Newest College Application Essays

STATEMENT 1: In his homily at the Class of 2005’s Baccalaureate Mass, LMU’s President Fr. Robert Lawton, S.J., said: ‘‘So what is the answer to this deep insecurity we all feel? The answer, I think, is to embrace the adventure of becoming deeply,...

What does community service mean to you? Explain how you have benefited your community.

In my school “community service” generally implies hours of monotonous work that is rewarded by service points. However, this year my school has offered a...

Explain your decision to pursue your particular major.

When I was five I wanted to do everything- dance ballet, sing like Amy Grant and Pat Benatar rolled into one, run a cat kennel, and make movies. My wise mother, Bev, made sure I had an early...

Why do you want to go to the University of Chicago?

Going to college is like marriage: I choose you, and you choose me. Just as you regard each candidate as an individual, I view colleges not by their statistics and ratings but by the extent to...

Describe an aspect of your childhood/upbringing that shaped the person you are today.

In a navy blue Volvo station wagon my entire childhood evolved. Inside, memories rested alongside the hardened French fries and squashed fruit snacks that lined...

One Sunday morning in March 2008, I dug into the recesses of the Bakersfield Californian to find an opinion article stating the possibility that our river could flow again after two dry years. A full river? My mind drifted back to when I could...

Tell us about the world you came from and how this world shaped your dreams and aspirations.

I believe in the woman who was both my mother and my father throughout my life. My father was an alcoholic, violent man with no job, goals, ethics, or...

Tell us an accomplishment, talent, or quality about yourself. What about this accomplishment or quality relates to who you are today?

“State Champions.”

Those are two words any competitor would like to hear, and I had the privilege and honor of...

Who Are You?

Simple, yet complex, just like everything else – but unlike everything else, I am me as no one else could be. I am Ariel, and I want to speak.

Ariel- This is a snapshot of my mind: the black and white images I took, the photo collages...

Evaluate a significant experience....

It was the first night that I had seen the Western Wall, and all of the magic of that moment overcame me like an ocean wave, strong and powerful. As I walked towards the wall, holding hands with the other girls...

I once had a conversation with a young Catholic woman from Uruguay about becoming close to God. There was a bit of a language barrier between the two of us, but I was determined that we should understand each other on a topic of such importance....

A good university is, in many ways, a lot like a strong soccer team. Just as Lehigh does not have a single objective of teaching information, so also the aim of a strong soccer team is not only to win. Aside from teaching in the classroom, a...

On Being a Middle Child

As our annual family picture day approaches, disputes about matching attire, scenery, or whether or not our pets will be included continue to dominate our dinnertime discussions. I’m not keen on, nor do I oppose, this...

In 1999, my father and stepmother were married in a beautiful castle in Northern Ireland. She was dressed in a white lace gown with a bouquet of lilies clenched in her delicate fingers. He was suited up in a sharp black tuxedo with a smile...

Annie’s face is as vivid in my mind now as it was four years ago. I can see the passion for life that sparkled in her eyes and the crazy, intense grin that stretched across her face like a bridge across the sea. Although my experience with Annie...

Had someone asked me my nationality four years ago, I would have said American.

My father, unlike many fathers, is a stereotypical French man. He emigrated to the U.S. three years before I was born, yet worked hard to retain his culture, the same...

My palms were sweating. My heart was beating out of my chest. “When you go in, you might want to put on a mask so you don’t smell them, and make sure you are wearing your universal precautions!” I was about to see and explore inside of dead...

"English, math, chemistry…" I was panicked over all the work I needed to finish, which had become increasingly difficult after doubling my hours at the barn. Overwhelmed, I just wanted to get home. Then, after I finally mastered my barrel pattern,...

As I sit staring with droopy eyes at my computer, the mere thought of having to write another 1000 word essay describing the “most influential person in my life” or “a time that I made a bad decision” makes me cringe. With seven essays down, and...

I’ll admit it: I’m obsessed with fantasy football. I can vividly remember the call I received from “Pepe” (aka Colin) asking if I wanted to come to his “fantasy football” draft that night. Of course, being a 7th grader, I had never heard of the...

“Mom, I want to take the SAT.”

My mom lifted her eyes off the newspaper and looked at me suspiciously. “What on earth is the SAT?” I went on to explain it to her as she stared at me with increasing incredulity, as if I were no longer her daughter...

What a familiar sight, I thought to myself as I subconsciously stopped to stare through the display window. A couple of mannequins were dressed in half-finished garments, surrounded by waves of colourful fabrics cascading down the table. Pools of...

Eyes fixed upon the image in front of her, brows slightly furrowed, the girl appeared to be lost in thought. While the others walked on after stopping briefly before the piece, she stood there with her feet glued to the spot. I watched the girl...

“Do you see now?” The voice rang in my ears as I shook my head for the umpteenth time. My eyes were tightly shut, trying to hold back the tears of anger and frustration. When I opened them again, the world looked to me as it always did; only now...