Maspeth High School
12th Grade AP Literature & Composition w/ Mr. Kwon
12th Grade British Literature w/ Ms. Fadul
Summer Assignment for 1984 by George Orwell
TASK: Choose only ONE of the following Common Application Essay Prompts below and respond in a 650-word essay or
less. 650 words is the maximum, not the minimum.
PAPER REQUIREMENTS: typed; double-spaced; font Times New Roman/Arial/Calibri; font size 11 or 12; margins 1 inch or
smaller; stapled, if necessary.
*A requirement is not an option or suggestion; it is a must. (e.g., A paper that is not double-spaced will receive a penalty.)*
Models of college essays are below, from pages 2-6. Read and analyze them to gain a better understanding of what is
expected of you. Some essays differ in length and audience.
2015-16 Common Application Essay Prompts
The Common Application will retain the current set of first-year essay prompts for 2015-16, without any edits or
additions. The essay length will continue to be capped at 650 words. The feedback received from member colleges and
school counselors has been positive. The essay prompts will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that they
continue to serve students and member colleges well.
The essay prompts are as follows:
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application
would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you
experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same
decision again?
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research
query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to
you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood
within your culture, community, or family.
Source: https://recsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33014/Article/2057/2015-16-Common-Application-Essay-Prompts
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Kwasi Enin’s Common Application Essay
Kwasi Enin is the Long Island student who applied to all eight IVY League schools (Brown, Columbia, Cornell,
Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Yale). He got accepted into every single one of
them.
A wrong decision can be the beginning or end to a lifestyle. In the seventh grade, I nearly ended my music
career by opting to select a simple course - Music in Our Lives - that met the state music requirement. But this
decision would have left me empty. With the help of Ms. Brown, my then orchestra teacher, I was able to not
only meet the basic requirement, but also continue the beginning of my musical journey. I am now a violist who
has joyously played for nine years. I also now take Music in My Life. It is the first self – taught and longest
course I have ever taken.
Music has become the spark of my intellectual curiosity. I directly developed my capacity to think creatively
around problems due to the infinite possibilities in music. There are millions of combinations of key signatures,
chords, melodies, and rhythms in the world of music that wait to become attached to a sheet of staff lines and
spaces. As I began to explore a minute fraction of these combinations from the third grade onwards, my mind
began to formulate roundabout methods to solve any mathematical problem, address any literature prompt, and
discover any exit in an undesirable situation. In middle school, my mind also started to become adept in the
language of music. Playing the works of different composers, such as Kol Nidrei by Max Bruch and Coriolan
Overture by Ludwig Van Beethoven, expands my diverse musical vocabulary, my breadth of techniques and my
ability to practice in order to succeed in solo performances.
Music has also become the medium for my roles in the community. While onstage as Big Jule of
Guys and Dolls during my favorite musical, I helped create a wonderful atmosphere in the school auditorium by
singing and dancing. Whenever I perform, whether as a bassist in Men's Doo Wop Group or as a violist in
Chamber Ensemble, I become immersed in the conversations between performers and the audience. As I
become lost in these conversations, I create blissful memories in which I am truly part of my community's
culture - and eventually its history. I would not have the admiration of my teachers and friends if I had not let
the charisma of music persuade me to become a performer in my school, town, and state.
Lastly, music has become the educator that has taught me the importance of leadership, teamwork and
friendship. It has taught me the importance of order and balance. When I lead a group, I know how strong that
group can be if every member puts one hundred percent effort into our task. Leadership is not always about
directing others. The most important task of a leader is to create harmony between each member of the group,
which reveals the group's maximum potential. With improvement and balance comes success, and music taught
me all of these virtues. The bonds that I have made throughout my school years endure through stress. These
powerful bonds came to be because my friends and I endured against the adversity found in high level pieces of
musical literature. I thank my teachers, viola and voice for creating the environments that nurtured these
friendships and learning experiences.
My haven for solace in and away from home is in the world of composers, harmonies and possibilities. My
musical haven has shaped my character and without it my life would not be half as wonderful as it is today. It
was a wise decision to turn down Music in Our Lives. The self-guided journey known as Music in My Life
excites my mind every day. My heart sings every day because the journey already is wonderful. Although I
hope that my future career is in medicine, I love that I still have much to learn about and from the world of
music.
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Jesse K.’s Essay (This one is particularly long because it was written to a more specific prompt given by Brown University)
I don’t have any alumni ties to Brown, though it’s possible I could be the long-lost granddaughter of James S. Miller. Never
have I sailed the Pacific Ocean on the back of a humpback whale, nor can I wrap sushi with the skill of former Iron Chef
Masaharu Morimoto. I haven’t done much research regarding podiatry, and chances are I will never win the Michigan MegaMillions lottery. I am, however, the proud owner of a Little Mermaid Edition Barbie.
