Me Vs. Peanut Butter: College Admission Essay Sample

As my tongue swelled, I realized — hold on, this might be a peanut butter cookie. Immediately, I began to panic — “I’m too young to die! I haven’t even gone to college yet!” Then I reminded myself. “Stay calm. Getting worried won’t help.” Instead, I methodically responded: keep yourself together, take medication, alert others, stay cautious until the danger has passed.

My preparation had paid off. Ever since I was born, I’ve been allergic to peanuts. When I was younger, accidentally eating them was a sure way to end up in the emergency room. Even now, I occasionally slip up, ingest something that I didn’t expect to have peanuts, and get to feel the painful sensations of an allergic reaction. However, while these reactions are still threatening, I’ve taken steps to subdue them. Educating myself about my allergy, I became aware that epinephrine is needed in a severe reaction to prevent anaphylactic shock, but antihistamines are sufficient for mild cases; in the name of preparedness, I began to carry both an EpiPen and Benadryl, to deal with either reaction. Meanwhile, practice remaining calm has made me better at staying level headed under stress. This is essential for thinking clearly and determining how serious a reaction is. This assessment then lets me act appropriately.

Yet, while these skills are essential when dealing with literal peanuts, they’ve also helped me handle metaphorical, less life-threatening peanuts. Just as I know what foods can cause trouble and what medications can help, I know what actions can create interpersonal conflict, and what actions foster harmony. Just as I keep my composure when I’ve eaten a peanut, I don’t lose it when I’ve got a major test or essay coming up. And just as I plan how to alleviate a reaction before responding, when faced with a sudden challenge, I plan my solution before executing it. So while peanuts may have been my greatest challenge, working to overcome them has helped me in all areas of life. It’s given me a paradigm for responding to any difficulties, making all problems easier to solve. After all, they’re “just” peanuts.