Dear Admissions Officers,

From the commencement of this aimless summer to the new dawn of 2020, each time before clicking the irreversible submit button on Common Application, I whispered my New Year’s wishes. Lounging in my stiff chair, I gazed at the walls containing the accumulation of college paraphernalia arranged in a shape to remind me of my dreams everyday. At its peak sat the pennant of my dream college- rendering my room delightful. 

Each of the components of college applications, such as GPA, extracurriculars and SAT scores, have more to them than meaningless numbers used to index prospective students. Looking at my GPA shown on transcript takes me back to the time when I would leave my phone charging on the other side of the bed and returned to the desk to review the contents of a chemistry chapter, concentrating on reading every sentence of a practice question, then working out the last two questions at the end to be better prepared for tomorrow’s quiz. When I looked at my SAT scores, I saw not only figures but also a person under the study lamp timing a practice test and overstressing on minor wording at the beginning. Even though my parents always comfort me by saying that it is just a test score, the fact that my future depends on it often keeps me restless. Last but not least, passions that are clear and ardent, waiting to be discovered by the admissions officers, expands further than a list of extracurriculars.

I went on and visited my dream college many times, effortlessly becoming acquainted with the streets, the light and the smell of this flawless place. And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the fall. 

I started to prepare myself. Saying goodbye to friends that have been around me for four years and taking on the responsibilities that come with age, I also wish that I could have never grown up. I wished I could have just stayed simple, and at that moment, when everything around me was telling me to slow down and reflect; only then did I want to bring my past in its entirety to the new journey.