Newest College Application Essays

It was a moment of surreal disbelief, standing amidst the bright lights and resounding applause. My feet hurt, I was hungry, and one of the fake lashes that I had painstakingly glued on was causing my eye to itch. I just had a few more minutes of...

At the tender age of nine, both my hands clutching the glass of water I’d carefully poured, I made my way over to the table where my grandmother, or Halmoni as we say in Korean, sat before a war zone of cards strewn across the table. I was not...

I, now 17, still fondly remember sitting on the beach as a little girl with my grandmother. Half-asleep and warm, we, the introverted outcasts of family vacations, would read and chat for hours. I discovered the art of poetry through our...

Your word is maudlin. Maudlin. Can you spell that, please? I confidently rattle off “M-O-D-E-L-I-N-G,” only for my jaw to drop once I hear my coach rule Incorrect.

Since being coached that first night in Grade 6, I’ve been part of the Spelling Bee...

In a world where odds often dictate outcomes, consider the curious case of a piano and its player: 88 keys versus 10 fingers. In almost any other scenario, such odds would be laughable – imagine a soccer team fielding 88 players against 10, or a...

I’ve never been able to buy my Halloween costumes from a store. While my friends dressed up as ballerinas and princesses, I was Molly Pitcher and Clara Barton - not exactly costumes you can find at PartyCity. Instead, my mom made my costumes,...

In the spring of my sophomore year, an ordinary Tuesday took an unexpected turn. After the lunch period ended, I stood up to a world spinning with severe vertigo. Soon after, my speech began slurring, and my right hand trembled uncontrollably.

...

From a grade school classmate who mocked me by stretching out the corners of his eyelids (I’m Thai!), to people who thought it was okay to use Asian slurs because they didn’t include me (I’m not Thai!), to a middle school “friend” who texted me a...

From a future French Prime Minister’s daring escape from the Paris Commune to a Nepalese prince’s massacre of his royal family, History has allowed me to discover unexpected stories that have shaped the world today. This exploration is exactly...

It was an ordinary day in Mrs. Johnson's second grade classroom, filled with the usual hum of young minds at work, when suddenly, chaos erupted. A gigantic bug, the likes of which none of us had ever seen, appeared out of nowhere, causing panic...

Strike.

I turned and faced the most cheerful and excited group of students. All different kinds of students on one team–happy to be there, socialize, and watch me get my first strike. I tried to hold back a smile, but it was impossible. I’m a...

When you listen to a podcast, it sounds smooth and fluid like the people are having a fun conversation in their living rooms. At least, if it is a semi-decent production. Basically, if things are done well, you don’t even think about what goes...

Vision blurry, fastened heartbeat, confused & humid head. There’s an excruciating pain all over my body and fear has engulfed my heart. The sun aggressively embraces my eyes. I raise my right hand to block the light, simultaneously bringing my...

Creativity, to me, is not just an act but a symphony, where each note represents a unique idea and every melody a new perspective. My creative side manifests itself in various ways, from problem-solving and innovative thinking to artistic...

The notion of family in my Latino community is one that is extremely fluid, with the expectation that we treat others with respect. Albert, my “neighbor,” has occupied the bush in front of my house for over two years and has become a part of my...

At the age of seven, I would collect ladybugs in small containers, take them home, and play with them. I admired how they traveled high and low, imagining their view of the world to be even more exhilarating than mine. Entering high school, my...

The process of watering my houseplant grounds me. I believe that every plant lives its own story, just like the eight million different forms of life that inhabit the Earth. As I learn more about the life cycle of my plant and the support Aurora...

Thud!

The sudden noise interrupted the flow of dynamic movement. My passport had slipped onto the floor with the documents required for the flight. I let out a small sigh as I put the things back onto the desk.

Growing up as a third-culture kid,...

"As a Black man, you must work ten times harder than everyone to succeed."

My father's words hit home every time I commute to my predominantly white high school. I always lock eyes with several homeless people while riding the train.

They all look...

What do the wings of a flightless bird, a whale's pelvis, and a human's wisdom tooth have in common? They are all vestigial structures—organs or body parts of a species deemed useless. Like all vestigial structures, many perceive wisdom teeth to...

“We would get chased home because Italians didn't want us in their neighborhood.”

“It causes gentrification and…[section 8] people to move out…prices go up.”

These are 2 of the many testimonies I gathered while conducting research last summer. I...

After building the portable tennis court, I signal one of my eleven-year-old students to come and play. He returns every ball over the net despite having a racket with two broken strings. The uneven concrete does not hinder him from speeding...

I initially saw obtaining hearing aids as admitting defeat to a disability. Being Hard of Hearing, I struggled with following conversations for years. Even after learning three foreign languages to communicate better, I realized in college that I...

To the left of me, there were graves. To the right of me, there were mountains, and ahead were the beautiful seas of Çanakkale (Gallipoli). Standing in the center of the historic war zone, young and confused, I asked my parents “Did we win?”. My...