University of California, Davis Admission Essays

As long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated by the world of finance. This passion grew stronger as I witnessed my friend’s father expertly manage his family’s finances, always making smart investments and providing a comfortable life for his loved ones. His…

I am an explorer. At 10 months old, my travels began with my family’s first move. Over the years, we have been relocated because of my father’s company, gradually bringing a family of five from East to West. Five states, five homes, and five experiences:…

The proudest personal experience of my life was being elected captain of the Carlsbad cross country team. I learned to become a leader by example and to inspire my teammates so that we could achieve our personal and collective best. It seems like only yesterday…

When one envisions winning a state championship, it’s not usually pictured from the bench player’s perspective. However, as the seconds ticked down on the game clock and I sat in my dry swimsuit on the sidelines, I couldn’t have been more ecstatic as the crowd…

Sitting in the throne on a platform, I boomed, “You swam the moat?” across the stage littered with actors. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced over at the audience to see their reactions to my demeaning character. Scattered emotions ran through the…

As I stood at the end of the ledge watching my older brother prepare to attach to the zip line deep underground in New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves, I couldn’t help but think about the seemingly endless darkness that filled the cave ahead of us. The…

Despite living in the populous Orange County, I was raised with the small-town values of two parents from Weirton, West Virginia and Wellsburg, West Virginia: “God has given you the potential to achieve great things, so work hard and treat others as you would treat…