Sample Essay

I shot straight up in the hotel bed when I heard my mother shriek. Confused by all the commotion of my parents at 5 a.m., I knew something horrible had happened. I grabbed my brother who was snoring in bed next to me, my heart racing and tears forming in my eyes, trying to comprehend the situation at just seven years old. The passports scattered outside of our balcony and the empty, wide-open safe, immediately alerted my family to the robbery that had occurred. In our balcony suite hotel room in Jamaica, who would've thought we'd encounter burglary and find our lives in jeopardy?

I've been fortunate to be able to travel to many amazing places. I've been to Costa Rica, where I encountered monkeys in the jungle, Yosemite, where I hiked into the waterfalls, and Jamaica, where my family was legitimately robbed while we were asleep in my hotel room! Overall, my life experiences have proven to me that traveling leads to unforgettable memories.

Thankfully, for me, both of my parents graduated college and have successful careers. My father, in particular, is a professional chef, who prepares dishes from all around the world. He cooks sushi (from Japan), chicken francese (from Italy), latkes (from Northern Europe), stuffed baked potatoes (from Ireland), and many more. Through my father's passion for international cuisine, I have developed a strong interest in cultures from around the world (including making sushi myself!).

My life experiences to this point have given me an intense focus on cross-cultural studies. My academic pursuits reflect this fact as I thrive in my college level French classes, as well as in Culture Club, where I've learned to make crepes, be a part of dance workshops, and embrace the French culture.

Due to my broad spectrum of interests and experiences, I have not yet chosen a particular academic path. Wherever I end up focusing in college, I am adamant that I want to study abroad during my collegiate experience. For this reason, I appreciate the vast opportunities of study abroad programs in colleges these days.

In addition to my interest in cross-cultural studies, I am passionate about making a positive impact on people's lives. I may get this partly from my mother, who is a social worker. I've found inspiration in the international programs undertaken by my peers. I would love to travel to exotic places in Central America or Africa, to take language immersion classes, or to volunteer in an orphanage abroad to help underprivileged children. Participating in these kinds of programs throughout my college experience would allow me to indulge in direct exposure to other cultures, and to bring home positive and valuable educational experience.

Last year in my Advanced Placement Language and Composition class, I was given the opportunity to conduct a large research project on a topic of my choice. I chose the topic of travel where I focused specifically on the benefits of immersing oneself in other cultures. Some of the benefits that I learned about included gaining positive memories that will last you a lifetime, learning about the effects of different cultures, and increasing one's well-being. However, based on the robbery of my family in Jamaica, traveling has proven to me to not always be positive. This event, although terrifying, was an important learning experience: There are risks associated with traveling, just as there are risks associated with anything in life.

Moving forward to my future voyage in life as a college student, I want to learn about the world not only in my classes, but also through first-hand experiences. Whether it be helping orphans in Africa, taking an advanced language class in Europe, or eating sushi in Asia, I intend to see as much of the world as I can. This approach to college will help me make a positive impact on the world.