Undergraduate / Influential person - 'About my sister, Kennedy' - CU Essay Prompt 2 [4]

Prompt: Who is an influential person in your life and how have they contributed to your development as a person?

If you have any advise or constructive criticism, please give it to! Be blunt.

On of the most influential people in my life is my sister, Kennedy, who has been through hell and back and never fails to keep a smile on her face. Kennedy and I met at the Gateway Daycare Center in Racine, WI when we were babies, and since then, I have considered her family. We have seen each other through times of joy and times of sorrow.

Kennedy has had the unfortunate experience of both of her parents dying from cancer. As I was walked into her mother's funeral last February, I expected Kennedy to be distraught, but she was quite the opposite. During the service, she read a poem with her sister and they began to laugh because they knew that is how their mom would have wanted it.

Kennedy was always changing schools when we were kids; when she began attending a boarding school at the beginning of freshman year, she promised herself that she would attend that school for all four years of high school. When her mother died, my parents offered Kennedy to come live with us, but she respectfully declined because she wanted to keep that promise she had made to herself.

Having Kennedy in my life has influenced how I approach new situations. I always try to keep a positive attitude and believe that any dream can become reality if you are willing to work hard enough see it through. Kennedy's fortitude is the driving force behind my unfailing optimism.

Undergraduate / 'Admiring my fellow actors' - University of Washington Prompt 1 [3]

Prompt #1: Tell us a story of your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

As we stood backstage, gripping each other's hands in a friendship circle one last time before our closing performance of The Tragedy of Macbeth, I could feel the energy moving through my body like a quick current. The road to closing night had not been an easy one, what with technical difficulties, illness, and the recent death of our director's father. You could definitely say the play was cursed, but we had finally made it. I will never forget how I felt at that moment in time, as I looked around the circle at these people I had grown so close to over the past seven months. It was the essence of bittersweet - I was so proud to have been a part of such a bonded ensemble, but I knew that it was the last time we would all be on stage together. So, I took a deep breath and did what our director, Dr. Seel, always told us to do. I had fun.

As I left the circle and took my place under the stair unit, I could feel myself transforming into my character. I was no longer Simi; I was a witch. Having the fog machine in close proximity to me under the stair unit as the curtain went up only gave fuel to my character's fire. My character was certainly manipulative and twisted, but her emotions were real. I suppose that's what acting has given me - a greater sense of empathy. Empathy by means of escape. Acting, for me, is an escape from reality, as I delve into the great unknown. Seeing things, feeling things, and doing things that I myself would not, is what makes playing a character so exhilarating.

After I finished my last scene, I sat backstage and watched my fellow actors with admiration as they made magic on stage. Being apart of a cast is similar to being apart of a sports team. We rise and fall together as one singular unit. There is always drama offstage, but you must put that aside in order to have a truly successful performance. You must trust that your cast mates will give you everything you need on stage, and in return you will do the same. Theatre has shown me how important it is to be able to communicate well with others. Being a cast member has taught me that everyone's contribution to the production, no matter how small it may be, is valuable.

In summary, I am so proud to have been a part of this cast. It has allowed me to explore and understand the many facets of human emotion. Every person and character I encounter helps to shape my consciousness and identity as a human being. Theatre has made me a person who lives in the moment and a person who utilizes every learning opportunity to the fullest. My keen observations of people around me have heightened my awareness of other points of view, making me a more open-minded person. As I depart from this high school stage, with this meaningful theatre experience in hand, it will serve as inspiration for me in future endeavors.

Undergraduate / I take pride in the insight I have gained from experiencing how other people live. [3]

The University of Colorado at Boulder's Flagship 2030 strategic plan promotes exceptional teaching, research, scholarship, creative works, and service distinguishing us as a premier university. We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive community for all that engages each member in opportunities for academic excellence, leadership, and a deeper understanding of the world in which we live. Given the statement above, how do you think you could enrich our diverse and inclusive community and what are your hopes for your college experience?

Over the past few years, the majority of my growth as a person has come from traveling abroad and experiencing new cultures. I take pride in the insight I have gained from experiencing how other people live. When I was a kid, my family lived in Brazil for two years; this was when I began to appreciate other cultures. But, it was not until I traveled to Europe with a group of teens the summer before sophomore year, that I truly discovered my wanderlust.

My trip to Europe taught me to embrace every place I go and every person I meet, and to take a little piece of them with me. I discovered how relaxed the modern Grecian culture is, how affectionate Italians can be, and how much pride Parisians have in being French. The following Spring Break, I spent a week on a teen service trip in the Dominican Republic, where I truly blossomed into a socially aware human being.

We spent the week building a house for a family who lost their home to a mudslide, and we helped plant a sustainable garden in a Haitian refugee center. As I got to know some of the locals, who had much less than I do but are still completely content, I grew a greater appreciation for life. I suppose the politically correct term for them would be "less fortunate," but I do not think that's accurate. These native Dominicans, whom I had grown so fond of, may not have had as many material possessions as most Americans, but they were so satisfied with being alive; they were not stressed by the pressures of a commercialistic society. Meeting these people made me aware of the advantages of living a more simplistic life.

My most recent expedition was to Israel with a group a teens from my summer camp. Not only did it surge my enthusiasm for my Jewish heritage, I also gained a better understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Meeting Israeli teens that would soon be mandatorily joining the Israeli Defense Force put into perspective how fortunate I am to live such a cushiony life. It also made me thankful to be living in a country that is not under constant attack. I did not understand how convoluted the conflict has become until I saw how desperately Israelis and Palestinians wanted peace but neither side wanted to be first to put down their weapons. This experience taught me that it is important to be open-minded and try to understand others' point of view.

I believe my unique experiences abroad will offer fresher perspectives of the world to the classrooms and diverse community of the University of Colorado Boulder. I hope to share my insights with other students and encourage them to see the world. My goal is to further my knowledge of methods of conserving the environment by taking advantage of CU's notable Environmental program, in order to become an advocate for global sustainability.

PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK ASAP! Thanks in advance!