Newest College Application Essays

While many other candidates applying to the University of California perform volunteer work, I feel my volunteerism in economically deprived neighborhoods as a devout Catholic provides me with insight on life that is only available through...

Having started out small, I began by helping students through the Afterschool Academic Program, an organization of teachers and students devoted to assisting those that are struggling in classes at school. I managed to help many students by...

Throughout high school, I pursued endeavors to alleviate suffering and fulfill my Catholic calling, volunteering in nursing homes, hospitals and clinics for chronically ill patients. However, working in these places made me notice the inherent...

Throughout my life, I embraced my Catholic calling to alleviate suffering, desiring to obtain a PhD in Immunology so I may work in laboratories on furthering Immunotherapy and its oncological applications. However, realizing these treatments come...

“…Thus I advocate for the global suicide of humanity as a solution to anthropocentrism…” I dropped my pen, frozen in shock and hilarity. Surely this was a joke; although I had only attended a few debate tournaments, I had never encountered...

“One shark fin soup, please,” he said, avoiding my glare and grinning back at my two brothers, too young to know any better.

I’ve protested, debated, and shared article after article with my dad about the consequences of shark finning, but Chinese...

In his inspiring work of philosophical allegory, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche proposes the concept of the "Übermensch", or Superman, a human who is completely autonomous and self-directed. When I first stumbled across this concept...

Everyone associates something different with each day of the week. Mondays are lethargic and painful, Tuesdays are not much different, and generally, as the week progresses, our outlook steadily improves. Because of this progression, some people...

My knees and shins are coated with a layer of damp sand as I roll out of the pit. Standing up, I can feel my heart banging in my chest, the blood pulsating loudly in my head. Gingerly, I put pressure on my right foot and feel the familiar shock of...

What was it about Claudia’s brain that made her forget our entire conversation? Is her inability to remember my response affected by a specific part of her brain? I pondered as she asked me, “What is your favorite subject in school, darling?” for...

A vivacious and carefree four-year-old, I dropped my paintbrush, splattering globs of blue paint all over my t-shirt and classmates nearby. Immediately, my thin lips transformed into an enormous grin. My grandpa, or as we say in Russian, my ...

It was the start of something new. There I was, a freshman bouncing on the beanbags in the debate room, ready to embark on a new journey called Extemporaneous Speaking. I decided to try this event defined by its rapid-fire intensity to prepare...

There are many places in Des Moines that I call home - Java Joe’s Coffeehouse, The Continental, Turner Jazz Center - and the one thing they have in common? The people. These are jazz musician joints. Walking into a room and spotting fellow...

My hands were sweating, tightly grasping the note cards with my presentation carefully written out. I stood with four other teammates in front of teachers, parents, mentors, and students who eagerly waited for our opening arguments. The audience...

The second high school play I acted in was a curiosity, a documentary production written and rehearsed at the same time. The OMI Project was an attempt to document the history and culture of the combined district of the Ocean View, Merced Heights,...

When my mother caught the flu last winter, I researched the developmental process of Tamiflu, the medicine she was prescribed, and how it operated to prevent the disease from progressing. I learned how researchers identified a specific protein...

It was an ideal day for a wedding. The sun was shining and was seventy degrees on top of one of downtown Cleveland’s taller rooftops. The airshow was to my right, and the entire span of the Cleveland skyline to my left. The wind died down as we...

My home state of Idaho received a letter grade F in the year of 2015 when its education rankings were compared to those of other states all around the nation. I didn’t want to be held to this statistic. My friends and classmates were all aware of...

It's a summery Monday morning, but instead of sleeping in, I'm outside of a museum, doing a hearty jig in a banana costume. I throw my hands in the air; I sing along to the music; I kick my feet in what I think is a shuffle. Strangers pass by and...

Every night, my mother transformed. Her alter-ego was no superhero, however. This lady was louder than my mom, a bit slower-moving, and she laughed much more often. She looked the same as my mom, except that her eyes were vacant like one of my...

On any given dusky afternoon, I find myself asking the pressing question: Will I make it a third time in a row? I raise my arms, examine a dulled orange orb clinging to my aching, sweaty palms, and squint at the near-invisible net. Far from...

I was born with moderate hemophilia which is a genetic blood clotting disorder. Even the slightest injury can cause debilitating internal bleeds leading to days of bed rest and urgent trips to the hospital. Unfamiliar with the condition, my...

Towards the end of second semester, [Name of my high school] takes pride in hosting its annual Pep Week: a week dedicated to showcasing each class's school spirit and creativity. A great benefit of Pep Week is that it increases school involvement...

I am fascinated by the advanced educational system in the U.S. and am eager to acquire an advanced study in Curriculum Studies abroad, which will prepare me for my future career in the fields related to Education.

My profound desire into the field...