2013. 6. 7.

에세이 샘플 4 (미국공립, GPA 4.8, ACT 36, Vanderbilt $65,000 장학금, Carlton$50,000 장학금)

이 학생은 성적은 아주 우수했으나 다른 활동면에서 아주 큰 특색이 없었다. 그저 교회의 봉사활동만 열심히 했을 뿐 다른 두드러진 면은 없었다. 이렇게 학과목 이외에 특이한 사항이 없는 경우 아이비는 쉽지 않다. 아래처럼 에세이에서 특이한 취미(수정과)와 평범한 활동(크로스컨트리)을 엮어서 독특한 에세이로 어필을 해보려고 했지만 소용이 없었다. 이 예는 에세이 하나로 모든 것을 해결할 수 없다는 걸 보여주며, 일단 공부만 잘 하면 Top 10 리버럴 아츠 칼리지 (명문 단과대학) 또는 Top 20급 대학은 갈 수 있다는 걸 보여준다.

The familiar pungent smell fills my nostrils as I peel and chop the unsightly root. As I add the freshly chopped ginger to a pot of boiling water, I shake my head in wonder at the idea of this bitter root being the main ingredient in my favorite Korean dessert drink, sujeonggwa.

It was the summer before sophomore year. At my own discretion and at the advice of my counselor and parents, I made the decision to quit soccer—the sport that had defined my life for the previous ten years— and take up cross country running. This was wholly unexpected, as I had spent most of freshman year wondering how anybody could enjoy the sport. I thought it was for kids who couldn’t handle a real sport. There was no ball, no goal, no net, no endzone; no real point except to run mindlessly for miles on end. I didn’t join cross country because I thought I’d enjoy it. I only joined because I was in reasonably good shape and wanted something to do after school.

I was sure I would hate it. The idea of waking up with the sunrise and running three, four, eight, ten miles a day sickened me. Cross country seemed to be just a long, boring, excruciating experience, filled with misery, pain, and torment. Nevertheless, at seven o’clock the next morning I was up and ready to run.

With a practiced hand, I drop a handful of cinnamon sticks into the pot. A cup of sugar follows quickly.

I soon noticed an unexpected change. The more exhausted I became after running long distances, the more refreshed I was the next day. I became livelier than I already was, more energetic. Instead of waking up tired and groggy, I would get out of bed sore, but feeling surprisingly rejuvenated.

I met one of my best friends running cross country. Talking and laughing about everything from The Lord of the Rings to girls to how miserable the sport was, we’d while away the long miles. Sometimes we would break into raucous chorus, singing snatches of songs we knew, running in time with the beat. Soon enough, I began to almost enjoy practice. Not that the running was any easier.  Cross country was still a grueling sport, but the refreshing qualities of sustained exercise and the friendships that developed through those long miles sweetened the experience, made pain of endless miles a bit easier to bear.

I smile appreciatively as the fragrant aroma of cinnamon and ginger fills the room. I pull the stems off a few dried persimmons. A sweet fruit, the persimmons must be allowed to steep overnight to allow its honeyed flavor to permeate the drink.

It took hundreds of miles, but I finally began to see the fruit of my labor. I ran mile after mile after mile and was disappointed to see very little drop in my race times. Many miles and many hours later, however, I began to note with pride that my pace was slowly but surely improving. And gradually, I began to notice another effect, something that didn’t affect just my running career but my life as a whole. In cross country, unless you’re one of the fastest runners in the state (which I’m not), you’re basically competing against yourself. The coach can yell all he wants, but in the last 800 meters of the race, only you can push yourself beyond the point of utter exhaustion to finish the race strong. The self-discipline and the value of finishing strong I learned from running that last half mile began to seep into the rest of my life.

This wonderful Korean beverage, cold, but with a warm flavor, sweet, but with a sharp kick, is a blend of perplexing opposites. And yet it all works. I never thought cross country would be an experience I’d enjoy. And yet, as I sit, savoring this traditional Korean beverage, I reflect that maybe in life, a little bit of ginger is not such a bad deal after all.

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