SENIORENGLISH

SampleResponsestotheNarrativeAssignment
COLLEGEESSAYSAMPLE:Recountanincidentortimewhenyouexperiencedfailure.Howdiditaffectyou,and
whatlessonsdidyoulearn?
StringTheoryJoanna

Ifstringtheoryisreallytrue,thentheentireworldismadeupofstrings,andIcannottieasingleone.This
pastsummer,Iappliedformyveryfirstjobatasmall,busybakeryandcafinmyneighborhood.IknewthatifIwere
hiredthere,Iwouldlearnhowtouseacashregister,preparesandwiches,andtakecakeorders.Iimaginedthatmy
biggeststrugglewouldbecateringtodemandingNewYorkers,butIneverthoughtthatitwouldbethebenignactof
tyingaboxthatwouldbecomebothmybiggestobstacleandgreatestteacher.
OnmyfirstdayofworkinlateAugust,oneofthebakerysemployeeshastilyexplainedtheprocedure.It
seemedsimple:wrapthestringaroundyourhand,thenwrapitthreetimesaroundtheboxbothways,andknotit.I
recitedtheantheminmyhead,threetimes,turnit,threetimes,knotuntilitbecamemymantra.Afterobserving
multipleemployees,itwasclearthatanyonetyingtheboxcouldcompleteitinamatterofseconds.Forweeks,I
laboredendlessly,onlytowatchthestrongandsmallpiecesofmyprideunraveleachtimeItried.
AsIrushedtodiscreetlyshovehalftiedcakeboxesintoplasticbags,Icouldnothelpbutwonderwhatwas
wrongwithme.IhavelearnedMozartarias,memorizedthefunctionalgroupsinorganicchemistry,andcalculatedthe
antiderivativesoffunctionsthatIwillprobablyneveruseinreallifeallwithamodestamountofenergy.Forsome
reasonthough,afteramonthseffort,tyingstringaroundacakeboxstillleftmeinaquandary.
Astheweeksprogressed,myskillsslowlybegantoimprove.OfcoursethereweredayswhenIjustwanted
tothrowallofthestringinthetrashanduseScotchtapethissenseofdefeatwasneitherwelcomenorwanted,but
remarkslikeOh,youmustbenewfromsnarkycustomerscatapultedmydeterminationtogreaterheights.
Itshouldbemoredifficulttodevelopaninternalpulseandsenseoflegatoinapieceofmusicthanitisto
findthenecessaryrhythmrequiredtotieabox,butthisseeminglytrivialtaskhasclearlyprovennottobetrivialat
all.ThedifficultiesthatIencounteredtryingtokeepasingleknotintactareproofofthis.Thelackofcooperation
betweenmycoordinationandmyunderstandingleftmefrazzled,butthesatisfactionIfeltwhenIsuccessfullytied
myfirstboxwasalmostasgreatasanyIhadfeltbefore.
Scientistsdevelopingstringtheorysaythatstringcanexistinastraightline,butitcanalsobend,oscillate,
orbreakapart.IamthankfulthatthestringIworkwithisnotquiteastemperamental,butIstillcringewhensomeone
asksforachocolatemandelbread.Supposedly,thestringsuggestedinstringtheoryisresponsibleforunifying
generalrelativitywithquantumphysics.TheonlythingIamresponsibleforwhenIusestringisdelivering
someonespietothemwithouttheboxfallingapart.Tyingacakeboxmaynotbequantumphysics,butitisjustas
crucialtoholdingtogetherwhatmatters.
IambeginningtorealizethatIshouldnotbeashamedifittakesmelongertolearn.Ipersist,andIcontinue
totieboxeseveryweekendatwork.EventhoughIoccasionallybackslideintofeelingsofexasperation,Ialways
rewrapthestringaroundmyhandandstartoverbecauseIhavelearnedthatthemostgratifyingvictoriescomefrom
tenacity.Iftheuniversereallyiscomprisedofstrings,IamconfidentthatIwillbeabletotiethemtogether,evenifI
dohavetokeepmyfingerscrossedthatmyknotsholdup.

250WordScholarshipResponseSample:
"Brieflyelaborateononeofyourextracurricularactivitiesorworkexperiences."
Itisthesimplestofmovements:rightfoot,leftfoot,rightfoot.Itisthesimplestofactions:run,relax,
breathe.Forme,runningisboththemostbasicandthemostcomplexactivityIperforminanyday.While
mybodyadjuststothechallengesofgravelpathsandsteepinclines,mymindisfreetodrift,tosiftthrough
whateverneedssortingordisposingtheupcomingday'stasks,anargumentwithafriend,somenagging
stress.Asmycalfmusclesloosenandmybreathingsettlesintoitsdeeprhythm,Iamabletoreleasethat
stress,forgetthatargument,andsetmymindinorder.Andatthemidwaypoint,twomilesintothecourse,
Istopatthehilltopvistaoverlookingmylittletownandthesurroundingwoodlands.Forjustamoment,I
stoptolistentomyownstrongheartbeat.ThenIrunagain.

