Undergraduate / "service is a part of its mission" - Pepperdine essay advice/help [3]

Please offer any advice, suggestions, opinions you have. It'll be much appreciated!

Prompt:Pepperdine University is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. How are you prepared to contribute to Pepperdine's mission and community of faith, learning, and service?

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My two teaching partners and I were wrapping up the English class. My students laughed as we played a game to review the day's English lesson. I remembered planning the exact lesson months before, at home, in California. It was the first time any of us had been on a mission trip and we were amazed at the success of our first day of teaching English to German youth. Almost a year before, I made the decision to go on this trip. Now that it was finally there I had a sense of accomplishment and joy that I had not anticipated.

Bad Kreuznach, Germany was the town where we would be serving. To go on the trip meant sacrificing time, a few weeks away from loved ones, and long days of preparation. My motivation was faith: Faith that my time in Germany would be a blessing to the people I was with, faith that God would use me to make a difference in the lives of the German students, and faith that all of my sacrifices would be rewarded. By taking this leap of faith I found my greatest satisfaction. It is my goal to live a faith-driven life and I believe that the Pepperdine community is the perfect place to do so.

Our first objective was to teach conversational English to the students. Most of them knew some English but had no experience conversing in the language. I have always enjoyed school and the prospect of teaching was exciting to me. Education plays an important role in my life. I went on this trip, in part, because I wanted to experience the side of education that I normally would not. By teaching, I hoped to provide students with a life skill. While a lot of the teaching was done in a classroom setting, the most valuable and enjoyable time spent with the students was outside of the classrooms. The everyday conversations that I had with the students served as great times for them to learn and also as a great experience for me. I admire the enthusiasm of the students. Their willingness to learn and the effort they put into their learning is something I admire and try to reflect in my own life.

The eagerness of the students to learn and the happiness that learning brought to them was a source of joy for me. Realizing that my service had an effect upon the students gave me the drive to pursue a life of service. I would not consider a university if service was not a part of its mission. I want to be part of a community that has a service-oriented mindset and Pepperdine can provide that for me.

Undergraduate / "My recent mission and God-oriented trip to Germany" - Westmont Essay [3]

Any advice is welcome :)

Prompt:"As an interdenominational Christian college, Westmont both nurtures and challenges you to deepen your faith. Please tell us in 150-200 words why you would be seeking this type of experience."

Growing up in a Christian home and attending church regularly, I have repeatedly heard of the importance of surrounding myself with fellow believers who would both challenge and support me. The truth of this advice was not fully revealed to me until my recent mission trip to Germany. While in Germany I worked with many youths, some believers, but most unbelievers. The lack of a church for the believers to rely on for support and encouragement was debilitating to their relationship with God and the depth of their faith. The struggle that those students faced revealed to me the value in a Christian community. It is important that I immerse myself in a God-oriented and faith-driven community, especially in my college years. It has always been my desire to continually grow in my love for Christ and deepen my relationship with Him. My trip has furthered my desire to do this as I now realize that I find my greatest satisfaction in serving God.

Undergraduate / "how to succeed in the pool" - extracurricular activities essay [3]

Suggestions, comments, advice. It's all greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences:

My high school water polo and swim coach has taught me the how to succeed in the pool, as well as how to succeed in the classroom and in life. As a coach and a teacher, he has shown me the importance of balancing my time between extracurricular activities and academics. Through the hours spent at Jim Stone pool I have learned the values of commitment and dedication. When I tried to quit the swim team because it seemed too hard, my coach explained to me the commitment I made and encouraged me to keep trying. I finished the season strong and now know the importance of fulfilling my commitments. Some days jumping into a freezing pool was the last thing I wanted to do. But, I did it because it was worth the reward of playing the sport that I love and learning the life-long lessons that I did.

Undergraduate / "Mark showed relentless love for people" - Common app, a significant experience [2]

Prompt: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

I was driving home from practice on a Friday night. I had gotten my license just a few days earlier and the driver's education course was still fresh in my mind. So, when my phone began to ring I pulled over to answer it. It was my mom telling me that I needed pick up my brother and sister from the church Halloween party and bring them home. She was unable to, but didn't explain why. So I drive to the church and as I was parking she called again. She told me that my half-brother, Mark Jr., named after my father, had passed away. I sat in the car, praying and crying, then got my siblings and drove home.

My parents weren't home when we got there. My siblings went to bed and I stayed up to wait for my parents. When they got home my mother told me that Mark killed himself. He was facing a divorce and money problems and took his own life.

We were of the first to arrive at the funeral. We sat in the front and I watched family, friends, and people I had never met make their way to the front of the chapel to talk about the impact Mark had on their lives. They talked about his lovingness, his kindness, his ability to cheer people up. All of them cried. He had a tremendous impact on everyone in the room and it was evident.

The pastor, an old family friend, commented on how the effect Mark had on everybody he met was apparent. It was clear by the amount of people present. I turned around to see that every seat in the chapel was full and that more than one hundred people were standing in the back because there was nowhere to sit. Friends had to come all the way to California from as far as Japan to honor him.

If I have an impact that is anything like the way Mark touched people than I will consider myself successful. He had the ability to show relentless love for people. I try to replicate his character in my own life and look at the way he lived for inspiration.

Undergraduate / Chapman (Job placement after graduation) [2]

Prompt:There are thousands of universities and colleges. Please share with us why you are choosing to apply to Chapman. How does Chapman match your educational goals, and what do you expect to contribute to campus? <1000 Characters w/ spaces I feel that Chapman fits the expectations I hold for my college experience. I expect my goals to be met and my hopes fulfilled at Chapman.

Job placement after graduation is, of course, a priority to me. The proximity of Chapman to a large city is an appealing aspect of the campus. My goal is to have a job in my area of study shortly after graduating and I feel chapman can help me realize that goal.

After touring multiple campuses, I felt that Chapman was most suited for me. My tour of Chapman was the first tour I took. Naturally, I was nervous but quickly warmed up. I felt comfortable there, more so than at other campuses.

I am positive that Chapman would meet my educational expectations. A small class size is something that I require in a university and Chapman's exceptional student-faculty ratio is very appealing to me. I desire a personal relationship with my professors and I feel that Chapman is capable of providing that experience.