My College Application - I trust you guys the most

[eatbacon]

Thanks for the essay. I didn't know what to write so I used yours. Applications submitted. I hope they don't think you plagiarized when you turn yours in.

 

[janitorC7]

Thanks for the essay. I didn't know what to write so I used yours. Applications submitted. I hope they don't think you plagiarized when you turn yours in.

Go for it; it did well by me.

Here is the final one that I submitted (at the bottom). Needless to say this is only one of around 25 essays that were written for apps (the best was to Stanford)

Results:

Deferred and then rejected at Stanford University (Not surprised)
Accepted at UC Berkeley
Accepted at UCSD
Accepted at Chapman University
Rejected from NYU in Abu Dhabi
Accepted at CU Boulder
Accepted at UC Merced (is anybody not?)
Accepted to University of the Pacific
Accepted to Fordham Honors College at Lincoln Center
Rejected from Pitzer (very surprised)
Rejected from UCLA (yet into cal; surprised at that; much rather would have gone to UCLA)
Wait list at Pepperdine

I'm between Chapman University and UC Berkeley, opinions?

Essay:
Each of us has special challenges; our own personal crosses to bear in life. For years mine seemed to be a tangled tongue. My words somehow became stuck just as I tried to speak them. I was a st st stut stutterer.

From second grade on, my best thoughts remained unexpressed. It was not that I didn't know the words that I wanted to say, but when I tried to speak I would get hung up on the first sound of the first word, rendering me speechless for 20 seconds or more as I stuttered.

I spent the better part of three years seeing speech therapists who tried to help me.

I had all but given up. I had become “a child of silence”. A lot was going on inside my head, but no one else seemed to know this. I wanted to voice my opinions on books, friends and politics but regrettably my tongue did not share a similar aspiration.

Once I started middle school an opportunity presented itself: Speech and Debate. Campbell Hall did not have a debate team. However, my best friends and I always enjoyed arguing back and forth about the latest news and political Issues. One day after a stimulating history class my teacher told me how expressive my ideas were. When I told her I enjoyed arguing my opinions, she jokingly said I should be a debater. As nonchalant as this statement might have been, I don’t think she could have realized the Pandora’s box she had just opened nor how much of her free time she’d just volunteered away. “Ms. Hong” I eagerly responded “Can we start a debate team?”

We started a team and were a founding member of one of the first middle school debate leagues in the United States, the Middle School Public Debate Program sponsored by Claremont McKenna College.

Public speaking presented a new understanding of communication for me. Somehow, I felt more comfortable talking in front of a crowd of people who were there for the sole purpose of listening to me than I did in one-on-one conversation. My first speech on violent video games was the beginning of a long journey to becoming an accomplished speaker, a feat that three different respected speech therapists thought impossible.

I continued to debate in the parliamentary format throughout junior high school and was unbelievably ranked as high as second in the League, but then faced another problem at the commencement of high school: no debate team. So, with help, I founded a high school team as well. During these years I’ve delighted in two formats: National Extemporaneous and Parliamentary. So now this stuttering elementary school kid is State-ranked in Extemporaneous, Second- Place Speaker at the prestigious Pepperdine Invitational, Semi-Finalist at the Stanford University tournament, Member with Special Distinction of the National Forensic League, Audition Finalist for Team USA, Campbell Hall “Speaker of the Year” and the Executive Officer of our debate team, which continues to grow.

My love of debate has inspired me to train others to follow in our footsteps. Since leaving Middle School, I have coached the Junior High Team. I now also train novices from Campbell Hall competing for the first time in High School in the hopes that they can find the same joy in speaking that I have.
It is still hard for me to believe that the young kid that could barley spit the words out would clearly hear these magic words: “And this year’s Speaker of the Year Award goes to Cooper Krings.” That ancient philosopher was right when he said, “your greatest adversities can become your greatest asset.”
And, oh yes; about my stuttering problem: It’s quite well controlled now. Maybe I just outgrew it. Or perhaps the pressure of competition and stress of debating in front of judges and audiences had something to do with it. I still stammer once in a while, but now I seem to be the only one who notices. Sometimes even I don’t.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

Factor in the financial. I applied to Chapman because my counselor was not happy with me only applying to two schools I had no business applying to with my GPA. My only reason: they have a great genocide program. If I were in your shoes, I'd take Berkley. 50% for the school, 50% for the food.

Visit both. Talk to students. That's the best advice I have.

 

[rhsgolfer33]

I'd take Berkley. 50% for the school, 50% for the food.

Oh god really? I've heard nothing but bad things about eating at Berkeley, especially on campus, if you're not a vegetarian.

Personally, I'd probably go to Pepperdine or even UCSD, but I'm a sucker for the locations.

Chapman also have a nice campus, but the downer is that its in Orange. Orange can't compare to the Bay Area for things to do, as well as public transportation.

Sorry if I missed this, but what are you planning on majoring in?

 

[63dot]

Congrats to the OP on the compelling life story and all the schools that said yes.

Chapman is a good school and of course, Cal is good, too. If you plan to leave the state after graduation, Cal is the better bet since it's more well known. But if you want to do anything around the film industry, then Chapman is a good choice.

 

[janitorC7]

Sorry to resurrect this old thread...

but; I am very happy to call myself a California Golden Bear.

The food here sucks; I mean REALLY sucks; at least on campus...
The bay area is all right but I am an LA native and kinda miss it, I would not have minded Orange County all that much

To answer your other question: I am a triple major at the moment (wont stay that way) in Architecture, Geography, and Urban Studies (City Planning)...

 

[CalBoy]

The food here sucks; I mean REALLY sucks; at least on campus...

From what I've learned, most campus food is terrible.

Overall there are a few places I still go back to the Berkeley area for (namely Zachary's), but if you want good food hop onto BART and go to SF.

I ended up not having lunch many days of the week because I just didn't have the time to go far enough for better food.

There is a Trader Joe's near the Rockridge BART station these days (take the 51 from campus), so I'd do some shopping there if I was in your shoes (again).

The bay area is all right but I am an LA native and kinda miss it, I would not have minded Orange County all that much

What makes you feel homesick? If it's just being a new place far from your "home," don't worry, you'll get over that. Otherwise, try to figure out what it is and maybe you can bring a little bit of "home" back with you the next time you visit your parents.

 

[citizenzen]

Starting in 2nd grade some of my greatest thoughts remained unexpressed though an inability to communicate.

You had "great thoughts" in the second grade?

Sounds like somebody thinks quite highly of himself.

Me, I just liked the puppets.

Anyway... congrats on being a golden bear.