sample admission essay

This essay was prepared in accordance with our Free Sample Admission essay program.  If you’d like your own free sample essay, visit this page.

Essay Outline

I.  Introduction to my perception of architecture and my background
a.  Architecture is reflected in our lives
b.  How growing up in Taiping helped me appreciate architecture as shelter
c.  Biography
i.  Being from a middle class family forged in me a sense of responsibility and work ethic
ii.  The importance of education

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If you’re all set to apply for college yet have just the average grades to make it, boost your chances of getting in by writing an excellent college admissions essay.  Members of college admissions panels are usually seasoned at judging students based on the essays that they’ve written and could very well get tired of those that not only reveal a little about the student but are generally boring and poorly written.  Some colleges and universities however have gotten past the boring 250-word essays about one’s skills and have instead devised application topics and questions that are wacky, wild, and outright weird.  The University of Chicago is one such institution that is famous for having weird topics and questions that not only encourage creativity but make the application process a fun and memorable one.(1)  Some found the approach to be even more difficult than writing about why one wants to go to a certain college.  However, the answers to these questions often reveal more about the applicant.  So dredge up those wild, wacky and weird memories and turn them into the winning pieces that will get you into the college of your dreams.
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The chance to enter into a prestigious college or university is not only for those who are on top of their class.  Average students can also have good chances of getting admitted in reputable universities.  So if you are one of those students who don’t have excellent grades in high school, you don’t have to feel discouraged when applying for the university where you want to study.  Just as long as you are confident that you have written a college admissions essay that the admissions officers would notice, you can really increase your chances of getting into your dream school.

Tip #1: List college admissions essay topics before writing college admissions essays.

In most colleges, there is no specific topic given to the applicants.  You are the one who would be deciding upon the topic of your essay.  Selecting a topic is a very crucial stage in the writing process.  For one, all your writing efforts would revolve around your topic.  This is why you have to make sure that you like the topic that you choose.  Your topic and the way you expound it will reveal various things about you such as your preferences, your values, and how you think.(1)

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When putting together your college application package, you will probably be required to submit an application essay.  While your transcripts, resume, and SAT scores will probably be the first thing that schools look at, your college application essay may just be the x-factor that gets you into the school of your choice.  Because of the importance of the application essay, it’s important to think of topics that are interesting and relevant to your application.  If you have had job experience in high school, you may want to focus on that topic, because it shows a sense of responsibility, hard work, and independence.(1)  Read on to learn more about focusing on your high school job experiences in your college application essay or personal statement.

Why including high school job experiences in your application essay or personal statement is helpful

The main purpose of the application essay is to serve as an introduction.  You are introducing yourself to the admissions committee and the college or university that you want to study in.  Writing about your high school job experiences and how they have helped to develop your character is a good way of introducing yourself through your college application essay.  Even just the ability to balance school life and work life is a great advantage of those who worked through high school, which is why it can be favorable for you to write about such a topic.  Working while studying helps to build work ethic, responsibility, and character – three key traits that many admissions committees look for in applicants.(2)

How to discuss what you’ve learned from high school job experiences in your college application essay or college entrance essays

When writing your college admissions essay about your high school job experiences, the number one pitfall to avoid is listing and enumerating.  The resume and personal information that you submit along with your application package will already have the basic information on your achievements and practical experience.  Try to avoid merely listing the jobs or experiences that you have had as a working student and, instead, tell the story of how you have learned valuable lessons, developed important values, and practiced certain virtues.(3)  For example, instead of talking about the kind of work you did, try to single out an instance when you had to make an important decision that helped you learn a lot about yourself, your work, and your life in general.

Aside from the subject matter, you should also concern yourself with the mechanics of the essay and how you present yourself in the essay.  First, make sure that your essay does not have any typographical or grammatical errors.  Take time to edit your essay well and eliminate any and all technical mistakes.  Second, be as truthful and honest as you can.  If the admissions committee finds out that the information in your essay or your other records is not true, then you can forget about getting into the college, because they probably won’t accept you.  Finally, make sure to let your personality shine through.  Remember, you are trying to introduce yourself, so you should let your character and personality come through in your essay.(4)

How a sample application essay focusing on previous work experiences can help you write your personal statement

