I’m not coming out because I feel I owe it to the world to be honest about myself. I started coming out because I decided the world owed it to me to let me live in a way that I could be more honest ...

Sometimes, the concept of growing close to something can be anxiety-inducing, whether that be getting close to your crush, close to a deadline or close to the end of an important part of your life.

Five years ago, I began my Common Application essay with the following sentence: “To quote Ferris Bueller, ‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it ...

Sign up for the daily CJR newsletter. The personal essay isn’t dead. It’s just found new life. Personal essays are alive and well today, just in a different form ...