At some point in almost every little girl’s life, she becomes engrossed in the Pepto-Bismol-pink world of Barbies, a place I
entered at the age of seven. My sister, Hannah, and I decided to take our collection of 11-inch plastic friends for a dip in the
pool one sweltering summer day. Hours of giggling resulted from tossing the Barbies as high as we could into the air and
watching them dive gracefully into the waves. Three … two … one, I launched my Little Mermaid doll in the same fashion as
Apollo 11. We watched her rocket into the sky. I glanced at my sister, who was scrambling through her scorecards to make sure
she had the well-deserved “10” ready. My eyes returned upward, anticipating the gymnastic stunts Barbie would undoubtedly
deliver to her enraptured audience. Where was she? The crowd was growing restless. Had she landed on the moon?
Utterly bewildered, we combed through the freshly mown grass and woods, but unfortunately, our search bore no fruit. After a
moment of sorrow, our tiny attention spans directed us to a different game, and our minds fluttered away.
Over the years, I encountered many of my own quirky adventures. As a field biologist intern, I camped for 15 days on an
uninhabited island, purified my own water, surveyed the endangered Piping Plover, tested the water quality of lakes, and found
my way out of 70,000 acres of northern Michigan wilderness. My view of the world broadened through travels and encounters
with the Costa Rican, German, French, and Australian cultures. I won varsity letters, had my poetry published, and volunteered
at a local hospital, and as I grew older, the mystery of the once-beloved Little Mermaid Edition Barbie faded into a misty
memory.
One recent fall day, rainbow-colored leaves swirled through the air and the chilly breeze carried its pleasant scent, an
amalgamation of bonfire and pumpkin. Upon the rooftop was not good Saint Nick, but rather my dad, cleaning the leaves off
our house. Tied to the branch of an ancient oak tree, the tire swing moved my body in a pendulum motion. My dad approached
with something dark in his hands. “Eh … does this belong to you, or Hannah?” he said with a look of perplexity painted on his
face. I couldn’t believe my eyes: It was the Little Mermaid Edition Barbie! The poor girl – she was an absolute disaster. I
affirmed my ownership of the traveler, and took her battered body in my hands.
Nine years had passed since I had seen the almost-world-renowned Olympic diver. I recalled that summer day and smiled as
memories flooded my mind. She looked as though she’d been struck by lightning a few times, weathered heavy monsoons, and
held onto the gutter for dear life during tornados. Her mangled arm appeared to have been mistaken for a worm by a ferocious
momma bird. Leaves, dirt, and other debris were entwined in her once shiny, cherry locks. Her attire was tattered – she seemed
to have fashioned herself a Tarzan-esque ensemble. Her ingenuity was impressive; it reminded me of an experience in which I
had to craft socks out of a garbage bag and medical tape, then wear them for three days in pouring rain. Nevertheless, one thing
stood out as I ogled my long-lost friend: her face.
She wore a radiant smile, a look of contentment, self-confidence, and accomplishment. With head held high and a positive
attitude, she had battled life’s unexpected challenges. She knows now what it means to strive and succeed. I realized the world
of pink doesn’t fit someone with so much potential, so much passion for learning, so much heart, independence, and creativity. I
looked at her and saw myself reflected in her sapphire eyes.
Like her, my dreams lie far beyond those of a Stepford wife, and with the ability to bend and not break, I am ready to step out of
my plastic box society, through the Van Winkle gates, and into a world of endless possibilities. I crave the works of Thoreau
and Emerson, not mall directories or grocery lists. I desire adventure and the opportunity to study new cultures. I long to write
what I want and voice my opinions with my whole heart behind them. And as the Little Mermaid Edition Barbie sits on my
shelf, next to musical and athletic trophies, behind silly pictures of friends, and alongside books by Maya Angelou and Lewis
Carroll, she reminds me of myself. For this ambitious girl, pink is not enough; she is ready to dive into Brown.
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Claire W.’s College Essay
Age is not only measured in years. Personally, I’m three houses, approximately 6,000 songs, and 1,825 peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches old. I can also measure my life in trips to the airport. Each time I fly, one more trip
documents my life.
When I was six airport trips old, my mother, sister, and I drove to Kennedy Airport to fly to England, where
my father was waiting at our new home. As the grown-ups around me shed tears, I could barely contain my
excitement about our “vacation,” unable to grasp what moving across the Atlantic Ocean really meant. Eight
hours, three airplane meals, and zero hours of sleep later, I arrived at Heathrow Airport, now seven airport trips
old.
England holds my greatest memories. There I learned to read, which introduced me to the world of literature, a
world I escape to whenever given the chance. I saw firsthand how people’s attitudes can make all the difference
- my family was dropped headfirst into British society, but fell onto a pillow of hospitality and caring from
everyone around us, including the local cashier who called me “Poppet” and “Love” and our postman who rode
his bike around town.
Those four years shaped my perspective from the first day of school in year two (first grade) to my last night in
the country when my family’s closest friends sat on lawn chairs with us late into the night in on packed-up
house and cherished our last moments as neighbors.
My sister and I straddled three countries when I was 16 trips to the airport old. The airport in Germany is built
right over the border of Switzerland, Germany, and France. Being so young and unaware of how privileged we
were to be two young globetrotters, my sister and I took our locations for granted and viewed places like
Rome’s Coliseum and Paris’s Eiffel Tower as our playground.
