ADHopeful
Jan 9, 2021
Undergraduate / "West Point caught my attention" - Transfer Essay Help [3]
How did you manage the situation?*
I am worried that I did not explain the management of the situation enough any feedback would be appreciated (250words).
While applying for college, West Point caught my attention because of my aspirations for leadership. West Point begins every semester with a grueling kit glove inspection of a cadet's uniform. The night before inspection is a Red Bull fueled fever dream of chaos as freshman furiously iron every piece of clothing and meticulously clean and polish every button, shoe buckle, and thread of their uniform. I vowed to myself that under my leadership my freshman would triumph through this grueling test of detail. I spent hours combing over his uniform, making sure every detail was checked off and that his shoes were so clean that I could see my reflection. But I felt the sting of defeat as my freshman withdrew the wrong sheet during the inspection, an automatic fail. Failure was bearable; however, his disappointment not in me but himself, was a white-knuckled fist in my stomach. Failure meant counseling, negative observation reports, and a make-up. But I knew no amount of counseling would extinguish his disappointment. Actualized leadership is more than surface-level rank, the mark of a true leader is their ability to resonate with a subordinate's humanity, and this experience was my initial baptism into becoming a bona fide leader. My leadership skills were tested as I broke the barrier between leader and subordinate and motivated him to succeed not because West Point required it but because that's what he wanted. Because to me, being a human leader matters.
Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something that didn't go according to plan.
How did you manage the situation?*
I am worried that I did not explain the management of the situation enough any feedback would be appreciated (250words).
While applying for college, West Point caught my attention because of my aspirations for leadership. West Point begins every semester with a grueling kit glove inspection of a cadet's uniform. The night before inspection is a Red Bull fueled fever dream of chaos as freshman furiously iron every piece of clothing and meticulously clean and polish every button, shoe buckle, and thread of their uniform. I vowed to myself that under my leadership my freshman would triumph through this grueling test of detail. I spent hours combing over his uniform, making sure every detail was checked off and that his shoes were so clean that I could see my reflection. But I felt the sting of defeat as my freshman withdrew the wrong sheet during the inspection, an automatic fail. Failure was bearable; however, his disappointment not in me but himself, was a white-knuckled fist in my stomach. Failure meant counseling, negative observation reports, and a make-up. But I knew no amount of counseling would extinguish his disappointment. Actualized leadership is more than surface-level rank, the mark of a true leader is their ability to resonate with a subordinate's humanity, and this experience was my initial baptism into becoming a bona fide leader. My leadership skills were tested as I broke the barrier between leader and subordinate and motivated him to succeed not because West Point required it but because that's what he wanted. Because to me, being a human leader matters.
