Purdue University Undergraduate College Application Essays

When I joined my high school basketball team as a freshman, I had no idea the kinds of perseverance I would need to make it through even a couple weeks of practice. As the practices went by, I started to really listen to what the coach had to say,...

Art and mathematics -- two very different subjects and paths to take in life -- are my two passions. I have loved art and the process of creating it my whole life, and I know that I want to make it part of my future career. I also enjoy the...

Most kids in the world dream of becoming an extremely successful adult in a career when they are older. But what most of these kids do not know is how to get there. This is not the case with me. I know how I plan to become a successful member of...

Alone and terrified, I lay there trying to recall the events that had just happened in my own bedroom, in my own bed. Where I used to feel the safest now made me tremble with fear. My breathing became slow, almost non-existent.

Finally, the words...

Out of breath, I settle down in my three point stance. Everyone on the line is pointing and yelling to say who they are blocking. On the snap of the ball I exert all my energy to push the other opponent into the ground. While football may seem...

“Millions long for immortality but do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon,” sharing her views on life, Susan Ertz describes the force that has the ability to unify all of humanity. Life, the cool summer dew forming on...

The animated clip flashes by and for a few seconds she rises, facing a creature several times her size that she has no chance of defeating. But still she stands. Something about her position tells the viewer that, despite her fear, she will win....

With bright tangerine walls, meticulously hung alphabet charts, and “remember to wash your hands” posters, Kumon Learning Center is not the place I would have expected to find my maturity. As I stand in the Center now, though, I look back and see...

I wanted to scream in frustration. It was Mother's Day and my family and I had gone out for lunch. After some small talk, I finally blurted out that I had been looking at art schools and wanted to apply to a few - a confession that I had been...

“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”. - Quote from The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Addicted to detective fiction, I’m a fan of Sherlock Holmes, deeply absorbed in Sherlock’s...

Here in New Mexico, when a car is no longer wanted, it may not go to the junkyard. Instead, cars may end up in a place we call the “arroyo.” “What is an arroyo?” you ask. Some might call it a ditch, but to me it is closer to a car dealership...

It’s 3:16 A.M.

My eyes are bloodshot from sleeplessness; I stumble into my room and crash my head against the soft, plush pillow laying on my bed. I pull the blanket over my head and close my eyes, trying desperately to get some sleep before the...

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...

Having explored the myths from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, my curiosity was piqued in eighth grade by a simple legend from Japanese lore. If you fold one thousand paper cranes, the gods will grant you one wish. I took it as a challenge. My...

Stuffy rooms, stinking washrooms, cracked desks and torn books. There was a strange feeling, walking down the corridor as I entered the premises. It was totally unexpected, especially from a place like this - right after a long break for summer.

The digital world is exploding; I know because I love to game. I am fascinated by fully immersive 3D environments where I can communicate with thousands all over the world, with the push of a button.

Two summers ago I worked in a garage, doing oil...

As an outspoken Asian girl with an unusually large number of freckles and the tone of a strong alto, I am generally very noticeable. I had always felt very comfortable with the people around me considering that I had been with the same group of...

I’ll always remember that drive; there was a crisp summer breeze sailing in through my window and the taste of early-morning dew still hung in the air. My heart was beating so fast, I could hardly hear my favorite song, “Sweet Caroline”, blasting...

Anyone can find beauty in ordinary things: the ivory snow falling outside a foggy window on a January morning, the rainbow that appears after a thunderstorm, or the almost formulaic pink and orange hues of a sunset over the horizon. But these...

I stood on the platform above Corey Lake at Camp Eberhart, goosebumps slowly forming as my teeth chattered from the cold wind’s touch on my bare skin. My eyes fixated on the dark blue hues and the ripples forming in the water below me. My hands...

Getting to work at ten in the morning to go stand in what I charitably referred to as the Hut for eight hour stretches was probably not how most people envisioned their summer but when you live in Santa Cruz for as long as I have, working at the...

I inched closer with silent footsteps, holding my breath… and Click! As the moment froze in my camera, the sparrows whizzed past and flew into the trees.

My tryst with photography began many years ago upon discovering the old 35mm Leica in Dad’s...

“Seed-Free Spoon” is a product I tried to develop to benefit all watermelon lovers, in the hope that we can enjoy the juicy mouth feel of the fruit without constantly chewing on the annoying seeds. However, when I first shared my idea with my...

My transition from a mermaid to a scientist wasn’t necessarily my choice, but boy am I glad it happened.

“Five more minutes, dad!” was all you heard, and wrinkled hands waving frantically in the air were all you saw. I remember splashing around...