Ms. Falls-a-lot: College Admission Essay Sample

I’m one of the most clumsy people in the world.

This may seem like an exaggeration at first, but it’s spot on. From early childhood, I was called “Ms. Falls a lot” by my parents. I seemed cursed, as every single time I wore a dress to preschool, I would scrape my knees and be left to sit in the classroom while all the normal kids were free to play. My legs were consistently covered in scrapes and bruises, resulting in my parents single handedly keeping the band-aid industry in business. Despite all these injuries, I don’t recall crying much as kid. Rather, I’d inspect the damage, wash it off and continue with my day.

Much of this clumsiness stems from an innate fearlessness of new experiences. When something sparks my interest, I try it without hesitation. My curiosity prevents me from missing out on any opportunity. Failure had this reversed effect on me, motivating me even more to master new skills.

From a young age, I had discovered that feeling sorry for yourself does good, that the minor scratches are not enough to stop me.This ingrained adversity translated across all walks of life. Growing up, kids couldn’t bully me. Calling me names would result in me pondering for a minute, then continuing with whatever I was doing before I was interrupted. I had a clear view of my goals, and refused to let anyone get in the way. This perseverance also affected how I studied, especially once I got to high school. Whenever I received an unsatisfactory grade, I didn’t let it bog me down, rather I discarded the study method I had used and figured out a better system. I have lived long enough to figure out that in the grand scheme of things, a miniscule scratch is inconsequential.

Now that I have grown, I haven’t become any less clumsy. In fact, I just gave myself a concussion last year by kicking myself in the face. But, just like back then, I didn’t let that blur my vision and my goals remain as clear as ever.