How To Choose A Common App Essay

How To Choose A Common App Essay In fact, the more people who read your essay, the better. Ask your readers whether the essay provides an accurate depiction of who you are and ask whether it is clear, concise, and easy to read. If you were given a prompt by a certain school, make sure that your essay actually addresses the prompt. The college essay is your child’s story, and it should be written using their words, in their voice. Your son or daughter is a high school senior, and the essay should sound like one. And certainly not one of the most revered writers of all time. While no lives are riding on your college application essays, this is a great time to revisit some of the rules of writing well. One rep said the general rule of thumb was no essays on the Four Dsâ€"Drugs, dating, death, and divorceâ€"but you get the idea. If you want to write about a personal challenge, emphasize what you learned and how you grewâ€"if you dwell on the details, the essay will not achieve its purpose. Once you have written your college application essay, your job isn’t done â€" you need to keep working on it to improve it until you can improve it no further. It is a great idea to have someone else read your essay to provide feedback. It’s important to show that you want to learn, and that you’re enthusiastic about this next chapter in your life and what it can mean for your future. Most colleges require a college essay, sometimes called a personal statement, as part of their application process. Experts say supplemental essays tend to be short, but St. John’s College bucks that trend, requiring a minimum of 400 words. That’s because the school is interested in seeing students write at length on a chosen topic. I work with them closely to create an engaging essay that reveals the student’s core character traits and personal growth. Essays on negative life events can be very tricky. Unless enough time has passed since the experience, the essay can be too personal, too much of a rant, or just too hard to read. Therefore, Sawyer says, this may not necessarily be the right time to start working on essays. Transcripts, letters of recommendation, standardized tests â€" it’s the time of year when high school seniors are checking items off their college admissions to-do lists. And then there’s the all-important application essay, the chance to convey in a few hundred words why a dream school should extend an admissions offer. Sometimes it helps to read essays by other students just to see what is possible. Although I wouldn't rely on them for inspiration. One of the best opportunities that you have to introduce yourself to admissions counselors is through your college essays. As a college essay coach at MEK Review, I encounter many students who have difficulty writing about their hardship effectively. No college application is complete without the personal essay, which can be daunting for many students to write. Many local students want to write about growing up in a diverse environment and how they have been enriched by that environment. While celebrating diversity is great, the problem is that these essays risk falling into truisms. Students write about the diversity of their schools or their city, but not enough about who they are. Even if you don’t have anyone else who can read your essay, you can review it yourself â€" just take a day or two off after writing it before you read it back so you can view it with fresh eyes. Although juniors may feel like they have a lot of free time right now, the reality is that most high school students are still taking classes â€" they've just shifted into an online format. Admissions counselors read dozens of essays every day, so do your best to write clearly and concisely. In your essay, they are looking for signs that you will be a successful student at their institution.

College Essay Consultant

College Essay Consultant You want both to keep the reader’s attention and to make the reader want you to be a member of the next freshman class at the reader’s college. This is your chance to make your application stand out and your one opportunity to have a real voice appear in the file. Tell the reader something about yourself that might not be included in the rest of the application. A great college essay is one in which the student’s voice and though process comes through clearly. Let’s take a look, then, at why colleges require essays in the first place. Writing the College Essay can be one of the most intimidating aspects of the college application process. Very often they are inundated with essays that cater to “what they want to hear,” making such essays exactly what they don’t want to hear. See how the first relays information in apassivevoice, while the second paints anactivepicture? Feel free to start out by painting a vibrant picture of yourself too! Many college admissions counselors have said that the more unique your essay â€" the content and writing style â€" the more captivating it is to read. Many of the colleges and universities that accept the Coalition application require you to submit at least one essay as part of your application. It should be consistent with the rest of the application and showcase an aspect of the student not highlighted in the rest of the application. It is also well written and grammatically correct. You can start working on these essays at any time and save drafts in your MyCoalition Locker. To the college essay admissions process I bring skills honed as a television writer, a screenwriter, and a journalist. It is important that your voice comes through and that the reader feels he or she has had an opportunity to experience a more personal facet of your character and your unique perspective. Avoid cliches at all cost and never write what you think someone wants to hear. When you are finished with the essay, read it out loud and carefully listen to the content, grammar, and pay attention to spelling or word glitches. A great college essay is an essay that is interesting, pithy and well written. If you find yourself in this situation, you’re not alone. Writing a compelling essay is not an easy task given the high-stakes nature of college admissionâ€"nor should it be. In fact, few practiced writers are able to do it on demand. That said, if you can pull it offâ€"if you can produce essays that complement your other credentialsâ€"you will be able to introduce an effective “hook” into your applications. Entering my ninth year, I have worked with nearly 400 bright, motivated, and exceptional applicants who each year are accepted to T10 colleges and universities. I love what I do and am immeasurably proud of every applicant I work with and their results. A good college essay is one that stays with the reader after he or she finishes reading it, maybe even thinking about it later that day, or the next day. When possible, select a topic that engages you and is one you are interested in addressing. Some teens think their college essay, or “personal statement,” will determine their entire future, and others bristle and balk when asked to finally write it, believing it will never be read. Reveal the “invisible you.” So much of what you have accomplished in school and in life is data that will be found in the body of your applicationâ€"it’s there for the world to see. The true evidence of your character, personality and sense of compassion, however, lies within you. The power of a good essay is often found in its ability to give the reader this insight. Free writing, ideally done with pen and paper instead of on the computer, is an exercise in opening the creative mind and letting ideas flow. Knowing this, you will be more relaxed and inspired as you write. Whether you’re prompted to write about a formative experience, why you think you’d be a good fit for the university or about a person who has influenced you greatly, answer the question honestly. Don’t just write what you think the admissions office wants to hear. Jager-Hyman said there are some who believe a 17-year-old need only “put one foot in front of the other” and apply himself to complete this task. But in reality, many otherwise-capable teens have no clue where to start. The B+ Grades A+ College Application author says, however, that some essays are afforded 20 minutes, and others just a perfunctory glance. Students will be accepted “if the student’s numbers fit the academic profile of the institution,” she says. In other words, an outstanding essay may tip the scales.

