How to Write a College Essay That Stands Out at the University of Georgia—and Beats the AI Bot

The University of Georgia asks this year's applicants:


“Please share a book (novel, non-fiction, etc.) that had a serious impact on you during the transition from middle to high school. Please focus more on why this book made an impact on you and less on the plot/theme of the book itself.”


You’ve got 350 words. Not to summarize the book. Not to show off your vocabulary. But to reflect—honestly and personally—on how one book helped shape who you were becoming.



This is not a trick question. It’s an invitation to share a turning point.

Start with the setting, not the summary

Before you introduce the book, describe what life looked like for you at that time. Were you overwhelmed by a new school? Trying to find your friend group? Struggling with self-confidence, pressure, or perfectionism?


Grounding your essay in the emotional reality of that moment will give your response a human texture that no AI bot can fake.


Name the book, then tell us what it unlocked in you

Maybe it was a novel that made you feel less alone. A memoir that gave you language for something you could not yet explain. A piece of nonfiction that sparked your curiosity or redefined how you see the world.


Do not summarize the plot. Instead, focus on your reaction. What did you feel? What shifted? How did you carry that insight forward into high school?


Show who you were becoming

The best UGA essays connect the book to your personal growth. What changed in you after reading it? How did it help shape the student, friend, or thinker you became? If you can trace a thread from that moment to who you are now, your response will feel grounded and reflective.


If you write about a book that truly mattered to you—and connect it to how you grew as a person—your essay will stand out.

AI can fake a book report. But it can’t fake your growth.