Everything Is Simple: College Admission Essay Sample

The moonlight creeps through the blinds and I know it’s still too early to wake up. I roll over to check my clock… of course it’s only 4:17. I curl back into my burrito of blankets and listen to the waves a mile away crash violently onto the shore, then get sucked back into the ocean, like a song on repeat. Three hours later, it’s low tide: the best time for waves. Knowing that this isn't another dreaded school morning, I hop right out of bed and reach for the damp suit left on the carpet from the previous day.

A loud creaking noise comes from the pressure of each careful step to the bottom of the staircase as I tiptoe, trying not to wake the others. I grab the last banana, write the typical “gone to beach, be back soon” napkin message in my morning chicken scratch, and start my barefoot journey to the beach with surfboard in hand. When I arrive at the beach access, I feel the salt in the air and smell the crisp breeze lingering from last night’s summer sprinkle. Finally, I feel a sense of home when my feet take the last step off the descending, weathered, wooden steps onto the still damp sand.

I secure the Velcro strap and sink into the sand with each footprint I leave behind. I reach the shoreline and wait for a calm to paddle out beyond the strong current. I can feel the pull of the water beneath my board, sensing that a wave is close. I take a quick look behind me, ready to paddle with all my strength to catch it. I let the wave pass, however, because the morning sun captures my attention as it rises over the horizon. The beaming mix of bright orange and red stretches horizontally across what looks like an infinity pool that extends endlessly from coast to coast.

At this point I’m content, asking myself why I ever left my haven. It’s just a vacant beach, God, my board, and me. It’s my quite place to go and forget all my problems and simply let go. My only commitment for that day would be to report home for dinner promptly at 7. Giving me 12 hours to be where I love and not stress over school or the reality of life in the fast lane back at home. I’m blessed to be able to have the strength to surf as well as, later, spend precious time with my family, sharing memories about of our days. I often find myself with sandy feet, salty hair, and beating heart sitting in the sand by the shoreline in my daydreams, just longing to go back soon. I love the serenity and peacefulness I feel at the beach. From there on, everything is simple.