If you are having a hard time writing your personal statement, try taking a look at some sample application essays that also focus on work experience.  Reading sample essays is a great way to get ideas, inspiration, and motivation for your own essay.  Take note of the theme, tone, and format of the sample application essay so you can get an idea of how to go about your own essay.  Just make sure that you are using the sample admission essays to get inspiration and not to copy from.(5)  You may even want to use sample college admission essays to learn.  For example, you can critique certain sample essays to see what they did wrong and learn from their mistakes to make sure that the essay you write is better.(6)

Why comparing your personal statement draft with a sample application essay can be helpful

So you have finally finished your essay and you are looking for ways to improve on it.  One great way of editing your personal statement draft is to compare it with a sample application essay.  Read both of the papers side-by-side and see if there are any areas that you can edit to make your essay better.  Some of the changes you will make can be as simple as spelling corrections, while other changes may require you to rewrite an entire paragraph.  Make sure to go over your essay a few times until you are happy with it.  You may even want to have your essay read by a parent, teacher, advisor, or counselor to see if they have any helpful suggestions, corrections, or comments.  In the end, what you are aiming for is an excellent college application essay that will help get you a slot in the college of your choice.

(1) http://www.sampleadmissionessay.com/category/college-university-admissions/
(2)  http://www.sampleadmissionessay.com/category/college-university-admissions/
(3) http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/essay_tips.htm
(4) http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/essay_tips/
(5) http://businessmajors.about.com/od/applicationessays/Sample_Application_Essays.htm
(6) http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/EssayYouthBoard_3.htm

In this post, we publish the “raw facts” that went into a sample admission essay for college, the finished essay, and the outline we used.  Leave a comment and send us your feedback.

Raw Biographic facts and Admission Essay questionnaire answers

Admissions Essay raw Questions

Type of institution: Flagler College

Why are you applying to the institution:
Small school
Private College
Deaf Education program
Elementary Education program
Location in Historic St. Augustine
Close to the Florida School of the Deaf and Blind

Essay question asked by the application form:
Tell us something about your past experiences, present and future goals, and how Flagler College fits into these goals. Be sure to stay on topic and write a carefully considered, grammatically correct essay.

Your preliminary answer to this question:Had to take foreign language in high school and I choose to take ASL and I feel in love with it and I then knew I had to keep Sign language in my life. I then took a teaching assistant job in a public school and feel in love with teaching. It was then that I decided to put the two together, I was going to the teach Deaf. When I decided this, Flager College popped into my head due to their highly regarded education programs. I had wanted to go there since I was a little girl and now I knew it was time to apply.

Which favorite quote of yours applies to the question being asked by the application form?
A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in students.
- John Ciardi

What best symbolizes the reason you are applying to this instution?
It has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and its a small, private college.

Do you have a favorite song lyric that sums up the reason you are applying to the institution?
No

Have you overcome any obstacles/disadvantages?
Being able to pay to attend flagler

What do you offer this institution?
I am a strong-willed, highly focused student who values her education. I plan to excel through school with honors.

What do you offer society should you get a degree from this institution?
I plan to teach under privledged children in the deaf community.

Post your family history:
Both of my parents graduated from a two year college, never receiving any further education. They were married for twenty-seven years and were recently divorced.

Where do you want to be 10 years from now?
I want to have obtained my masters degree and be teaching at FSDB. I want to be married, own a house and have a happy family.

Finished Essay

In our lifetime, some decisions we make end up changing the course of our life altogether.  The simple but life-altering act of deciding whether to go after a dream and turn it into a goal, or to drop it and pursue something else, will eventually shape us into the person we will become.  I believe that, throughout the years, I have made such life-changing decisions, ones that I know will follow me wherever I go, ones that have made their mark on me as I try to make the most out of what I’ve been given.

One such decision I made was in high school, when I had to take up a foreign language.  Instead of opting to learn French or Spanish like the majority of the class, I chose to study American Sign Language (ASL) instead.  I have always been intrigued by the way that deaf individuals use their hands to talk to each other, and I figured that being given the chance to take up ASL as a foreign language in school is just the kind of opportunity that I don’t want to miss.

I became engrossed in my ASL classes, and I found myself loving it after just the first session.  I often practiced at home and read books about ASL, intent on learning more and becoming more proficient in this language that is so much different from what I’ve been used to speaking.  I knew right then that I just had to keep sign language in my life.  I had to practice it, and I had to find a way to use it to help others.  When I took a job as a teaching assistant in a public school, I realized that teaching is something that I love doing as well.  Making that realization, I was able to put together the two things I really love doing, and I made up my mind to become a teacher for the deaf.

