Undergraduate / "My Ford demolished a pole" -Common Application ESSAY; the perils of parallel parking [3]

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

Shock. Disgrace. Embarrassment. Different ranges of emotions raced across face as my 1999 Ford Expedition demolished the white pole at the Department of Public Safety. Judging by his loud exhale, the whites of his knuckles as he gripped the dashboard and the look of pure terror upon his face, the State Trooper was going to fail me on my driving test. I rested my head on the steering wheel because I realized failing meant no license, no cruising down the wide open road, and, ultimately, no freedom.

Even though I was not able to get my license the first time, I had to try again. This time, though, I made sure to be fully prepared before I took the driving test. During the week after the first test, my mother drove me to the Department of Public Safety every day after hours, so I could practice parallel parking between the yellow poles, because I had destroyed the white ones. Once I felt I had mastered the technique of parallel parking, I was prepared to retake the test.

I knew I would pass, not because of confidence, but rather my mother refused to take me to the DPS again. I sat and waited in the parking lot until my passenger door opened. It was the same State Trooper that had given me the first driving test. His eyes widened and it was obvious he wanted to pass my test along to someone else to grade, but no one else was around, so he got into the passenger's seat. Once our seat belts were fastened, for obvious safety measures, I pulled out of the parking lot and up to the yellow poles that I had grown so familiar with. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the State Trooper tense up and the color flush from his face, he was uneasy, which, given the previous experiences, I understood. However, during the second test he needed not to worry; I was fully prepared. I backed my 1999 Expedition next to the back pole then pulled it forward and stopped. The State Trooper opened the passenger door with his sweaty hands and proceeded to inspect my parallel park, which was near perfect. He then breathed a loud sigh of relief; he knew the worst part of the driving test was over. I then proceeded to ace the rest of my driving test. Once I passed, I received my driving license and my freedom.

I had viewed the first driving test as something trivial, something I could halfheartedly prepare for. I assumed I would excel at parallel parking because I was good at geometry. Little did I know that there was more to parallel parking than just angles; practice was needed as well. However, alongside failure is growth, learning from ones mistakes. I have learned that self-discipline and perseverance through even the most "trivial" tasks is necessary; those trivial tasks may be the difference between failure and success, the difference between me riding a bike or driving a Mustang.

Undergraduate / Tennis Rhythm, extracurricular activity [3]

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below (150 words or fewer, 1000 character maximum).

Perfect Rhythm: a moment in time when mind flows with body in a uniform motion. A rare moment to escape the hectic place we call life, a moment on the tennis court. Each movement has perfect rhythm, like the three movements of an intricate Grieg Concerto. Allegro molto moderate: The first movement. A bounce, a toss, and a release, my serve establishes the tempo of the point, whether it was a quick flat serve or a paced kick serve. Adagio: the second movement, trying to make my opponent off balance with slow calculated backhands and forehands. Allegro moderato molto e marcato: The third and final movement. The opponent reveals a weakness, presents an opening in which I return to dominance with a sharp volley to the corner of the court. The opponent is unable to reach the ball and I triumph.

Undergraduate / Back and Forth, Tennis Tournament - Hillary, Most infuential person [2]

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.

Back and Forth. And, back and forth. And back again. I stood watching the ball go back and forth over the net, and occasionally out. The ball would then be retrieved and passed back to the server for the back and forth ritual to begin again, until I called "out." That was my job; I was the "out" person, the lines judge at the Special Olympics Tennis Tournament. Once the match was over, the court was cleared and a new set of players would begin.

Because I had line judged on some many courts, every player blurred together in my memory, except for one. She was 5'4, lanky, with blonde hair, and a sweet smile. Her name was Hillary, which she told me repeatedly throughout the match. It was not her tennis ability that inspired me, she was no Serena Williams. In fact she was just the opposite; her serves would float across the net, her ground strokes resembled lobs, and her net game was non-existent. However, she had a quality that most tennis players do not possess. When most tennis players are down in game score they mentally quit the match; they quit running down balls and their ground strokes get weaker. When Hillary was down in game score she continued to play her hardest. She would jog in place energetically at the baseline waiting for a serve, chase down every ball even though they were beyond her reach, and run to get a ball if she hit it into a net. Hillary lost, but when it came time to shake hands, she walked up to the net with a proud smile on her face. It took me awhile to realize why she was smiling, but then I realized it was because she gave the match her all. Hillary had played the best tennis she was capable of playing and in life that is all that is asked of her; that is all that is asked of me. I learned in the face of adversity all that is asked of me is to try my hardest, and live in the moment. Carpe Diem.