College Essay Help

College Essay Help Minoring in Spanish, I have read various pieces of literature from Mexico and have come to respect Mexico and Latin American culture and society. I look forward to conducting this research as it will have a more qualitative tilt than my thesis in psychology, therefore granting an additional understanding of research methodology. Although most of my friends and family did not understand my ambitions, I knew I wanted to make a difference and used their doubt as motivation to press through. Four days after I graduated high school, I joined the U.S. Stellar Results We help 95% our students get into at least one of their top 3 choices. As an undergraduate, I was privileged to gain extensive research experience working in a research lab with Dr. Carol. Participating in such a large study from start to finish has validated my interest in academic research as a profession. The effort paid off as I earned not only an ‘A’ in the course, but also won the T.O.P.S. award in statistics. This award is given to the top undergraduate student with a demonstrated history of success in statistics. Professor Mitchell obtained a grant to take a class of students to Belgium in order to study the EU. This course revealed a direct correlation between what I had studied in the classroom with the real world. After spending several weeks studying the EU, its history and present movement towards integration, the class flew to Brussels where we met with officials and proceeded to learn firsthand how the EU functioned. This fall I will embark on writing an additional honors thesis in political science. While the precise topic of my thesis is undecided, I am particularly interested in Mexico and its development towards a more democratic government. As the sole undergraduate in the course and only college algebra under my belt, I felt quite intimidated. Yet, the rigors of the class compelled me to expand my thinking and learn to overcome any insecurities and deficits in my education. In order to pay for school and continue being active in the community, I enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard as a Medic. Due to the increased deployment schedule and demands placed on all branches of the military after September 11, my attendance in school has necessarily come second to my commitment to the military. There are various semesters where, due to this demand, I attended school less than full time. Start your essay in the most interesting way possible. Initial details will bore your audience and they will definitely lose interest in reading your entire essay. The best way of doing it is to start the essay from the middle of the story. It could be an anecdote, life event, incident, or just a life experience. Start your essay keeping in mind the main focus and shape your essay around it. Is it explicitly stating what the application demanded? Essays with topics related to essay prompt work best. To make your application get accepted, they put all their heart and soul to keep the essay specific and focused on your personality. Despite taking a long time and the difficulty in carving separate time for school with such occupational requirements, I remained persistent aiming towards attending school as my schedule would allow. My military commitment ends this July and will no longer complicate my academic pursuits. I come from a small, economically depressed town in Northern Wisconson. Many people in this former mining town do not graduate high school and for them college is an idealistic concept, not a reality. Feelings of being trapped in a stagnant environment permeated my mind, and yet I knew I had to graduate high school; I had to get out. Our vision is to be the company that best recognizes and serves the needs of international students around the world. Additionally, my attendance would allow the Political Science department to make a more accurate determination on how well I would fit in to the program than from solely my graduate school application. My interest in attending the University of Rochester in particular, relates to my first semester at OU and the opportunity to take an introductory course in statistics with the now retired Dr. Larry Miller. I continued my statistical training by completing the second graduate statistics course on model comparisons with Dr. Roger Johnson, a Professor in the Psychology Department. The model comparison course was not only the most challenging course I have taken as an undergraduate, but the most important.

College Application Essay Coaching

College Application Essay Coaching it’s like different fonts take up different amount of space on a page, so does your specific handwriting. The best way to know your per page word count would be to look at past pages and count the number of words you write for each page. it’s time consuming, but any other estimate is bound not to be accurate since it’s so dependent on your handwriting. I have a writing assignment in school, and it is always helpful to know how many pages I will need. I think that since teachers don’t give page assignments but only word count assignments, it’s difficult to imagine how many pages that will be. Why is everything word count these days instead of page count? When I was in school when I was younger, all assignments were page count. Can someone explain to me why so many people are obsessed with word count and page count? If you’re a writer, shouldn’t writing well be the most important thing? There is no firm rule that says an essay needs to have a set number of paragraphs, but an essay must be a minimum of three paragraphs. Use our free and easy online tool for counting characters, words, sentences, paragraphs and pages in real time, along with keyword density and reading level. It depends on how large or small your letters are. I average 240 handwritten words per college ruled sheet. This would depend heavily on how big/small you write. Keep in mind your quotes too, you should have one quote per paragraph or two . It really is up to the person though, I have a buddy who writes considerably less than I do, but is able to get his point across. What you’re taught is often a general rule to shoot for, not a rule set in concrete. Your teacher felt that 7 paragraphs was a good number for the essays you wrote for her, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. Second thing is that they can support you later with your queries if you have. Hey, I think you are going to write your paper by your own but do you have best essay topics to select among them. If your answer is no, then you are required to check the various online forums so that you can get an idea of what topic you should select. Paragraphs structure information into sub-topics, and they make your work easier to read and understand thanks to the structure they provide. With careful advance planning, you’ll be able to work out more or less how many paragraphs you need to complete your essay. Assuming five psychological effects have been identified, you can assume you’ll need to write five paragraphs if you are going to write a relatively in-depth essay. Also, you can ask from online writers to get best topics. Suddenly, you are in a completely new situation, and need to do something, but you have no idea what. Application essays about challenges reveal how you respond to difficulty to people who are very interested in how you will handle the next four years on your own. Forget winning, forget convincing, and forget presenting yourself as somehow right or better than other people. My teachers always taught by eight paragraph essays, but five-paragraph essays normally lie precedent to the more advanced or larger essays. the general rule is that 3 paragraphs are minimum for an essay. So, no matter how short your essay is, you should still need 3 paragraphs. If you are really for some reason writing a 100 word essay, then you should have one short sentence for both your introduction and conclusion. For example, if you are writing an essay on childhood development and exposure to technology, you will want to look into the physical, psychological and cognitive developmental effects of tech on kids. In its simplest form, an essay can consist of three paragraphs with one paragraph being devoted to each section. Proponents of the five paragraph essay say that the body text should consist of three paragraphs, but in reality, it’s fine to write more or fewer paragraphs in this section. Applerouth is open, and our tutors are eager to help you.Click here for more about how we have adapted to meet our students' current needs. On average for a five-paragraph essay, I write around 1, words. For an eight paragraph essay, I write around 2,000-2,600 words on the document. We'll make a customized tutor match for your student or homeschool pod to help your family get ahead this year. My teacher mentioned an interesting one about basketball, and the entire essay was a metaphor for the writers view on life. It would be better if you can get computer science help from online writers as they can provide you the best writing samples and best possible solution to your query.

