College Essay Example: Eductational Experience and Berkeley (Ms. Nelson)

     I never learned how to blend in; following the crowd was not an option without a crowd. Until I attended high school as a freshman, I had never gone to a day of school in my life. Though I rarely thought about it while growing up, homeschooling was the best gift my parents could have given me (besides having me in the first place). Not only did it instill me with a love of learning and a strong sense of self-reliance, it allowed me to shape my personality without facing the judgment of my peers.


     I did have a role model, though: my older brother. As the only other student in my "school," I looked up to him as the epitome of everything that I aspired to be. I remember complaining to my mom that Dan was smarter than I, and she replied, "No, he's just more educated." So I resolved to close the gap—only a year and a half older than me, he was always one step ahead of me. Eventually, we did the same level work in some subjects. The pressure I put on myself to perform at his level not only propelled me several grade levels higher in schoolwork, but also kindled a genuine love of school on my part (I didn't know that I was supposed to loathe homework). I thank homeschooling for my voracious reading and studying habits. I'm not always a perfectionist, but I strive to do my best—and if that's perfection, then that's what I need to produce.

     High school opened up a whole new world to me. It seemed so strange to me that my fellow students were interested in blending in, getting by, and going with the flow. Not me. Instead of succumbing to the daily pressure to conform, I adapted to high school life without compromising my individuality and in doing so became a leader. I started clubs, led campaigns, championed causes, became a drum major in the school band, and convinced my friends to help me revitalize Monte Vista's sagging school spirit. It tickles me that my high school will never be the same; I believe in leaving things better than I found them.

     Many of my new friends don't even know that I was homeschooled. They just know that I'm enthusiastically individual—the idea of conforming doesn't compute—and actually interested in school. I'm not jaded by years of easy classes and discouraging peers. As one classmate wrote to me at the end of last year, "Your genuine and sincere interest in the lecture always astounded me."

  Though I've adapted to my new environment, I haven't lost the delight of discovery or the confidence to lead. On the contrary, the transition only served to increase my interest in expanding my horizons and leaving my mark on the world.