I’m not a Doctor: College Admission Essay Sample

When Howard Mandel, a family friend and Johns Hopkins alumni, suggested the school, my first thought was medicine. I dropped the idea, the thought, and began looking for a college that catered to me, structured itself around people like me, and would nurture my talents. The college search is the most egocentric method of reflection.

Then, suddenly, I found myself staring down the barrel of a Fiske, wondering if I could, being the writer that I want to be, succeed at Johns Hopkins.

First of all, I need not be branded to biology. I am a writer, and as such, Johns Hopkins offers me an excellent though underrated creative writing program. The fiercely intellectual and "interactive" professors might even be quicker in relating to me as a writer than at a place filled with such pseudo-intellectuals as myself; in contrast, for instance, to a Yale.

The lack of a core curriculum allows me to focus where I want to focus. I will be able to both deepen my understanding of the Humanities, as well as explore my superficial interest in the world of economics, and, in perhaps some sort of Senior stupor, stumble into a biology class filled with premeds. The only required classes are perfect for me: the writing seminars will sharpen my understanding of the minutia of writing, as well as give me a sense of where other students stand.

Socially, I like the idea of a Greek System, although if I pretended to understand all of its implications, you would see through it. But I like the idea of voluntarily grouping people by interest, and, as I might have a rarefied interest at the research university, a common bond with a group of 30 or so peers would be excellent.

One particular interest I have is dramatic writing. Boston is the perfect city, where Broadway shows often hold previews.

In the end though, my interest in Johns Hopkins is based on my need to be so violently independent as to be a writer among doctors. I don't want to be surrounded with bunch of brothers and sisters, but rather want to tone my writing skills and find my narrative voice on my own. Johns Hopkins will bolster in me this particular kind of independence.