It wasn’t until a few airport trips ago that I came to appreciate how the trips around Europe influenced my life. I
have a greater understanding of the world as a whole and know that there is something beyond the United States
and the way we view the world. My appreciation for history has expanded as I learned about the countries I
visited, knowing I have walked through buildings hundreds of years old, each scuff on the floor a tribute to
those who have come before me, whose mistakes I must learn from and whose lives have shaped the world of
today.
This summer I turned 44 airport trips old when I traveled once again to meet my grandfather in Chicago for a
Donauschwaben festival. My grandfather was born into this ethnic group unfamiliar to most people, including
me, until recently. Being a German in Yugoslavia (now Siberia) during World War II, my grandfather and his
friends and family were expelled by the Partisans. I heard firsthand accounts of great loss and hardship. As I’ve
learned about my heritage, I have come to appreciate the life I was born into, and am beginning to understand
my personal history and the history of my mother’s family.
In college I plan on spending a semester in Austria in order to work on my German and experience Europe
again. Regardless of whether I am 46 or 60 airport trips old by then, I am eager to continue my journey in the
sky, a journey I am excited to know has barely begun.
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Daniel — Undecided
(This essay is short because it is written for a prompt that requires 250 words or fewer. There is also a
reviewer’s comments on the essay.)
I was born in the wrong century.
A combination of an avant-garde homeschooling education and liberal parents produced an inquisitive child
who dreamt of versatility. I want to be an Aristotle, a Newton, or, if nothing else, an engineer who can perform
titrations and analyze works by Rand or Fitzgerald.
Growing up in Miami, Florida, a mecca for diversity, I’ve seen interests and talents splattered across the entire
spectrum. Sports coaches who write computer code after practice, cross country runners who dabble in cancer
research and community service management, these were the people who influenced my upbringing. From these
inspirations, I’ve crafted an ideal for my future, one where I can play a few varied roles, yet play them well. But
I am atypical too. A water skier who spends mornings in the Everglades with my camera, and flies remote
airplanes on the weekends.
I know I’ll have to find the right focus, eventually. But first, I’ll figure out what I love. There will be dozens of
internal debates over my interests. I’ll deliberate and dispute, unsure of whether I truly love what I’m doing,
hesitant about whether this is what I want to be doing five years from now. But it doesn't matter; it’s part of the
process. When I find what I want to study, I’ll know. If I were a wonder of the world, I’d be the Great Pyramid.
Starting broad, before refining myself to a point, I think Maslow would’ve approved.
“What stood out to me about Daniel’s major essay was that, while he applied undecided, he still crafted a really well
written essay about his interests. Daniel writes about how his upbringing and where he’s from has led him to be inquisitive
and explore a range of interests. He does a great job of tying it all into using his academic experience at Hopkins to
pinpoint what exactly it is that he wants to study in the future.”
—Admissions Counselor Monique Hyppolite
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Meghan — The Unathletic Department
(The reviewer’s comments are below.)
A blue seventh place athletic ribbon hangs from my mantel. Every day, as I walk into my living room, the
award mockingly congratulates me as I smile. Ironically, the blue seventh place ribbon resembles the first place
ribbon in color; so, if I just cover up the tip of the seven, I may convince myself that I championed the fourth
heat. But, I never dare to wipe away the memory of my seventh place swim; I need that daily reminder of my
imperfection. I need that seventh place.
Two years ago, I joined the no-cut swim team. That winter, my coach unexpectedly assigned me to swim the
500 freestyle. After stressing for hours about swimming 20 laps in a competition, I mounted the blocks, took my
mark, and swam. Around lap 14, I looked around at the other lanes and did not see anyone. “I must be
winning!” I thought to myself. However, as I finally completed my race and lifted my arms up in victory to the
eager applause of the fans, I looked up at the score board. I had finished my race in last place. In fact, I left the
pool two minutes after the second-to-last competitor, who now stood with her friends, wearing all her clothes.
The blue for the first loser went to me.
However, as I walked back to my team, carrying the seventh place blue, listening to the splash of the new
event’s swimmers, I could not help but smile. I could smile because despite my loss, life continued; the next
event began. I realized that I could accept this failure, because I should not take everything in life so seriously.
Why should I not laugh at the image of myself, raising my arms up in victory only to have finished last? I
certainly did not challenge the school record, but that did not mean I could not enjoy the swim.
So, the blue seventh place ribbon sits there, on my mantel, for the world to see. I feel no shame in that. In fact,
my memorable 20 laps mean more to me than an award because over time, the blue of the seventh place ribbon
fades, and I become more colorful by embracing my imperfections and gaining resilience-but not athleticism.
“The first thing that stands out about this essay is the catchy title, which effectively sets up an essay that is charmingly
self-deprecating. The author goes on to use subtle humor throughout the essay to highlight one of her weaknesses but at
the same time reveals how she turned what some might have considered a negative event into a positive learning
experience. Not only is this essay well-written and enjoyable to read, but it reveals some important personal qualities
about the author that we might not have learned about her through other components of her application. We get a glimpse
of how she constructively deals with challenge and failure, which is sure to be a useful life skill she will need in the real
world, starting with her four years in college.”
—Senior Assistant Director Janice Heitsenrether
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