The Writing Center Of Princeton

The Writing Center Of Princeton The war had manifested itself in my racing thoughts and bitten nails when I decided that I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, let it win. With distance learning there's a lot that can fall through the cracks. Applerouth tutors have helped thousands of students build academic skills and improve their grades. Applerouth is open, and our tutors are eager to help you.Click here for more about how we have adapted to meet our students' current needs. On average for a five-paragraph essay, I write around 1, words. For an eight paragraph essay, I write around 2,000-2,600 words on the document. If your answer is no, then you are required to check the various online forums so that you can get an idea of what topic you should select. Also, you can ask from online writers to get best topics. Suddenly, you are in a completely new situation, and need to do something, but you have no idea what. Application essays about challenges reveal how you respond to difficulty to people who are very interested in how you will handle the next four years on your own. Forget winning, forget convincing, and forget presenting yourself as somehow right or better than other people. But because she’s naming other stickers (which connects them to the essay’s thematic thread), she basically gets to name-drop those activities while showing other parts of her life. If you wrote “chef,” for example, push yourself beyond the common value of “health” and strive for unexpected values. How has cooking taught you about “accountability,” for example, or “social change”? We’ve already read the essay on how cooking helped the author become more aware of his health. Paragraphs structure information into sub-topics, and they make your work easier to read and understand thanks to the structure they provide. With careful advance planning, you’ll be able to work out more or less how many paragraphs you need to complete your essay. Ultimately, your essay will be evaluated on the information you present, not on the number of paragraphs in the essay. Early in your academic life, teachers and lecturers may give you both a structure for your essay and a guideline on how long each part of the essay should be. After all, if the teacher is allocating 80 marks for content in total and you can see 50% of the mark relates to a certain part of the essay, then 50% of your essay’s words should be devoted to that section. Assuming five psychological effects have been identified, you can assume you’ll need to write five paragraphs if you are going to write a relatively in-depth essay. For example, if you are writing an essay on childhood development and exposure to technology, you will want to look into the physical, psychological and cognitive developmental effects of tech on kids. Keep in mind your quotes too, you should have one quote per paragraph or two . It really is up to the person though, I have a buddy who writes considerably less than I do, but is able to get his point across. What you’re taught is often a general rule to shoot for, not a rule set in concrete. Your teacher felt that 7 paragraphs was a good number for the essays you wrote for her, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. An essay on how cooking allowed the author to become more accountable or socially aware would be less common. War followed me to freshman year of high school when I wanted more than anything to start new and check off to-dos in my bullet journal. Every time news of a terror attack spread, I could hear the whispers, visualize the stares. Instead of mourning victims of horrible crimes, I felt personally responsible, only capable of focusing on my guilt. We'll make a customized tutor match for your student or homeschool pod to help your family get ahead this year. It would be better if you can get computer science help from online writers as they can provide you the best writing samples and best possible solution to your query. Second thing is that they can support you later with your queries if you have. Hey, I think you are going to write your paper by your own but do you have best essay topics to select among them. My teachers always taught by eight paragraph essays, but five-paragraph essays normally lie precedent to the more advanced or larger essays. the general rule is that 3 paragraphs are minimum for an essay. So, no matter how short your essay is, you should still need 3 paragraphs. If you are really for some reason writing a 100 word essay, then you should have one short sentence for both your introduction and conclusion. One important difference between the Type A and Type C essays is the ending. You’ll recall a Type A essay discusses a potential career aspiration, whereas a Type C essay ending may be a bit more open-ended. A description of these extracurricular activities may have sounded like a laundry-list of the author’s accomplishments.

My College Options

My College Options Because Rachel is still undecided about her major, she will also mention a few classes she’s excited about in subjects other than history. But first, she needs to brainstorm topics for the supplemental essays to make sure no topics overlap. Rachel, a devoted dog-lover, has volunteered at rescue organizations in three different countries, andâ€"surprise, surpriseâ€"the family has ended up adopting three dogs. Rachel could write the story of adopting each dog and how important volunteering was to her, while throwing in colorful details that illustrate her familiarity with each country. Here are five ways not to open your essay,in other words, what's more likely to lose a reader’s interest. They’re competing for an admissions officer’s attention, and you don’t want to lose your reader before your story ever really gets going. I first discovered this versatile building material as a seven-year-old visiting my father’s HVAC shop. While waiting for him to finish working one night, I wandered from the modestly finished space at the front of the building to the shop in back, which featured high ceilings and imposing stacks of shelves. Unless the quote was actually directed at you, your reader cares a lot more about what you have to say than they do about any famous person’s pithy words. Imagine you were telling a friend a story about life as a pitcher on the baseball team. You wouldn’t start with, “Often in life, we face difficult situations that ultimately benefit us. While we may not see it at the time…” You’d lose the person’s interest before you ever get to the good stuff. Perhaps most important, this is an essay Rachel can’t wait to write. She decides against the “getting lost” story, as it happened when she was 8; although if she could find a metaphoric connection with feeling lost and found when moving to different countries, it could work. Your reader doesn’t need you to define words, they need you to tell a story that will help them learn all about you. If your essay is about persistence, explain how you personified that trait. Rachel now realizes she should do more research on her colleges. She will need to find specific classes to cite, professors she’s familiar with, and extracurriculars she will take part in. She will try to fit this research in while traveling. Likewise, she was 10 years old when Maroon Five came to the Dominican Republic, where her dad was the cultural attaché. The story’s tone feels too “privileged,” with no real lesson learned; and colleges prefer more recent experiences anyway. Have you effectively communicated who you are and what you value? The best way to tell is to have your parents or a friend give a draft of your essay to a colleague or individual who has never met you. Use your available space to give the necessary details. Kennedy once said…” is already on the wrong track. Write the story that you want to express and then choose the prompt with which it best aligns. If all else fails you can default to the last prompt, which is essentially topic of your choice. Opening with a definition, like “Persistence is defined as…,” will probably not be a strong start. She will start the essay with a snapshot of a children’s Halloween party that she and other embassy teens organized, then discuss being a volunteer monitor for an online local TCK community. She’ll end with her plan to forge new bonds with other international kids, mentioning specific clubs or houses at each university. Barnard wants 250 words, and she’ll expand the essay for Michigan. Ask them to read the essay and then respond with three adjectives that describe you and a sentence that captures what they learned. When you have finished a draft of your essay, read it over and ask yourself why you wrote it. If you cannot answer this question, you might not be going deep enough or painting a vivid picture of who you are and what is important to you. Most conformists will stifle their unique voice by attempting to respond to the specific prompts that the Common Application provides. What results is often a generic statement that lacks energy or personality.

