University of Washington Undergraduate College Application Essays

Walking out onto the stage, petrified, I hear the director utter in monotone, “Whenever you’re ready.” I figure that I will never be ready, but I decide that I’ve worked too hard to just walk away now. I read off some of the lines that I’ve...

I am a goal-oriented person. I realized my passions long ago—to work in natural resources and conservation biology and to share the knowledge and experience I gain through writing. Influences such as John Muir, Rachel Carson, Edward Abbey, and...

I am convinced that I only have friends because of my mother’s cooking. Friends always seem to come through the door when spanakopita, tiropita, baklava, and other ethnic Greek foods are on the table. Watching others become infatuated with the...

I am an explorer. At 10 months old, my travels began with my family’s first move. Over the years, we have been relocated because of my father’s company, gradually bringing a family of five from East to West. Five states, five homes, and five...

The wind whipped across my face, grabbing the hair I had attempted to coax into a ponytail, pushing it into my mouth, and tangling it around my neck. Water splashed with unrelenting ferocity off the blade spinning desperately in my hands. My...

The chilly air of the California winter tingled across my face, my arms filled with dolls, bears, and toy cars. I cautiously trudged past the stores, making sure to not drop anything. I slipped. Before I knew it, the toys had all tumbled to the...

I come from a culture where everything, from the language to the way one dances, is rhythmical. Everything flows freely in the mind, everything makes sense, and nothing is inhibited. I feel this sense of absolute free flow when I push the sole of...

I gasped when I peeked into Christine’s sketchbook, a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors and eye-popping characters. Hoping to see more of her drawings, I eagerly tried to befriend her. Although Christine covered her sketchbook at first, she slowly...

For decades, the classic dispute of “nature vs. nurture” in regards to our maturation has dominated the debate about how children develop. Does a specific gene passed on from your parents predispose you to a life of crime? Are children more likely...

Staring out at the rain pouring down onto the sidewalk beside the airport exit, I thought one thing. This is foreign territory. Just moments before, I had found myself facing down a horde of about 60 squealing EXO (a Kpop idol group) fangirls....

On my first day of third grade, I wore tap shoes to school. The majority of my elementary school years was a blur, but I vividly remember this occurrence as it is the earliest memory I have of going decisively against the crowd. They were a creamy...

It was my second time visiting Qatar as a presenter at its leadership conference. Amid the bustle, I managed to re-connect with Adeeba, a friend of mine from the online MUN program I pioneered. By then, the novelty of being in the Middle East was...

The second high school play I acted in was a curiosity, a documentary production written and rehearsed at the same time. The OMI Project was an attempt to document the history and culture of the combined district of the Ocean View, Merced Heights,...

In fourth grade, I learned how to fold “fortune tellers”-- square, pointy origami creations. My class crowded together as one of our peers patiently explained the process, and we followed attentively, eagerly grasping our pieces of hastily torn...

“This weekend we’ll be travelling to Auburn. Please make sure you sign up on the spreadsheet if you wish to compete!”

Click.

“If the U.S. were to crack down on the grey market for software vulnerabilities, it would decrease IP theft of military...

There it is in front of me: a box, its edges carefully encased in a glossy white wrapping paper. The exterior is plain and simple—she loves things minimalistic. Inside, an ambient light in the shape of a mystical creature glows her favorite color....

One of the first dances I ever performed was a trio with my two best friends: a frivolous, cheerful number with far too many sequins, gauzy handkerchiefs disguising the awkwardness of our skinny arms. Backstage, we trembled in terror at the...

Whether we like it or not, life is messy, and the world is messy; it doesn’t make sense to assume that the subjects taught in school are abstract and insular concepts, neatly categorized and inevitably isolated from one another by the five-minute...

Regardless of where you come from, police brutality is currently the hot topic in media. With countless accusations of police using excessive force making the headlines, it has generated unfavorable views against those in law enforcement. Race is...

Silence stretched across the room as twenty-two nervous bodies shared timid smiles and curious glances. Name tags adorning the large U-shaped table announced our name and high school to the group, and for an uncomfortable time frame were the only...

“I think I can’t go on,” a male student around 15 years old told his colleagues. When he untied his shoelaces and took off his socks, he found blisters on each of his sore feet. After walking for miles in sweaty sneakers, he shouldn’t have been...

"Money doesn't grow on trees" was my mom's favorite catchphrase - and her inevitable response to my requests for movie tickets, clothes, and chocolate. The first time she used this phrase was in fifth grade when I asked for movie money. My mother...

An empty house with white walls, filled with boxes covered in brown packing tape is all that’s left of a place that was once my home. It’s packed with sweaty movers loading my memories into a U-Haul van -- a scene I would become accustomed to my...

I recall lying in bed stiffly, apprehension of the day's imminent duties further strengthening the cords of sleep. It was a Thursday morning. The door of the bedroom I shared with my younger brother swung open in a silent arc and my mother...