50 Successful Harvard Application Essays

T
ONY 
C
HEANG
Describe the world you come from—for example, your family, community or school—
and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
—Beauty in Complexity
Gazing up at the starry sky, I see Cygnus, Hercules, and Pisces, remnants of past cultures. I listen to
waves crash on the beach, the forces of nature at work. Isn’t it odd how stars are flaming spheres and
electrical impulses make beings sentient? The very existence of our world is a wonder; what are the
odds that this particular planet developed all the necessary components, parts that all work in unison,
to support life? How do they interact? How did they come to be? I thought back to how my previously
simplistic mind-set evolved this past year.
At Balboa, juniors and seniors join one of five small learning communities, which are integrated
into the curriculum. Near the end of sophomore year, I ranked my choices: Law Academy first—it
seemed the most prestigious—and WALC, the Wilderness Arts and Literacy Collaborative, fourth. So
when I was sorted into WALC, I felt disappointed at the inflexibility of my schedule and bitter toward
my classes. However, since students are required to wait at least a semester before switching
pathways, I stayed in WALC. My experiences that semester began shifting my ambition-oriented
paradigm to an interest-oriented one. I didn’t switch out.
Beyond its integrated classes, WALC takes its students on trips to natural areas not only to build
community among its students, but also to explore complex natural processes and humanity’s role in
them. Piecing these lessons together, I create an image of our universe. I can visualize the carving of
glacial valleys, the creation and gradation of mountains by uplift and weathering, and the
transportation of nutrients to and from ecosystems by rivers and salmon. I see these forces on the
surface of a tiny planet rotating on its axis and orbiting the sun, a gem in this vast universe. Through
WALC, I have gained an intimate understanding of natural systems and an addiction to understanding
the deep interconnections embedded in our cosmos.
Understanding a system’s complex mechanics not only satisfies my curiosity, but also adds beauty
to my world; my understanding of tectonic and gradational forces allows me to appreciate mountains
and coastlines beyond aesthetics. By physically going to the place described in WALC’s lessons, I
have not only gained the tools to admire these systems, but have also learned to actually appreciate
them. This creates a thirst to see more beauty in a world that’s filled with poverty and violence, and a
hunger for knowledge to satisfy that thirst. There are so many different systems to examine and
dissect—science alone has universal, planetary, molecular, atomic, and subatomic scales to
investigate. I hope to be able to find my interests by taking a variety of courses in college, and further

---

humanity’s understanding through research, so that all can derive a deeper appreciation for the
complex systems that govern this universe.
REVIEW
On first read, this piece feels more like an advertisement for the Wilderness Arts and Literacy
Collaborative than a personal statement. Tony dedicates most of his essay to detailing the lessons he
learned from WALC, vividly describing everything from glacial valleys to salmon migration, instead
of writing a truly personal narrative.
Tony does attempt to use his two-semester experience at WALC to trace the story of his personal
development. Sometimes, his story comes through, to great effect—for example, Tony notes that
although he initially hoped to attend the more “prestigious” Law Academy, he “didn’t switch out”
once he recognized the profound nature of his WALC experience. However, although he alludes to a
change from his “previously simplistic mind-set,” he doesn’t really explain how his mind-set has
transformed. Did WALC inspire Tony to pursue science research instead of law? If so, that would be a
good thing to explicate.
Overall, this essay leaves the reader confused about its narrative direction. It would benefit from a
stronger focus on a single story or narrative. Centering his essay on one particularly moving lesson
or experience instead of his entire program would have allowed Tony to tell the story of his personal
transformation in a more focused and engaging narrative.
But Tony does do an excellent job at demonstrating his remarkable ability to craft beautiful prose.
Lines like that referencing his “thirst to see more beauty in a world that’s filled with poverty and
violence” are the highlight of the essay.
—Sandra Y. L. Korn

---