I had always wanted to go to Flagler College, and my dream of becoming a teacher for the deaf strengthened my desire to enter this school.  There are various reasons why I am choosing this college instead of a university, one of which is that it is a small school.  To quote John Ciardi: “A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in students.”  With Flagler College, I know that I will get the kind of education I want and need.

As a child, I had wanted to enter this school because it’s a small, private college.  Now that I have a concrete plan regarding the path I want to take and the kind of profession I want to have in the future, I am more convinced that Flagler is the right school for me.  Its deaf education program and elementary education program are excellent, and I’d love to take up these programs because I believe that they will equip me with the knowledge and training I need to be an excellent teacher for deaf individuals. Aside from that, the location of the school is great, being right in historic St. Augustine, and near the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.

One obstacle that I know I’d have to face is acquiring the funds I need to pay for my college tuition.  Coming from a family that is by no means rich, I know I’d have to do my own share and help my family out in their finances by paying for my tuition on my own, or with just a little help from my parents.  My parents have been married for 27 years, but they have just recently been divorced.  Both of them graduated from a two-year college, and they didn’t pursue further education.

With the economy in crisis, I know that both my parents are having a hard time making ends meet, and I don’t want to add to their burden.  Fortunately, during the past few years, I have diligently been thrifty and have opted to save up a good portion of my allowance.  I only spent for things that were necessary, and then I saved up what was left and put it in a bank.  I did this because I knew that I would have to pay for my college education someday.  Now I’ve got quite a substantial sum of money in the bank that I intend to use for my education at Flagler.  I must say that I am quite proud of myself for having thought about this obstacle ahead of time and for thinking of ways by which I could overcome it in order to fulfill my dream of going to college.

In case I get accepted at Flagler College, I know that I am going to do my best to excel in my studies.  It is actually my goal to do what I can to the best of my abilities, and to graduate from college with honors.  I have always been a highly focused, strong-willed student, and I value my education highly.  Because of this, I have always strived to excel, and I know I’ll always be the kind of person who would keep on chasing her dreams and keep on trying to reach her goals.  I intend to be a positive addition to Flagler’s student body, and when I graduate, I plan to fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher for underprivileged children in the deaf community.  Ten years from now, I think I’ll have obtained my master’s degree by then, and hopefully, I’ll be teaching at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.

Of course, my career is not the only thing I’m thinking about.  I also dream of having a happy and healthy family and perhaps a house of my own.  Getting accepted at Flagler is just the beginning of my journey toward becoming who I want to be, but like other things in life, I know this will be vital to my growth as a person.

Essay Outline

Essay outline

I.  Personal information
I opted to begin the essay with my interests, academic inclinations, and the instances that led to the formation of these inclinations because I think it’s important for the admissions officers to have an idea of who I am and what made me decide to prepare myself for a teaching career.

II.  Reasons for wanting to pursue a degree in education at Flagler College
The reasons I have included in the essay to further introduce myself to the admissions officers are the following:
1.  My love for ASL or American Sign Language
2.  My great interest in teaching children
3.  The school’s impressive education programs for the hearing-impaired
4.  The school’s location and proximity to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
5.  My childhood dream of studying at Flagler College
6.  My desire to make a difference among the hearing-impaired community

III.  Obstacle I’ve faced
The obstacle I’ve discussed in the essay is about my financial situation because it was such a challenge to save enough money for my tuition at Flagler.  I’ve also included how I was able to deal with this obstacle with the hopes of reaching my goals.

IV.  Goals
The following are my goals that I have included in the essay:
1.  To combine my love for ASL and teaching children
2.  To study at an institution that offers high-quality, personalized education
3.  To teach hearing-impaired students at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
4.  To earn my master’s degree ten years from now
5.  To be happily married and have a family ten years from now
6.  To make a difference among the hearing-impaired community

By discussing my goals, the readers would have the chance to know my short-term and long-term plans, as well as how I intend to contribute to Flagler in case I get accepted.

