Here's the prompt and what I have so far. I'm kinda stuck, but I think I have a good start. Like I said, I'm trying to make this Ivy League material. I appreciate your help!
Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience
there, and why is it meaningful to you?
The shot sizzled from acrosse the court down the deuce court sideline, skimming out of my reach and winning the first game of the first set for my opposition from tennis powerhouse (______) High School. I had been on the court for merely five points, when my coach called me over to discuss the adversity at hand, and informed me of my goal to stay on the court as long as possible. "This kid's good," he said. "Try to maybe get a game or two out of him." In high school tennis, this is a coach's way of informing a player that the match is going to be a blowout in the opponent's favor, and previous experience told me it would ultimately serve as a death sentence for the match at hand. I did what any smart player would do with the man who determines who plays and who doesn't, and nodded my head in agreement. What he said next, though simple, would forever change the way I play tennis and look at the world around me. "You have to be accurate. He's a challenging player with a competitive edge." A lightbulb emerged brighter than the sun inside my head after hearing this. Everything I saw coming ahead of me suddenly clicked. Accuracy, challenge, and competition. The combination of these three things were, to me, the perfect arrangement of ideal conditions. With a situation that provides a challenge and strong competition, accuracy is the way to win the challenge. This tennis match was a challenge against one of the best singles players on one of the most competitive teams in the state, and the player who could make the most accurate shots would win. The three elements combined to form the perfect layout, a concept stretching far beyond the white lines of a tennis court.
Knowing what had to be done in this match, I glided back to the baseline of the court with accuracy being the new focus of this challenge. Unloading serves into the court, I began the second phase of my tennis career, and placed each and every shot precisely where it needed to be. Point after point, and game after game, I dismantled my coach's "realistic" goal of a few games. Before I knew it, I faced match point with the ball in my hand to deliver what I hoped would be the final serve of the match. Clank, whoosh, bounce. Ace. I had tied together three simple words that came out of my coach's mouth, and accurately cruised to my most memorable victory in all of my years playing tennis. This sudden realization had made me a better athlete, but it wasn't until I left the courts that everything really came together. All obstacles that I have in life seem to have this same combination of accuracy, challenge, and competition. Teachers challenge students to work hard and do well in school, and students compete with their own minds to receive good grades by accurately absorbing the information thrown at them by teachers. Driving a car presents the challenge of getting from point A to point B, with the competition of the many unaware drivers who could run into my car at any time. To avoid these drivers, I have to accurately navigate the road. And, after all, isn't the college admissions the same idea? I've accepted the challenge to compete among the finest students in the country to find the school that fits me most accurately. Most students dread this process; I can't get enough of it.
Your feedback is appreciated
Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience
there, and why is it meaningful to you?
The shot sizzled from acrosse the court down the deuce court sideline, skimming out of my reach and winning the first game of the first set for my opposition from tennis powerhouse (______) High School. I had been on the court for merely five points, when my coach called me over to discuss the adversity at hand, and informed me of my goal to stay on the court as long as possible. "This kid's good," he said. "Try to maybe get a game or two out of him." In high school tennis, this is a coach's way of informing a player that the match is going to be a blowout in the opponent's favor, and previous experience told me it would ultimately serve as a death sentence for the match at hand. I did what any smart player would do with the man who determines who plays and who doesn't, and nodded my head in agreement. What he said next, though simple, would forever change the way I play tennis and look at the world around me. "You have to be accurate. He's a challenging player with a competitive edge." A lightbulb emerged brighter than the sun inside my head after hearing this. Everything I saw coming ahead of me suddenly clicked. Accuracy, challenge, and competition. The combination of these three things were, to me, the perfect arrangement of ideal conditions. With a situation that provides a challenge and strong competition, accuracy is the way to win the challenge. This tennis match was a challenge against one of the best singles players on one of the most competitive teams in the state, and the player who could make the most accurate shots would win. The three elements combined to form the perfect layout, a concept stretching far beyond the white lines of a tennis court.
Knowing what had to be done in this match, I glided back to the baseline of the court with accuracy being the new focus of this challenge. Unloading serves into the court, I began the second phase of my tennis career, and placed each and every shot precisely where it needed to be. Point after point, and game after game, I dismantled my coach's "realistic" goal of a few games. Before I knew it, I faced match point with the ball in my hand to deliver what I hoped would be the final serve of the match. Clank, whoosh, bounce. Ace. I had tied together three simple words that came out of my coach's mouth, and accurately cruised to my most memorable victory in all of my years playing tennis. This sudden realization had made me a better athlete, but it wasn't until I left the courts that everything really came together. All obstacles that I have in life seem to have this same combination of accuracy, challenge, and competition. Teachers challenge students to work hard and do well in school, and students compete with their own minds to receive good grades by accurately absorbing the information thrown at them by teachers. Driving a car presents the challenge of getting from point A to point B, with the competition of the many unaware drivers who could run into my car at any time. To avoid these drivers, I have to accurately navigate the road. And, after all, isn't the college admissions the same idea? I've accepted the challenge to compete among the finest students in the country to find the school that fits me most accurately. Most students dread this process; I can't get enough of it.
Your feedback is appreciated
