Newest College Application Essays

With my French books in hand and my camera slung across my shoulder, I stroll down the narrow street to photography class. Students relax in the alley next to the building, avoiding the scorching Parisian heat. I sit on the curb as we lunch on...

At exactly 6:21 A.M., my alarm clock starts its daily, unbearable buzzing, and the familiar aroma of coffee reaches my room. My unwillingness to get out of bed is suddenly overpowered by another round of alarm clock noises. I spring out of bed,...

Every Thursday, my classmates and I mount the small yellow school bus and travel to South Orange. While some students run onto the fields, dressed in soccer gear, I sit back and anxiously wait to arrive at the foster home. While others rush home...

Waking from calm dreamless sleep, I find intricately patterned welts on my skin, embedded by the woven bamboo mattress, the only reminders of the night. I descend from the bed and frown as my feet reach the cold and damp dirt floor. It rained...

I have discovered another world behind the sturdy, white structure of my Bösendorfer. I spend countless hours on my slightly worn piano bench, which wobbles every time I move my body in accordance with the music. I turn pages that contain the same...

The man wonders why he has not always thought of himself in the third person, for each day is but a death and a subsequent rebirth. Although disdainful of dramatics, he exudes a talent for tragedy. Upon reflection, however, the incongruity is not...

In my eyes, the essence of Pro Humanitate, "for humanity," lies directly in the word itself - human. The most important thing to remember about ourselves is that we are all human. Infinitely diverse in our nationalities, experiences, political...

I see it in the eyes of my friend Jill, the true Red Sox fan. Every game, she's there with her eyes transfixed to the glow of the television. She doesn't just want to believe it; she knows that this is the year her beloved team will win the World...

It's October. The air is cool and invigorating, hitting my lungs with a sting. The newly transformed trees of Horn Pond provide the perfect backdrop: a wash of rich gold, red, and orange. They are just enough to make the whole world seem a little...

No matter how old I grow, the meaning of friendship has always remained the same - loyalty, sympathy, understanding, and unwavering support. I learned this lesson early in life, back when my best friend's trampoline was the cornerstone of my...

I love English. I love its little quirks and idiosyncrasies, I love the etymology, I love the language. It all started back in the second grade when I checked Robinson Crusoe out of the school library. Every day, I would read a few pages on the...

As a sixth-grader obsessed with the Seattle Mariners, I read the newspaper only for the sports page. One morning, however, I came upon a special pullout section as I thumbed for my section. It was entitled "Into the Heart of Darkness," and I...

In the summer of 2000, my family traveled to Israel, the birthplace of my father. I performed my Bat Mitzvah, met relatives for the first time, and discovered my heritage in a new light. Yet, one distinct incident left the greatest impact. We were...

A few years ago, USA Today named the star of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", Sarah Michelle Gellar, the epitome of the modern feminist. Declaring "with her take-no-prisoners attitude...vampire-slaying Buffy Summers has become... a feminist hero who's...

My brother lives in a "gated community," one of those manufactured neighborhoods. It was like we were driving through the streets of a toy city, a miniature suburb built for the amusement of a god-sized obsessive compulsive. I myself was steering...

Midnight was two hours old before I could finally peel out of my costume. The prosthetic nose and glue-on beard tore at my skin as I tugged them off, and they quickly joined the clutter on the bathroom floor: a tired pile of mismatched robes,...

In fourth grade, after recovering from a brief "I want to be a waitress!" phase, I discovered art, and knew that one day I would become an artist. At that age, I knew people liked art and I had fun creating art, so it seemed like the perfect thing...

An electric current of energy surges through my veins. I want to jump or scream, but all I can do is move my index finger an single inch along the sliding button. The house lights dim as my finger slides the lever downwards. From the lighting...

In an ideal world, mustard would come in whimsical glass containers with pictures of wholesome families on their labels. The words "all natural" or "organic" would adorn the jars. They would line the supermarket shelves next to matching bottles of...

Growing up as one of a trio of "Golden boys" has its share of ups and downs. I am the oldest. Ben followed by two years, and Aaron by another three. It still amazes me that three individuals raised together with the same values, treated the same...

By all accounts, the University of Chicago is a unique place. My late grandfather, a Bachelors and Masters degree recipient from the University used to say, "for the right student, Chicago is the only place, but it can destroy the wrong student."...

"You have to be wary of other religions," Mrs. Ebel explained. It was not hard for any of us fourth graders to come up with the imaginative moniker "Mrs. Evil". "Believers of Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam don't believe in Christ as their savior and...

Papers were sprawled on my desk. Books were stacked two feet high. I was sitting in my cubicle, hunched over old lectures, trying to learn the jargon of rocket science. My eyes squinted at the tiny text as I stumbled through the abstruse...

There are many things in life I could do without: mosquitoes, watermelon seeds, telemarketers, bad weather, cars that won't start, cold swimming pools, traffic lights, stuffy noses, people who disagree with me, and movies that look good until...