc.

This guest essay reflects the views of Bella Cockerell, New York organizing manager for Mothers Out Front, and Joseph Ambrosio, chief executive of Unique Electric Solutions Inc., a Holbrook-based company that repowers diesel buses into electric buses.

When New York’s all-electric school bus legislation passed in 2022, environmentalists lauded it as a visionary plan and a victory in the climate fight, while school administrators and parents cheered the health and safety benefits it would provide for the state's more than 2 million children who ride to and from school each day.

In the two years since that groundbreaking legislation passed, questions have been raised about the feasibility — both financially and operationally — of meeting the 2027 deadline for new purchases and the 2035 deadline for the entire fleet.

These concerns are misplaced, and the urgency remains to address the detrimental effects of diesel-powered buses on the environment and our children's health.

Air pollution inside a diesel bus can be as much as 12 times higher than outside the bus. That’s because when a school bus stops at a traffic signal, is stuck in traffic, or pauses to pick up or drop off students, the filthy tailpipe emissions drift back into the cabin for the children and driver to breathe in.

This is a major contributor to the surging asthma epidemic, which is especially prevalent in low-income communities and communities of color. For these children, that means difficulty breathing, regular visits to the emergency room, and missed classes. In fact, asthma affects 10% of children and is the leading cause of school absenteeism in New York, according to the state Department of Health. In the long term, it contributes to poorer learning outcomes, lower earning potential, and chronic health conditions.

From our Editorial Board, get inside the local, city and state political scenes.

By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy .

Alongside the public health benefits of electric school buses are unquestioned environmental benefits. With the transportation sector making up nearly 30% of statewide greenhouse emissions, transitioning our school bus fleet to electric is crucial to the climate fight.

Fortunately, substantial funding is available right now at the state and federal levels for electric school buses and charging stations, as well as for a pragmatic alternative to purchasing new buses — retrofitting existing gas buses to make them electric. Changing over an entire fleet to electric in one year is not always practical; retrofits can address cost concerns and provide more flexibility for a phased transition.

Funds from New York’s Environmental Bond Act and the state's School Bus Incentive Program are already easing the financial burden on school districts, as are the federal bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program. The state incentive program alone can provide up to $171,000 for each electric school bus purchased, which would pay for most of the cost of a repower or nearly 50% of a new electric bus. Enough resources exist for school districts to begin the transition immediately.

Even in rural upstate districts, where bus routes face longer commutes and colder temperatures, electric buses have the juice to make these journeys. In Havre, Montana, for example, a sparsely populated rural county, electric school buses have handled temperatures as low as minus-40 degrees.

With school budget votes taking place next week, the time is now for parents to tell their local school officials that they will not stand by while dirty diesel buses compromise their children’s health.

Starting small and learning as we go are key principles. School districts can begin with just a single bus, gaining valuable insights into the operational and logistical aspects.

As the saying goes, “Start small, but start now.”

This guest essay reflects the views of Bella Cockerell, New York organizing manager for Mothers Out Front, and Joseph Ambrosio, chief executive of Unique Electric Solutions Inc., a Holbrook-based company that repowers diesel buses into electric buses.

Something Good: Rickards High School junior wins $1,000 in video essay contest

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - This one is all about promoting democracy!

The League of Women Voters of Tallahassee hosted a video essay contest for local high schoolers. The winner was Serenity Wiggins, an 11th grader at Rickards High School.

She won $1,000 for her 30-second video encouraging future voters to take part in democracy.

She spoke at a recent League of Women voters banquet to accept her big win.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook and X ( Twitter ).

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Write us here . Please include the article's headline in your message.

Keep up with all the biggest headlines on the WCTV News app. Click here to download it now.

Copyright 2024 WCTV. All rights reserved.

First Alert Weather Day declared ahead of possible severe weather Monday afternoon

Three tornadoes confirmed in Leon County after Friday’s storms

Another round of heavy storms early this week

Leon County Schools to close Monday at 1 p.m.

Power outages dip below 25K in Big Bend as crews continue restoration efforts

Latest news.

Live Oak Police investigating deadly shooting

Red Cross shelter open 24/7 for Tallahassee residents impacted by storm

Mystic Woods Condos residents, workers calling for help amid tornado damage in Tallahassee

‘Intense’ damage left along Cactus Street after tornadoes snap trees, take out powerlines

• Bahasa Indonesia
• Eastern Europe
• Moscow Oblast

Elektrostal

Elektrostal Localisation : Country Russia , Oblast Moscow Oblast . Available Information : Geographical coordinates , Population, Area, Altitude, Weather and Hotel . Nearby cities and villages : Noginsk , Pavlovsky Posad and Staraya Kupavna .

Information

Find all the information of Elektrostal or click on the section of your choice in the left menu.

• Update data

Elektrostal Demography

Information on the people and the population of Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Geography

Geographic Information regarding City of Elektrostal .

Elektrostal Distance

Distance (in kilometers) between Elektrostal and the biggest cities of Russia.

Elektrostal Map

Locate simply the city of Elektrostal through the card, map and satellite image of the city.

Elektrostal Nearby cities and villages

Elektrostal weather.

Weather forecast for the next coming days and current time of Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Sunrise and sunset

Find below the times of sunrise and sunset calculated 7 days to Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Hotel

Our team has selected for you a list of hotel in Elektrostal classified by value for money. Book your hotel room at the best price.

Elektrostal Nearby

Below is a list of activities and point of interest in Elektrostal and its surroundings.

Elektrostal Page

• Information /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#info
• Demography /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#demo
• Geography /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#geo
• Distance /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#dist1
• Map /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#map
• Nearby cities and villages /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#dist2
• Weather /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#weather
• Sunrise and sunset /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#sun
• Hotel /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#hotel
• Nearby /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#around
• Page /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#page
• Terms of Use
• Copyright © 2024 DB-City - All rights reserved
• Change Ad Consent Do not sell my data

• Yekaterinburg
• Novosibirsk
• Vladivostok

• Tours to Russia
• Practicalities
• Russia in Lists

Rusmania • Deep into Russia

Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

Plan your next trip to Russia

Ready-to-book tours.

Your holiday in Russia starts here. Choose and book your tour to Russia.

REQUEST A CUSTOMISED TRIP

Looking for something unique? Create the trip of your dreams with the help of our experts.