Application Essay Excerpts

"You have no family," my father roughly said to me. Those words echoed inside my head as my mother and I approached our new rented house. I could tell by the paraphernalia in the trunk and the pain on my mother's face that I would not be seeing my father for a long time...

I felt the rush of adrenaline as I stood before the meeting place of the UN Security Council. At this place, history was changed with the decision to send peacekeepers to the Congo, to place sanctions on North Korea, and to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons...

Some people dream of designing their own perfect homes. Some people dream of designing their own perfect cars. Some people dream of designing clothes. Electronics. Parks. Movies. Plays. Museums. Aquariums. Even fantasy basketball teams. And then there’s me. In my spare time, I try to design the perfect school district...

Growing up without any sense of the future kept me from being driven most of my life. When things got serious, I panicked, much like I do when I'm forced to take a test in a restricted environment. Though after a while, it didn't seem so bad. When beginning with something I thought I wanted to make money didn't work out, I turned to passion...

My reasons for transferring are multifaceted: seeking a more challenging academic program, hoping to meld into a very diverse and interesting social experience by living on campus, and because I have a definitive idea of a specific major, particularly in Global Health and Disease Prevention...

Searing lungs, blistering feet and anaerobic feats of strength helped to mold my strong work ethic and mental fortitude. Cross-Country and Track & Field have been my escape and competitive spirit for what is approaching six years...

I interned at an architectural firm, Martinez & Cutri, where I gained intimate knowledge of the daily routines of both architects and engineers. Unfortunately this profession did not spark my interest...

Participation in a tutorial at Williams would be an amazing opportunity- one which I would love to share with Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series. Although, obviously, it'd be impossible to work with her in real life, she's someone I'd choose to work with, given the chance...

The Long Beach Public Library, which has been like a second home to me, is the one place where I am perfectly content. And when I say second home, I mean it- I essentially grew up there...

One thing you should know about me is my passion for music. I've taken violin lessons in school, like many other kids my age, since fourth grade. Unlike some other children however, I have not been able to afford private lessons...