College Essay Help

College Essay Help Because if you don’t, how are you going to show that you are a good fit on campus? People with dreams need help making their dreams come true. Every early draft of a why school essay shares the same pernicious flaw â€" blanket statements made without evidence or context . Watch the following bland comment transform into a great point â€" through action. For some essay projects, evaluating the audience is important, but for others, it’s best to follow the general writing strategies you see in mainstream writing, periodicals, and professional literature. You want to use any details that will help the reader identify the topic and the scope of the essay. You want to use focused writing with a consistent tone and diction throughout the essay. This part of an essay is the first presentation of your ideas. Your goal and your past experience dictate what you need from the school. I know, I know â€" you’re thinking, nah, that sounds too hard, or too expensive â€" I don’t want to Google-stalk a professor, or haunt an internet forum, or network on LinkedIn to meet alums from a school â€" I’m busy! And you might fool your parents, or even a peer reviewer or two. But you won’t fool the experts, who have to read literally THOUSANDS of these things. They know their own programs, and if you think you can generalize your way around campus â€" sorry, no. There are a number of elements you want to include in your introduction to encourage the reader to continue reading. First of all, you’ll need a “hook” to open your essay. This hook should entice the reader by hinting at the essay’s theme in a way that makes the reader want to read more. The hook can be funny, witty, or a simple hypothesis. Richardson says that the appeal of an essay on an atypical topic such as origami showed that the writer was willing to take risks. In some cases though, the school may emphasize the supplemental essay as a top priority. That’s the case at St. John’s College, which has campuses in Maryland and New Mexico, says Benjamin Baum, vice president of enrollment for the St. John’s system. “It’s more about the voice than anything else,” Inzer says, noting an essay that is too clinical can mute a student’s personality. But be as specific as you can when it comes to your needs. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, you want to master leadership in college. What aspect of leadership are you looking to develop? By better defining your growth areas, you can focus more precisely on what the school has to offer you. The same thing applies to every discipline you wish to develop â€" precise thinking and precise language will set you apart. Your school may ask you “why us” but may not ask specifically about your goals. Use one or two sentences to tell them about your goals for college. Whatever style you choose, be sure it coincides with the overall theme of your essay. Get the College Application Blueprint for Ivy League experts' guidance to help you build a successful college application. It was then that I decided to no longer bite my tongue. My third essay draft started with the idea “I’m not afraid to speak up. Other topics that I ultimately rejected for my Common App essay actually went to be the focal point of other essays. There were numerous times when I opened up a Google doc and stared at a blank screen, only to inevitably get distracted by Facebook and not get anything accomplished. ” From there, I started cultivating this list of essay topics, character traits, experiences, and even some random sentences that I ended up using in my final essay. How to create a college application list that doesn't suck. I refuse to stay silent.” I brainstormed how I came to have this character trait and intersections of it with my Asian-American identity. I ultimately told the story of slam poetry night at Governor’s School, the first time that I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone to speak about a racial issue. My final draft is multifaceted, showing my personal growth in context of the frustration and empowerment rooted in my Asian-American identity. It combined parts of my initial drafts into something completely new.

College Admission Essay Samples

College Admission Essay Samples By avoiding the topics listed above, you’ll ensure that your essay helps â€" instead of hurts â€" your chances of admission. If you do write about someone who influenced your life, make sure that you only briefly describe them. Spend most of the essay focusing on yourself and how your personality or choices have been shaped because of this person. In some cases, it depends how you frame the topic. We'll send you information to help you throughout the college admissions process. Huge public schools tend to have more applicants than private schools, as well as limited resources with which to evaluate candidates. State schools tend to screen candidates first using GPA and test scores, before reviewing extracurricular activities and essays. At these schools, essays matter less if you have particularly strong academics. And if you want to play it safe, you’ll probably want to take the essay once and then focus on other aspects of your college application. Now that you have developed your thesis and the overall body of your essay, you must write an introduction. The introduction should attract the reader’s attention and show the focus of your essay. You can use shocking information, dialogue, a story, a quote, or a simple summary of your topic. If you are given the topic, you should think about the type of paper that you want to produce. Should it be a general overview of the subject or a specific analysis? If you have not been assigned a topic, you have a little more work to do. However, this opportunity also gives you the advantage to choose a subject that is interesting or relevant to you. For instance, if church was a major part of your upbringing and is very meaningful to you, you could mention this aspect of your identity in a college application essay. However, it’s important to do so without implying that your religion is better than others or attacking people who don’t practice your religion. College application essays are often the most challenging part of the application process. And while they may not be the most important part of your application, they can differentiate you from similarly qualified applicants. Besides the personal life skills gained, college coursework prepares you with better overall communication skills that are beneficial for the workplace. Whichever angle you choose, make sure that it ties in with your thesis statement, which will be included as the last sentence of your introduction.6. The body of your essay argues, explains or describes your topic. Each main idea that you wrote in your diagram or outline will become a separate section within the body of your essay. Once you have determined the purpose, you will need to do some research on topics that you find intriguing. If your goal is to educate, choose a subject that you have already studied. If your goal is to persuade, choose a subject that you are passionate about. Whatever the mission of the essay, make sure that you are interested in your topic. To write an argumentative essay, it's important to research and back up what you say in the text. For more detail, here are some argumentative essay writing tips. Expository essays compare, explore, and discuss problems. While there's a bit of a storytelling element to them, their purpose is greater than that. It's always to explain some integral concept to the reader. Each body paragraph will have the same basic structure. Begin by writing one of your main ideas as the introductory sentence. Next, write each of your supporting ideas in sentence format, but leave three or four lines in between each point to come back and give detailed examples to back up your position. Fill in these spaces with relative information that will help link smaller ideas together.5. You may have your topic assigned, or you may be given free reign to write on the subject of your choice. When you write a descriptive essay, you want to involve the reader's senses and emotions. Fortunately, these tips for writing essays can help you along the way and get you on the path to a well-written essay. While this sounds like a lot of steps to write a simple essay, if you follow them you will be able to write more successful, clear and cohesive essays. Discover schools, understand your chances, and get expert admissions guidance â€" for free. The good news is that the skills you need to master as a student translate to personal benefits of a college education as they help teach time management, budgeting, working with others and resourcefulness. So, do colleges really care about the SAT essay? Do the necessary research to see what’s required of you and then plan accordingly.

What Makes A Great College Essay?

