<p>C’mon, I want to read them! I’ll talk to my mom about posting one or two of mine. They have so many details about me, I’ll have to see what she thinks.</p>
<p>These are my two essays for Exeter! For future reference, I was accepted and the prompts were (appox.):</p>
<p>Describe a time in your life when you felt challenged and how you overcame it.
Describe your community and how it influenced you.</p>
<pre><code>Writing has helped me through some of the hardest times of my life, but I didn’t realize just how powerful it was until recently.
My first dog’s name was Hamilton, and he drooled quite a bit. He was a dog straight out of a sitcom: smelly, happy, and always getting into trouble. Hammy got hit by a black SUV when I was twelve. He was only a year old, still an awkward, gangly puppy with paws too big for the rest of him. His lips pulled back into a smile when he ran after tennis balls.
It was an unseasonably warm day in December, so I took him outside to play fetch. On this particular occasion, the soaking wet ball landed in the middle of my street. Hammy was gone. He went off like a gunshot, legs slipping out from underneath him, tongue flying, tail wagging. It happened in an instant. The car’s front bumper sent him flying, and that was it. I remember calling 911 and telling the operator through sobs that my dog was dead, he’d been hit by a car.
I threw away all composure that day. I was kneeling next to Hammy, crying, begging for him to come back, to be okay. I could almost make myself believe that he was just tired, plopped on his side to try to catch his breath, but not quite. His eyes were too glassy and his ears were too still.
Then it hit me: I killed the dog.
When Hammy died, I couldn’t forgive myself. Blame hurt, though, so I dealt with the problem by pushing it out of my mind. I was able to keep it away for almost two years.
Part of my eighth grade summer assignment was to write an autobiography. I ended up writing about Hammy. It was hard for me to put something so personal on paper, but when I was finished, I felt lighter. Some of the blame had finally lifted off of my shoulders, and all it had taken was a little bit of writing. Since then, I have used writing to solve my problems and voice my frustrations. I struggled to reconcile with Hammy’s death for a long time, and, in the end, it was writing that helped me forgive myself.
I have grown up in a small town, on a relatively busy through street named _______. On __________, people plant trees to block their view of the house next door. We have neighbors, but we don’t live in a neighborhood. Some summers, lemonade stands are briefly erected, but they don’t get any business- few people slow down long enough to see them.
I have gotten comfortable with being by myself, because there aren’t a lot of kids my age to be with. Books are some of my best company, and I’ve had plenty of time to spend with them. I love the sense of communication between author and reader that comes with a well written book. I’ve also been able to spend a lot of time writing, singing, studying, and horseback riding. I have learned to be happy on my own.
A common misconception is that people who spend time alone don’t have friends, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Spending time by myself makes me appreciate company. I love to listen to people talk about themselves: everybody has their own story to tell. Whether somebody is telling me about their grandmother’s cooking or trying to recall what they dreamed about last night, I enjoy listening. I am fascinated by all the things that make people who they are. I love communication, especially conversation. The thought of ideas and topics bouncing between people, gaining momentum and meaning excites me. Communication brings understanding and leads to closer relationships.
I like to meet people and make friends wherever I go. I’m comfortable walking up to a stranger and saying hello. Kids my age are often afraid to introduce themselves, so they appreciate it when I take initiative and start a conversation. I have a lot of friends who I wouldn’t know today if I hadn’t taken the first step and introduced myself. I think my desire to make friends comes from living in a quiet town, on a through street.
My street is not a traditional neighborhood, but it is my home. I think living in a quiet setting has shaped me into someone who is comfortable both with myself and with others. When I’m by myself, I am a bookworm with a passion for horseback riding. When I’m with others, I am engaged and enjoying the presence of people and the conversations that they bring.
</code></pre>
<p>The one about Hammy gave me the chills. I absolutely love how the end tied back to the beginning. My favorite line has to be “He was a dog straight out of a sitcom…” Love it. I’m pretty harsh, and I can’t even think of anything to change!</p>
<p>I’m surprised at how similar our neighborhood ones are! I just messaged it to you.</p>
<p>Thanks stargirl3, lots of work went into them!</p>
<p>I really enjoyed your essays. Your writing is interesting and had a nice flow. Congrats on your acceptance!</p>
<p>Thank you @buddysmom!</p>
<p>As a writer myself, I can honestly say that you are very talented. Your writing is compelling, has great narrative voice and you avoided tossing in ten dollar words for the sake of tossing in ten dollar words. I also appreciated the easy, relaxed style rather than the stiff formal essay style many young people use when writing for an academic purpose. You allowed yourself to use contractions and whether or not this narrative voice is an accurate portrayal of you as person doesn’t matter because regardless you’ve managed to create a three dimensional individual from this essay. Well done!</p>
<p>Thank you so much @ItsNotHogwarts! That made my day :)</p>
<p>@exeterbunny, i’m going to add to your string of praises - that was really, really good and i think i’ll go back and reread it again once i’m done typing this because your essay was everything i tried to make my essay be!! your writing was so candid and i could feel your thoughts flowing into paper unlike what tends to happen with strict essay structures, but it kept itself on track and didn’t ramble. also just wanted to say that i really identified with your second essay, i may be an introvert but i do love people and basically live to listen to people’s stories. YOU GO GIRL i’m still getting chills</p>
<p>Thank you @bmyfeyonce!</p>
<p>Thank you to everybody, I really wasn’t expecting such a positive reaction to my little old essays! You’ve all been so generous with your praise and it’s really made my day 
I’d love to see other essays on this thread! Don’t be shy y’all </p>
<p>wow @exeterbunny your writing were so concise and clean - meaning not verbose and flowing with cringe-worth vocabulary words. They were really good! anyone else want to post their essays?</p>
<p>Thank you @waiting4march10, and I agree, let’s get more essays on here!</p>
<p>@exeterbunny that was pure awesome! I loved it… Wonderful flow and style 
well done! :33</p>
<p>wondering whether i should post mine…</p>
<p>@RockComet You got into Exeter! Teach me your ways! hahaha…</p>
<p>@RockComet I too am contemplating whether or not to post mine.</p>
<p>@needtoboard You got into Exeter! Teach us your ways!</p>
<p>I might post mine after I either come off a waitlist or start wherever this fall.</p>
<p>“essay erased”
@stargirl3 here you are
@needtoboard i say you post your essays ;)</p>
<p>@RockComet I love it! I just wish it had been more personal, more about you. </p>
<p>Erase</p>