<p>Here is my CommonApp essay. Any advice and/or criticism is welcomed and greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!
**The first and third paragraphs are in italics because they describe the events of the accident, sort of like a flashback.</p>
<pre><code> Blink. Blink. Blink. I create a steady rhythm with my eyelids. Despite my efforts to control my vision, Im going in and out of consciousness as my brain attempts to process my surroundings. With my head spinning and my body numb, I catch glimpses of the windshield. In my delusional state, I cant help but see beauty in the new spider web of cracks crawling across the glass. Smoke pollutes the air and seems to have seeped into my brain. A tuneless song blares from the radio as I blindly grope the floor for my phone. My fingers work their way across the screen as if programmed to do so and within seconds my fathers familiar voice floods my ears, my mind, and my body, bringing with it a bit of relief. Theyre on their way.
Im almost eighteen, had quickly become the quote of my summer and start of senior year. It was my ammunition for every argument and excuse for every mistake; and it was working. I had more freedom than I had ever experienced before. Licensed and armed with the family minivan, I spent days at the beach and nights out with friends. I slid blissfully through summer believing I was already an adult, convinced that being a few short months away from eighteen meant I could conquer the world. Even with school starting and the rapid onset of heavy homework loads, daily soccer practices, and the ever present thoughts of college applications, I still strode through the halls confident as ever. I felt an inflated sense of entitlement and I began to act impulsively. This rash decision making and underlying immaturity ultimately led me to one disastrous place: the tree on Osgood Street.
At least three pairs of headlights dance by my wounded vehicle. I wait in horrible, terrifying silence. Finally, a car rolls to a stop near mine and the nervous silhouettes of my parents make their way across the street. My adrenaline-infused body throws the car door open and sprints into my mothers arms. Red and blue flashing lights blend to purple through my tears. Its okay, my mom coos into my ear, its only a car. Youre alive.
The accident is the single most influential event that I have experienced in my lifetime. Never before have I come out of a horrible situation knowing that Im lucky to be alive. In one night, my sense of invincibility deflated exponentially, my confidence was reduced to a healthy level and I learned to take that extra mental step in evaluating my decisions. I now realize how much growing up I still have left to do and how much Ill always need the guidance and advice of my parents. My appreciation for my life, family and friends has risen to immeasurable heights and I will never take them for granted. Physically, I walked away from the accident with a few bruises and cuts, but I know that, in reality, I took away much more than that.
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