If YOU would like  a FREE  100% custom Sample college admission essay and outline based on your biographical information, please email FREECUSTOMADMISSIONESSAYS (at) gmail.com

First come first served and you have to fill out an agreement form

Whether you are planning to go into undergraduate studies or post-graduate studies, you will probably have to complete and submit an application package for the admissions committee.  The application package is more than just a requirement to get into schools, but it also serves as an introduction of yourself to the admissions committee of the schools that you apply to.  For this reason, it is essential that you do a great job on your application package if you wish to take up undergraduate college or post-graduate studies, especially for popular fields such as medicine.  This article will cover some of the basic differences between the college admissions process and the medical school admissions process.

The medical school admissions process vs.  the college admission or university admission process

The admissions processes for medical schools and undergraduate schools differ in a number of ways.  The most basic and obvious difference is that medical schools usually have more specific application requirements.  Colleges, universities, and medical schools will all ask for your personal information and transcripts, but medical schools usually also require applicants to have taken up specific courses that are related to medicine.  Sciences, such as Biology, Physics, and Chemistry are normally required for medical school admission.  For US schools or international schools, students may be required to have taken up at least one year of English.(1)

In truth, whether you are applying for college or medical school, the application requirements and admissions process will differ from school to school.  Fortunately, programs such as the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)(2) and The Common Application for Undergraduate College Admission(3) are making efforts to simplify the application process.  Basically, the AMCAS and the Common Application provide a primary application process that allows applicants to complete and submit a common application form with the basic information that most medical schools, colleges, and universities require.  The application forms are then sent to the schools that the applicant wants to apply to.  The costs for either the AMCAS or the Common Application will depend on the number of schools being applied to.  Applicants who have a chance of getting into the school applied for will be sent a secondary application form with more specific requirements, such as application essays.

Usual college admissions or university application requirements (4)

Application fee
Personal information or resume
Official transcripts
Recommendation letters
SAT or ACT scores
Admissions essay
Interview
Secondary application (if necessary)

Usual medical school requirements (5)

Application fee
Personal information or resume
Official transcripts
Recommendation letters or evaluation letters
DAT, MCAT, or GRE scores
Admissions essays
Interview
Secondary application (if necessary)

Preparing for the medical school admissions process

As can be seen in the lists above, the requirements for medical school and undergraduate schools are quite similar.  In most cases, however, medical schools are stricter when it comes to evaluating, assessing, and accepting students.  For many schools, the number of slots they have available are far fewer than the number of applicants, which is why medical schools normally have high standards.  To get ahead of the competition, try to follow some of the following tips for your medical school application:(6)

Make sure to complete and compile all of the requirements in a neat and organized manner.  Presentation surely isn’t everything, but a clean and neat application package is certainly more welcome than one that has a bunch of markings and crossed-out entries.
Make a schedule so you can keep track of submission deadlines and important meetings, such as interviews or meetings with those who are writing your evaluation and recommendation letters.  Always submit before the deadline, but make sure that you have put in enough time and effort to make the best application package you can.

Try reading some sample medical school admissions essays to get an idea of the questions asked, topics written about, the overall format, and the tone of the essays.  When writing your own essay, be sure to write more than just your achievements.  Tell the story of how your achievements have changed you and helped you develop virtues and values that are essential for medical school and medicine practice in general.(7)

Medical school interviews

One of the most important medical school requirements is the interview.  If you make it to the interview stage of the admissions process, then you are probably on track to getting into the school.  The fact that the school called you in for an interview means that you are actually worth their time and effort to interview.  Here are some tips on how to do a great job on your medical school admission interview:

Try to get to know the school that you are applying to.  Gather information on the history of the school, the courses offered at the school, and what makes it different from other schools.(8)  Take some time to read, understand and formulate answers to some of the commonly asked interview questions.(9)  Finally, try to be confident, but not arrogant.  If you know your goals and why you want to go to medical school, then you will probably do a great job on your interview.  Just relax and have confidence in yourself.

(1) http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/about/start.htm
(2) http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/
(3) https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx
(4) http://www.sampleadmissionessay.com/category/college-university-admissions/
(5) http://www.sampleadmissionessay.com/category/medical-school-admissions/
(6) http://careers.dyc.edu/guide/sec5/med_and_law_school_app_tips.htm
(7) http://www.cmu.edu/hpp/achieve/pstips.html
(8) http://gradschool.about.com/od/medicalschool/f/InterviewMS.htm
(9) http://career.berkeley.edu/Health/MedInterview.stm

Even though schools and universities follow pretty much the same processes for selecting and admitting student applicants, there are still pieces of information about the admissions processes of specific schools that you can use to your advantage. This information can range from what the admissions committee find endearing and impressive in applicants’ essays to the usual questions asked during the admissions interview. By doing your research on seemingly little things such as this, you may be increasing your chances of getting accepted into the school or institution of your choice.

