Accepted! 50 successful college admission essays - Gen Tanabe, Tanabe Kelly 2008
Influential books
57 successful admission essays
Zane Curtis-Olsen
Charlotte, North Carolina
Zane has conducted research on nanotechnology and developed a method for measuring the electrical conductivity of retinal proteins.
His research helped him become a member of the USA Today All-USA High School Academic Team and win a full scholarship as an Angier B. Duke Scholar. Through his essay he demonstrates that he can write about more than lab experiments. He delves into his personal infl uences. Outside of the classroom at Myers Park High School, he was the co-captain of his cross country team, state Hi-Q team champion and debate team captain. Offered admission to many selective colleges, Zane chose Duke University.
Santiago’s Fight
Duke University
I’ve always been fascinated by far-off places and new and strange ideas.
And that’s affected my taste in books, a mix of ancient and medieval history, Japanese and South American literature, exotic philosophy and science books about the latest advancements in quantum physics and nanotechnology.
Yet, despite this, the book that has had the most profound affect on me is the defi nition of humble, and it took me no further than a small fi shing village in Cuba. This was a book I read for school, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway. At fi rst, I didn’t fi nd it particularly special, a small book about a simple fi sherman. Even when we learned about it in class, the message about humility and hard work sort of went in one ear and out the other. But then, our teacher gave us an assignment based on quotes we were supposed to fi nd in the book. To fi nd these quotes, I read the book about three or four times, looking for some of Hemingway’s more poignant passages. It was in this search that I found this work a rather profound statement on humanity, the natural order of the universe and the eternal power of the human spirit.
Within Santiago’s story, I found many of the themes I found in philosophy.
Santiago has succeeded where so many existentialist philosophers have failed in fi nding his perfect place in our universe, and in doing so, Santiago has developed an understanding of the natural world equal to Lau Tzu’s.
Santiago is a fi sherman. Everything he does, he does to be a better fi sherman, and in the end the desire to be the best fi sherman leads him further than he has ever been before. And though he is a fi sherman, he views the fi sh he catches and even the sharks that attack his caught fi sh as noble creatures who are as meant to swim and eat as he is to fi sh.
This sort of respect is something I feel a lot of people can learn from, including myself. Just imagine if our politicians had the sort of respect for their opponents that Santiago does. And I feel the idea of recognizing who you are and what you are meant to do and working to match that ideal can apply as much to any career as fi shing. That the great Santiago is just a poor old fi sherman also taught me about the dignity resting in every class and every profession.
Santiago’s quest for his fi sh also says a lot about human nature. The statement can best be summed up in Hemingway’s own words: “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” Santiago goes out on the sea for days and holds onto the giant marlin though it is constantly pulling against him and though one of his hands cramps. Once he has caught the fi sh, Santiago fends off sharks with every tool available to him. He knows the challenges presented to him are not impossible and does whatever he can to overcome them. I fi nd this will to fi ght and succeed is an amazing human property and one that we can all take advantage of.
When colleges ask about a favorite book, they don’t want a book report. What admission offi cers are looking for is your interpretation of the book and how it relates to you. Zane does this well in his essay.
He draws connections between the book’s major themes and his own views of life. From his essay, the colleges learn that he values respect of an opponent and taking pride in what you do.
When writing about an infl uential book, don’t try to summarize the story. In fact, it’s not really important for the reader to know the plot of the story or all of the main characters. Follow Zane’s example and pick only the important ideas within the book that affected you. Reveal something about yourself through the impact and effect that these ideas had on your own life.
Svati Singla
Svati says that she has never let society’s perception of age stop her.
This was one of the factors that led her to publish an abstract in the American Journal of Hypertension after years of research—at the age of 11. Throughout junior high and high school, she continued her research at East Carolina University on fetal alcohol syndrome and won accolades from the U.S. Navy and Army. A graduate of J.H. Rose High School, Svati won an extraordinary $1 million in scholarships including the Discover Card Gold Tribute Award, Benjamin N. Duke Leadership Scholarship, Boy Scouts of America National Scholarship and National Merit Scholarship. After graduating, she plans to attend medical school.
Carpe Diem
Duke University
As humans, we constantly search for a truer and deeper understanding of life’s many mysteries. Often, valuable life lessons come to us in the form of a sudden revelation, which then leads to motivation or inspiration.
When reading Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, I encountered a revelation about human life that has led me to a greater understanding of the complex world around me. In this novel, Heller tactfully brings each of his characters to life through detailed descriptions and humorous anecdotes. However, just as the reader begins to form a slight attachment with the character, that lifelike individual suddenly disappears—either through death or some other mystery. As this pattern of life and death is constantly repeated throughout the novel, Heller carries a very important message to his readers—a lesson about the extreme fragility of human life.
