Sample Essay

I’ve been brainstorming ideas for college application essays since I’ll be applying in the fall. Here is one I’ve come up with. It’s not very long, and still in the rough, but I would love to hear feed back. Do you all think this is the kind of answer they are looking for?

Where I live, there are stone walls in every direction. Sometimes a weed dares to sprout in rebellion or a bird ventures to tweet from its hidden nest, but most of time there is silence.

This place is the planet earth, and those stone walls are people. People, hardened by the force of apathy. I’ve found that living such place, I too begin to fall asleep to the needs of the people around me. After all, why should I care? Thankfully, I’ve been woken up.

It is because there are multitudes of people unaware that they’ve turned to stone and hardened to believe that can’t change, that I want to teach. I want the opportunity to communicate to children that they should care. I aspire to inspire.

So far, I believe that I’ve done a pretty good job of utilizing my opportunities for influence.

I’ve tried to maximize the skills I’ve learned in public speaking by speaking on community platforms such as nursing homes, home-school groups, and children Bible studies. I’ve used my leadership position as head student coach of the debate team to help others understand that “people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” I’ve volunteered through my church and summer camps with the hope that I can say, or do, or reveal something of worth. Why? Because everyone deserves to know that they can make a difference.

I’ve even tried to share this passion with my friends and younger siblings. I’ve realized that as the oldest of six, I have the opportunity to immediately impact the lives of five impressionable souls.

I know that given the opportunity, I can do something greater. With the proper preparation I can be ready for the question that decides whether we are a culture of rocks or living people. For when I am asked the question, “Why should I care?” I want to able to answer the child with, “Because no matter who you become, an artist, doctor, world leader or plumber, you can make a difference if only you care.”