Summer: College Admission Essay Sample

Soaring over rocky peaks, the colossal metal bird carried me in its belly, and after hours of flight, I finally reached my destination: Baltimore, Maryland. Despite the sea of people around me, I was alone on this voyage. During this sweltering summer of 2006, I resided in Johns Hopkins University to study in the Pre-College Program established there. I soon made friends with many of the high school and college students also attending the school. Absorbing knowledge like a thirsty sponge, I asked many questions and participated actively in class discussions. In the Biological Molecules class, my classmates and I conducted various experiments. Through the Business course, not only did I learn about the history of business, but also about the numerous aspects of business in the modern world.

After five exciting weeks at Johns Hopkins, my parents and younger brother arrived in Maryland. We ventured out of Maryland and into unfamiliar territory once again. We visited numerous landmarks in Washington D.C. and many colleges, including Princeton University. Once we returned from our expedition, “Band Camp” began for all students participating in our school’s marching band and color guard.

The following summer, my family and I embarked on our first cruise trip. After driving down to southern California, the Monarch of the Seas transported us to Catalina Island. There I swam and scuba-dived in the cool currents crowded with fish and kayaked over the rolling foam-crested waves. We then sailed to Ensenada, Mexico, where I practiced speaking Spanish in the city as well as the countryside farther inland.

Once we returned from our vacation trip, I took a summer course on American government at De Anza College. Motivated to learn more about the subjects juggled in class, I made regular trips to our local library. Of course, after running my fingers over the bindings of all the books in an aisle, I couldn’t help but check out more books than I had intended; when walking out of the library, I balanced books precariously between my hands and chin. On warm afternoons, I would sit in my room for hours with a box of saltine crackers and a mound of books beside me. Soon after completing the government class, the annual “Band Camp” drew my final summer as a high school student to a close. These last couple weeks of the warm season brought me to my final year at Saratoga High, the beginning of yet another little adventure.