Case Western Reserve University Undergraduate College Application Essays

At the age of five, when most of my peers aspired to be astronauts, princesses or cowboys, I had already decided to become a musician. It was not until almost fifteen years later, however, that I settled upon not only the specific aspects of music...

“All we have to do is use a straight razor to shave off the hair, and then use a 15-blade to cut off the epidermis,” said Carrie. She picked up a dead mouse by its tail and laid it on the table, then picked up the straight razor and started...

It was the McCarthy era. Attorney General Tom Clark had just announced a list of fifty-six “subversive” organizations that were supposedly part of the communist crusade. My grandfather, vice president of the History Society at Tilden Senior High...

It tasted like jet fuel. But that didn’t surprise me, after all, I was kissing the tarmac at Ben-Gurion International Airport, as is customary upon arrival in Israel. What did surprise me, however, was that it wasn’t the type of high-octane fuel I...

“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...

Darkness permeates the early hours of a weekday morning as sleep wraps a blanket around New York City. The beaming moonlight penetrates the nighttime sky but steadily loses its strength as the first flickers of light appear. The color of the sky...

It was three o’clock in the afternoon. My first race was full of middle-aged men, and the decals on their cars weren’t all stickers like mine. They had been painted professionally. But paint jobs don’t impact speed and, to my advantage, I had the...

We arrived at Ho Chi Minh cancer hospital for the first time, full of determination. The moment we entered the hall, a scene captured my eyes: young children (between the ages of 4 and 9) lying prostrate in the aisle. The countenance of the very...

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...

There he is, clad in his “World’s Biggest Fish Fry” baseball cap, neon orange diabetic footsoles, and multicolored top hat à la Dr. Seuss. Four hundred and twenty pounds, bound to his high-backed leather armchair (driven with tender care all the...

I stand alone in the middle of an empty square, looking at the period Chinese pavilion that was built less than a month ago. The park is new. The smell of paint is still fresh in the air, the carved characters still sharp on the edge, the cement...

The smell of delicious, warm, chocolatey cookies filled the car, and four pairs of hands rushed for the first of these decadent desserts. My family is usually not aggressive, but with cookies around, it’s each person for himself. This memorable...

As I raised my arm to smash the birdie, I let out a whoop of excitement at finally being able to play my favorite sport with friends again. When I found out about my school’s badminton club, I signed up right away, but realized that I wouldn’t be...

One day, they finally let me see an X-ray machine. The week after, they told me about the anatomy of the body as they treated a patient. Every week, I would see my mother work as a doctor at her workplace. All her coworkers knew me. Every time I...

3 decks of cards, a few puddles of sweat, and a few hours of frustration later, I was finally done. I finally finished my house of cards. It was a simple structure, just made of the typical triangles, but I had to work for every single triangle I...

I collect rocks.

I promise it isn’t as lame as it sounds.

On a winter afternoon, the wet mulch crunched under my feet as I walked towards the school bus after my third-grade field trip to the Boston Science Museum. My small, calloused hands held...

The egg-sized bruise on my leg glowed black and purple, but to me, it was shinier and more valuable than any other medal of honor. All day long I carried it around like a trophy, proudly presenting it to others around me. I had received many...

I have fallen in love with Thursdays. Why? Because I volunteer in the ER at Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida, constantly madcap organization, a symphony of coughing and wheezing, as well as electric energy. Whether it is consoling patients or...

How can some children let complete strangers take care of their aging parents?

Even at their advanced age, my grandparents join us every evening in prayer and stand by our stove stirring in their special blend of spices for our family dinner. Back...

“Do you have any siblings?”

It’s a simple question, yet for the longest time, it was a question that I dreaded, a question that I felt the need to avoid at all costs. The answer, in essence, is simple. I have two older brothers: one 22, the other...

Meet Julian, Eloise, Damien, Georgie, and Caesar; a few of my best friends. These friends have helped me through the brightest and the darkest days of my life. They inspire me to think creatively, comfort me during the low times, challenge me, and...

The notion of family in my Latino community is one that is extremely fluid, with the expectation that we treat others with respect. Albert, my “neighbor,” has occupied the bush in front of my house for over two years and has become a part of my...