2400 in Life | Teen Ink

2400 in Life MAG

April 13, 2009
By Emily Chang BRONZE, San Francisco, California
Emily Chang BRONZE, San Francisco, California
3 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Dear University,

The number 3.5 next to my GPA is the price of a small mocha Frappucchino at Starbucks and does not even begin to measure the number of endless nights I have stayed up doing homework. A 1200 or a 2350 on the SAT is not an indicator of how well I will do at your school. It cannot predict how much I will learn and take from your university. It cannot predict the life lessons I will learn or the friends I will make. It does not measure my maturity or give you insight into the person I am. It will not tell you how passionately I would like to change the world, or about the lives that I will change after I graduate.

What happened to the Happiness, Confidence, and Compassion Subject Tests? Getting an 800 on World History means I know facts, but do I really understand them? Knowing there was a revolution in China in 1911 is different from actually experiencing its direct impact. Instead, I am an expert on the history going on around me. I can tell you about the cultures, languages, and colors that surround me, and these are the factors that define me and have sculpted me into who I am – a unique, strong, and beautiful individual.

In life, when we make a mistake, nobody subtracts a quarter of a point from our value. Errors guide us and make us stronger. Therefore, my worth is not measured by a number – not out of 800, not out of 2400, not out of 36. It is a quantity that you cannot subtract from. So, when you plug all these numbers into a formula to determine whether I will be accepted, please remember that they're just numbers and they should stay that way.

Sincerely,

Future College Applicant



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This article has 4 comments.


jlw11 SILVER said...
on Oct. 12 2010 at 12:41 pm
jlw11 SILVER, Fayette, Alabama
5 articles 2 photos 26 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The only things in life you regret, are the risks that you never take."

I really liked this! It inspires me what to say on my college entrance essay! Thanks! Keep writing! (:

simplyme said...
on Jan. 9 2010 at 8:58 pm
wow! it was great to read. I felt a part of me in this article. keep up the great work!

on Nov. 2 2009 at 11:46 am
Dokidoki-rin GOLD, Clarence, New York
14 articles 6 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
Whattaya gonna do, ya know?

I love this- it's direct and straight foreword, but it's still polite and sincere.. firm, but friendly! great essay!

Becca SILVER said...
on Sep. 2 2009 at 1:09 pm
Becca SILVER, Auburndale, Florida
9 articles 32 photos 65 comments
I really like this. I really liked how you compared the GPA of a 3.5 to the price of a Starbuck's drink. Really creative and entertaining the whole way though. Good job =)