UC San Diego Application Essays

From the age of five, I’ve had an irrational fear of heights. Maybe because, as a short child, everything seemed to tower over me. Or maybe because, as a Floridian, I had not known any height above sea-level until later in my life. As a…

It was at the age of five when I noticed that not everyone was like me. I suddenly became aware of different customs, beliefs and of course foods. What really caught my attention, however, was language, and I started to explore worlds of new sounds….

For those who start their studies in the U.S. with linguistic disadvantages, AP and IB courses are unattainable dreams. As with many of my fellow international students in California, I could not benefit from the virtues of sophisticated academic courses because of my status as…

The streets of Kunming, China are crooked and filled with potholes, and the ‘school’ was more of an abandoned building than a learning facility for children of full-time workers. Yet the children that sat on the dusty floor of my classroom were still so bright….

I joined Theater freshmen year out of curiosity for its technical aspects. As a person of science and logic, I was, at first, skeptical about the artistic club and shy to interact with the boisterous Theater community. But the club was full of people whose…

The objective of this school project was to create our ideal version of a school.We turned in a trash can.”Our project was inspired by the Dada artists, who are known for their use of readymade (everyday objects) that were displayed as ‘art.’ This avant-garde movement…

Anthony Brandt once said “Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.” While others have certainly influenced my life, nothing has shaped the person I am more than my family. My grandfather follows current events like a cult member its…

On a typical, busy summer day, I stand at one of the Save the Bay’s Aquarium’s touch tanks, spitting out facts (did you know that horseshoe crabs have been around since before the dinosaurs?!) and making sure that all children uphold the two-finger touch rule….

When I was in grade school I wanted to be an engineer because my dad was an engineer. When I was in middle school I wanted to be a lawyer because my dad once tried to become a lawyer. I’m in high school– my dad…

“Ms. Tucker, what happens when type A and type O blood are mixed together in a test tube at the same time? Since you’re not putting A into O or O into A, will the blood still clot?“ I knew that patients receiving blood transfusions…