STORY #13: A boy writes in English and Spanish about a harrowing night in Zaragoza, Spain when he got lost, forgot how to get back to his host family’s home, and after many hours of walking the streets, returned to an angry host father at 3 a.m.

How story was used:
To answer an application essay question about any challenge a student has overcome.

Messages of story:
The student is a great storyteller, can write extremely well, is fluent in Spanish and English, a good problem solver, and good at human relations as he dealt with an irate host father.

STORY #14: The student wrote about a C student who is terribly disorganized, always late to class, forgets or loses homework, doesn’t prepare for tests or quizzes, and is always in the nurse’s office for random illnesses. Then he wrote about another student who has a burning passion to learn, seeks out the most difficult classes, is always ahead in homework and got straight A’s in Honors and AP classes.

How story was used:
To answer an application essay question about writing a story either creative or personal.

Messages of story:
The student is clever (writing about a before and after situation and giving the reader a surprising ending), resourceful, and insightful. How the deaths of his grandmother and best friend turned his head around in terms of what is important in life.

STORY #15: A girl wrote about what she learned from working at her father’s car wash business.

How story was used:
To answer an application essay question asking applicants to reflect on their family personal circumstances and to tell about anything that is not already revealed or explained in the application.

Messages of story:
The student learned many lessons from watching her father create and manage his car wash business. As a result, she is very sensitive to others, including employees and customers of the car wash, and has developed a maturity and business savvy way beyond her years.