University of Washington Admission Essays

As I stand on the threshold of my academic journey, I can say with utmost conviction that the University of Washington is the perfect institution for me. The moment I stepped onto the campus, I was enamored by the energy and spirit of the student…

“This weekend we’ll be travelling to Auburn. Please make sure you sign up on the spreadsheet if you wish to compete!” Click. “If the U.S. were to crack down on the grey market for software vulnerabilities, it would decrease IP theft of military technology.” Click….

Two things happened to me in elementary school that changed my life: I started organizing small local peace rallies with my mother and I got my first alto saxophone. In those days, the two were unrelated. Years later, however, upon joining the jazz band in…

During the first months of my residence in New York City, the lavishness and consumption of the American lifestyle surprised me. As a new immigrant from rural China to the Big Apple, I was mentally unprepared for the sights and sounds of such a wealthy…

I am convinced that I only have friends because of my mother’s cooking. Friends always seem to come through the door when spanakopita, tiropita, baklava, and other ethnic Greek foods are on the table. Watching others become infatuated with the food I grew up with…

“Money doesn’t grow on trees” was my mom’s favorite catchphrase – and her inevitable response to my requests for movie tickets, clothes, and chocolate. The first time she used this phrase was in fifth grade when I asked for movie money. My mother gave me…

I have never lived in one place for more than four years at a time. The reason? I am an Army brat. Some feel sorry for me, but I think my life was greatly enriched by moving so often. My life has given me many…

I always thought Peter Pan was mad. While he and his fellow Neverlanders were enjoying their eternal childhood, I was desperately awaiting my “grown-up” days. I just wanted to rush through life; I wanted to close my eyes and wake up a responsible, respected adult….

Walking out onto the stage, petrified, I hear the director utter in monotone, “Whenever you’re ready.” I figure that I will never be ready, but I decide that I’ve worked too hard to just walk away now. I read off some of the lines that…

Whether we like it or not, life is messy, and the world is messy; it doesn’t make sense to assume that the subjects taught in school are abstract and insular concepts, neatly categorized and inevitably isolated from one another by the five-minute passing periods between…