The Challenge Impacted on Me - Admission/Application Essay Example

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.” “If you don’t risk anything you risk even more” - these words of Erica Jong has been the source of my inspiration in accomplishing my dreams. Perhaps the most significant accomplishment in my life has been the experience of moving from India to the United States at the age of fourteen. I was warned about the possible culture shock when I would land but I had prepared myself adequately before I came to America.

I was too young to realize the risks that the move could pose but as I was in constant touch with friends here, I managed the shift wonderfully. I had always nurtured dreams of attending high school in the United States and today it fills me up with a sense of pride and satisfaction that I could actually make it. Initially I was struck with an entirely different atmosphere than what I expected but since even as a child I had moved many times, adjusting to a new environment was easy. Everything was different – the culture, the society, the education system, in fact the entire environment was unlike what I was ever used to.

I had to face a completely different world all by myself and realized that I was responsible for myself. I accepted responsibility for my actions, for the successes and failures, for my life as a whole. My high school GPA has been 3.8. I have researched and written a paper on a very advanced topic, “Memory formation due to spine remodeling”, with Dr. Dmitri Chklovskii at Cold Spring Harbor Labs. I have entered various research competitions such as the Rohm and Haas research competition in which I came second.

I always wanted to be a contributor to society and hence I volunteered at Radiology Clinic for 500 hours and been a part of the National Honor Society for 2 years. I have offered 100 hours of Community Service for a religious institution and also experienced a small stint at Harvard SSP for my 10th grade summer. Along side, I have also worked as a salesperson for a retailer in NYC for the last 2 years. I was now part of an environment where one has to learn and educate oneself through experiences.

I interacted with people from different walks of life. I also changed intellectually because I started caring about what was going on around me. I started having opinions on various topics. My beliefs changed a lot and it was challenging but I adopted the ways and my experiences have helped shape me into a better individual. The challenges and the risks that I have successfully handled, have encouraged me to get myself admitted to a college where I could make the most of my potential. I know the next four years would be as meaningful in my pursuit to attain the truth.

I need the right environment to prepare me mentally, emotionally and intellectually for the challenges that lie ahead. The changes I have faced and the experiences that I have gained have enriched me and have become a permanent part of my personality; I want the same to happen when I go to college.