The Next Phase: College Admission Essay Sample

From the age of seven, when I first stepped off the train at Grand Central Station and took in a performance of Les Miserables with my mother, there has not been a doubt in my mind that my future would lead me to New York City. With time, the realities of public transportation and exorbitant expenses can undermine the allure of New York for some, but not for me: the jolt of energy I felt when if first walked onto Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus for a tour last spring paralleled my first moments in New York. The cathartic experience symbolized an end to my time as a tourist and the beginning of a future as not only a New Yorker, but a Fordham Ram.

Growing up just about an hour long train ride away from Manhattan, I was privileged to have teachers who often utilized New York City as a chance to put our lessons into context in the real world. I attended Broadway shows for chorus class, walked the Brooklyn Bridge with a camera in hand to study photography, and visited the Museum of Natural History to see my social studies textbook translated into larger than life exhibits. I learned more in one day from these hands on experiences than from a whole week in the classroom.

These field experiences will no longer be a train ride away; Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus will put me in the center of it all. By studying in the heart of New York City, my education will transcend the classroom due to the boundless opportunities that the city possesses.

To me, Fordham College at Lincoln Center is the definition of opportunity, possessing both the urban environment of New York City and the traditional college experience. Professors utilize a conventional classroom setting, while taking full advantage of New York City, using it as their canvas, lecture hall, and playground. A student could feasibly take a class, go on a run through Central Park, intern at the New York Stock Exchange, and take in a Broadway show within a span of 24 hours- the opportunities are endless. At what other college in the country would I have the ability to live, study, and grow within the Jesuit, service-driven community of Fordham, while having New York City and such a large array of possibilities and internships within reach?

The Jesuit way is to “do the most good”: to help as many people as possible, to foster communities, and to grow as human beings and positive contributors to society through service. As the daughter of two public servants- my father the director of a Boys and Girls Club for underprivileged, inner city children and my mother a social worker counseling children in the Foster Care system- these Jesuit values have been instilled in me by watching my parents sacrifice higher paying jobs and a more leisurely lifestyle to commit themselves to occupations that make positive, impactful changes in the lives of others every day. At Fordham College at Lincoln Center, not only will my fellow classmates share these values, but a drive to take every opportunity they are presented with to better themselves, their education, and their community. My desire to make an impact on law and policy has driven me towards political science and, within the political science program at Lincoln Center, the choices are numerous, ranging from campaign strategy to grassroots organizing to political activity analysis to writing policy. Not only are Fordham’s academics in the field unsurpassed, the institutions and organizations that drive modern day politics and economics are just a subway ride away.

My first visit to Fordham was akin to my first experiences in New York City, yet, instead of marveling at skyscrapers, I gazed earnestly at the vertical campus that encompasses a student’s ability to live in learn in the middle of New York City. Rather than run through the paths and fields of Central Park, I strolled through the verdant quad, bringing an element of the traditional college experience and Jesuit community to 60th street. Just as how I knew that my life would lead to New York City, I know that when I graduate from Fordham University, I will not only have a degree in political science, but the tools and experiences to go out into the world and continue the successful, impactful legacy that Fordham is known for.