Note: This essay is partially posted with the consent of the author in gratitude, who has been generous in supporting and fostering our community. We are dedicated to replicating our success for you: College Admission Services 
The following essay, one of the most outstanding ever written under our guidance, helped the student gain admission to Columbia University. This opportunity has completely transformed her life, leading her to a successful career. Now, she enjoys working in tech and mountain climbing as a hobby.

It is simply touching, grabbing, reminiscing, and irresistible.

Through the kaleidoscope of my memories, I see a house on a long road stretching from Squirrel Park all the way to the airport and back. I see a sandbox. I see swings. I see a bicycle with Mickey Mouse training wheels. I see a red Honda Civic in the parking lot. I see children running around, catching minnows in a nearby stream.

One of the children holds an empty bucket. The bucket is filled with water, but no fish. That child is me.

Another girl, nearby, is so eager to learn that she pleads with her parents to enroll her in preschool a year early. That girl is also me.

As a late bloomer, I didn’t start speaking until I was nine months old, and I didn’t lose all of my baby teeth until the fifth grade. Even as a child, I exhibited a love of learning through hands-on experiences. In second grade, when my class studied butterflies and metamorphosis, I proposed dissecting a cocoon to witness the stages of larval development. However, this idea was met with disgust by both my teacher and classmates, so the subject was dropped. But at home, my curiosity remained. I begged my parents to take me to the local “Bug Day,” where children and adults could hold, touch, and study live insects. I was ecstatic!

Years later, when I enrolled in a digital systems course at Johns Hopkins during the summer, I was disappointed when the professor focused solely on circuit theory without showing us the hardware. After a few attempts, I convinced him to give the class the opportunity to work with “real” electronics. This hands-on experience reignited my passion for practical learning.

...

My family has left me with a legacy that will persist forever: the importance of learning. In my short life, I’ve fallen in love with knowledge, a relationship that has been deeply rewarding despite the challenges I faced at the beginning.

I still hold memories of a creek filled with minnows, a sandbox, and a red Honda Civic. But I also hold dreams. I dream of becoming a world-class engineer. Ultimately, it is my love and care for people that drive me to seek the best undergraduate education available, which is why I am applying to the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.