Online forums, messageboards, and student blogs

The Internet is such a useful resource for virtually any and every subject you can think of, and this includes inside tips and information on the admissions process of different schools and colleges. To get inside tips on the admissions process of your desired school, you can check out online messageboards and student forums where you can talk to existing students of that school or those who have also applied to your chosen school. You can post topics and threads to ask the forum members about their experience with the whole admissions process — how their interview went, what questions were asked, which admissions staff to watch out for, etc.

Contact existing students, alumni, and admissions officers

Other reliable sources of information on how to make your application successful are of course the people who have actually studied, or are studying, in the school you’re applying to. It is during these times that you have to make use of your social networks to get in touch with people who have successfully and unsuccessfully applied to the same school. Getting tips and suggestions both from passers and non-passers is helpful so that you’ll know what to do and what mistakes to avoid. You can also call admissions officers to ask them questions about the procedures and steps, but it’s better that you contact students and alumni if you really want to get tips and tricks on how to do well in your application.

Parents and students consider multiple factors when selecting a school. For most parents, the most important thing to consider is the school’s tuition rates, as well as the other expected expenses. For some, what matters most is location and accessibility. There are some parents, however, who believe that the school’s prestige and reputation is the most important thing to consider when selecting schools. Below are some of the common reasons why some parents place prime importance on prestige and reputation when selecting schools:

Prestigious school = more career opportunities in the future

For many parents, the money they’ll spend on their children’s education in a reputable school is a worthy investment because they believe that a degree from a prestigious school will translate to more and better employment opportunities for their kids after graduation. In this sense, the high tuition rates and other big expenses are all well worth it because the academic degree will ensure better careers for their kids.

You see proof of the reality of this belief in the number of companies in the professional world that have certain biases or inclinations toward applicants who hold degrees from reputable universities, med and law schools, and graduate schools. Even if having the name of a prestigious school stamped on the applicant’s resume doesn’t guarantee a job for the applicant, it still lends him or her an edge over all the other applicants.

Prestigious school = higher quality of education

While this belief may not hold true in the case of ALL prestigious schools, providing high quality education is still undeniably one of the top ways through which academic institutions earn a good reputation. Reputable schools invest in the services of highly competent and knowledgeable professors and lecturers to teach at their institution, which means that the students get taught by the best practitioners in the field of teaching. There’s nothing wrong with making prestige and reputation the primary considerations when choosing a school, as long as parents ensure that the money they’ll be spending on their kids’ education is well worth it, and the education their kids will get will be put to good use.

Here’s the raw biographic data we processed for the outline.  Reprinted with permission per the terms of our free sample admission essay outlines program :

1.      Personal bio information : 17 years old, male, ¼ Indian (Asian subcontinent) – I am the grandchild of an Indian immigrant. My grandfather (religion – Zoroastrian) emigrated here to go to college and eventually became a citizen.  I am heterosexual, live in Texas, high income level, US citizen (born in the US).  Plan to go to law school.  Undergrad – leaning toward business because the school I am interested in has a really top-notch business school.  Most of my academic interests, though, lean toward “how things work”, and sciences (AP physics was my favorite class last year).  So, I am considering something along the lines of a business school degree with a focus on computer science/applications programming.

Grades : Not in the top 10% (a huge consideration for Texas schools), but am in the top 20% at a very competitive high school (my high school is a public general admission high school (not a magnet or specialized school) that is listed as #52 in the current Newsweek high school rankings).  My grades are good – up through the first semester of my junior year last year, I had an average of 93.3670 (unweighted).  During last semester (the second semester of my junior year), I took 5 AP classes and made a GPA for that semester of 87.  I have taken 8 AP exams and made four 4’s and two 3’s (and a 2 but there was a distraction (fire alarm) reported by our school during the administration of that exam).

Test Scores : ACT – Composite score of 30 (Eng:  31; Math 27: Reading 35: science 27; Combine English/writing:  29); SAT – Critical Reading – 720, Math-660; Writing 680 (Mult. Choice 70; Essay 08).  SAT Math Level 1 Subject Test:  670.

2.      Specific Question(s) : Write an essay in which you tell us about someone who has made an impact on your life and explain how and why this person is important to you.

