Stanford Application Essay 1
Question:
As you reflect on your life thus far, what has someone said, written or expressed in some fashion that is especially meaningful to you? Why? (~4900 character limit)
Essay
“The world is like a book and those who do not travel only read one page.“ by St. Augustine. The first time I read this quotation painted on the wall of a high school I did not stop my steps. I hated that sentence and felt completely lost in my situtation. At the age of 9 all I could think of was how I could manage this sudden move from China to Germany, to this completely foreign country. I stared at those girls in my neighborhood asking me what my name was. I could not answer, because I did not understand them. Instead I missed my home back in China, my loving grandmother, school and friends. Thinking of my schoolmates waving at the window of that old classroom tears slowly started rollind down my cheeks.
At that time I did not know what this move meant to me and how much travelling would impact my life in future.
My father, being able to see me only twice or three times a year because of the divorce of my parents, supported me a lot in this repect. He and his new wife both speak three to four languages and both love to travel. He encouraged me to hatch out of my eggshell to see what is going on in the outside world. Supported by him I finally boarded my first train towards Munich which was my first small trip at the age of 10. Holding a citymap in my hand I explored that beautiful city on my own, visited the German museum and took a walk in the Olympia stadium. For the first time I felt the fun and excitement of travelling. From that point on I wanted to see more.
Six years later one of my travels took me to the USA, to Tucson, Arizona, where I spent a year abroad. Like many German students I took the opportunity of taking part in an exchange program during my 10th grade. At first, I was overwhelmed by the warm...
Please login to view the full essay...