What’s Going On: College Admission Essay Sample

“How’s your brother?”

“He’s dead.”

Silence filled the line.“Wow...that’s awful. It’s no wonder you’re afraid,” I replied. There wasn’t much I could do. This teen was struggling with drug abuse and feared leaving a gang whose members murdered his brother. But candidly speaking, I wasn’t there to solve his problem—all I could do was listen.

In the summer of 2016, I began volunteering at Teen Line, a crisis hotline in which teens could reach out to other teens about their own problems. I underwent an intensive thirteen-week training program that covered issues ranging from relationship struggles to suicidal thoughts, as well as how to listen and empathize with those struggling. Soon, I was on the line, answering calls from across the globe. Every week, I devoted five hours to Teen Line, entering the hotline room with a clear mindset: one that allowed me to forget my worries and just listen to each caller’s story. After every shift, I left the room knowing that a teen somewhere felt just a little bit better that night, and that knowledge always made me feel better as well.

I’ve been answering phone calls as a Teen Line listener for a year, and after hearing some of the tragic stories of other teens—a girl who was placed into foster care because her father impregnated her, or a boy who had attempted suicide because he was constantly bullied—I’ve learned that any teenager could be dealing with unbelievable hardships without anyone to talk to. But Teen Line offered a way for struggling teens to open up to others like them who might understand and listen better than adults could. Because of Teen Line, I have connected with teens around the world, having talked to those who once refused to share their stories, who once couldn’t speak out. And listening to them opened me up as well, broadening my perspective to go beyond only my life. Ultimately, being a part of this extensive network of open and willing ears has shown me the tremendous impact it has made on teens everywhere—on both sides of the hotline.