Rising to the Top free essay sample

My heart is beating so fast; I can feel my chest pounding. I can’t even hear myself think with all of the uproar. The enemy is staring me down, waiting for me to make a move. Like me, their faces are filled with intensity. They want victory almost as much as I do, but I can’t let them win. My competitive spirit tells me that defeat is not an option. As I dribble down the court, I find my opening and I don’t have time to hesitate. The ball leaves my hand and lands just where I want it. It dives through the hoop without any contact with the rim and the game is over. We won by a point. I started out my basketball experience by playing recreational basketball, and I didn’t get the ball a lot. I could sense that the better kids on the team believed they were superior to me by the way they looked at me. We will write a custom essay sample on Rising to the Top or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They would have that smug look on their face and I couldn’t stand it. I was Determined over the next summer to do whatever I could to surpass their level. I spent all my time out on the driveway, improving my skills. My dad had assembled a list of drills in order for me to practice more effectively. I had to do hours of lay-ups, jump roping, and the dreaded figure eight dribbling drill every day. They weren’t what I would consider fun, but I did them anyway, knowing that the end result would be well worth it. The next year not only did I play recreational basketball, but I tried out for the travel basketball team, and made the team due to nobody getting cut. Though this was a competitive team, I was once again at the bottom. Most of my time on the team was spent watching from the bench waiting in anxiety for the coach to call out my name to send me in the game. But that year I became the star player on my recreational team. I knew this time that my teammates wanted the ball in my hands and my confidence grew stronger. I had gone through a tremendous change. I was making all the shots, and taking the ball up the court for my team to set up our offense. I led my team to the championship game, beating out my other travel teammates teams. We lost the game by a couple of points, but I couldnt have been happier. It took me a bit longer to move up in ranks on the travel team, but every year it was clear that I was gaining on my teammates. I began to get a decent amount of playing time, and I became a vital role on the team. One time my team was down by four points with only seconds left and we needed a miracle. The coach set up a play ending with me shooting a 3-point shot. I took the shot while an opposing player slapped my arm, and it somehow made its way through the hoop. I was at the foul line and I could have tied the game with this one shot. As the ball left my fingertips, I knew it wasn’t going in so I ran up for a rebound and took a quick shot. I missed again, but my team was not mad. I almost kept the game alive, and that’s when I knew I had established myself as a good travel player. My confidence continued to grow, but my seventh grade year, I was cut from the middle school team and my confidence was shaken. I couldn’t believe some of the kids who made it over me and it hurt for a day or two, but I had to learn to accept it and move on. I wouldn’t let this be the end; in fact, it was a blessing in disguise because it made me work harder than ever before. I made sure that every day they would practice, I too would be working hard on my skills. My eighth grade year I got on the team. Though I was not happy with my role on the team, I accepted it and would do the best I could with the opportunity given to me. I am now finishing up what is left of my competitive basketball experience. I have been playing up yet another level on an AAU team. It involves a lot of traveling and playing the best players out there. I once was forced to guard a 6’8 dunking machine, and it was embarrassing, but I am hoping it will help me improve and get the varsity time I have been working my entire life for. I was on the team my junior year, but I didn’t play as much as I wanted. For my senior year, I hope I can prove that I am worthy of a starting position. No matter what happens though, I will always cherish the memories I have had playing the game. It has taught me life lessons, and has allowed me to grow both physically and mentally. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the game of basketball.

Sample Admission Essay For Ivy League Schools

Sample Admission Essay For Ivy League SchoolsAre you planning to write an admission essay for the Ivy League schools? This college admission guide will help you compose the right kind of essay so that it will be a success. You have to read this guide very carefully to understand its instructions and to get the most out of your essay.Admissions essays are writing exercises to test the patience and flexibility of admissions officers and the guidance counselors. The ideal form of writing this essay is to write from your own individual point of view. As such, it is extremely important to be completely honest in every sentence of your admission essay. Do not avoid being objective about your GPA, honors, awards, public speaking, or other achievement of recent years.If you have ever been rejected by one of the colleges in your prospective school, this could be an opportunity for you to show what is important to the admissions officers. Here, you will come across many personal stories that w ould help you to reflect on your academic and social life. You will be able to state your reasoning as to why you are the way you are and which things you need to do to raise your grade. Apart from this, admissions officers are mostly searching for things that will be evident in your admission essay, and which may be either good or bad.One great aspect of the admissions essay is that it helps you to display your maturity, and hence, gives admissions officers a clear picture of what type of people you are. The admissions officers would be looking forward to a detailed and honest description of your personality traits, values, and beliefs. Your admissions essay will not only be a chance to exhibit your talents, but also, a chance to show them to an admiring audience. And this should be presented in a way that will not cause you to be frustrated or upset.You must remember that the admissions officer is the person who has to decide on your acceptance to one of the prestigious Ivy League schools. So, it is vital that you give him or her all of the information that they would require, while at the same time, showing them that you have taken a lot of trouble in crafting a solid essay that will convince them. Again, the admissions essay is not something that is supposed to take up a lot of your time and effort. It is meant to highlight your abilities in a positive manner.Admissions essays are written to make you look well above the rest of the applicants. Hence, if you are a good writer, then you would be a good choice for admission. It is true that the admissions officers will be looking for an admissions essay that displays your brilliance and unique personality. However, they also want to know how you carry yourself in different situations.In order to prepare for an admissions essay, make sure that you have some basic writing skills. First and foremost, do not skimp on your research. Make sure that you have enough knowledge of the subject matter.The key to writing an admissions essay is to come across as an impressive candidate. The more personal and honest your essay is, the more that the admissions officers will be impressed by it.