[Student Profile]
GPA: 3.9
SAT/ACT: 1440/33
Academic focus/Extracurricular activities: taekwondo, internship, python
[Prompt & Essay]
Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
When I first started Taekwon-Do, I just wentthrough the motions, mindlessly following instructions. This all changed at my green belttest when I had to break a wooden board with a powerful kick. Two failed belttests later, I remained atthe same rank and felt stuck. This was the turning pointin my Taekwon-Do journey. I had to either quit or figure out how to break a one-inch-thick piece of pine. After hours at a specialtraining session, Itook a moment and listened to allthe people cheering me on and started to really believe thatI did have the
technique to break the board.“Crack!” Without a splinter in my foot, I happily walked home that day buoyed by the praise I received and subconsciously began developing habits of discipline, perseverance, and a strong work ethic.
In the months leading up to my black belttest,two-and-a-half years later, my schoolwork preoccupied me while I needed to train to pass my upcoming test. Learning from my previous challenges, I committed to a set of goals and started running in the morning to prepare for the required three-mile run. At school, I reviewed techniques with my friends from Taekwon-Do and refined them in the Dojang. Thirty knuckle-push-ups slowly became fifty untilthe day finally arrived. With a resounding “Choong-Moo!”I finished the test. I had finally earned my first-degree black belt, but getting to that moment had challenged me both physically and mentally. I built up self confidence and the discipline to work out every morning and push my body until I achieved my goal. I grew from pastfailures and stayed focused on moving forward. This milestone sparked a fire in me, and when my mentor asked if I’d like to become an instructor atthe Dojang, I seized the opportunity to help others learn the same valuable lessons that had shaped me--committing myself fully to any endeavor I undertake,trusting my abilities, maintaining an indomitable spirit, and learning every step of the way.