College Admissions Essay: The Missing Picture

Discovering and choosing a college that best suits my needs was a rigorous yet thrilling task. The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising clearly came forth as the best choice for me to further my education in design. Being unable to visit the college campus, as I live in New York, I've done lots and lots of research about FIDM, and I realize the institute offers what I hope to gain from my college experience.

In December 2014, The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education published “Rethinking the Admission Process.” This article was written by Frank DiMaria, who takes a look at the research of the former president of the University of Wyoming, Robert Sternberg. DiMaria explains Sternberg’s stance against the current admissions process. Sternberg has research that depicts, “GPA, standardized tests, and essays do not successfully measure the true talent of a college applicant.” He believes that the policies need to change. Sternberg offers an alternative to the current process. Sternberg has been a part of a new admissions policy testing students not just on their memorization and analytical skills, but on their creative, practical, and wisdom-based skills as well. Sternberg’s ideas stem from his experience with disadvantaged youth and their ability to adapt and overcome obstacles. Sternberg claims that students who grow up in the upper middle class tend to have an environment which better values the analytical skills that the current tests measure. He argues that, because of this, colleges may not be getting the most creative and adaptable students. He shows that some of these less privileged students are capable of handling a college workload even though they may not have been able to score as high on the SAT or other tests. DiMaria believes that through Sternberg’s Kaleidoscope policy may be a solution. The Kaleidoscope way of admissions administers tests which ask open ended

Everyone has to make choices in their life. Some are everyday choices, like what to eat or drink. Others are more critical, like choosing a job. Important decisions take time to comprehend. Like with me, the decision to go to college was the most critical choice in my life and for my future, and I will never regret it. Going to college is important because it helps me find a job, it expands my knowledge, and it is a wonderful experience.

Not everything we see is always as it appears to be. As we focus our attention and look a little more closely we find what is presented to us has deeper value than what the surface would have us think.

Since the time when I was little, my parents always encourage me to do the best, work hard, become educated and have a positive life style at a very young age. My earliest memories are that of reading interesting books because I love to read and do my science whiz experiments. However, I also had great interests in playing with Lego pieces and conducting fun chemistry games in my own tiny lab. It was a fun time for me; at least that’s how I recall it now. The only things I had to worry about were: what will I have for lunch today, which chemistry game or Lego pieces do I want to play with and my team winning the sports games I use to compete in.

I’ve always been interested in the field of medicine. When I was being born, I almost died, being saved only by the ingenuity of a Nurse Day for whom my middle name is dedicated to. Above all else, I want to have an impact on the quality of life for others, and I think the University of Pennsylvania is one of, if not the, best ways to do that. Its bioengineering department is consistently ranked to be the most rigorous in the field, and I can handle rigor.

Ever since I can remember I have had an intense curiosity about the world and the people in it. This is probably due mostly to my parents who read to me nonstop but it has fuelled most of my learning experiences and given me a love of the world and of people, and the understanding of both of those. This love was further developed when I began four years of learning Attic Greek and Latin through a classical education. Then, after yearning to go overseas since I was eight years old and saving for it most of the time since then, I made it to England for six weeks this summer. Here my appetite for understanding is being indulged not just with words and pictures but with real world experiences which I can touch, see, and hear. Now, as I near the end of my stay, I am looking ahead to the rest of high school and I have decided I want to make the most of my junior and

In the early years of life, most children do not spend their free time looking in the mirror and wracking their brain for an answer to the question, “What are you?” I suppose that particular experience is quite unique to my childhood. For as long as I can remember my race has been something that comes into question or speculation in some way or another. To this day, I struggle with my identity due to being a mixed race individual.

My mom signed me up for the community library when I just turned 6 years old. Even if I did not know how to properly read at the time, I had to go there every afternoon to keep myself busy as an only child. Being opened to books at such an early clearly has had a major impact on my life and personality. From the local tales of my beloved Senegalese society to the deep and sophisticated French literature, I have traveled through cultures and generations. Whether it is Emile Zola’s collection of novels or Albert Camus’s philosophical texts, these books raised me and taught me about life, love, and resilience. As times went by, reading was no more a regular pastime but a detrimental part of my existence. The lessons and morality I gained from each story always pushed me to challenge the status quo, to be curious, to be adventurous but most importantly to be a problem solver.

Beginning college is like being reborn into the world. You begin your first day with a blank slate, and a thousand fears to go with it. Last year, I started my new life at Saginaw Valley State University. As a fresh graduate of New Lothrop High School, I had no idea what to expect from the world past the cornfields that used to surround me everyday at school. With a deep breath, I gathered everything I learned from my time at New Lothrop and jumped into my new world. My past lessons of leadership, responsibility and dedication prepared me for college, but I still have many more to learn.

In the words of civil rights great Mahatma Gandhi, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Receiving an education, in my opinion, is the foremost responsibility of every individual who walks this Earth. Education, however, has different meanings for different people. In some cultures, an education may include learning agrarian or farming techniques. In many other cultures, an education consists of attending primary school, secondary school and later attending college. No matter how the concept of education is prescribed in a given society, this fact remains true: everyone desires to have learned more when they leave this world than they did when they came in. Personally, I desire to receive a college education because I believe that by receiving such an

I started working for Dollywood Splash Country my sophomore year of high school as a lifeguard. It requires many early mornings, long days, late nights and constant focus out in the hot summer weather. Even though this isn’t always the most glamorous job I have taken pride in working hard and being ready to serve in whatever capacity I can to help out other employees and managerial staff. I arrive early and will work late if needed, because I really enjoy working hard and the satisfaction I receive. No matter how I’m feeling that day I come into work every day and fully dedicate myself to the job trying to feel like I did everything I could to improve the workplace when I leave that day.

It is not for the first time that I stand on the crossroads of making a much calculated decision. A judgment call, not a product of mere intuition but of much introspection, soul-searching and self-examination. When ever I find myself apt to embark on a new journey I look back to evaluate my-self; trace the sequence of events that ultimately lead me to a follow a particular path. In retrospect I find myself fortunate to have been groomed in an all-rounded education system. A system that transformed a child who was reluctant and shy to even engage in a conversation to someone who made it a passion to step-up on stage to educate others.

A student body that is diverse and engaged will spawn tremendous positive energy and foster a collaborative environment. That is the college atmosphere that I aspire to be a member of. “Who I am is complicated. What I am is a little easier. I'm a threat. I alter outcomes.” I‘m sorry I couldn’t resist. I am a big entertainment enthusiast, in particular the assemblies of Denzel Washington, and the above was a classic quote delivered by his adversary in the movie “The Equalizer”. Mr. Washington is an amazing artist, and a master of his craft. He lives his life to make a difference in others, and I try to emulate that.

If someone asked me where I am going to be in ten years, this would be my answer. I will have a great, high-paying job, and beautiful wife and family, and a nice sports car parked in front of my lovely house. When I look into the future, I see myself being successful and happy. Even though I always pictured myself this way, I never worried too much about how I would get there. I feel the Suffolk University can lay the groundwork for making these dreams into reality.