UC Santa Barbara Admission Essays

The smell of burning metal tickled my nose as I stared intently at the oscilloscope on my messy desk. I looked back at the breadboard, and quickly realized what I had done. I hurried to rip the IC chip out of the circuit, burning my…

I sat there staring at it. The so called “blob” of the food world. That infamously taboo food with a worse reputation than Lindsey Lohan. Its unpleasant corners, soft texture, and initial lack of flavor strike fear into the hearts of its meat-craving nay-sayers. Two…

It is common in literature, poetry, and musical lyrics to use walking as a metaphor for life. This past summer, that metaphor took on a whole new meaning for me. In twenty-six long days, I walked about 700 kilometers across Northern Spain — from Pamplona…

About 14 million people in the world identify themselves as Jewish, but what does that really mean? I struggle with this question because, to me, Judaism represents more of a culture than a religion. While I might say prayers and light the Shabbat candles at…

The clock strikes midnight, signaling we are into our tenth hour in the room. Hunched over computers, we work tirelessly on the school magazine, The Scribe. My creative journey to this moment began by writing for the features section, where I sought to unravel complex…

Every birthday of mine there is one specific thing I look forward to: my friend Tamara’s handmade card. Every year she makes me a homemade card and every year, I’m warmed by her thoughtfulness, love, and care. It’s the small yet thoughtful gestures like these…

My name is Scheherezade. I am about to die at the hands of a King, but if I can captivate him through my stories I might be able to stay alive for just one more night. The orchestra drops to quiet plucking, and I take…

The growling clouds had barely begun to slink away from the rain-lashed sky when a pale face bounded gleefully to the soggy window, her smile reflected in the prismatic droplets clinging to the glass. There was only one thing on her mind today: the squirming,…

“Cold weather means nothing. Rainy days don’t matter. And a national holiday means two practices instead of one.” Although the author is unknown to me, that quote has been my mantra for the past several years. Most people look forward to a holiday, viewing it…

“You’re in the wrong line, Melody!” my former classmate shouted across the blacktop. Heads turned and people stared, and my blushing cheeks complemented my hot pink shirt. I felt embarrassed and proud at the same time. On a hot September day in 2001, I skipped…