My #rejected UCLA Scholarship Essays

You get scholarship opportunities from the actual UCs a bit after you submit your applications. I mean I spent time on these so here they are bHABHAHA I don't want them to collect dust in my Google drive.

PS: I stg if you even think about copying these, think again. Not only will I hunt you down, your ass is gonna get clapped by the schools. So just get inspiration from these; I posted these to help you, not for you to steal.

Here they are:

What sets you apart from other students at your current learning institution? (500 word maximum)

I watched Incredibles 2 in theaters with my friends. Before it started, there was a Pixar short film called Bao, where a little dumpling represented a woman’s son growing up. Thank goodness the theater was empty because if other people were there, they would have heard me bawling my eyes out. I was sobbing. The short was “confusing” and “creepy” to my friends, but my friends’ mom and I were the only ones that seemed to understand it. No, I do not happen to have a child that is growing up; I just felt like I was watching this experience of a child growing through the eyes of my grandparents.

Being raised by my grandparents sets me apart from those I know. I’m forever grateful for my grandparents because they are the reason why I am a bit more sensitive, and more careful and considerate of others. They are the reason why I try to always show gratitude to the people around me. I value happiness and the time I spend with others a lot more, or at least, more than what others like to show.

Initially, when people meet me, they feel kinda threatened and confused at my bubbly and enthusiastic nature. As they get to know me better, they later learn that it is just who I am.

I have always been someone who enjoyed having opposite reactions to things like tests and assignments; instead of groaning I cheer and wave the papers in the air when I receive them. I love presenting, and being the first to break the ice. I hate putting assignments off to the last second, and instead I worry about what to do next. Being “positive” is not something I fake or force out of myself; seeing people happy, laughing, or questioning me actually fuels my desire to keep being a sunshine in people’s lives. I stand by the fact that no action is small. Everything that I do has an effect on those around me, whether that means showing a different perspective or cheering them up.

People also question how I have so much time for my hobbies, like embroidery, drawing, songwriting, collecting things, etc. I always put more effort into the things I work on and make because I know that it pays off in the end. But it is also really fun to me; it is how I can make people proud, and how I can inspire them to explore new things. It is how I can keep gifting my friends in unique ways.

My confidence, strangeness, and awkward humor, is all for the people in my life. I may care too much, feel too much, and think way too much, but it is how I taught myself to be through my experiences.

I am not afraid to show the world who I am. I am still growing and learning how to value myself, and I want to continue to motivate those around me too.

Select any quote about leadership, and share how it relates to your core principles. (500 word maximum)

When you are assigned group poster assignments in class, you are never allowed to take it home. It may be because:

1. If you’re absent the next day then there will be no poster.

2. You will crush it with the contents of your backpack.

3. You will just flat out lose it.

This means that you only have the allotted time for that class, and you would have to share all the necessary supplies with 6 other groups. But always, no matter how bad and scrappy the poster may turn out, it will always be finished and turned in. Without fail. At least, that is the case in my experiences. These otherwise overwhelming and quite stressful projects were always able to be accomplished in one classroom, without any fancy tools or supplies.

Among the many quotes that I admire from Edwin Land, the one that stands out the most to me is that “any problem can be solved using the materials in the room.” His motto was to pursue the nearly “impossible,” which he did when creating the first instant cameras. Of course, I have not had such an inventive breakthrough like him, but I have always been able to finish creative projects that felt “impossible” with the little resources I had.

The reason why this quote in particular resonates with me the most is because it summarizes my mindset of not wanting to waste anything, and instead to use everything efficiently. This quote encapsulates my abilities to adapt, and to think of innovative ways to solve issues. I have had many instances where I was able to make what I want by recycling things, repurposing them, and looking for alternatives. For instance, at the start of my graphic design class, we did not have access to Adobe. We instead used Google Slides and we were all still able to make amazing travel pamphlets. I tried to stress through my work that we should not be discouraged for programs we do not have access to; our skill was what truly mattered.

“Materials around the room” do not always have to be tangible either. Resources can also mean the people around you. Sometimes you forget that you don’t always have to struggle alone; there are always people who care and are willing to help you. When working with groups for an assignment, or when I am working with my Key Club board officers, I try to think of ways to include everyone, like highlighting everyone's strengths. Everyone is able to offer something, and it is what moves ideas forward. I feel that if you keep throwing away materials, and pushing the people around you away, then you’ll have nothing left to help yourself with.

Land’s quote reminds me that everything is possible, and everything has a use.

Everyone is important, and everything can be overcome.

The quote reminds me that I always have to be mindful, and open myself up to what I already have in the world.