Submitted Supplemental Essays by Clients
Example 1:
University of Georgia. Prompt: The transition from middle school to high school is a key time for students as they reach new levels of both academic and personal discovery. Please share a book (novel, non-fiction, etc.) that had a serious impact on you during this time. Please focus more on why this book made an impact on you and less on the plot/theme of the book itself (we are not looking for a book report). Min: 200/Max: 350
I spent my 8th grade year at a wilderness program and a therapeutic boarding school. The school’s library consisted of three small shelves on a rolling cart in the dining hall. The tattered books were shared amongst 42 girls, and since there were no tv’s or phones allowed, they were hot commodities. About half way into the school year when none of the high energy, dystopian Divergent books were available, I chose Sharon Draper’s Out of My Mind just so I could have something to read. Its cover with a tiny goldfish leaping out of its bowl into the air promised either to amuse or annoy.
The cute cover aside, I was instantly drawn to the main character, Melody, and felt a connection to her that I wasn’t expecting. Melody can’t walk, talk or move most of her body. She is a smart, funny 11 year old, yet cerebral palsy has trapped her in her body, unable to communicate with those around her. Only after she is given a tool - a medi-talker - can she express who she truly is. Clearly, Melody is the book cover’s fish out of water.
While Melody feels trapped in her body because of a physical condition, I have also felt confined in myself. In middle school, I was filled with emotions that I didn’t know how to communicate. I, too, was given tools to change my situation. I was taught how to identify my emotions, sit with them and then ask, “What can I do to help myself?
Even though I had new skills to combat my anxiety, I still went into freshman year feeling like a fish out of water. But, Melody’s story taught me that neither of our struggles are going to disappear; they're part of who we are. It's up to us to accept our struggles, use our tools, and learn to breathe outside of water.
​
Example 2:
Duke University. Prompt: Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better-perhaps related to a community you belong to or your family or cultural background-we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 word limit)
Undoubtedly, high school is a place where hard work and determination help dreams come true; however, it’s also a place where inexperience and peer pressure can instantly crush dreams. Growing up with a strong foundation in the principles in Christianity, I learned simple rules, such as never curse, maintain a positive attitude, and think about decisions; however, I can’t say the majority of my peers embraced this same ideology.
As junior year approached, I found myself separating from most of my friends, simply because of the decisions they made. Questionable trends of drugs and alcohol hit my graduating class like a truck. I saw my Christian friends fall like prey to peer pressure. I felt alone and soon found myself sitting in an empty classroom for lunch and as the only one who showed up for our weekly scheduled study sessions.
Since the start of senior year, I changed my mindset. Rather than seeing these trends as factors that make me alone, I look at them as the defining factors of what make me unique. This ability to separate myself from these detrimental trends has compelled me to not only focus on the future, but also to guide me to make mature and careful decisions. Throughout my life, I have held the moral values associated with my faith and plan to use them as guidelines for my future decisions.
​
Example 3:
University of Virginia. Prompt: What work of art, music, science, mathematics, literature, or other media has surprised, unsettled, or inspired you, and in what way? (250 words)
​
I felt like I was flying as my grandpa and I swirled around the kitchen, dancing to “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac. Too young to understand the words, my toddler self tried her best to sing along. Years of waltzing around amidst the refrigerator light flew by before Papa G passed away. My biggest supporter was gone. I found myself returning to the nostalgic melody of “Landslide” to grasp onto his memory. The lyrics that I always struggled to remember began to truly resonate with me. “I’ve been ‘fraid of changin’ ‘cause I’ve built my life around you,” I murmured as the melody played on repeat. I was beyond terrified to let myself move on; I felt guilty. “Landslide” pushed me to allow my sadness to fade away. The song which I mindlessly sung as a child contained the lyrics which gave me crucial life advice; the most important people in your life come and go, but “time makes you bolder, even children get older”. Although it is difficult to let mentors and memories go, nothing lasts forever. Grief and sadness are normal, however you must let “the landslide bring it down,” instead of allowing despair to overcome your life.
Although I am extremely adaptive, I dislike change. I grip the past in fear of the future; however, “Landslide” supports me in navigating new ventures into the unknown, whether it be death, relationships, or my newest adventure: college.
​
Example 4:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Prompt: If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why? (200 words)
"Yes, Mom. I will take a picture of the license plate before we get in."
I don't blame my mother for worrying. Growing up in Atlanta, one of the largest sex trafficking hubs in the United States, feeling the harsh vibrations of an amber alert is nothing abnormal. I carry pepper spray and share my location; why wouldn't I? Strolling down the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport tunnels, my eyes scan over "modern-day slavery" posters alongside ads for gum and Coca-Cola. In Atlanta, sex trafficking is an omnipresent threat. Girls are raised with precautions-- and eventually instincts-- which keep them safe. Young girls' innocent minds are clouded with the threats of white vans and men in black hoodies. In a current world full of atrocities and fear held by young women, I hope that sex trafficking is no longer a threat. I hope that future generations of Atlanta girls don’t need to carry pepper spray keychains or take pictures of their Uber license plates.
​
Example 5:
University of Notre Dame. Prompt: Notre Dame has a rich history deeply rooted in tradition. Share how a favorite tradition from your life has impacted who you are today. (200 words)
I looked forward to chilly autumn mornings and watching my friends compete. I enjoyed placing medals around their necks and seeing the joy radiate from their faces. We ran around the barns together, judging which stable produced the most festive Halloween setup.
I didn’t realize my friends were different; I didn’t realize that they had Down Syndrome or autism. I didn’t realize that I was doing service. I was just spending time with my friends.
Since I was 6, my dad took me to volunteer at the annual Special Olympics Horse Show. The genuine joy of serving others was embedded in me at such a young age that I would never call it volunteer work. This natural adoration of helping others is my constant. Even with an always-busy schedule, I make time to help my community. It is never “service” to me; it always brings me joy.
Example 6:
University of Virginia. Prompt: We are a community with quirks, both in language and traditions. What is one of your quirks? (50 words)
​
Since my childhood, I’ve always been fascinated by things that tend to repulse others. My newest interest is my pet rats, Gretel and Gillespie. When I bring this up in conversation, people often turn up their nose in disgust. However, they are intelligent little creatures who are just misunderstood.
My newest interest is my pet rats, Gretel and Gillespie. Although a strange pet, they are intelligent little creatures who love to climb and create mischief. When I drag myself to my bedroom after a long day of school, they run to the edge of their cage to greet me, and their excitement always brings a smile to my face.
University of Virginia. Prompt: Take us to your happy place. (50 words)
​
From floor-to-ceiling windows, warm sunlight of an early autumn morning streams in and casts rays on the cement floor. I enter the laboratory, with an face and scientific equipment - beakers, micropipettes, and scales - strewn endlessly on the benches. Buckets of polymer and cross-linker, combined in a ratio that I know like an old family recipe, await pouring.