MBA/Medical School/Law School Applicants: N/A

Life Experiences: I participated on the JV tennis team for my school tennis team during my freshman and sophomore years.  In the summer between those two years, I took a summer school class (Health) to free up my school schedule to fit in tennis practices my sophomore year.  During the summer after my sophomore year I worked part-time for an orthodontist in order to see if dental school might an opportunity I’d like to pursue.  I like science, and also like working with my hands (origami, juggling), so I thought dentistry might be an interesting career option for me.  I really learned a lot of interesting things, and really enjoyed the work.  However, I decided to keep looking around at other career options.  One thing I learned from the orthodontist, Dr. _____, is that you really are a small business owner when you run your own dental practice.  He had majored in business for his undergraduate degree, and did all of his own taxes.  I saw many facets of how Dr. _____ ran his business and decided that, although I’m not particularly interested in running my own small business or professional practice, a background in business can be very valuable in all kinds of different careers.  This summer, I decided to try out a business class at the local community college to see how I liked it.  I am taking Accounting.  I also attended an Honors Colloquium at the university that I am interested in, and was able to meet and have lunch with some faculty from the business school.  These experiences have led me to believe that I would really appreciate and enjoy an opportunity to be a part of the business school.  I am not sure, though, that Accounting is something I’d want to major in.  Because I like science and learning how things work, I was particularly inspired by a session at the Honors Colloquium that covered computer programming and Artificial Intelligence.  This experience led me to decide to take a Computer Science course this upcoming semester.  I am hoping to meld these two interests in my undergraduate coursework by pursuing a business degree that is focused on information systems and business applications programming.  Regarding hardships, I tried out for the tennis team for my junior year, but did not make the team.  This was disappointing, especially since I had made the team the two previous years and had trained all summer for the tryouts.  This experience taught me that disappointments can lead to opportunity.  Because I had a free period last that would have been taken up with tennis practice, I was able to take a heavier and more interesting academic course load (I took 6 AP classes last year), including AP Physics.  I am interested in an urban southern university with a sort of “hippie” vibe.  I would characterize myself as a vinyl junkie and a “peace-nik” (I don’t go to protests or anything, but quietly live out my beliefs by writing letters to my congressman and senator, and am a member of the Lutheran Peace Fellowship), and enjoy informed debate with people of diverse viewpoints.  I love satire (Mark Twain, the Daily Show, The Colbert Report, The Onion) because you have to really understand and think about the other side’s point of view in order to create good satire.

Favorite Quote or Song Lyric: Toss up between “Imagine all the people, living life in peace” (John Lennon, Imagine) and “Mama, put my guns in the ground” (Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Bob Dylan).  Both of these quotes speak to me because they advocate non-violence and I agree with their anti-war message.  I enjoying listening to both of these songs on vinyl, on my father’s old LP player from the 80’s, which he and I rebuilt together a few years ago.  My favorite hobby is collecting and listening to vintage vinyl LP albums.

Existing rough answer to the admissions question:

Question:

Write an essay in which you tell us about someone who has made an impact on your life and explain how and why this person is important to you.

Rough outlined answer:

To those who know me, I am a laid-back, satire-loving vinyl junkie who, truth be told, finds history a little dry and boring. So I surprised myself by choosing to write this essay about my U.S. History teacher,____________.  Surprising, that is, until I realized that _______ taught history in a way that appealed to my penchant for figuring out how things work and helped me recognize and develop my interest in understanding multiple points of view.

Multiple points of view.  My History teacher tried to help his students understand why things happened in history, not just how they happened

* Diverse points of view throughout history and how they influenced the relationships that ultimately wrote history
* He encouraged his students to try lots of “What if?” thinking in order to fully understand what the situations were and how they could have been different/avoided.
* Helped students to look at both sides of conflict throughout history. Helped show that the winning side wasn’t always in the right and how often there was grey area surrounding motives for conflict.
* For more recent history, he provided anecdotes from his personal life. Either personal experiences or stories told to him by older people. Helped to bring to life the history and to help relate to the situations faced by real people, not just dry facts but actual occurrences that affected the lives of people who lived at the time.

He tried not only to teach us history, but also how to think about history. He encouraged us to think for ourselves which allowed for a deeper understanding and mastery of the material.

