University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Undergraduate College Application Essays

Knowledge is a fickle matter. Some things we learn will stay with us until our deathbed, while others will leave with the speed of a hummingbird's wings. By far the most memorable piece of literature I have ever read is J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord...

In the words of the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising each time we fall." Whether in ancient days or the present, this phrase holds true for all of humanity. It holds true for my life...

Reading at a young age, I am told, is the best way to sharpen a developing mind. In the months leading up to the presidential elections in November of 1992, I was a seven-year-old with an undiagnosed case of attention deficit disorder and a...

My experiences with cultural diversity, while not necessarily limited to one particular event, have had a great impact on my life - most notably in fostering my fascination with world languages. Growing up in a half-Italian, half-Serbian home, I...

On July 1, 2001, the summer before my sophomore year, I was introduced to the University of Michigan's All-State Piano Program at Interlochen. Since I had never attended All-State, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Little did I know that this...

A petite young woman sits in the obstetrician's office, her four-year-old daughter in her lap. The little girl is restless yet unable to extricate herself from her mother's arms due to cerebral palsy. Both mother and daughter wear worried...

The pianist walks gracefully up the steps to the stage. She sits at the piano bench, adjusts the skirt of her white dress, and places her hands on the keyboard. She then begins to play. The simple, lyrical piece is unfamiliar to the audience, but...

They say "Patience is a virtue" and "Good things come to those who wait". I believe better versions of those statements are "Passion is a virtue" and "Good things come to those who work". These modified mottos are an explanation of who I am and...

On my first day of ninth grade, I stepped into my Spanish 1 classroom - a long, narrow room with desks arranged in a few rows backed by a wall covered in colorful posters. I had waited for years to take the opportunity to learn a foreign language,...

Kristina Roelefs was born on Christmas Day to parents who loved the arts - her mother was an actress and singer, and her father was a music professor. As a baby and toddler, not surprisingly, Kristina loved to "sing" along with her mother and...

Though my specific academic and career goals have grown and developed as I have matured, I have always maintained a singular vision: to pursue music, in any way possible, and use it to touch others.

For most of my childhood, I desired a career in...

The most insightful, relevant advice I have ever been given was the suggestion that ultimately shaped my career goals-to pursue a major in music theory and composition.

During the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of high school, I...

Martians exist! My proof is my brother. On May 3, 1984, he was born John Smith. Four years, seven months, and eleven days later, I joined his family, along with another brother, a Terran, or human. Johnis far different from my Terran brother,...

It seems as though every day since elementary school people have been asking me the same daunting question: "So, what do you want to do when you grow up?" While my creative mind continues to come up with a different idea for each day of the week,...

I'm going to be honest. My mom has not been diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, my best friend has never jumped off the Sears Tower, and I am not scheduled to compete in the Olympic Games while sporting a missing leg, two broken arms, and a lazy...

Unlike most students, I enjoy both writing essays and reading about the amazingly broad history of the world. I believe that an education in the area of Pre-Law will fulfill my desire to learn more about the English language and history, as well...

The long and tiring battle over the Plan B pregnancy pill has finally been ended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the results are very positive. The FDA recently decided – against much opposition – to allow the over-the-counter sale...

Last Summer I worked as a Teacher’s Aide for students who needed extra help before fourth grade. I thought I would be working with students who had a hard time because they didn’t work hard. Surprisingly, these were the smartest, hardest working...

Ode to a Dictionary (with acknowledgment to Pablo Neruda)

You were a gift of language, given to me by my father eight years ago. My dad was traveling to Oxford that year to attend a lecture and asked if I wanted a present. Book-lover that I was, I...

It was ironic that my dad always called me “Rock,” because a year ago I felt like a piece of clay. I remember the nights I spent in my room, crying in the silence, mulling over the value of my life. It was only months after my lifelong friend...

When I found out I had been cast as Emile de Becque in the musical South Pacific, I was excited but confused, and even a little scared. Why had I been picked as the lead, even though I was a sophomore with no experience singing in the operatic...

I firmly believe that antidrug campaigns whose values instill the “just say no” attitude in elementary school children should be extended to encompass the wretched habit of knuckle cracking. I have done it since I was a young tot, I am told, which...

As an underclassman, I took a city bus and a connecting school bus ride lasting over an hour to get to school. Little did I know that bus number seven would open my eyes to a new group of special people. I was surprised to find myself surrounded...

From the time when I was a toddler lying in my bouncy chair, to when I got behind the wheel of a car, the words “safety first” were always the first my parents said to me. As far back as I can remember I applied these words to everything I ever...