What Makes A Great College Essay? I found purpose balancing the fuselage or leveling the ailerons to precisely 90 degrees. I loved cutting new parts and assembling them perfectly. But at times I still had to emotionally support my mom to avoid sudden India trips, or put my siblings to bed if my parents weren’t home at night. Over time, I found it difficult being my family’s glue. I wanted back the family I had before the restaurant--the one that ate Luchi Mongsho together every Sunday night. The chicken--confused, betrayed, disturbed--slowly lifts its eyes from the now empty ground. For the first time, it looks past the silver fence of the cage and notices an unkempt sweep of colossal brown and green grasses opposite its impeccably crafted surroundings. Cautiously, it inches closer to the barrier, farther from the unbelievable perfection of the farm, and discovers a wide sea of black gravel. My mom started to pick me up from activities on time and my dad and I bonded more, watching Warriors and 49ers games. Not long ago, I would have fallen apart at the presence of any uncertainty. With John’s advice, I started checking in on Akshay, spending more time with him, and coaching him before and after he talked to his parents. I started playing basketball, began working on a CubeSAT, learned to program, changed my diet, and lost all the weight I had gained. I started to make new friends with more people at my school and was surprised to find out that 90% of their parents were divorced. Because we faced similar issues, we were able to support one and other, share tactics, and give advice. Over the next two years, things were at times still hard, but gradually improved. My parents decided to start anew, took some time apart, then got back together. Here, I could nerd-out about warp drives and the possibility of anti-matter without being ignored. I would give a weekly report on new technology and we would have hour-long conversations about the various uses a blacker material could have. I began spending more time in our garage, carefully constructing planes from sheets of foam. Saudi Arabia in the 2000s wasn’t the most ideal place to grow up. I was always scared of terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda. My school was part of the US Consulate in Dhahran, and when I was in the 8th grade it was threatened by ISIS. As I further accept and advance new life skills, the more I realize how much remains uncertain in the world. After all, it is quite possible my future job doesn’t exist yet, and that’s okay. I can’t conceivably plan out my entire life at the age of 17, but what I can do is prepare myself to take on the unknown, doing my best to accompany others. Hopefully, my wings continue enabling me to fly, but it is going to take more than just me and my wings; I have to continue putting my faith in the air around me. In high school, I slowly began to forge a community of creators with my peers. Sophomore year, I started an engineering club and found that I had a talent for managing people and encouraging them to create an idea even if it failed. I also learned how to take feedback and become more resilient. One of my friends, John, gave me advice on how to help my mother emotionally by showing her love, something I hadn’t been able to do before. My friends gave me a family and a home, when my own family was overwhelmed and my home was gone. After 14 years of living in a region destroyed by violence, I was sent away to boarding school in a region known for peace, Switzerland. That year my father was found guilty and imprisoned for the charges related to his Army support contract. I felt as if I was Edgar in Shakespeare’s King Lear and this could not get worse, but yet it did. Stained with gray stones and marked with yellow lines, it separates the chicken from the opposite field. Now my friends in Switzerland come to me asking me for advice and help, and I feel as if I am a vital member of our community. My close friend Akshay recently started stressing about whether his parents were going to get divorced.

Tips For Writing Your College Application Essay

Tips For Writing Your College Application Essay Ensure you have transitions between paragraphs so the reader understands how the paper flows from one idea to the next. Don't jumble too many ideas in each paragraph or the reader may become confused. The information provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. It is intended to provide opinions and educational information. It is not intended as individual advice and should not be taken as substitute for professional advice. We assume no responsibility for errors or mistakes. We reserve the right to make deletions, additions, or modifications to the content at any given time without prior notice. or secondary sources) to back up the points you want to present. In most cases, an essay like this will also require you to address main points which may oppose your stand on an issue or topic. We have one narrative essay template in EssayJack, Short Narrative, which you can use to practice getting the flow of a good story. You might also want to consider the difference between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Quoting is reserved for lines of text that are identical to an original piece of writing. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. Below are the five components of a college paragraph. They follow the order in which they are most commonly found in a paragraph; however, this is not the only possible or even successful order. Each paragraph should have its own topic sentence. This is the most important sentence in the paragraph that tells readers what the rest of the paragraph will be about. Fill in supporting facts from your research under each paragraph. Make sure each paragraph ties back to your thesis and creates a cohesive, understandable essay. Paraphrasing is reserved for large sections of someone else's writing that you want to convey in your own words. Summarizing puts the main points from someone else's text into your own words. Here's more on When to Quote, Paraphrase, or Summarize. Now the essay is written, but you're not quite done. In some cases we may be compensated on an affiliate basis when users take certain actions. In order to comply with FTC guidelines we want to be transparent that ScholarshipOwl may get compensated by companies and/or partners based on an affiliate or advertiser partnership. We might get compensated for example for mentioning partners, by you, the user, making a clicking, purchasing, or signing up for a product or service through a tracking link. In no way are we responsible for the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information on these external websites. Write the first draft from start to finish, even if you know your thoughts are out of order. Reread what you've written, looking out for mistakes and typos. As you move through the essay, transition words will be paramount. Transition words are the glue that connects every paragraph together and prevents the essay from sounding disjointed. Support your thesis adequately with the information in your paragraphs. If you've been tasked with an argumentative essay, here's the best formula for an Argumentative Essay Outline. The next step is to outline what you are going to write about. This means you want to essentially draw the skeleton of your paper. Writing an outline can help to ensure your paper is logical, well organized and flows properly. If you've been assigned an argumentative essay, check out these Top 10 Argumentative Essay Topics. You can re-arrange them at a later time, but the initial run through will be as fluid as possible. If you have a chance to show your essay to your English instructor or academic adviser, do so. At the collegiate level, you’ll need to dive beneath the surface of an issue and be able to defend your ideas. Even if the prompt is about a personal experience, the admissions officers will still want you to reflect a level of awareness and understanding that goes beyond the obvious. They’ll want to know that you can reflect meaningfully and think critically about yourself and the world around you. Please share how you have demonstrated leadership in either your school, job, community, and/or within your family responsibilities. Tell a story from your life, describing and experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