Tellmeaboutyourself.JobInterviewResponse
I'vealwaysbeenanewsjunkie,andIspentmylasttwoyearsinschoolpreparingmyselftoworkin
communicationswhenIgraduated.Ilookedforinternshipsandextracurricularopportunitiesthatwould
exposemetomediarelations,andI'mexcitedtocontinueonthatpath.I'vebeentoldthatI'mparticularly
goodatcomingupwithcreativestoryangles,andIlovepitchingthosestories,butIreallywanttolearn
everyaspectofthisbusinessfromthegroundup.I'dliketoworkinhouseratherthaninanagency,and
I'mespeciallyinterestedinpoliticalwork,soI'mparticularlyexcitedaboutthisopportunity.

Freeformnoprompt.
BigBoybyDavidSedaris
ITWASEASTERSUNDAYinChicago,andmysisterAmyandIwereattendinganafternoon
dinneratthehomeofourfriendJohn.Theweatherwasnice,andhe'dsetupatableinthebackyardso
thatwemightsitoutinthesun.EveryonehadtakentheirplaceswhenIexcusedmyselftovisitthe
bathroom,andthere,inthetoilet,wastheabsolutebiggestpieceofworkIhaveeverseeninmylifeno
toiletpaperoranything,justthislongandcoiledspecimen,asthickasaburrito.
Iflushedthetoilet,andthebigboyrousedaround.Itshiftedposition,butthatwasit.Thisthing
wasn'tgoinganywhere.Ithoughtbrieflyofleavingitbehindforsomeoneelsetotakecareof,butitwas
toolateforthatbeforeleavingthetable,I'dstupidlytoldeveryonewhereIwasgoing."I'llbebackina
minute,"I'dsaid."I'mjustgoingtoruntothebathroom."Mywhereaboutswerepublicknowledge.Ishould
havesaidIwasgoingtomakeaphonecall.I'dplannedtopeeandmayberunalittlewaterovermyface,
butnowIhadthistodealwith.
Thetankrefilled,andImadeasilentpromise.Thedealwasthatifthisthingwouldgoaway,I'd
repaytheworldbyperformingsomeunexpectedactofkindness.Iflushedthetoilet,andthebeastspuna
lazycircle."Goon,"Iwhispered."Scoot!Shoo!"Iclaimedagiddyvictory,butwhenIlookedbackdown,
thereitwas,bobbingtothesurfaceinafreshpoolofwater.
Justthen,someoneknockedonthedoor,andIstartedtopanic.
"Justaminute."
Atanearlyage,mymotherhadsatmedownandexplainedthateveryonehasbowelmovements.
"Everyone,"she'dsaid."Eventhepresidentandhiswife."She'dmentionedourneighbors,thepriest,and
severaloftheactorswesaweachweekontelevision.I'dgottentheoverallpicture,but,naturalornot,
therewasnowayIwasgoingtotaketherapforthisone.
"Justaminute!"
Iseriouslyconsideredliftingthismonsteroutofthetoiletandtossingitoutthewindow.Ithonestly
crossedmymind,butJohnlivedonthegroundfloorandadozenpeoplewereseatedatapicnictableten
feetaway.They'dseethewindowopenandnoticesomethingdroptotheground.Andthesewerepeople
whowouldsurelygatherroundandinvestigate,thenthereI'dbe,withmyunspeakablyfilthyhands,trying
toexplainthatitwasn'tmine.Butwhybotherthrowingitoutthewindowifitwasn'tmine?Noonewould
havebelievedmeexceptthepersonwhohadleftitinthefirstplace,andchanceswereprettyslimthatthe
freakinquestionwouldsuddenlystepforwardandownuptoit.Iwastrapped.
"I'llbeoutinasecond!"
AndIscrambledfortheplungerandusedthehandletobreakitintomanageablepieces,allthe
whilethinkingthatitwasn'tfair,thatthiswastechnicallynotmyjob.Anotherflushanditstilldidn'tgo
down.Comeon,pal.Let'smoveit.Whilewaitingforthetanktorefill,IthoughtmaybeIshouldwashmy
hair.Itwasn'tdirty,butIneededsomeexcusetocovertheamountoftimeIwasspendinginthe
bathroom.Quick,Ithought.Dosomething.Bynow,theotherguestswereprobablythinkingIwasthe
typeofpersonwhousesdinnerpartiesasanopportunitytodefecateandcatchuponhisreading.
"HereIcome.I'mjustwashingup!"
Onemoreflushanditwasallover.Thethingwasgoneandoutofmylife.Iopenedthedoorto
findmyfriendJanet,whosaid,"Well,it'sabouttime."AndIwasleftthinkingthatthepersonwho'd
abandonedthismanmadeobjecthadnoproblemwithit,sowhydidI?Whythebigdeal?Haditbeenleft
theretoteachmealesson?Hadalessonbeenlearned?DidithaveanythingtodowithEaster?Iresolved
toputitallbehindme,andthenIsteppedoutsidetobeginexaminingthesuspects.