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Evaluate a significant experience and its impact on you- China Earthquakes


JSFlash 9 / 30  
Oct 19, 2008   #1
Hi. I just stumbled upon this site and registered like 5 minutes ago. I figured I'd give it a shot. Here's what I have so far for my common app. essay. The topic is:

Common App. Topic 1~ Evaluate a significant experience and its impact on you

Can you guys help me out with editing?
One general problem about this essay i already know is that it doesn't reveal enough about me as a person. I'd appreciate advice on fixing that, too.

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The devastating earthquakes that hit Sichuan, China this year caught the world off guard. One could only imagine the trauma inflicted upon those in China at the time. That is, one could only imagine it if they were not there. I don't need to imagine. I can remember the phone calls from concerned parents and teachers. I can remember hearing my Chinese family crying over phone.

When I found out I was chosen to represent my school and country in the Brookline High School China Exchange, I was ecstatic. It had been my dream to be accepted to the four month exchange since the 6th grade, when the first group to go came to my class with pictures and stories. The group went during the SARS scare, and had to return from their trip early because of concerned parents and supervisors; however the close friendship they shared and the undeniable sense of adventure of it all drew me in.

Three months into the trip, the GaoXin #1 High School gave us a week off to go see more of China. Our group, which consisted of eight students and a teacher, narrowed our vacation choices to a Sichuan trip consisting of cave excavations versus a trip to Guilin to see mountains and visit rural villages. By some divine luck, Sichuan was outvoted and the group began to plan our Guilin trip.

May 12, 2008- it was a sunny day, and we were drifting down a lucid river surrounded by beautiful mountains that none of us had seen the likes of outside movie theaters. Nothing could have prepared us for the phone calls we would soon be getting. Being on a boat we hadn't felt the magnitude 8 earthquake that hit Sichuan earlier in the day. The first call was from my parents, who were able to figure out which hotel we were in (as well as call an Israeli Search and Rescue team) before others had the chance. When Mr. Mallory, the teacher chaperoning the trip, made clear he didn't know what they were talking about, they tried to calm down and explain what had happened. We were all shocked. One of the students found an online news report about the earthquake, and we took turns calling our host families to make sure everything was okay. In the midst of the confusion, I can still remember Chen Lao Shi, my Chinese teacher, calling me- crying. She couldn't find her parents, nor could she get a hold of her two dearest friends. Not knowing who to call, she turned to me for comfort.

Our exchange trip would be coming to an end soon, however the end was full of rushed goodbyes and worrying about aftershocks. It was in the two days between our return from Guilin and the end of our trip that I bonded with my Chinese friends and family most. There was constant fear for our lives as thousands of people camped in outdoor parks, while firetrucks and ambulances were kept idle on the streets, ready to be called to duty. It was during these last few moments that my family and I found time to sit on a rug and chat. We talked about each other, ourselves, the future, and how much we would miss each other. This was the only time that my Chinese family and I ever talked so freely and comfortably.

For the last moments they gave me, and because of the different outlook on life I experienced due to them, I appreciate the series of earthquakes of May 2008. My Chinese teacher found her friends and family. The aftershocks became weaker and less frequent, and everyone that had helped each other through this life changing event had developed a relationship that was undeniably one of the strongest kinds of connections we would have in our lifetimes.

The End.
I appreciate the feedback
EF_Team5 - / 1,586  
Oct 19, 2008   #2
Good afternoon.

I begin here by suggesting that you cut out a lot of the extra details. For instance, is "It had been my dream to be accepted to the four month exchange since the 6th grade, when the first group to go came to my class with pictures and stories. The group went during the SARS scare, and had to return from their trip early because of concerned parents and supervisors; however the close friendship they shared and the undeniable sense of adventure of it all drew me in" absolutely integral to the essay? If not, remove it or condense it down to one short sentence. You can then use the freed up space to discuss more about how this experience has changed you as a person. For example, how are you different now than when you went on the trip? What are the specific reasons for those changes? Are you a better or worse person because of this experience? The more you can evaluate or examine the specific aspects of this change the more appropriate your essay will be to the prompt.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Gloria
Moderator, EssayForum.com
A346 4 / 6  
Dec 30, 2008   #3
[Moved from]: Common app essay- Sichuan Earthquakes

Excellent essay. Perhaps elaborate a bit on the impact it had on you? But nevertheless, it's a great essay. good luck!

And Happy new year!
OP JSFlash 9 / 30  
Dec 30, 2008   #4
Its already too long at 717 words. I was hoping more for some kind of feedback relating to ways to shorten it, any mistakes with wording, or just feedback on my choice of topic and the ideas conveyed.
EF_Kevin 8 / 13,321 129  
Dec 31, 2008   #5
I remember the strain of being separated from best friends, and I remember how it all changed every aspect about my high school exchange experience in China.

China.
May 12, 2008- It was a sunny day in Guilin, about 600 miles southeast of Sichuan. The other seven American exchange students and I were floating along the lucid Li River in a tour-boat, enjoying our vacation from Chinese high school life by marveling carelessly at the beautiful mountain ranges on the banks of the river and soaking up the sun.

It touched me deeply that she trusted me enough as a friend to seek reassurance and comfort from me in her time of despair.

I will continue to be a friend to those I meet, and I will continue to help others without hesitation, for no other reason than a friend would do a friend a favor.

This is a great essay. Good luck!

:)


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