University of Virginia Undergraduate College Application Essays

As I read The Odyssey one rainy summer night, the book became a prism that reflected a fantasy world free from the restrictions of reality and took me on a voyage of giants, monsters and gods. Its stories challenged me to embrace a viewpoint...

"Someone must watch, it is said. Someone must be there."

When I first read this Kafka quote, young and ambitious, I set my goal as an artist to be "the watchman "of the world - to reveal the truth to the audience. Like many children, I was brought...

“Are you sure you want to make that move?” Grandpa asks.

I take yet another look at the board in front of me and walk myself through it one more time, step-by-step. He’ll take my rook―he has to―with his last bishop, which’ll allow me to corner his...

Our Town, a classic play by Thornton Wilder, is about as simplistic as it gets: no props, no set, and a simple story of a boy and a girl in a quiet town. Although the story may seem unremarkable, I was profoundly affected by Emily’s words toward...

As I drove up the driveway, my little sister called from the backseat, “we’re home!” I immediately launched into a performance of “Home” from the musical Beauty and the Beast. I could hear my siblings groan from the backseat. The message was...

The adrenaline pumping through all of us was palpable as we stepped offstage after our opening night performance, excited to see our friends and family who came to see us perform The Sound of Music. My castmates and I were proud of our successful...

This summer, I fell for someone. Her name? India. This is our story:

In line with the classic enemies-to-lovers trope, we started as haters. Growing up, I dreaded the trip my family took to India every five years. I hated how dirty it was. I hated...