Sample Essay 1: Freakonomics

In middle school, I saw the world in simple terms. I believed that big problems had obvious causes and that people’s actions could be taken at face value. That all changed in ninth grade when I read Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. The book’s central idea, that hidden incentives drive almost everything, was a revelation. It was not a specific chapter that impacted me, but the book’s entire way of thinking. It taught me to question conventional wisdom and to look for the data beneath the surface of a story.

This new mindset changed how I approached my schoolwork. For a history project on the American Revolution, I was no longer satisfied with just writing about the patriotic ideals of the colonists. Inspired by the book, I dug deeper, researching the economic incentives of the smugglers whose businesses were threatened by the Tea Act. I discovered a hidden layer of the story, one driven by self-interest, not just ideology.

Freakonomics turned me into an intellectual detective. It taught me that the most interesting truths are often the ones that are not immediately obvious. That lesson in critical thinking was the most important part of my transition to high school, sparking a passion for analysis that continues to drive my academic curiosity today.

Sample Essay 2: The House on Mango Street

Entering high school, I was a quiet kid, deeply self-conscious about my family’s small apartment and my immigrant background. I thought powerful stories were about grand adventures, not about my ordinary life. Reading The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros in the summer after eighth grade changed that. The book is not a single story, but a collection of short, poetic vignettes. It showed me that a powerful narrative could be built from small, everyday moments.

Esperanza’s voice gave me permission to see my own world as worthy of a story. Her observations about her neighborhood, her family, and her own identity felt both deeply personal and universally true. For the first time, I saw my own life not as something to be embarrassed by, but as a source of unique stories.

Inspired, I started a journal. I tried to write in vignettes like Cisneros, describing the smell of my grandmother’s cooking and the mix of languages in my apartment building. It was the first time I ever tried to turn my own life into art. The House on Mango Street did not just teach me about literature; it taught me that our power comes not from hiding who we are, but from learning how to tell our own stories.

Sample Essay 3: The Design of Everyday Things

Before high school, I assumed that if I struggled to use something, like a confusing TV remote or a door I always pushed when I should have pulled, the fault was mine. I thought I was just not “good with technology.” Finding Don Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things on my dad’s bookshelf in ninth grade completely changed my perspective. The book’s core idea, that objects should be designed for the user, was a revelation. It was not my fault; it was the fault of the design.

This new way of seeing the world had a serious impact on me. I started noticing design flaws everywhere, from the confusing layout of my school’s website to the poorly placed light switches in my own house. I was no longer a passive user; I was an active observer and a problem-solver.

This inspired me to take action. My younger brother was always frustrated by the microwave because the buttons were too complex. Using the principles I learned from the book, I designed and 3D printed a simple, color-coded overlay that made the controls intuitive for him. It was a small fix, but it was my first act of user-centered design. That book turned my frustration into fascination, sparking an interest in engineering that is all about creating a better, more intuitive world.