Ua Admissions

Ua Admissions Here, I recall spending six weeks in my glory, not only studying and learning, but actually pursuing new knowledge to add to the repertoire of mankind. I could have easily chosen to spend my summer lazing about; in fact, my parents tried to persuade me into taking a break. I believe my purpose as a student is to encourage others to become active community members and motivate them to reach new heights. The Sonora Eagles were students of different grade levels, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and educational ability. We joked and played football while volunteering. The most important moment occurred during the night’s luminaria ceremony, during which cancer patients of the past and present were commemorated. Our whole team gathered around, and I asked people to share how they have been affected by cancer. The bright lights shine back, brashly revealing every crevice, nook, and cranny, gleaming across its scintillating, bare surfaces. On this first day of senior year, I set out upon my task. I procure an ordinary plastic grocery bag from my backpack. The contents inside collectively represent everything about me in high school â€" they tell a story, one all about me. Each one of us leaves find a legacy as we for fill our purpose in life. Rather than just raising money and channeling it through third parties, each branch “adopts” one village and travels there to provide for its basic needs. As branch president, I organize events from small stands at public gatherings to 60-person dinner fundraisers in order to raise both money and awareness. The Sonora Eagles were my means for dealing with the death of my loved ones to cancer. I was never fully aware of how closely humans rely upon each other until I read The Fall of Freddy the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia in freshman year. The allegory is about a leaf that changes with the seasons, finally dying in the winter, realizing that his purpose was to help the tree thrive. This challenge was so rewarding to me, while at the same time I had the most fun of my life, because I was able to live with people who share the same kind of drive and passion as I do. Six months later, I step off the airplane to find myself surrounded by palm trees, with a view of the open-air airport. I chuckle to myself about the added bonus of good weather, but I know I have come to Palo Alto, California, with a much higher purpose in mind. I could have easily chosen to spend that summer the traditional way; in fact, my parents even tried to persuade me into taking a break. Instead, I chose to do molecular biology research at Stanford University. I wanted to immerse myself in my passion for biology and dip into the infinitely rich possibilities of my mind. Instead, I chose to do advanced molecular biology research at Stanford University. This challenge was so rewarding to me, while at the same time I had the most fun of my life, because I was able to live with people who shared the same kind of drive and passion as I did. My fingers know instinctively, without a thought. They turn the dial, just as they have hundreds of times before, until a soft, metallic click echoes into my eardrum and triggers their unconscious stop. I exultantly thrust open my locker door, exposing its deepest bowels candidly to the wide halls of the high school. My inclination towards the varied is not contained to my food habitsâ€"it is a recurring theme throughout my life. I regularly switch from my mom’s house to my dad’s. I have a fifteen-year-old sister and a two-year-old brother. We hope these essays inspire you as you prepare to compose your own personal statements. The most important thing to remember is to be original as you share your own story, thoughts, and ideas with us. I will spend six weeks here in my glory, not only studying and learning, but actually pursuing new knowledge to add to the repertoire of mankind. I take out the next magnet from my plastic bag. This one shows a panoramic view of the city of Santa Barbara, California. After reading it, I was enlightened on the cycle of life and realized the tremendous impact my actions had on others. The exploration led me to the African Disease Prevention Project , a non-profit organization associated with several universities. I decided to create the first high school branch of the organization; I liked its unique way of approaching health and social issues.

Can You Go Over The Word Limit In A College Essay?

Can You Go Over The Word Limit In A College Essay? From the change in weight I feel in a moving elevator, to the chemical reactions that cause the plastic stars in my room to glow, science is a field that permeates every single aspect of life. I know my curiosity to understand the world around me nurtures my love for science. Beyond the hook, you will want a successful thesis statement that you work into your introduction to establish your main idea which will run throughout the essay. Specificity, clarity, and brevity are your keys. George Orwell’s Politics and the English Languageis my personal guide to thinking about writing. The theoretical foundation he lays in this piece â€" about the importance of language, including writing, in shaping how we are capable of thinking â€" he later built upon in 1984. ” At thirteen, I was caught between my Peranakan roots and American upbringing, unable to understand the idea of being both Asian and American. After a decade of living in America, I don’t understand why I’m still a foreigner. To check out her drafts and writing notes, click here. The idea I settled on was my Asian-American identity, but how I wrote about this broad idea really evolved through my drafts. I chose to write about it because it was so integral to my identity through my extracurriculars and my experiences growing up as an Asian immigrant in the American South. Don’t forget to copy the instructions provided by your professor and send all additional materials . Make sure that the author has understood them properly. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.Ed. Prior to coming to Tech, Rick was on the admissions staff at Georgia State, The McCallie School and Wake Forest University. Rick Clark is the Director of Undergraduate Admission at Georgia Tech. In this role, he directs the Institute’s recruitment and enrollment efforts, manages the review and selection of all undergraduate applications, and leads the admission team. Under his leadership, the Institute has dramatically increased brand awareness, improved overall academic class profile, and exceeded goals for geographic, gender and ethnic diversity. Knowing the topic won’t differentiate you, it has to be something else, right? And like the list of extra-curricular activities, it needs to be clear in the first sentence or two. I know many readers who read the first and last paragraphs and only go back if those are compelling. Deposit funds into your EssayShark balance so that a writer can work on your order. Start receiving proposals from our writers within minutes and chat with them live. My poem told my story, beginning with rosy-cheeked five-year-old me landing in America on a snowy night and rubbing my eyes in awe of the whiteness covering the new world. Then, as an excited six-year-old starting school, I became self-conscious of how different I was when an intrepid boy welcomed me, “Ni Hao,” his butchered pronunciation tinged with contempt. When I was eleven and received a 100 on a math test, my pride and hard work were stomped on by my classmates exclaiming, “It’s because you’re Asian! Students applying to us will see questions along those lines, or should be astute enough to find opportunities to provide connections to those concepts. Every school has these, you just have to dig deeper at some places. Otherwise, it’s a dime a dozen and the ratings are accordingly average. My point is that your energy should not be spent on selecting the topic. Once you figure out which question you want to answer, meaning you really have something to say or you’re somewhat excited to respond, start writing. On our website, you may check the customers’ responses, the number of completed orders, and the writer’s specialization. We provide our clients with all necessary information to help them choose the most suitable writer for every assignment. It is better to spend minutes and provide the writer with all necessary information than ask for endless revisions and miss the deadline. Mention the paper type, word limit, formatting style, and deadline date. Then we talked about his supplemental responses. Since I don’t work for the schools he’s applying to, I told him to research their websites, social media, and literature and pay attention to themes, key messages, and mission statements. At Tech we focus on our motto of Progress and Service and improving the human condition. Teachers, friends and parents can all be helpful proofreaders, but experts note that the student voice should remain intact. Everything I could ever want to know and more is right at my fingertips.

Do Colleges Really Care About The Sat Essay?

