Undergraduate / Moved from California to a humid town in Mississippi - UF Essay [NEW]

I moved from a sunny city in California to a humid town in Mississippi when I was the awkward age of fourteen. The culture shock was not that unexpected. Because everything was different, I had to adapt a great deal. After I became acquainted with my new way of life, I began to explore the Magnolia State. I opened up to new ideas and activities, including the belief in karma and the craft of sewing. As soon as I established myself, I embarked on my mission to meet unique people and make new friends. In a small town there are very few places to meet people. The first place I thought to look was school. Because of my eagerness to meet new people I became excited about my first day of high school.

School in Mississippi is entirely different from school in California. The first thing I noticed was the limited class chooses. I expected high school to have a variety of classes that covered a wide range of subjects, this was not the case. Throughout the year I noticed the teachers' low expectations of the students. It seemed as if the teachers thought that the students showing up for class was a miracle. Not only did the teachers anticipate little from the students, the students themselves expected little from themselves. I met very few motivated people that year. At the beginning of my sophomore year I finally realized why no one was inspired to do well. Not a soul cared, not even the parents, whether the students succeeded or not. Because of the lack of concern for success in life after high school, the quality of education given was diminished. Given that people had a low quality of education, people also had a low quality of life. I saw how little or no education ruined people's life by limiting their opportunities. This motivated me to exert more effort and strive for even higher goals.

My experience in Mississippi has shaped who I am today. When I saw the low standards of education there, I realized that someone needs to improve the standard of education. I have decided to dedicate myself to enhance the level of education that Mississippi students are provided. I want to improve their chances of having a successful life. I have seen many peers settle because they don't think they can become anything more than what their parents say they can be or are. I want to motivate them and help them set and achieve their goals. I don't want to see any more students settle for less than they deserve because they were not taught the basic life lesson that they can be whatever they want to be as long as they work hard. At the University of Florida I will gain the skills that are necessary for me to achieve my goals of helping provide a more than satisfactory educational environment in Mississippi and improving the standard of living for future generations.

Undergraduate / "strong morals are necessary in today's society" - FSU Admission Essay [2]

For almost one hundred years, the Latin words, "Vires, Artes, Mores" have been the guiding philosophy behind Florida State University.

I believe that strong morals are necessary in today's society. To prepare for the world my mother began teaching me morals at a young age. She ensured that I behaved in a pleasant way to everyone. One of her main stances on behavior, which I strongly agree with, is that a person should do to others what they want done to themselves. This belief is what I try to live by every day. My mother also tried to instill strong morals by taking me to church. Through the Bible I have learned many life lessons that will always stand true. Church taught me to always put myself in other people's shoes and to be empathetic to other's situations. Understanding somebody else's feelings makes it impossible not to want to help. Helping others is the most important lesson that I have learned from Church and I try to exemplify that moral on a daily basis.

My strength comes from within, from my morals. I try to increase my strength by exercising my morals through helping others. Knowing that I'm doing the right thing gives me strength. One of the ways I try to help the community is through volunteer work. For about a year I have been helping Jacksonville Humane Society by fostering and socializing abandoned and rescued animals. A way that I have helped individuals is by mentoring. During my junior year I participated in a mentoring program between a local middle school and my high school. I was paired with a student and we discussed concerns that she had, current issues, and how to react in certain situations. I hope that through the mentoring program she gained the confidence and strength she needed as well as learned the morals that will help her succeed in life. I also exercise my morals in everyday situations. When I lived in Mississippi there were a lot of situations that tested my moral strength. Mississippi isn't known as a nice place to live because of plenty of alcohol and drug abuse as well as teen pregnancy. Every decision I made was based on what I thought was morally correct. By standing by what I believed was right and standing against what I believed was wrong I hoped that I set an example to others so that they would be encouraged to do the right thing.

I try to help my friends and my younger sister by teaching them the importance of morals Through my decisions and actions I aim to set a good example of a person with moral strength. I want my friends to be well equipped to succeed in the world and the main tool that will help them do that is a strong moral base. My younger sister is very important to me and I want her to be the best person she can be. To be the best, she has to have an understanding of morals. I strive to help her gain moral strength via setting an example and talking with her. Communicating with her is necessary to teach her how to be great person. Talking is a great way to show that you care while educating a person on what to do and what not to do. I thank my mother for giving me strength by encouraging my moral development each day by acting in a respectable and honest way and by helping others find their strength.