Common Application Essay 2016: College Admission Essay Sample

Each time I open a new cage door, a new pair of eyes stares back at me. Although these may simply look like the same eyes that stare from the next cage, I see more than the midnight gaze that penetrates my mind and heart. I see more than an Australian Shepherd with scars down half of her face. I look beyond the appearance of the animal and become one with that animal's emotions. I see years of domestic abuse in the eyes of the calico. I empathize deeply the pain and agony from a vicious fight in the eyes of the shivering dog. I cannot ignore the helpless meows and barks; I do my share of comforting these creatures, distracting them from the restless surroundings of the shelter. Even if it is for a brief moment, I grasp the thoughts and emotions that are desperately conveyed through those eyes, and I feel as if I am one with the animal: safe for now yet always at risk of mortality here in the Humane Society of West Michigan.

In truth, I cannot remember how or when my love and affection for animals developed. Yet few of of my happiest moments in childhood did not involve the wagging of a tail or the soft hum of a purr. Whether curled up on the cold floor of the animal shelter I volunteer at, or at home with my own pets, I realize that I must keep both my love of animals and my dedication to ethical decisions in sight on a daily basis. I don’t just love animals, however. I am not one of those future crazy ‘cat ladies’ that keeps pictures of all ten of their beloved ‘children’ above their mantle. I do not picture myself as one who is immediately spellbound at the sight of a homeless animal or entranced by cuteness of a newborn kitten. My real intensity runs much deeper than this.

Being immersed in a childhood with animals made me aware that the time I spent with them connected me much more with my surroundings. The bonds I experienced with animals were at times more bracing than the connections I had with humans. They were stronger, more personal. I say that it is my overly compassionate heart that has called me to speak up for the creatures that cannot. Becoming involved with animal welfare is what has encouraged me most to recognize that human rights are not the only causes we should advocate for. Not only have I impacted animal’s lives, but they have also impacted my own. Since becoming involved with the Humane Society of West Michigan here in Grand Rapids, I have developed a sincere conviction that the most effective way to change an animal’s life is to change my own. I have done so by changing my own life habits, especially by becoming a vegetarian and introducing a broader variety of vegan and vegetarian options to my high school through the Humane Society of the United States.

In his bestselling book The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them, Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, explains that the ultimate journey of an animal occurs through the responsibility and care of the human race: “They all have a place and purpose of their own. They have their own dignity and their own destinies to fulfill, in a plan ultimately beyond any man's power to know.” It might be strange to imagine a cat or dog having a destiny to fulfill, yet in reality it will ultimately be transformational when animals receive rightful treatment, shelters are empty, and abuse is no more. Animals are vital beings too, and it is precisely my dream to find a day when every animal has fulfilled its purpose, no matter what that purpose may be.