Only after reading this novel did I realize how every day is a priceless opportunity; I realized how each day of life is truly a gift from above—a gift that must be cherished and utilized to its fullest extent. I was struck by the precarious nature of human life and by the inevitable prospect of human mortality; however, this inevitable future has given me great motivation and inspiration. Indeed, while absorbing Heller’s message, the ancient Roman adage “Carpe Diem” (seize the day) rang through my mind. Realizing the impermanence of my life has encouraged me to make a difference in the lives of others. For only through a profound infl uence will my actions live on forever.
Svati demonstrates that in a short amount of space (about 250 words), it’s possible to write a meaningful essay about yourself. But to do so you can’t retell the story of the book. In fact, we learn very little about Catch-22. But we do learn about Svati. We learn what she found so compelling about Heller’s novel and what it taught her about life. One of the biggest mistakes that students make is not drawing connections between the book and themselves. By making this connection, the admission offi cers learn more about who you are and what’s important to you.
You will also notice that Svati does not actually analyze the plot of the book as much as its structure in the way Heller introduces and then suddenly removes characters. She is analyzing the story between the lines and then drawing conclusions about what Heller was attempting to say. And she does all of this is just a few sentences! The rest of her essay focuses on how this recognition of Heller’s message has had an impact on her.
Emily Heikamp
Metairie, Louisiana
When exploring colleges in high school, it took Emily and her mother 14 hours to drive from Metairie to the North Carolina campus of Duke University. But it was time well spent. After her visit, Emily fell in love with the college. This is one of the essays she wrote to gain admission to and earn a full-tuition scholarship from Duke. In all, the self-described “science nerd” earned over $250,000 in scholarships. A graduate of Archbishop Chapelle High School, she plans to earn an M.D.Ph.D. in immunology or oncology.
Lessons from Harry Potter
Duke University
Like millions of 8-year-olds around the world, I have delighted in the wonder of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Although I am not 8, and I do not dart around my house with a broomstick, bathrobe and magic wand, Harry Potter is my hero. He gives a refreshing outlook of a benevolent world in which happiness can be achieved, villains can be conquered and the means of success can be learned. His intuition, intelligence and magic powers allow him to view the world as no one else can. He notices things that others do not, such as a tiny wizard shop on Diagon Alley or the train platform “nine and three-quarters.” He is an intuitive, intelligent orphan with a destiny to triumph over evil. While most adopt a cynical view of the world, Harry’s positive character gives hope that good can prevail. He de-fends his friends against the school bully and even defeats the evil wizard Voldemort in his quest to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry is able to accomplish these feats because he has faith in himself. Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster at Hogwarts Academy, provides Harry with the support and guidance he needs to become a self-confi dent wizard. When Harry was disappointed, Dumbledore encouraged him, saying, “It’s our choices, Harry, that show who we really are, far more than our abilities.”
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone challenged me to look for things that others cannot see, to have faith that good will prevail and to believe in myself. I have learned to notice things that others often overlook, such as a homeless person begging for food, or even a friend who looks depressed.
I have embraced an optimistic perspective of the world, and I believe that people are good at heart. Most of all, I have gained confi dence in myself and my choices. I have learned to become secure with my insecurities, to be fair when justice is unpopular and to have courage in the face of adversity.
Who says a book has to be a classic to be infl uential? There is nothing wrong with selecting a book that has mass-market appeal. By choosing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Emily shows her less serious side. This is, after all, a children’s book! But even though she selects a children’s book, she does not write about it in a childish or immature way. In fact, she analyzes the characters in the same way she would had she chosen a classic read in English class. Emily also makes sure to relate Harry’s life philosophy to her own. We see in her the same optimistic perspective on life and personal courage that Harry displays in the novel.
When selecting a book to write about, it’s important to follow your heart. In other words, choose the book that truly speaks to you. If it’s a children’s book or comic book, so be it. As you can see from Emily’s essay, it doesn’t really matter if the book is from your senior English class or your childhood. What counts is how inspired you are to write about it.
Jonathan S. Gnoza
Staten Island, New York
It seems that Jonathan could have lived in another time, even another century. He is impassioned by Arthurian legend, the geometry of Euclid and the astronomy of Ptolemy. Likewise, he won the New York Classical Club Latin Sight-Translation Contest three times, placed Summa Cum Laude in the National Latin Exam three times and tutored peers in Latin. A graduate of Regis High School, he plans to become a professor in the classics.
