College essays that made a difference - Princeton Review 2010
Faith Nancy Lin
The applicants
Faith was co-captain of her high school’s Envirothon team and participated in Tierra, its four-year biotechnology program. She was also School Site Council chairperson, National Honor Society vice president, and a California Scholarship Federation officer. Faith’s honors and awards include: National AP Scholar, National Merit Commended Student, University of California—Riverside and The Press-Enterprise Scholars’ Award, and salutatorian of her high school. She was also active in her local community as core leader/coordinator of her church’s youth group; a piano accompanist for Sunday church services; a volunteer for La Sierra Public Library, Parkview Community Hospital, and the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District; and a research assistant at the University of California—Riverside.
Stats
SAT: 1520 (760 Critical Reading, 760 Math)
SAT Subject Test(s): 800 Math Level 2, 780 Biology
High School GPA: 4.63 weighted
High School: Arlington High School, Riverside, CA
Hometown: Riverside, CA
Gender: Female
Race: Asian American
Applied To
University of California—Berkeley
University of California—Los Angeles
University of California—San Diego
Yale University
Essay
Faith used the following essay in her application to Yale.
Write on a topic of your choice.
I hope that Yale University has a large supply of water. When I say this I am not referring to a love for the nearby Atlantic Ocean or for the aquatic sciences. My infatuation with water springs from a different source. The water that I am most concerned with is that which washes over me when I take a shower. I am the type of person who spends much time in the bathroom, and while some individuals may find showering to be a trivial and even unnecessary part of their routines, I believe that my hygiene habits have played a role in developing many of my personal characteristics.
I refuse to go to bed without taking a shower. Though showering can be time-consuming, I am unable to forsake this beloved activity. Over the years it has trained me in the area of commitment, equipping me to excel in my academic studies. My high school record attests to the fact that I devote a wholehearted effort to whatever I do. Past trials have taught me that if I neglect either my daily shower or my scholastic studies, I will only experience a feeling of uncleanliness.
I am not the only person in the house who showers. Thus, I have been required to learn how to work around my family’s schedules, sharpening my skills of time-management in the process. These skills benefit many areas of my life. Last year Arlington High School was able to take home the Envirothon state championship because of the team members’ abilities to manage their time. As a team co-captain, it was especially important that I learn to arrange my schedule. I have always been able to allot time for showering, no matter how busy I may be, and in the same way, I managed to attend Envirothon practices while remaining involved in church activities and focused on my academic studies.
Oftentimes I must be the last one to shower to ensure that everyone in my family receives hot water. Showering teaches me the ways of self-sacrifice so that I put others’ needs before my own. It has encouraged me to make other sacrifices. Volunteering at the hospital means that I am unable to spend my Saturday afternoons with friends. Playing piano for Sunday service means that I must spend hours practicing. My hectic schedule sometimes leaves me little time for myself.
Showering is important to me because it sets apart a time for relaxation and reflection. The bathroom provides the perfect atmosphere for pondering since there is little chance that I will be interrupted, and the rushing water has the ability to stimulate my thoughts with its gentle sound. Within the tiled walls I am able to draw life lessons from the commonplace events of each day. In numerous ways, showering connects to the life I lead outside of the bathroom. Showering allows me to take time to simply contemplate, and I would like to think that I finish each shower a more thoughtful and self-aware individual.
See this page to find out where this student got in.