Do Colleges Really Care About The Sat Essay? Remember that you are actually engaging the reader in a one-way conversation. You are answering his question; write in a direct and personal manner. In addition to always answering the question, follow any other specific instructions. The admissions committee is trying to get to know you through your own words. What you say as well as how you say it are both important. AFTER WRITING PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, and PROOFREAD. Neatness, accurate spelling, and punctuation, are important. Limit the number of people that you ask to review your essay. You will be evaluated on whether or not you answer the question that is posed on that particular application. While it is good strategy to adapt your essay to fit several essays, be certain to answer the exact question asked. Don’t count the words unless it is necessary to do so. If you have not engaged the curiosity of the reader after the first sentence, you are in trouble. When you write about a person that influenced your life, tell a real story. If you have participated in a meaningful community service project, make it come to life with specific examples. Give people names, describe places, and relate feelings. TYPICAL ESSAYS REQUIRED MAJOR ESSAY , YOUR ACADEMIC INTEREST, YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY, and WHY THIS UNIVERSITY THE BEST FOR YOU The most important element in each essay you write is YOU! It is YOU that the admission’s committee is trying to evaluate. Therefore, what better way to communicate the very essence of you than by writing an original and truly impressive college essay. GUIDELINES Take TIME … time to explore ideas, think about your many choices, and time to write and re-write. Real people read your words, and your words must reflect a real person, not a dictionary. Don’t attempt to be funny when you have never written a funny essay in your life. If possible, use ANECDOTES, or examples, when you write your essay. Any reference you make to literature, current events, historical events, must be absolutely accurate. Avoid political opinions, religious references, ethnic references or unacceptable language. The technical and grammatical aspect of every essay must be perfect. Grammar, spelling, usage, and vocabulary should be correct. You can complete your application form in an hour or two. Writing your major essay and several auxiliary ones takes many hours. If your write a comical, ironical, or satirical essay, be sure that you show a serious or thoughtful side of yourself as well. Think about the things your have read and enjoyed. Writing is usually interesting because of details, not generalities. Keep in mind the ‘why’ and ‘how’ as you write and don’t get lost in the ‘what, when and where’. These are your thoughts, your interests, and your experiences. For example, if you are asked to use ‘only the space provided do just that. If you are asked to limit your response to 300 or 500 words stay within these parameters. Create an essay that can be modified and used for several different schools.

Do Colleges Really Care About The Sat Essay?

Do Colleges Really Care About The Sat Essay? Remember that you are actually engaging the reader in a one-way conversation. You are answering his question; write in a direct and personal manner. In addition to always answering the question, follow any other specific instructions. The admissions committee is trying to get to know you through your own words. What you say as well as how you say it are both important. AFTER WRITING PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, and PROOFREAD. Neatness, accurate spelling, and punctuation, are important. Limit the number of people that you ask to review your essay. You will be evaluated on whether or not you answer the question that is posed on that particular application. While it is good strategy to adapt your essay to fit several essays, be certain to answer the exact question asked. Don’t count the words unless it is necessary to do so. If you have not engaged the curiosity of the reader after the first sentence, you are in trouble. When you write about a person that influenced your life, tell a real story. If you have participated in a meaningful community service project, make it come to life with specific examples. Give people names, describe places, and relate feelings. TYPICAL ESSAYS REQUIRED MAJOR ESSAY , YOUR ACADEMIC INTEREST, YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY, and WHY THIS UNIVERSITY THE BEST FOR YOU The most important element in each essay you write is YOU! It is YOU that the admission’s committee is trying to evaluate. Therefore, what better way to communicate the very essence of you than by writing an original and truly impressive college essay. GUIDELINES Take TIME … time to explore ideas, think about your many choices, and time to write and re-write. Real people read your words, and your words must reflect a real person, not a dictionary. Don’t attempt to be funny when you have never written a funny essay in your life. If possible, use ANECDOTES, or examples, when you write your essay. Any reference you make to literature, current events, historical events, must be absolutely accurate. Avoid political opinions, religious references, ethnic references or unacceptable language. The technical and grammatical aspect of every essay must be perfect. Grammar, spelling, usage, and vocabulary should be correct. You can complete your application form in an hour or two. Writing your major essay and several auxiliary ones takes many hours. If your write a comical, ironical, or satirical essay, be sure that you show a serious or thoughtful side of yourself as well. Think about the things your have read and enjoyed. Writing is usually interesting because of details, not generalities. Keep in mind the ‘why’ and ‘how’ as you write and don’t get lost in the ‘what, when and where’. These are your thoughts, your interests, and your experiences. For example, if you are asked to use ‘only the space provided do just that. If you are asked to limit your response to 300 or 500 words stay within these parameters. Create an essay that can be modified and used for several different schools.

11 Tips To Writing Your College Admissions Essay In One Day

11 Tips To Writing Your College Admissions Essay In One Day Even if you are not able to reduce by 10%, making an honest attempt at it will make your essay better. Don’t worry about the word count until you have developed a complete draft. Finally, when you think you are finished with your essay, dare to make it great! Doing so will force you to examine every word, thought and article of punctuation. Did you know that Babson has a Writing Center on campus? Staffed by professors and peer consultants, it offers a supportive environment to practice and refine your writing. You don’t need to remind the reader at the start of each sentence. Demonstrate the synergy between yourself and the institution in response to the “Why do you want to come here? Reveal an awareness of instructional style and independent learning opportunities. Risk-taking is an interesting element of creative writing. Done well, it can lift your presentation from the mundane and safe to the provocative and insightful. Risa C. Doherty is a copy editor and education and parenting writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Working Mother and Boston Parents Paper, among others. In a 2007 Boston magazine article, Harry Lewis, former dean of Harvard College, drew a parallel between professional essay editing and hiring an imposter to sit for the SAT. “All this scribbling has almost nothing to do with whether the student gets in,” he wrote. Find creative solutions to conveying ownership of your thoughts. Don’t use the word “I” to start sentences any more than is necessary. You can also include traditions, extracurricular activities, and the campus itself. Prestige and rankings are another topic to avoid. Yes, Yale is very prestigious and consistently ranks among the top three universities in U.S. Your familial connections may also factor in, but they shouldn’t be your sole reason for applying. Finally, if you can find pretty much all the reasons you give through a cursory look at the website or brochure, that’s a sign that it’s time to dive a little deeper. DO be yourself â€" your essay should sound as if it could have been written by no one else. Even if you didn’t visit, you can still establish a strong connection to the school. In that case, you might share a story about why you’re interested in studying a certain program that you can only find there â€" grounding it in an anecdote from your past â€" or a professor you want to study with. You don’t have to solely focus on academics, although you should make them a main point of your essay. Word and character counts can be paralyzing if you allow them to dictate your approach to an essay topic. Then, take a step back in order to gain perspective. As you begin to edit and refine the idea, challenge your word choices. Are they essential to conveying the key messages? Doing so is unnecessarily redundant and can limit your ability to take a more expansive approach with your essay. The “Why this college” or “Why us” prompts are fairly common. For lots more information on applying to college, see the links on the next page. Whether it’s one lesson or seven, you decide what to spend. DON’T let your tutor or your teacher or your parents take over your essay. The resulting essay will not reflect you and thus will not accomplish its goal, no matter how “good” it seems to be. DON’T be pretentious or overly formal â€"this is not the time to play the role of Albert Einstein or Mother Teresa if that’s not who you are. Resist the temptation to portray yourself as a saint with a 4.0â€"you’re better off presenting the real you.

