College Application Essays accepted by University of California - Santa Barbara

University of California - Santa Barbara

"Cold weather means nothing. Rainy days don't matter. And a national holiday means two practices instead of one."

Although the author is unknown to me, that quote has been my mantra for the past several years. Most people look forward to a holiday,...

University of California - Santa Barbara

My first seven years were like night and day compared with the next ten. As the youngest in my extended family of cousins, aunts, and uncles, I was the center of attention, and my life felt as routine as clockwork. But that was all about to...

University of California - Santa Barbara

My personal interests range from physics and math to the martial arts, but I would particularly like to address my interest in robotics and creative design. This interest alone has enhanced my creativity and problem solving skills, to the extent...

University of California - Santa Barbara

As I watch my opponent pace back and forth, I steady myself, appear indifferent, and slow my breathing. Suddenly, he lunges, taking hold of my wrist so that I may not block his punch. I think, "Don't flinch! You've done this one hundred times...

University of California - Santa Barbara

"Work hard and get a good job, so you can have a better life than your father and me." My mother's wise words play in my head like a broken record. Her endless endeavors have inspired me to strive for success-not only to follow through with my...

University of California - Santa Barbara

It is often said, "Write what you know," and I know myself: I know what I want. Every day I learn more, as I reflect upon my habits and quirks, strengths and weaknesses; as I remember my past and imagine my future. I want challenges and victories....

University of California - Santa Barbara

St. Augustine tells us, "It is not true to say that a thing rightly done once should not be changed." I know this is true because of my experience with my grandfather's failing health. My grandfather, Sinclair Adam, is a gentleman farmer in...

University of California - Santa Barbara

I'm sure I have the visiting team's attention by the time I finish my first lap around the soccer field. Standing in a circle, contemplating my presence, they venture guesses quietly, "Cross country? Lost? Girl's soccer?" Finishing my second lap,...

University of California - Santa Barbara

After being selected as a delegate to the Freedoms Foundation Leadership Conference at Valley Forge, I agonized over whether it would be worth missing a week of school and work. However, the trip exceeded my highest expectations. My opinions,...

University of California - Santa Barbara

I begged my mother to let me wash it off in the car. It was Ash Wednesday and, as a third grader new to public school, the cross of ashes on my forehead burned. My mother told me to be proud that I was Catholic and to remember how lucky I was...

University of California - Santa Barbara

At Brown, the Carrie Tower chimes, class beckons, and I walk in barefoot.

Barefoot like my abuela, who at the age of seventeen chased down the thief who snatched her purse. Armed with only indignation and pride, her feet pounded the soft earth of...

University of California - Santa Barbara

Neither Ray nor I knew what miracles were possible. At one hundred and eighty-five pounds, five foot ten inches tall, and a victim of fetal alcohol syndrome, Ray was a Special Olympic athlete with a dream to become a champion, but his mental...

University of California - Santa Barbara

Forget for a moment all that you’ve heard about the student athlete. Forget about the dedication and determination one needs to compete on a top-level team. Forget about the teamwork, the almost insidious way an athlete learns the value of...

University of California - Santa Barbara

Tattooed in my memory are the shrill rings of my alarm clock set to exactly 6:00 AM every day, submerging half my 110 pound body into the sub-zero water, fish half my size splashing muddy water onto my pale face. Most kids enjoy the freedom that...

University of California - Santa Barbara

As I rushed up to the sliding glass doors that marked the entrance to the Emergency Room, my heart pounded with exhilaration. Patients were sitting in chairs, lying on stretchers, and nervously pacing the floor. With a dry mouth and sweaty palms,...

University of California - Santa Barbara

Academic Preparation

Last summer, I attended the COSMOS program at UC Santa Cruz to learn about Stars, Sight, and Science. Pulling up into the driveway of College Nine, my heart began to beat rapidly and I quickly realized that it was time for me...

University of California - Santa Barbara

Open-Ended This question seeks to give students the opportunity to share important aspects of their schooling or their lives - such as their personal circumstances, family experiences and opportunities that were or were not available at their...

University of California - Santa Barbara

I stared deep into the dark green eyes of the seal that was lying on my surf board. She looked as if she were trying to tell me something. Her glossy grey coat glowed in the moonlight, and her whiskers twitched in the sea breeze. I could only...