Undergraduate / 'Leaders aren't born they are made' - UNC at Chapel Hill Essay [3]

Describe one time that you failed? What if anything did you learn?

My father's favorite quote is Vince Lombardi's, "Leaders aren't born
they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through
hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that
goal, or any goal." I was blessed to be born into a supportive,
loving, but above all a successful family. I felt I had to represent
my family, so following their example, I too began excelling in school
since very early in my elementary school through my high school. When
it came time for my SAT I felt it was just another chance for me to
prove to myself that I too was going to be successful, but a success
defined by society that included the college you went to. As a result,
I understood that I needed a high score on the SAT to go to a good
college and be successful. I was eager to sign up for my first SAT,
but I only studied less than a week for it. I did not feel the need to
study for it because my whole life I had gotten good grades, and I
thought the SAT was going to reflect that. I was wrong. The only thing
the SAT reflected about me was the effort I put into it. Although my
score was not bad compared to the national average, I felt it was a
personal failure, and I should have scored higher. I understand that
the score of an exam does not reflect the potential and knowledge that
someone has, however it is highly critical into my acceptance into
college so i was determined to improve my score. In order to do so I
needed to understand where I had wrong. I decided to break down my
score by looking at the type of questions I got wrong. This allowed
me to see what i needed to improve on the most and spend more time
studying. Improving on my weaknesses allowed me to study more
efficiently. I followed this by buying SAT practice books and I took
three full practice test improving each time. I took the SAT again and
i received a score that i was pleased with. I learned that by putting
hard work and effort you could achieve any set goal. I am glad I
learned this before going into college because this learning
experience is something that i will bring with me into my college
experience. After that lesson I was able to understand why my father
loves Vince Lombardi's quote so much, and now it has become one of my
favorite ones.

Undergraduate / "I did not see the point in art" - Common App [2]

Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative
work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on
you, and explain that influence.

I need a title and revisions please! THANKS!!

I used to be one of those people who did not see the point in art. Art was just plain, boring, and served no purpose in my life. I still do not know why I took AP Art History, but I am glad I decided to take it because it ended all that ignorance. I learned how each piece of art had a story to tell and how each painting reflects the ideals of the painter and his time period. When I learned this, the gates of a whole new world opened to me. I learned how to dissect a piece of art from its colors to its shadow and its perspective, but although I learned how to do all this I did not have a favorite piece of art or one that made an impact on my life. Two weeks into the course I found that favorite piece of art--Andrew Wyeth's Cristina's World. It made such a positive influence in my life that I never thought art could make. This painting does not contain innovative colors Da Vinci's Mona Lisa has nor does it have the extreme detail Jan Van Eyck's Arnofini Wedding has; instead, it is rather plain and simple, yet it is one of the most inspiring paintings I have ever seen because I can relate to it. The young lady depicted is Anna Christina Olson, who after constant persistence from Wyeth agreed to be painted. Andrew Wyeth thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her only condition to be painted was that Wyeth could not paint her face. The reason was because she was embarrassed of her condition. She had polio and was paralyzed from her waist down. But what makes this painting so inspiring to me was that she decided not to sit on a wheelchair. She had to drag herself everywhere she went and that is exactly why Wyeth thought she was so beautiful. He painted her lying down on the grass of her farm. That's a cute story but how does it relate to my life? I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Muscular Dystrophy when I was seven years old. This disease targets my muscles and weakens them as time goes on. The doctors told my parents that I would have to sit on a wheelchair by the time I reached ten years old, and I might die before I reached my 14th birthday. I decided to define those doctors. I set a personal goal not to sit on a wheelchair until it was absolutely necessary. Today, I am seventeen years old. I still don't own a wheelchair, and when I go to my doctor appointments they don't know how I am doing it. So why is Cristina's World so impactful in my life? Because it gives me an inspiration to keep on going and it tells me not to stop. If Anna Christina Olson did it, I believe I can do it.