Write A College Essay

Write A College Essay Finally, I extend my hesitant arm to pick up the pack of masa harina and proceed to pour it into the bowl. As I pour the masa harina, I cannot help but think about how much it resembles my journey to America. When I moved, I brought my Guatemalan heritage with me into the massive bowl that is the United States. Continuing with the recipe, I gradually add water to the masa harina and knead it until it becomes the desired texture. Assimilating into American culture and the American way of life was no easy feat for me and I struggled at first, but I found ways to manage. I don’t necessarily have to find validity in everyone’s viewpoints to at least listen to their reasoning. “These people are just confused,” Emily whispered to me as she stared out the car window at the gay couples walking down the rainbow streets of the Castro. I was utterly offended by her statement, but I replied calmly, “Let people be who they are.” Emily and I grew up in Texas together as inseparable friends. For twelve years that was our beautiful home, and we enjoyed every moment together. Sometimes, pure adrenaline rushes through my body, making me want to bang my hands on the table out of complete anger towards an opinion. I have learned, though, that suppressing my emotional side during a time of disagreement and instead responding with calmness gets my point across more effectively. When that irritation begins to overtake my ability to concentrate on another person’s outlook, I always try to draw from my experiences of living both in the South and in the West. They are surrounded by different cultures and experiences. I cherish being on a soccer team, where the bond between my teammates and me is essential for achieving success. Appreciating uniqueness and connecting to different characters augments my own maturity and depth. Despite our differences, Emily and I have a healthy relationship in which we are able to learn from one another; the acknowledgement of our individual value allows us to avoid bitterness. I strive to continue improving my ability to be comfortable with disagreement in order to learn more from my peers. I may not always send up agreeing with Emily, or other people I care about, but I should at least try to understand a different perspective. Only then can I create a bridge that connects two different ideas, allowing for a more harmonious world. So, I try to listen with an open mind, even when that feels extremely difficult. The more I remain nonjudgmental, the more my own beliefs develop and become nuanced. I have nothing to lose when I listen to my peers. I extract small pieces of their perspectives in order to enhance my own. If I completely disagree with their opinions, I use their counterargument to articulate a more potent version of my position. The value in telling my story is just as important as hearing another. I love group projects in school, where ideas and creativity flow between people. I adore the end of a cross country race when all the girls from different schools hug and laugh with one another. We still screamed our favorite Taylor Swift songs as if there was no tomorrow. Nothing could get in between the love we had for each other, even our vehemently opposing opinions. Patience, collaboration, and determination are all needed when climbing a wall, like in any field of research. I no longer say I can’t do something, instead approaching challenges with the utmost confidence. If one plan falls short, I reassess and approach the wall from another angle. I am comfortable making decisions, even when I don’t know what the outcome may be. Through this life-changing sport I have strengthened not only my body but also my mind, learning the beauty of problem solving. Last summer, Emily visited my new home of five years, San Francisco, for the first time. We still laughed until our faces turned tomato red. Although my parents were not fluent in English, I was able to learn English with the help of Dora the Explorer, Barney, and my surroundings. Little by little, American culture poured into my life, intermingling with my Guatemalan roots.

Write A College Essay

Write A College Essay Finally, I extend my hesitant arm to pick up the pack of masa harina and proceed to pour it into the bowl. As I pour the masa harina, I cannot help but think about how much it resembles my journey to America. When I moved, I brought my Guatemalan heritage with me into the massive bowl that is the United States. Continuing with the recipe, I gradually add water to the masa harina and knead it until it becomes the desired texture. Assimilating into American culture and the American way of life was no easy feat for me and I struggled at first, but I found ways to manage. I don’t necessarily have to find validity in everyone’s viewpoints to at least listen to their reasoning. “These people are just confused,” Emily whispered to me as she stared out the car window at the gay couples walking down the rainbow streets of the Castro. I was utterly offended by her statement, but I replied calmly, “Let people be who they are.” Emily and I grew up in Texas together as inseparable friends. For twelve years that was our beautiful home, and we enjoyed every moment together. Sometimes, pure adrenaline rushes through my body, making me want to bang my hands on the table out of complete anger towards an opinion. I have learned, though, that suppressing my emotional side during a time of disagreement and instead responding with calmness gets my point across more effectively. When that irritation begins to overtake my ability to concentrate on another person’s outlook, I always try to draw from my experiences of living both in the South and in the West. They are surrounded by different cultures and experiences. I cherish being on a soccer team, where the bond between my teammates and me is essential for achieving success. Appreciating uniqueness and connecting to different characters augments my own maturity and depth. Despite our differences, Emily and I have a healthy relationship in which we are able to learn from one another; the acknowledgement of our individual value allows us to avoid bitterness. I strive to continue improving my ability to be comfortable with disagreement in order to learn more from my peers. I may not always send up agreeing with Emily, or other people I care about, but I should at least try to understand a different perspective. Only then can I create a bridge that connects two different ideas, allowing for a more harmonious world. So, I try to listen with an open mind, even when that feels extremely difficult. The more I remain nonjudgmental, the more my own beliefs develop and become nuanced. I have nothing to lose when I listen to my peers. I extract small pieces of their perspectives in order to enhance my own. If I completely disagree with their opinions, I use their counterargument to articulate a more potent version of my position. The value in telling my story is just as important as hearing another. I love group projects in school, where ideas and creativity flow between people. I adore the end of a cross country race when all the girls from different schools hug and laugh with one another. We still screamed our favorite Taylor Swift songs as if there was no tomorrow. Nothing could get in between the love we had for each other, even our vehemently opposing opinions. Patience, collaboration, and determination are all needed when climbing a wall, like in any field of research. I no longer say I can’t do something, instead approaching challenges with the utmost confidence. If one plan falls short, I reassess and approach the wall from another angle. I am comfortable making decisions, even when I don’t know what the outcome may be. Through this life-changing sport I have strengthened not only my body but also my mind, learning the beauty of problem solving. Last summer, Emily visited my new home of five years, San Francisco, for the first time. We still laughed until our faces turned tomato red. Although my parents were not fluent in English, I was able to learn English with the help of Dora the Explorer, Barney, and my surroundings. Little by little, American culture poured into my life, intermingling with my Guatemalan roots.