Prompt: There may be personal information that you want considered as a part of your application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional hardships, challenges, or personal responsibilities that have shaped or impacted your abilities, academic credentials, or educational goals.
Essay:
"The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches."
It was the beginning of my 8th grade year. I felt invincible because I was one of the big kids on the middle school campus. That was until September 17, when my mother asked my father to leave. My father was my hero, he was everything to me. At the time, I didn't know what to think about the situation. The sadness that was instilled in me was almost too much to bear, but in the end it drove me to get myself where I am today.
After the divorce, it was my mother who had to take care of all the debt. She was struck with grief, stress, and the feeling that it would never end. One night, I woke up to her crying and she told me, "Please, don't be like your father. Please, go to college and pursue a life of happiness." From that night on, I promised her and myself that I would do anything to make her proud.
My freshman year started, and I made the best of it. Being only one year after the divorce, I still had the sadness that fueled my need for education. I was taking algebra II, the highest math class offered to freshman, and I got all A's. Math was my favorite subject, and I knew from then on that my career choice would incorporate mathematics.
Next, my sophomore year was the beginning of the rigorous ordeal of AP classes. I took the only AP class offered to sophomores. World History AP was and still is one of the hardest classes I have taken. The reading and homework required was enormous, but my drive was still there. I had to prove to myself that I could take on any challenge and overcome it. I spent countless nights staying up till two or three in the morning making sure I had the information down. I maintained a B in the class, which I wasn't tremendously proud of, but I knew it would all come down to the AP test. The night before the AP test I studied my AP guide for hours on end. I knew I had all the information I needed; I just couldn't be intimidated by my first AP test. I went into the test knowing that I could do it, and I would make my mother proud. I earned a three on the test. Being that history was my worst subject, I was happy with being one of the twenty that passed.
My next challenge was junior year. I was taking a total of four AP classes: English, US History, Calculus AB, and Physics B. I set my goals early that year. I told myself I would pass the calculus and physics tests. I studied and studied even more. I would not accept anything lower than a 3 in those two classes. I worked too hard to disappoint myself. When tests came around, I was ready to take on the monster. I walked out of the test with my head held high, and I knew I did well. I received a score of three on Physics B and a score of 4 on the Calculus AB test. The pride of my mother was unbearable. I felt so relieved that I was helping her make it through the hard times. I gave her something to look forward to.
Today, I am a senior and I am in the top 2% of my class. I am currently taking 5 AP classes, maintaining all A's, and plan on attending a major university. I am taking Physics C and Calculus BC, which are the hardest classes offered in the science and math subjects, along with Chemistry II. I plan on receiving a four or five on all of these tests. All of this, I owe to the drive caused by my parent's divorce and the promise I made to my mother. Without her, my drive would not have been as intense, but I am proud to say that I plan becoming a petroleum engineer and succeeding in life.
