Welcome to Post #1, everyone! For starters, here’s one of my college application essays for the Common App. As it turns out, I’m not actually applying to any schools with the Common App, so i won’t be using this essay. Kind of a bummer, but it was fun to write.
Enjoy, and post comments!
The Bestseller
Some kids prefer the local mall, and others the movie theatre or the neighborhood pool, but there are not many places I would rather spend my spare time than at the bookstore. Wandering the rows of books and brushing my fingers along the spines; picking up any treasure that happens to catch my eye and getting lost in the story is an ideal way to spend a good part of my day. Who knew that such a simple love could define me so well?
One reason bookstores are so appealing is because they have something to offer for everyone. Likewise, I never seem to fall into just one niche, and therefore have acquired quite the laundry list of interests: beading, photography, colonial history, and blogging are a few of my most current pursuits. Bookstores are also full of adventure. Whether it is the romantic tale that convinces Elizabeth of Mr. Darcy’s love for her or Odysseus’ whirlwind adventure to return home, a good adventure is rarely in short supply. I, too, am teeming with adventure. I dream of traveling the world, I love taking risks and overcoming my fears, I love to be spontaneous and try new things; I crave adventure daily. Furthermore, the stories that fill the shelves always go far deeper than their covers. My cover may be bland and ordinary, but if someone comes along and decides to read deeper, the adventures and good stories are endless. Found among the pages are once-in-a-life-time journeys and invaluable lessons. They include vacations to 21 different countries, countless weekends at the cabin, mission trips and community service projects, and “Rockband” sessions with my four siblings. However, like any good bookstore, found among the shelves are also tales of hardships and lessons. Finding my role in a family with four brothers and sisters has taught me countless lessons and made me a better character. These moments, and others like it, have made the time with my family even sweeter and more valuable. I have learned how valuable time is and to cherish every moment with the people I love. Like any admirable character in a book, I have learned invaluable lessons from these trials and continue to apply them to the future.
In the broader scope there is also a point to my story, a moral ingrained into every twist and turn of the plot. That moral is none other than to serve the author of my life, Jesus Christ. It is inscribed deep within me and is apparent to anyone who reads me. I am merely the co-author, but I believe that the author and I have a great relationship. My story is a bestseller and fortunately for all the readers out there, it is not yet over. Until the day when the author writes my “The End” I will continue to write my story and make it worth reading.