Below is a college application essay that gained me acceptance to the highly selective Hartt School of the University of Hartford. Feel free to use it as a model for your college application essays:
It is fascinating for me to page through old family photograph albums that are stored high on a dusty shelf in our living room. As I turn the pages, I see myself in every imaginable dance costume, complete with sparkly, feathery headpieces and I am looking at the camera poised to take on the world. My family says I begged every year for more elaborate costumes and dance dresses and they happily complied. The unusual thing about all these photos from ages two to ten is that I had never taken even one dance lesson! I was ten when I attended my first dance class given by a woman who had turned her small living room into a dance studio. It didn’t matter to me at all … I felt like I was in the New York City Ballet standing in that tiny living room that was not big enough to do one pirouette. I was totally smitten with a passion for dancing.
The focus, drive and perseverance required to succeed in dance was a perfect match for my personality. I have always been able to set my sights on a goal and then achieve it, no matter how many obstacles were placed in my way. In fact, it has seemed in my life, that the more problems there were to overcome, the more determined I became.
I cannot say that this has been easy. Balancing high academic achievement with my rigorous dance training schedule has often left me weary and sometimes wondering if I could keep up the pace. As I have always been an incredibly motivated person I sometimes would set standards for myself that were too high and expect too much of myself.
But the difficulty that I feel changed my outlook more than any other occurred in my junior year of high school.
As I began my third year of high school, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I became overwhelmed with feelings of being out of place. I felt like I was older in outlook and goals than my peers and the thought of two more years of high school left me feeling distraught. I felt so ready for something more and wanted to move on in my dance career. By December, 2004, I took the initiative to set up a meeting with school officials, guidance counselors, my parents, and the principal. I proposed that I take my remaining high school credits at the local college, West Chester University. It would give me the experience of being on a college campus and I would have time free during the day to further my dance studies. The administrators at my high school suggested a compromise. They requested that I finish my junior year at Unionville but agreed that because my overall cumulative GPA was 4.2, they would endorse my plan of finishing my high school credits at West Chester University. So, in the fall of this year, I began my life at college while still being a high school senior. I am taking Physics, French and a dance class tofulfill my high school requirements … and, of course, taking a full complement of dance classes.
As a result of this experience, I have grown and learned so much. I have worked hard to understand how to balance my dance life with my academic and social life. With the more flexible time that my new schedule afforded me, I’ve had more time to evaluate my goals and reflect on myself and my life. In the process, I have discovered a few new things. I’ve reevaluated my habits and have learned not to push myself so hard. I happily concluded that it is okay to relax and in fact, necessary to maintain a healthy mind set. I discovered that no matter how bleak a situation seems, there are answers and solutions if you have the courage to seek them out. I will always be glad that I learned that the power to set your own life’s course really lies within you. I hope I am able to apply that lesson throughout my college career and my life.
The talents and enthusiasm that are so much a part of me are gifts I can bring to The University of Hartford. The sum total of the experiences of my life and the adversities I have overcome have made me a stronger and more compassionate person. I expect course work at Hartford to be extremely challenging but also know that I’ll be able to seek and find answers and solutions to problems that arise. I know Hartford will provide me with all the essential elements I need for a successful career in dance, but it will also provide me with life-long friends, exposure to the world at large, and unforgettable memories. In turn, I will bring to The Hartt School my highly focused and motivated self (who has learned to occasionally relax!), my passion for dance, my insatiable appetite for learning and the insights acquired from my life experiences and memories.
As I quietly close the photo album of pictures, I take a long look at the three year old girl, resplendent in sequins, chiffon , and feathers, looking straight at the camera.
I see now that in some intuitive sense she was very wise. She had a dream that had not been fully articulated yet, but she stares at the camera with a calm assurance. “This is who I am” she seems to be saying. She knew she was meant for the stage of dance.
It has taken me 17 years to realize this dream and I am still on the journey. There is so much to learn and new photo albums to fill to document this wonderful trip.
Martha Graham once said:
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action; and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it.”
As music for the Nutcracker’s Snow begins and I twirl on stage through drifting bits of white fluff, I remember Martha Graham’s words and a little girl who knew it all along.
