New Experiences: College Admission Essay Sample

One of the most significant reasons I want to attend Michigan State University is for the beloved “college experience.” To me, the best part of this experience is meeting people that I would have never met in my small hometown of Memphis, Michigan. While I love my small town and school, I know the world is much bigger than what I’ve seen so far. I also know it is extremely likely that even within the first semester at Michigan State -- say, in an English course -- I could be put in a situation where I would have to work with students radically different than me. I will thrive in these kinds of situations because of my open-mindedness and my past experiences of working with other people.

More specifically, if I were assigned a group writing project with five other students from different countries and different racial or ethnic backgrounds, I would be excited. Through my leadership experiences in high school, I have discovered that I enjoy working with people. For example, as class president, I communicate ideas between our adult leaders and the student body. That role has given me the opportunity to think and work with a variety of people just at my own school. Experiences like that one have made working with different people fun and easy.

By participating in the drama club, mock trial, and concert band, I have learned how to work effectively in a group setting. In all of these activities, teamwork is essential to success, just like working together on this English project will be essential to getting a good grade. For example, in mock trial, we decide as a team on various strategies for arguing our case. Similarly, I would work effectively with my peers to write a unique English paper on which we would all collaborate. I have found that some of the most creative, funniest, and all-around best work I have ever done was not completed by myself, but rather through group collaboration. I genuinely look forward to the challenge of working with new and different people.

With over 7,000 students in the incoming freshman class alone, Michigan State is 20 times larger than my high school. There is no doubt that I will be socializing, studying, and learning with students from backgrounds different than mine. My leadership positions and teamwork-centered activities have made me confident that not only would I enjoy this diverse setting, but I would also succeed in it.