<p>I just wrote these, so they obviously aren't going to be perfect. Please reply with any comments or suggestions you may have.</p>
<p>Edit: Just noticed I wrote the word 'my' twice accidentally in the title. I was just really in a rush...I'll read and respond to you guys tomorrow.</p>
<p>Statement 1:</p>
<p>The University values an educational environment that provides all members of the campus community with opportunities to grow and develop intellectually, personally, culturally and socially. In order to give us a more complete picture of you as an individual, please tell us about the particular life experiences, perspectives, talents, commitments and/or interests you will bring to our campus. In other words, how will your presence enrich our community? </p>
<p>My experience at the Inland Seas School of Expeditionary Learning has definitely been an invaluable one. I enrolled when I was only 13, skipping eighth grade to instead begin my ninth grade year there. My maturity level was forced to grow faster than others at my age, and through this experience I developed many skills that I had lacked in before. A few of these skills include becoming a more outgoing and confident person, and developing leadership skills.
During my life in high school, I participated in sports, but they were not involved with the school. These include taekwondo, tennis, and sailing.
I first started taekwondo 5 years ago, even before I had started high school. Through the classes I further developed leadership skills and self control. About a year or two ago, I successfully achieved becoming a Junior Leader, and I now help instruct both the younger kids’ class and my own. I am currently at the 10th belt, which is the red/black belt. I am working to become a black belt before I graduate high school.
Sailing is also something I was involved in before I had started high school. It was a really fun and exciting experience I’ll never forget. In 2007, I earned the Youth Outstanding Achievement Award and was even offered a job position at the sailing center.
The last sport I was involved in during high school is tennis. I’ve only played tennis as a hobby, but it is something I’ve been consistent about practicing and bettering myself for a very long time. I’ve considered playing on a team, and this is still an option for me.
Throughout high school I’ve participated in several community service projects, even before I knew that it was a requirement to apply for college. I’ve volunteered at various shelters and community projects, and the latest one I’ve been involved in is the Adopt a Block Program. The program initially started last year, when a few students created a grant. This year we organized the program and located people in the neighborhood who were in need of service that we could donate through physical labor. We continued the program for around two or three months, and contributed up to nine hours of our time per week. It was a fun and enlightening experience for me, as I learned the true meaning of giving back to the community and human compassion.</p>
<p>Statement 2:</p>
<p>Tell us about your academic goals, circumstances that may have had an impact on your academic performance, and, in general, anything else you would like us to know in making an admission decision. </p>
<p>There are just a couple things that I would make sure the admission staff is aware of in regards to my academic performance. The first would be my ACT score. My ACT test-taking experience didn’t exactly go as planned. In fact, the whole event is still a bit distressing to think about, but now I can laugh it off and talk to friends and teachers about it. I won’t go into detail about the event; I just wanted you to be informed that my ACT score doesn’t accurately show to the full extent my academic abilities. At my high school, we have an ACT preparation course, and we took a full-length practice exam about a month ago. I received a composite score of 25 and scores of 29 in both English and Reading. I plan to retake the ACT this December, and expect a considerable increase in my scores.
The second thing I would like you to understand are my grades for my senior year. No, I am not suffering from “senioritis,” but a lot of my original teachers were replaced with new ones that are much stricter with their grading. So, truth is, I’ve been trying much harder this year than any other year in high school, and I don’t want the admission staff to assume I just grew lethargic my last year, when I’ve actually become quite the opposite.
On a slightly different topic, I would like to write about my academic goals. Just a few months ago, I had my mind set on earning an English major, as English has always been something that I’ve taken a great interest in. Sadly, though, there are many other things I am interested in and just can’t seem to choose. The other options I’ve been considering include Journalism, Photography, and Philosophy. I have applied as undecided not because I am a lazy, unmotivated person, but because I simply cannot decide upon what it is I want to do for the rest of my life.</p>