College Series: Admissions Essay

So my brother and dad are still on the trip. Rumor is they were at Cornell today.

To continue with the college theme, I give to you my admissions essay for the Common Application (I think, it was over 3 years ago!)

It is funny to reread it and consider how I am the same and how I have changed. Also it reminds me how smooth refined writing can be. I remember how many times I tweaked the essay, had other people correct, discussed it with teachers, and sat on it for a few days.

So without further ado.......


The Things I Carry

A bag, worn from days carried, sits on the floor, filled with mysteries. As the bag is unpacked an individual’s life is unveiled. What we carry reveals to an outsider our passions dreams and how we spend our time. For me I carry academics, a quest for well roundedness, my dreams, and so much more. My mom, dad, and younger brother Matthew, accompany me as I carry my items and travel my journey.

The books I carry in my book bag represent my overwhelming desire to learn, the varied classes I have taken and my relentless striving to discover my gifts. My bag is incomplete without my planner fastened to it. This keeps track of my busy days with activities ranging from cheerleading to speech tournaments, service work to DNA analysis and retreat planning to family time. Packed near my heart and a driving force in my life each day are my hopes and dreams. I have the future laid out in front of me like a vast ocean, full of unknowns which intrigues and excites me. An island which holds my dreams lingers far off shore guiding my path through the enormity of the water. These dreams include one day being a neonatal nurse and a mommy. I also carry my expectations for myself, to be a hard worker, to be successful, to be content with myself and to be joy-filled.

Also defining my bag, are the scuffs and marks from my journey. Along my journey, I have developed friendships around a popping and warming bonfire and orchestrated proms for senior citizens in my parish. I traveled to beautiful and captivating places discovering breathtaking sights and many things the world has to offer. During one of my favorite moments, I spoke with a struggling mom and son as together we painted their new house through Habitat for Humanity. As we talked, the building was transformed from a house to a home that would change the life of this small family. Every Sunday, Mass holds a prominent part of my week, I dip my hands into the cool water touching my head, chest and shoulders and breathe in the calming, grounding and intoxicating smell of incense. I come before the Lord, surrender myself and trust that He will provide all the graces I need that week.

The words boldly written on posters throughout the classrooms I have journeyed through have become ideas that I carry with me. I have become a lifelong learner longing to absorb the eloquent words of contemporary writers, phrases that demand me to stop, reread and absorb more fully. I discover the intricacies that the human body contains grasping for every bit of knowledge available to me. I have become a sort of Socrates learning from my peers’ experiences ready to contribute my ideas. Rather than looking to a math problem as an insurmountable summit, I see it as an adventure to conquer. I no longer see the surface of complicated issues, but think deeper into everything that is involved in the issue. I have found my voice, and learned how to use it.

With my bag strapped to my back, I feel prepared and ready to take the next step in my journey.