My Essays: Post Hacking

BYU Application? COMPLETE

What is one of the most difficult things you have ever done or experienced? What made it difficult and what did you learn? (250 words maximum)

“Good comments; pays attention in class, hardworking- Overall grade: D”. It was hard for me to not roll my eyes at Mr. Rushing’s comments on my report card. Why couldn’t some of those compliments be reflected in my grade? It was my junior year and my Trigonometry class had become the bane of my existence.  After school tutoring, talks with my teacher, reworking homework and still my grade was stagnant.  This bad grade wasn’t just affecting my GPA, it was affecting me. I felt dumb; like that D was tattooed on my forehead, defining who I was. When I decided to cut my losses and drop the class, I felt like the word ‘quitter’ was added as well. I muddled through, working hard in other classes- harder, in fact, than before. The accomplishments in those classes lightened the ‘D’ and ‘quitter’ on my forehead but still they were still there, etched on my thinking. I got a job- a smelly job cooking fries- but one I could call my own, and there people praised me for being such a hard worker. Then my brain, which had been addled by the tattoos obviously hindering my thinking, finally connected. I learned how to work hard, to overcome failure, to buckle down and do the best I could and even if you fail it is how you have personally grown that matters. My forehead is now clear of all blemishes and I have hardworking, independent and diligent written on my heart.

(248 words)

Many students apply to more than one church school. What will determine which you attend? Please be specific. (250 words maximum)

I grew up in a BYU family. I have seen how attendance has blessed their lives. As I have got older, I have come to see how BYU fits me. I want to cultivate my desires to never stop learning, to create things, to become the person my Heavenly Father intended me to be. I want to have a well-rounded education and the core graduation requirements provide that.  I am particularly excited for the Global and Cultural Awareness and Social Science classes.  These are topics that have always interested me but had not yet had time to explore. I want to get an English major and the program at BYU offers a variety of classes that fit what I am interested in. I enjoy learning about how Literature has influenced history and how history has influenced literature. BYU has multiple British and American Literary History classes. I want to learn more about the ‘how’ of rhetoric and literature. BYU offers Visual Rhetoric, History of Rhetoric, and Studies in Rhetoric. In high school I wanted to go deeper into what we were studying. These included the particular literary eras and the differences/ similarities between each, the specific authors and the connections literature had to other forms of art. Most of all I like connecting what I read to my own life and letting literature change me and give me perspective. These connection topics are what most interest me and are exactly what BYU’s English program has to offer.

Tell us anything else you want us to know about yourself that you haven't had the opportunity to describe elsewhere in the application. Include any special circumstances, experiences, etc. that could influence your admission to the university. (250 words maximum)

When I was little I got in trouble for staying up reading and I read constantly. I would look up the Newberry Honors books and I read them all. My Christmas lists always consisted of books. Then my mom realized this only pacified my hunger for new things to read for about two weeks. She got me a library card. Early in high school I read Jane Eyre. The dramatic plot line intrigued me and I could relate to Jane. I wanted to have the qualities she possessed so I read it again and again, wanting those characteristics to be a part of me. Jane Eyre became my favorite book. I continued to read higher level books and I grew increasingly fond of the language and metaphors which I originally thought were difficult, but in reality were the best part. When I was a Junior I read Anna Karenina and I couldn’t put it down.  Tolstoy’s psychological exploration of the characters fascinated me. My attitude toward classic literature evolved to where it was all I wanted to read. I had considered majoring in English in college but when I finished Anna Karenina the idea solidified. My scores, both on the AP Language test (4) and on the reading portion of the ACT (34) were delightful confirmations of my decision to pursue this. BYU is the place where I can be with other students that are like me, excited and passionate, a place where I can be pushed to grow.

(250 words)