I stuck with the generic idea of common app essays but tailored them to fit my essay. Let me know what you think and post a link to your essay and I will happily post my feedback as well!
Over the past sixteen years, I have participated in circus arts, skipped two grades, attended nine schools, taken class in four languages excluding English, passionately studied ballet and other dance forms, and was in a totaled car crash. These as well as many other experiences have taught me many things beyond the superficial.
Through attending nine schools I learned the ability of adjusting and thriving in new situations. Being in class with students older than myself has taught me just how irrelevant age is and never to judge a person - when I was in fourth grade at a new school and we were asked our ages for the Presidential Fitness Challenge and I was the only person to raise my hand to signify that I was eight years old; I was put down for the rest of the year. After that I was ashamed of my age and weary when someone asked to tell them the truth - for a while I would just lie and pretend that I was the same age as my classmates. However, once I got into high school and skipped a second grade, I found that the people whose opinions mattered of me found it impressive that I was so young. In addition to academics, at eight I started pointe in class with girls who were mostly thirteen or fourteen years old, but because our skill level was equal they embraced me as a fellow student as well. The people who had judged me for my age or anything else were missing out, because I had a lot more than they expected to share with them. Now, years later, I am much more confident about my age and never judge a person for anything - if you do, you'll be surprised on what you miss out on.
Through studying dance for now over thirteen years, I have been exposed to many different cultures and ways of thinking that I would not have such close knowledge of any other way. My ballet teachers are almost always strong Russians, and as someone raised in Minnesota of Scandinavian descent, their history and level of discipline has been something invaluable to me as I would not have been able to experience it so closely had I not been their student. One year my ballet school welcomed several foreign exchange students from Japan of whom I became close friends with. Through spending time with them I learned about their culture and even learned to speak a little Japanese; I got to see firsthand just how beautiful their demeanor is. When I attended the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists I participated in a West African dance class for two years, and although I never thought I would be able to succeed in the class, through hard work I became familiar with the style and learned about their styles of drumming, the stories behind their dances, and learned so much more than one would expect to learn from a dance class. These experiences are so rare and I will cherish them forever.
Lastly, when I was four years old we were in a car crash that totaled our car. Both my mother and I suffered many injuries that we still struggle with today. However, despite difficulties, this incident taught me perseverance and hope. Yes, my injuries make my dancing more work at times, but it is then that I don't stop and say "I can't do this" but "Look at all that I can do; I will work even harder to be able to do this." This is a state of mind that is important to remember when times get tough in all situations. Work through it, work harder, try different methods, but don't give up. This is an idea that seems so simple but is vital in success and in life.
