Fame High: College Admission Essay Sample

I revel in an eccentric painting of a curled up, blue-haired woman; I overhear a girl rehearsing a classical monologue, maybe Shakespeare; I soak in the haunting sound of a violinist playing a Tchaikovsky concerto in a nearby classroom. Walking down the green and orange hallways, I catch sight of students filming a group of dancers en pointe. And when I reach my classroom, I prepare to sing with my Vocal Jazz Ensemble, ready to enjoy one more avenue of artistic exploration.

I attend the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), in which every inch of the campus is seen as a space to freely voice creativity. For three years, I have been able to create and express not only within my art form, but through every discipline, whether it be theater, dance, or composition. There are never any limitations, no outer voice suppressing the most outlandish artistic thought that may emerge.

At LACHSA, I am able to connect with everyone because we all share a passion for the arts. But not only is there artistic diversity, there is also diversity within race, sexuality, gender, and religion. Having come from a more conservative, parochial community, I immediately embraced the open and inclusive nature of my school community, amazed by the diverse makeup of the student body. Every day, I can immerse myself in a different culture and learn something new by participating in the club Representation Matters or even just talking with my group of friends, in which each person possesses some unique background to share; lunch always becomes a detailed presentation of the contents of my Korean food or perhaps a deep conversation about the various connotations of Atheism.

However, this social diversity starkly contrasts with the lack of economic diversity here. Considering that only eleven percent of students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, my school tends to fall short when it comes to providing for students who may not be able to attend fellow peers’ performances due to high ticket prices, pay for many senior year staples like senior portraits and prom, or even afford to take AP exams. Although there is some aid for students in the free/reduced-lunch program, the accommodations are minimal; there are not enough students for it to be a prominent issue and the inevitable shame of students who may be less affluent prevents them from speaking out. Having experienced this struggle first-hand, I always try to stress the importance of this disregarded issue to student council and administration, especially in light of the high financial costs that come with attending an arts high school.

Even so, LACHSA has provided me with a plethora of invaluable and utterly unique experiences and resources. Ultimately, I have gained not only a community, but also a family and a sense of belonging that would not have been so easily attainable elsewhere. Each memory, each encounter, each connection will long outlast the four years I will have spent in this community—my community.