Undergraduate / Bathroom Stall Locks- Issue of importance [4]

Surprise. Shock. Embarrassment. Different ranges of emotions raced across face as the door to my bathroom stall burst open. Judging by her blood curdling scream, the color flushing from her face, and her widened eyes, my teacher was just as surprised as me. She quickly shut the stall door and began frantically apologizing to me. This was not the first time I had been walked in on using the restroom; in fact it was a common occurrence, and it was all due to the faulty locks on bathroom stall doors.

A quarter of the bathroom stalls in my high school have faulty locks, another quarter of the locks are non-existent. Stall locks are necessary for two main reasons; to prevent others from walking in on me while I am doing my business, and to prevent the two month avoidance of direct eye contact ensued after being walked in on, between the person that walked in and me. Every time the teacher that walked in on me and I cross paths, her body tenses and her pace quickens as she rushes to pass by me. I do not believe our relationship will ever resemble a typical teacher-student relationship.

I have created several alternative solutions for the stall lock problem including putting a rubber band around both ends of the lock, putting a pen in the place of the sliding lock, and holding the door closed with my foot if it can reach the door. However, when neither pen nor rubber band is present I have to depend on the hope that no one will open the stall door; this makes me jittery every time someone enters the restroom. The ultimate solution to the bathroom stall lock problem is for the school to fix them. This will provide the students with a safe, private environment for them to handle their business.

Undergraduate / "thank you for reevaluating my application" - University of Texas Appeal letter [3]

I have been CAP at the University of Texas, however I would rather appeal to get into UT Austin. This is my first appeal letter. I don't know what would be wanted. I wrote about why I like UT and new honors I have received. I have a slightly above average sat score but a par gpa. However I dont know whether I should focus on the positives or explain why my gpa is low. Also, I go to a very very competitive school. So what should I write about. I wrote a rough draft but I dont know how good it is. Please Help because I really need to get into this school. I have been rejected from all of the other ones and might end up at Community College. PLEASE HELP!

To whom it may concern:

First I would like to thank you for reevaluating my application. I have recently applied to the Cockrell School of Engineering and have been denied. However, I have written this application in order to become a student at your university. The University of Texas has been my dream school ever since I was seven years old. I remember my father holding me high on his shoulders as we watched the Texas Longhorn defeat the Houston Cougars in a football game; the stadium rumbled, the Longhorns cheered and I found a family. My aspirations were reconfirmed when I had the opportunity to participate in the Women in Engineering program and the Honors Colloquium during the past summer. While walking around the campus I noticed flyers for tutoring, it showed me that at the University of Texas at Austin we all believe in the success of our peers. I also received a plastic reusable water bottle which was part of a campaign to rid the campus of disposable plastic water bottles; this showed that we believe in taking care of our planet. The University of Texas at Austin represents a balance of academic excellence and personal character, two values that I firmly believe in.

Excellence has always driven my education; I have strove to go beyond the "norm." This includes my ACT score, 30, and my SAT score, 2010. My SAT has earned me the honor of becoming a Venture Scholar; a program for underrepresented underprivileged high achievers. Also, I take some of the most challenging courses my school offers including, AP Literature, AP Calculus AB, and AP Physics.

I also strive to achieve outside of the classroom. This includes entering several essay and art contests. I have recently become a published author, by winning a short essay contest and having it published in a book through Creative Commons.

To conclude, I want to be a part of the University of Texas at Austin family. Not only will the University of Texas at Austin provide an environment for me to learn and grow in, but I can contribute to the community in a positive manner.

Thank you for your time.

Student Talk / HELP: Is it ok, to use your first year applicant essay as your transfer applicant... [3]

Is is ok, to use your first year applicant essay as your transfer applicant essay for the same schools?