Essay, Research Paper: Cornell Entrance Essay

A paperclip, a lawn chair, a jelly-doughnut. These three objects may not seem as profound or enlightening as the three which Thomas Wolfe used to described himself, but they provide wonderful insight into who I am, how I think, and what I am like.
The paperclip is a very simple object. It is very versatile and quite malleable, but remains small and nondescript. It accomplishes a specific task with absolute perfection, but does so without attracting the glamour of, maybe, the stapler or masking tape. Similarly, I am a very simple person, but am very flexible and open to new ideas and changes. Like the paperclip, I am a perfectionist, and I do prefer to keep a low profile, avoiding unnecessary attention if possible.
A jelly-doughnut, strange as it may seem, may provide the best insight into the kind of person that I am. A jelly-doughnut, on the outside, looks like every other plain, bland, boring doughnut. However, when someone bites into a jelly-doughnut, that person discovers a unique, exciting, and tasty filling that separates it from all the rest of the other doughnuts. In the same fashion, I am sure that, on the outside, I appear to be a normal, everyday person. However, once a person has a chance to get to know me and explore my mind, they find the “creamy fruit filling” that separates me from every other person in the world. Like a jelly-doughnut, my true self is sometimes hidden from plain sight, but it takes only one “bite” to discover me, my mind, and my potential.



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