[Student Profile]

Accepted into: WUSTL

GPA: 3.8

SAT/ACT: 34

Academic focus/Extracurricular activities: Engineering, japanese tutoring


[Prompt & Essay]

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside the classroom.


Growing up in [name], my love for medicine was fostered by a technologically-driven culture. I viewed high-tech advancements, such as synthetic DNA and 3-D digital hearts, as the key to caring for others—until I started volunteering at [name] Center (LGNC). At LGNC, I befriended many residents, one of whom was [name]. During our conversations, [name] revealed her admiration for the ocean’s beauty and unpredictability. Unfortunately, [name] was bedridden, and I was saddened that she would never feel the salty mist of ocean waves again.


I wanted to bring the ocean back to [name] . I found the Music & Memory program, which uses

personalized playlists to remind individuals of their past memories. When I discovered that LGNC was a certified Music & Memory center, I rushed to create [name]'s playlist, downloading song after song of waves crashing. [name]'s reaction to the playlist was priceless: as the songs played, an expression of sheer bliss appeared on [name]'s face. She held my hand, closed her eyes, and listened to the ocean I had brought her.

My experiences at LGNC changed my view of medicine and inspired me to look for research internships focused on improving senior citizens’ quality of life. At the [name] Lab at [name] , I found an opportunity researching glaucoma, which causes eventual blindness. After my experiences at LGNC, where I could see the residents’ instant gratification, I struggled to connect my efforts in the lab with real glaucoma patients. Then, I created a poster about my research. As I wrote the introduction, I learned that the few glaucoma treatments that exist have severe side effects. By writing the conclusion, I understood how my research could advance future glaucoma treatments. Pipetting and running PCR gels no longer felt separated from caring for patients, and I began picturing bringing sight back to people, just as I had brought the sounds of the ocean back to [name] . Volunteering at LGNC and interning at the [name] Lab have taught me that medicine at its core is defined by caring for others, regardless of whether that is achieved through high-tech accomplishments, iPod playlists, or pipetting.