Arthuriana
Harvard University
On a certain day I was eating lunch with my friends Tom and Peter, and we were discussing which of our classmates were characters; that is, people who distinguished themselves with a unique and often slightly eccentric trait. At one point Tom turned to me and told me that I was not a character. I intended to object, but Peter voiced his disagreement fi rst, responding that my incorporation of ancient and medieval values into my modern life indeed defi ned me and qualifi ed me as a character. I was rather pleased by this recognition of my personality.
This defi ning preference for things which predate the Prostestant Reformation derives from the reactions which I experienced while reading some selections from Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. I enjoyed it so much that I soon decided to read a complete version. The search for an unabridged edition took me to a few different libraries and stores, and at last I borrowed one from my grandparents’ library. Based on my enjoy-ment of the short version, I expected that I would like the full version even more. Indeed, from the point when I opened the fi rst page of that book, I was completely obsessed with it. I read it everywhere; during the summer, I fi nished the whole book twice, and over the past four years, I have reread my favorite parts countless times. The primary reason why I read it so much was for the pleasure, but subconsciously I think I was reading it to imitate it.
Immediately, the book drove me to learn more about Arthurian legend, history and literature. Arthuriana became a hobby that I pursued with intense zeal. I bought and read many books on the topic, sometimes going to tremendous lengths to fi nd them; I made special orders from bookstores, spent hours in the big research library in Manhattan and searched for online dealers of used books since many of the titles I wanted to read were out-of-print.
Malory’s book also inspired my curiosity toward medieval culture in general, especially its moral ideals. I have found certain qualities of the code of chivalry to be universally admirable: trust, loyalty, truth, honor and helping people in need. I have tried to instill them in my own character with practices such as not cheating, avoiding falsehoods and tutoring other students. Many a one would let another have one’s seat on the subway, but I do so because I think to myself that is what a knight would do.
Like Sir Galahad, though, I also realize that holiness is important. The chapter about the Quest for the Holy Grail showed me the value of a more intimate relationship with God, especially through daily prayer and acceptance of His will. Refl ecting on this now, I see that this change had more meaning than just a desire to be prepared in case the Holy Grail should miraculously return to earth. In the example of those who found the Grail, I discovered what I had been seeking: a real culmination for all the learning I received in Catholic school. The book was my personal guide to a spirituality that I found lacking in my experiences with the modern world.
Captivated by such medieval interests, I jumped at the chance to take Latin at Regis, and it has been my favorite subject because it is a major key to unlocking the ideas of past ages. I have totally immersed myself in Latin, and further love my ancient Greek, which I started this year. Beyond classical grammar, though, I have undertaken the relearning of geometry from Euclid, music theory from Pythagoras and Aristoxenes and astronomy from Ptolemy. When everyone in my physics class had to do a book report on a work in that subject, everyone was reading Stephen Hawking, Albert Ein-stein or the like, but I read Physics by Aristotle. This gave me more pleasure and personal satisfaction than everything else I did for physics because it was an interdisciplinary experience linking science and classics.
In the school’s chess club, where love for one of the oldest known games is typical, people have called me especially traditional on account of my preference for the classical openings. Similarly, I prefer the early medieval, Christian, Uncial style of calligraphy and in this script, I have copied the books of Habakkuk, Jonah and Zephaniah as they were written in St. Jerom’s Latin Vulgate. My hobby of archery, which I practice very informally, is yet another way in which I have defi ned myself as one who seeks to relive and revive ancient and medieval ways.
One of the questions admission offi cers ask themselves after reading an essay is, “Would I like to meet this student?” Some even ask, “Would I like to be this student’s roommate?” After reading Jonathan’s essay, the admission offi cers resoundingly said, “Yes!” Both in his style of writing and choice of topic, Jonathan creates such a unique portrait of himself that you can’t help but want to learn more.
What makes his essay so powerful is that Jonathan is able to share so much about himself. In addition to describing his passion for his favorite book, he also uses the title to convey his personal philosophy, academic interests and extracurricular activities. This is a lot to include in an essay, but he does so seamlessly.
After reading Jonathan’s essay, you may think that you must have a truly unique personality to make an impression on the admission officers. The truth is that you don’t have to be interested in Arthuriana as Jonathan is. It’s important to remember that even if you think of yourself as “normal,” you have something interesting within you. The key is to fi gure out what that is and how to share it in your essay. When you are done writing your essay, have someone else read it and ask them: “If you were an admission offi cer would this essay, make you want to meet me?”