COMMON APP ESSAY Drip. Swirl. Flip. Drip. Swirl. Flip. This pulse mimicked the rhythm of my heart on Christmas morning as my mom rushed me to scrape out the ‘crepe’—1.5 cm thick—carbonized by a roughly 24-year-old griddle. I had failed in life before, undoubtedly, but this one was a fiasco.

I could not wrap my head around why and how I ended up with a cylindrical, coagulated monstrosity instead of a paper-thin crepe. Joseph Black taught us the concepts of thermodynamics—the greater the mass, the greater the heat capacity, which slows the solidification rate. Yet, despite my theoretical knowledge, I could not get the batter to behave. The pan seemed to mock me. Was it too hot? Too cold? Why wouldn’t the batter spread evenly?

My mind began to churn, just as the batter had in the griddle. ‘What if it was too thick?’ I reasoned. ‘Maybe if the molecules in the batter are too tightly bound, they don’t spread as easily.’ So, I prototyped—diluting the mixture step by step until the batter flowed silkily across the griddle. I held my breath as the edges began to lift in perfect, delicate curls. Eureka!

The sense of accomplishment and zeal ignited my curiosity for the science behind baking. I spent countless hours on food blogs online, wanting to unweave my cocoon. Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃)? A word I recognized from my chemistry textbook. One recipe suggested testing its freshness with vinegar (CH₃COOH). I read about how it reacted with vinegar to liberate carbon dioxide gas—just like in our class experiments! The connection between science and baking had become undeniable. I dove deeper into the science of baking.

Most recipes called for ingredients that my family couldn’t use—eggs, for instance, were a no-go in our five-day vegetarian household. I felt the sting of disappointment as I faced failure after failure—burnt cookies, dense cakes, undercooked pies. But each mistake carried a lesson. I began experimenting with temperature, adjusting the measurements, and replacing ingredients. Slowly, I started to understand how small changes—like the right temperature or the right ratio—could transform the texture and taste. My kitchen experiments became less about success or failure and more about discovering new ways to improve outcomes. Soon, it was Christmas again. Just like that, I watched my first creation—my eggless chocolate cake—bubbling up through the oven window; my nostrils filled with chocolatey aromas. It was heaven. My pulse now mimicked the ticking sound of the oven, racing with adrenaline.

Culinary arts came to me as a Trojan Horse, a disguise to unravel my impetuous zeal for sciences, specifically the application of science. The kitchen became my laboratory, where I mirrored the steps of an engineer: identify a problem (a dense cake), hypothesize a solution (alter the ingredient ratio), test (bake with adjusted measurements), and refine until perfection. Baking has taught me a different approach to life—patience, attention to detail, and meticulous problem-solving. During my CodeCraft Competition, I translated those skills into debugging my team’s program—a mindset that led us to the finals of the competition.

Baking reflects my love, time, and effort. During school breaks, baking sugar-free apple custard pies for the ladies at BPS Care Centre has cultured a deep sense of joy within me. Hearing echoes of “I've never tasted such a delicacy before” and sharing laughter and cookies with the children of Nazlee Convent has brought light to what I want to achieve in life.

Baking is engineering. Engineering is baking. The elation I feel in tossing seemingly disparate ingredients, watching them react, and then sharing the results with others is what motivates me. If I can find fulfillment in applying science to improve the lives of others, then engineering is the path that will allow me to do that on a grander scale. This passion for both science and service is what drives me—this is the foundation of my future.

First draft of my essay, I’m currently a junior and will be applying around November , I have no idea what I’m doing I literally sat down and wrote this 5 minutes ago.

Prompt 1 - Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story

Ding ding ding “ROUND ONE” The bell rings, marking the start of another round , but for me the fight started long before stepping into the ring. The world never made sense growing up. I would watch movies about these spectacular lives filled with luxury, as I sat in a one bedroom apartment hearing my parents argue about rent, and frequently telling myself that the loud bang was “just a car.” Why couldn't I go to that nice school, learn that cool hobby, or live in a safer neighborhood? The question plagued my young mind, “why not me?”

Everything felt so out of control in life until I stepped into the ring. There, it was just me. No one cared about my name, my shoes, or my past. In that space, no one knew me, and more importantly, no one could define me. It gave me the opportunity to be self-accountable. No excuses, no one to blame. It was a chance to prove to myself that I was capable not just as a fighter, but as a person. A person capable of hard work. A person capable of success

Coach yells “ROUND TWO.” I get up and focus on the task at hand. At first martial arts was just an escape from all of my struggles, but it quickly became everything to me. It was more than a sport filled with cuts and bruises, it was my chance to grow as a person in a truly equal environment. It was no longer about escaping reality, but instead creating a new one. It taught me to redirect all my fear, self doubt, and anger, into something positive. A new me.

I spent the whole time in the corner critiquing myself instead of resting, but it was this constant self reflection that allowed me to develop a “no excuses” mentality in life. It’s difficult to push yourself with no support. No parents driving you to practice, no friends wishing you good luck, no one to truly fall back on. Maybe these circumstances would have broken most people but for me, they were the best thing that ever happened. It allowed me to try my best for myself, not to impress anyone else, but instead for my own personal growth.

“ROUND THREE”. The stress is overwhelming, the weight of my future drags my hands down. A sharp pain engulfs my jaw. I lost focus. “TEN” I can't believe I let that happen. “NINE” I struggle to get up. “EIGHT” I remembered something I had read. “SEVEN” What separated the average champion from the greats was their legacy. “SIX” I wasn't just fighting for myself. “FIVE” I was fighting for the little girl in the neighborhood whose brother just got arrested. “FOUR” I was fighting for the homeless father who just lost his job. “THREE” I was fighting for the teenager contemplating their self worth on what could be their last day. “TWO” I was fighting to change the world. “ONE, ARE YOU READY?” “YES COACH!”

Ding ding ding The bell rings, marking the end of today’s sparring. I take a minute to reflect. I’ve come a long way, not just in the gym but in life. Martial arts gave me the tools to navigate challenges, but it also helped me understand that life is about more than just what you accomplish. It’s about the person you become along the way. I take my gloves off, but I hear another bell. I realize that the fight doesn’t end with the final bell. It continues in every choice I make, every step I take toward my goals. I was going to take that mentality everywhere whether it was on the floor of a world championship fight, an all nighter in my dorm room, or in the testing room of my final exam.

While I couldn't see into the future there was one thing I was fully sure about. No matter what happened in my life, I Would Not Quit.