"Collaborating with Arts and Sciences"- Common App Essay

Winds swept harshly as the first hint of rain began to come down. It was night, and the beach was dark, with an angry tide and an approaching storm in the dark clouds above. The beach was empty; everyone had left hours ago, but my friend David and I had just arrived. David carried his acoustic guitar; I carried a portable audio recorder on a tripod. We climbed up onto a lifeguard post and sat down, taking some time to look at the scene. He played the final part to the song we had been working on for the past three days, and I recorded it into the 4-track mode of my audio recorder. It was the perfect finishing touch.

I realized that this sense of accomplishment mirrored times of my past, when I had created something with my friends various times before. I've always had the inspiration to create and share, whether it was movies, video games, websites, music, or even back when I was in elementary school and I discovered my love of construction toys. Every time I was merging science and art; every new hobby was a process of trial and error to learn to tools in order to create the things I imagined in my head. I remember my focus-- as if these projects were the most important thing I had to do. I remember all the friends I have met over the years who I had collaborated with.

My first projects were making my own sets with Legos and K'NEX, complete with instructions. In second grade, I started a comic series with my best friend at the time. The same friend showed me how to make cartoons in PowerPoint, which inspired me to make several more and put them online, on a website I designed with Dreamweaver. This got me more interested in the Internet, which sparked an interest in web design and game creation. From fifth to eighth grade, I experimented with movie making and keeping up my YouTube channel with original content. One of my proudest creations is a movie for my eighth grade theater class that won three awards. Now I work mostly with music. I have created three albums, play in a band called "Lampshade Sun", and have worked on hundreds of songs of all styles, including the song I recorded that night on the beach. It's a joy to share creative moments with others.

I am passionate about my projects; I enjoy expressing myself and seeing people connect with my creations. My passions apply to science as well as art, such as during my summer work helping with clinical research at Mass General Hospital. In college, I look forward to finding broader mediums, interests, and paths that engage my boundless creativity. I hope to meet people who share this creativity and scientific mindset, who can guide me, inspire me, and collaborate with me. I look forward to inspirational experiences such as the rainy night on the beach recording with David.

We climbed up onto a lifeguard post and sat down, taking some time to look at the scene around us .---I just took the liberty of adding two words, but really, it was fine the way it was.

He played the final part of the song we had been working on for the past three days, and I recorded it into the 4-track mode of my audio recorder.

Every time, I was merging science and art; every new hobby was a process of trial and error to learn to use tools in order to create the things I imagined in my head.

I remember my focus-- as if these projects were the most important thing I had to do. I remember all the friends I have met over the years who I had collaborated with .---These two sentences don't seem to go well here.

My first projects were making my own sets ---I think you could find a stronger word than 'sets'.

...with Legos and K'NEX, complete with instructions.

I like how you looped around and mentioned the time at the beach, at the end of the essay. Good luck with school and have fun!

:)