Undergraduate / JOURNALISM ,"This is mine, I created this"; GOALS [5]

Prompt: Tell us more about one of the activities you listed above, explaining what your goals were, what you did to pursue them, the results achieved, and what you learned in the process. (maximum 200 words)

(One of the activities I listed was participating in the student newspaper)

Tick-tock, tick-tock. The second hand booms and echoes in the confines of the journalism room, cruelly reminding us all of one blatant fact: we have been here too long.

It is well past nine and I find myself still at school, staring blankly at an open newspaper draft on one of our antiquated computer screens. The words on each page are a blur, but I have to concentrate, lest some stupid mistake finds its way to the printers tomorrow. An incorrectly captioned picture? A misspelling of a star athlete's name? Not on my watch. These are the tiny slips that can kill a newspaper's reputation, and I will not let my drowsiness get in the way of catching them.

So I press on, along with any remaining staff members and our dedicated advisor-Mr. Duncan. We stay for the reward of one day holding the finished product in our hands and being able to say, "This is mine, I created this," as we let the ink permeate into our fingers.

But for now, tick-tock, tick-tock.

Basically, I'm reusing my common app 1,000 character EC essay. My question is, does it work for this particular prompt? Is there anything I should tweak?

Undergraduate / "Collective benefit over personal want" - UC prompt #2 [3]

Does my essay fit the prompt? What can I improve on? Thanks!

Prompt: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

Game. Set. Match.
After a grueling three-hour battle, I had just suffered defeat at the hands of my greatest rival in high school tennis. Anger and disbelief coursed through my veins as I limped towards the net to shake my opponent's hand and congratulate him on his win. I gave it all I had, fought hard, perhaps played better than I ever had before, and ended up with nothing. Sure, it was only a game, but at that moment all I could think about was losing.

I gathered my racquets and walked off the court to a dozen pats on the back and sympathetic half-smiles. I could have sought solitude-left the scene completely to wallow in my own misery-and though it shames me to admit it, this was the first option I considered.

But I soon realized that there were still matches being played and wins to be earned, and that it was my duty as captain and teammate to support my fellow Westview Wildcats no matter how upset I was at my own defeat. After all, each of the eight matches played counted exactly the same and the one I had just lost only contributed one point to the opposition's score.

So I buried my disappointment as deep as I could and went on to cheer for my teammates. Believe it or not, tennis is a team sport. The difference a simple, "nice shot!" or, "what a serve!" makes is remarkable and can significantly boost a player's confidence. Instead of sulking, I strove to be there for those who were fighting their own battles. Not only did my teammates profit as a result, but my own mood drastically improved and I was able to forget about my loss.

It is my firm belief in the importance of collective benefit over personal want that prompted me to act in such a way. I am always conscious of how I can help a group of people as a whole, be it a high school tennis team or an entire society, regardless of my own needs and desires.

Oh, and we won 7-1 that night.