* Tried to guide rather than instruct us. He made it feel like we were reasoning out what happened instead of just telling us who did what and when.
* More about understanding the reasons things happened rather than precise dates.
* Wanted us to follow the spirit of the law instead of just the letter. Wanted us to understand the rules and the reason behind them.

* Thought humor and satire were valuable teaching tools. Would always make super-lame history puns. Liked Colbert Report and Daily Show. When I wore a “Stewart /Colbert For President ‘08” shirt to school I got an approving look and a little fist pump from him.
* When leaning about the Witch Trials, he showed Monty Python.

Played music before every class when people were still coming in from the passing period. Including vinyl records and Stairway to Heaven. (Transition here to paragraph about vinyl collecting.)

++++++++++++++++

Our free college admission essay outline based on the biographic information and rough outlined answer above:

I. Personal biographic information
I have chosen to start the essay with my personal biographic information because I feel that it’s important for the admissions officers to have an idea of who I am and what my interests are. Aside from stating basic information such as my age and where I live, I have also included some facts such as the activities I do. These include being part of the JV tennis team during my freshman and sophomore years, liking origami and juggling, and having an inclination towards business.

The reasons I have selected to highlight certain information about myself are as follows:
1. The activities I have involved in reflect my diverse interests.
2. My interests range not just on the purely academic pursuits but also on those that promote my being healthy. I feel that a well-rounded individual would be a worthy addition to the student body.
3. My part-time jobs and my initiative to take up a basic business course reflect my inclination toward the field of business.

II. Life experiences
I discussed how I spent my free time and what experiences led me to choose a business program for college. These experiences include working part-time for an orthodontist, attending a business class at a local community college, and attending an Honors Colloquium at a university.

III. About my US history teacher
I have chosen my US history teacher as the person who has made a significant impact in my life. The qualities exhibited by my history teacher that I find admirable are:

1. his focus on the relevance of history to people in general
2. his ability to develop our critical thinking skills when he poses provocative questions
3. his style of covering every angle of a historical event
4. his unique teaching styles, which made up develop a deeper appreciation on the subject

Generally, I have chosen my US history teacher because he taught history in a way that made me like and understand the subject on a deeper level. He made me realize and develop my desire for learning how things work. Aside from that, he taught us principles that were applicable not only in history, but also in other subjects and different areas of our everyday lives.

Are you planning to apply to college?  The following college admissions terms are often encountered in the application process.  You may want to get familiar with them.

College admissions glossary: selecting the universities and programs you are interested in

It is very likely that you would encounter college admissions terms in your application. Here are a few things that would help you understand such jargon:

Associate degree

It is a program that is designed to be completed after two years. Generally, an associate degree)  is created to give students a background on a particular academic field. If the college or university permits, students finishing these degrees could continue their studies into a bachelor’s degree. Students usually choose these programs because they require less completion time than a bachelor’s degree. Ask the college admissions officer of the university you’re applying to about these programs.

Early admissions programs

Some college admissions offices offer early admissions or early decision programs. The applications for college admissions programs usually starts in November or December. The result of the application would be given to you even if the regular application has not started yet. However, you could only apply to a single early college admissions program. Once admitted, the school would automatically count you as one of their enrollees.

Early action programs

This kind of college admissions program is very similar to early admissions. You will have to apply early so you can be immediately informed of your application status. Unlike students admitted through early admissions programs, the students who used the early action programs are not obliged to enroll in the school. They can still opt to cancel their application even if they have already been admitted.

College admissions glossary: the application process

The following is a list of the common college admissions requirements that you would need to have. Take note that there are times when academic institutions have different sets of college admissions requirements.

Letters of recommendation

College applicants who are seeking scholarship grants need to submit letters of recommendation. These letters are part of the college admissions requirements. You would need someone (not a relative) to write about your skills. Ideally, the people who would write these college admissions requirements should be able to vouch for your abilities and credentials. You can ask your academic adviser or work superior to write these letters.

Personal statement

The personal statement is also popularly called the college application essay. Applicants need to write a personal statement as part of the college admissions requirements. College admissions screening committees use this essay to know the applicant more. A well written personal statement could very well compensate for an average GPA or SAT score. You could also visit websites that provide free college admissions essay samples. They could help you improve the way you write your application essay.

SAT score

SAT stands for Scholastic Admission Test. SAT is made up of two parts: math and verbal evaluation tests.  Colleges and universities require all their applicants to take this kind of test. College admissions offices use SAT scores as one of the bases for college applications.

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