In continuing with the theme of working with rising juniors and seniors in high school, the question of admissions essays always comes up. In our file reading this year, our counselors read a lot of essays, from the great to the less-than-great (a kind way of saying bad), and we were given permission by two future UGA freshman to use one of their essays as an example of strong writing. I will post one today and one next week, and hopefully this will give you an idea of the level of writing that we sometimes see in the application. I hope you enjoy these essays, and thanks to the two students who allowed us to use them! Remember, we ask for four short essays (150-200 words each), and this is just one of their essays:
I once caught an orange slice in my mouth. He was twenty feet away. I was on a bike. A perfect throw, a perfect catch.
There’s a certain kind of adrenaline I get. An orange slice has an irregular shape, and thus an irregular trajectory. The wind never affects it in the same way. If you don’t keep your eyes locked and your feet light you’ll get popped straight in the nose.
The rush was unexpected the first time. The excitement first comes from the success, the achievement. Then the
taste of the orange factors in. Citrus invigorates you, refreshes you; food always tastes better when you have to
work for it. I understand how a seal feels.
Although nothing more than a particularly lucky catch, a memory revived from the multitude which deserve afterlife, this catch was representative of a much greater achievement. Through my studies and expectations I’ve held onto my quirks and hobbies. Catching an orange in my mouth will never land me a job, but it may keep me sane. Life would be too boring otherwise.
Spencer G.