So, you’re applying to Brown. Everything must come easily to you, right?

Wrong. Over the years, I have found several things I am passionate about and in which I am successful, but not one of these came easily to me. I stayed for extra time after track practice to get my hurdle time just a split second faster, I juggled a soccer ball in my backyard until I could do 50 in a row, I played my viola for two and a half hours the night after a six hour Area All-State Orchestra rehearsal because I was not satisfied with how the music sounded, and I put in an extra hour making myself a study guide for a Calculus test.

In school, I have earned every single one of my grades. I have never settled for copied or halfhearted work like many of my peers have, and I have constantly worked my hardest. I crave knowledge. I know that doing my own work to the best of my abilities every day will allow me to gain as much as possible, and I am willing to put in the necessary effort to achieve my goals.
Similarly, I thrive on the athletic field. Sports give me the opportunity to be challenged, to compete, to learn, and to improve. This process is thrilling to me; there is nothing I like more than seeing my 100-meter hurdle time go down by even a tenth of a second after a hard week of practicing. Hard work pays off, and this is extremely apparent in sports. I have gone the extra mile, so to speak, to bring my game up and my times down.

Both academically and athletically, I want to earn my place at the top. I do not want to have it handed to me, and I do not want to take the easy way out. I want to be the best, but I want to earn it and I want to be happy. I want to always have time available for being with friends and trying new things. I want to revel in competition and improve as much as I can, but more than anything I want to enjoy what I do. Nothing has come easily to me, but through hard work and dedication I have been able to achieve many things.