<p>Please let me know what you think of my chances, and my essays (I still have a few more applications and the prompts are similar, so I could use some advice.) </p>
<p>My grades aren't that great. 3.6 unweighted (USC looks at this) & 4.27 weighted (UCs.) </p>
<p>AP Biology: 5
AP Art History: 5
AP US History: 5
AP World History: 3
AP Literature: 4
AP European History: 4</p>
<p>This year I'm taking AP Stats, AP Gov, AP Econ, AP Language & two community college classes: psychology and sociology.</p>
<p>I am currently a yearbook section editor.
I was ASB commissioner of technology and public relations junior year
and this year I am ASB vice president and club council president.
I have taken classical piano lessons since age nine and have taught piano for community service all four years of high school. </p>
<p>My SAT Subjects
Literature: 680
Biology: 700
US History: 740</p>
<p>SAT Reasoning
Reading: 740
Writing: 610 (My essay was atrocious :( )
Math: 590 (I'm definitely not so great at math.)</p>
<p>I'm really unsure about how my essays sound. My dad says I sound pathetic. </p>
<p>If you don't feel like reading the essays. They were essentially about music's influence on my aspirations and the ways in which ASB made me a better communicator (I want to be a communications major) and how it eliminated my self-consciousness. </p>
<p>UC Prompt: Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how has your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.</p>
<p>Most people have childhood memories of playing with friends. They recall being little girls and playing dress up and having tea parties with other little girls. They remember being little boys and playing baseball and videogames with other little boys. My friends and I had slightly different entertainments; I remember playing in the “Strawberry Fields” with John, Paul, George and Ringo, enjoying the “Beautiful Day” with Bono and “Sittin’ on The Dock of The Bay” with Otis Redding.
I could never identify with other children. I watched “rock-umentaries” while they watched Barney and I was never encouraged to play on the softball team or become a girl scout. Instead, I spent my time alone, playing classical piano. By playing piano, I could not only simulate the emotions of music composers, but capture my own. The discipline developed from piano lessons and daily practices has been conducive to my success both inside, and outside the classroom.
My youthful music teacher, I so admired, passionately taught me to understand and speak the language of music. When I began teaching piano to two underprivileged children of missionaries, named Taylor and Levi, in freshman year, I finally understood why my own teacher was so passionate. The inherent joy of teaching is seeing a child’s expression as they understand the music for the first time. Teaching piano allows me to translate the music I love to others, and to share in their discovery. Their passion and excitement for music reminds me of my own. Because I can identify with them through this musical bridge, I’ve not only enjoyed becoming their mentor through consistent weekly lessons for four years, but their friend as well.
I found building friendships and identifying with others difficult as a child. I first began to relate to my peers when I began coordinating assemblies for ASB. Assisting in the production of these events, allows me to assist in the creation of the memories of the two-thousand individuals in an audience. Staring into the stands and seeing the unity in the expression of the audience is as beautiful as the performance on stage. Exposing people to the music and performances and watching them create memories inspires my aspiration to work in the music industry.
The music that kept me isolated from my peers is now what connects me to them. The little girl that ignored the children at school and counted the minutes until she could come home to play with her friends, Eric Clapton, Elton John and Frederic Chopin is now the girl who teaches music and exposes those around her to it. Whether teaching or working in the music industry becomes my professional future, as I hope, introducing others to my childhood friends, and using songs to create my own four minute memories, music will undoubtably be instrumental in my future. </p>
<p>UC Prompt: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?</p>
<p>& USC Prompt: Thomas Edison failed many times before successfully inventing the modern electric light bulb. He said, "If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward." Reflect on a challenge you overcame through persistence.</p>
<pre><code>I feared failure. I feared being perceived as a failure. In middle school and early high school, these fears paralyzed my ambition. Bound by it, like a barnacle to rock, I allowed the waves of opportunity ebb, rather than conquering challenges and embracing possibilities. My junior year, these fears were eradicated by Eastlake High School’s Associated Student Body government (ASB.) I wasn’t cognitively aware of the transformation, however, until I publicly humiliated myself.
At the end of sophomore year, I was coerced by the 2008 ASB Vice-President, Nicole to apply for ASB. Although I was convinced being in ASB would be beneficial for me, I was doubtful that I would be selected, and didn’t inform anyone other than Nicole, including my parents, that I was applying.
I was accepted as an ASB Commissioner of Technology. Empowered by this small piece of success, I took an honors class and four AP classes, and for the first time, despite previous years of indifference to schoolwork, began working to my full potential. Sleep deprivation and stress plagued the year, as I tried to balance practicing piano, teaching piano, studying for tests, editing video for assemblies and other ASB responsibilities. But this disease was easily cured by the healing properties of achievement and a daily supplement of a pot of coffee, or two. The first few weeks of the school year I was petrified of making mistakes. Gradually, as I aced more tests and survived more assemblies, I became more at ease. Mistakes were made. Some videos were out-of-order and a few slides were ill-timed, but I survived. With every survival, my strength was built and my fear dissipated.
Being accepted into ASB eliminated one fear, and illuminated the other. Initially, terrified of being deemed inept and unworthy of my ASB position by the big, bad senior commissioners, I was cautious about my every word and action. But as each day passed, the seniors, I was so scared of, divulged their imperfections and accepted mine, which infallibly, despite my best efforts, revealed themselves.
I was ignorant of my transformation until the end of winter, in one of the final games of basketball season. I realized the escalation of my self-assurance as I was racing to bring change from the ASB office to an overwhelmed concession stand and the soles of my water stained gray suede boots, worn paper-thin from overuse, slipped on the linoleum entryway to the gym. A few dozen people in the stands gasped as both of my feet flew into the air and I landed flat on my back. I stared up at the flickering florescent lights above me as my eyes welled with tears, and then I began to laugh. It was one of those uncontrollable, continuous, tickle-me-elmo laughs that follows genuine amusement. The year prior, the “public humiliation” would have broken me. With the confidence I’d built with each decision that year, I was comfortable with myself.
I didn’t have to be perfect to be a leader. Trying to conceal my faults and avoid failure at all costs inadvertently restrained my ambition. Blessed by the students, advisors and responsibilities of ASB, I now refuse to fear failure, accept my imperfections, and have intensified my ambition to both lead myself to success and to serve the community. I am finally able to laugh at myself.
</code></pre>
<p>Thank you & God Bless!</p>