College Admission Essay Sample to Wake Up Your Most Creative Self

In my family, I am considered a pioneer. I was the very first one to receive an academic scholarship to a university. My relatives are all hard-working in their various pursuits, but I am the first to have my grades and academic performance earn my way to college. My parents deserve a great deal of the credit, because they have always emphasized the importance of working hard to get an excellent education because of the doors that it would open for me.

During my first two years of study, I have pursued the beginnings of an engineering major, but ...

Wherever I go, my cultural heritage comes with me. Since I can remember, my parents taught me to fully embrace my Hispanic identity and to be proud of whom I am. In the same time, they taught me to be friendly and to respect everybody. In their simple words, uttered to a little boy, they encapsulated the sense of cultural diversity and harmony that are the outcomes of the acceptance of others and of respecting others’ culture and way of life, of borderless friendship.

This lesson of life helped me so far in my academic experience, making me very ...

There are many reasons I wish to pursue my MBA at St. Edwards University, all of which stemming inexorably from my perpetual desire to move forward. I like to think of myself as a creature of potential; every one of us has the ability to keep working, striving for more than we have now, and each step I take is a move to know, learn and do more. In the case of my pursuit of an MBA, I believe returning to school will not only improve my understanding of the world of business, but it will expose me to ...

An M.S. in Management and Systems from New York University would allow me to explore diverse career options. The training in management, business, and computer systems would provide me with the tools necessary to serve many roles, and is applicable in commerce, industry, and government employment. The flexibility of the degree enables the holder to branch out and discover areas beyond their immediate expertise, and in turn expand the scope of enterprise and discover novel solutions to old problems.

My initial goals are modest, insofar as my first step will be to seek a position as an analyst in ...

In order to seek admission, I would like to introduce myself and tell about my desire to study English Language in your esteemed institution. As an English Language learner I have decided to apply in your college, simply because of its high standards of education, experience of learning in a global community and personal attention given to the students. I am Hana from Saudi Arabia and my native language is Arabic. So far I have studied 45 credits in my Bachelor’s course at King Saud University and wish to complete my Bachelor’s degree from your renowned college. ...

Boston College stands out as a place where multi-disciplinary learning is conducted at a high level and at a rigorous pace. The research opportunities are unparalleled and will enrich my learning. The impressive faculty and unparalleled student body will enable me to critically test ideas and discover new paths of understanding, satisfying my desire to learn in collaboration with like-minded students.

I am a good fit for the Carroll for a variety of reasons. While exploring universities, I learned about research conducted by the various science departments. I hope to leverage the University’s integrated and multidisciplinary approach to ...

Graduate education provides an opportunity to expand academic horizons, to learn practical skills for real world applications, and affords the opportunity to do advanced research and influence future generations of students in a given field. Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s graduate program in Finance will afford me the opportunity to conduct research, advance my knowledge of the field and study with some of the finest faculty in the profession. I will be able to advance my knowledge in a vibrant profession that has implications for a broad range of industries and services that are used daily by millions of ...

Graduate education provides an opportunity to expand academic horizons, to learn practical skills for real world applications, and affords the opportunity to do advanced research and influence future generations of students in a given field. Boston College’s Masters in Accounting Program will afford me the opportunity to conduct research, advance my knowledge of the field and study with some of the finest faculty in the profession. I will be able to advance my knowledge in a vibrant profession that has implications for a broad range of industries and services that are used daily by millions of people throughout ...

Admission Essay

Growing up in Egypt, my family did not have much – my parents were extremely loving people who taught myself and my sister the value of a good education. Working often menial jobs, they scrimped, saved and worked as hard as they could to allow us to follow our dreams. When the time came to graduate high school, my family’s limited finances left us with a dilemma – allow me to go to school right away, or to save that money and work harder to help my sister achieve her dream of becoming a medical doctor. I immediately knew the ...

Where does Bill Gates eat? According to the various lists Bill Gates is either the worlds richest person or has been within the top three for the better part of a generation. As CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates changed the way humanity interacts with itself and its environment. The revolution he ushered has made what once would have been considered ‘magic’ possible. With his creativity and business acumen he has accumulated a vast fortune. The vast majority of his fortune, some 95%, is dedicated to philanthropic purposes. Where does such a man eat? Why should he want to dine ...

Application Essay – MSc/PhD Molecular Biology

My reasons for pursuing a Master of Science and PhD degrees in Molecular Biology are myriad, as I consider this the culmination of several years of hard work and dedication to the field of biology. As of right now, I am a working nurse with more than 3 years of experience as a research associate and laboratory technician, channeling my existing education into effective medical practice. However, I would like to advance my training in the research techniques and concepts of the continuous and rapidly expanding fields of molecular biology at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. At this point ...

Working in the Emergency Department as a Patient Care Technician, my job entails assisting medical practitioners. To some this might seem too much of a responsibility, but I relish the opportunity to interact with these professionals as I nurture my intrigue and curiosity. I have come to understand their perspectives and philosophies undergirding their professional commitment. In a way, my interaction with them has sharpened my resolve to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant (PA).

My reasons for settling for a PA are subtle, but nevertheless very close to my heart. As a practicing PA, I will be ...

An M.S. in Finance from University of Rochester would allow me to explore diverse career options. The training in management, business, and mathematics would provide me the tools necessary to serve many roles, and is applicable in commerce, industry, and government employment. The flexibility of the degree enables the holder to branch out and discover areas beyond their immediate expertise, and in turn expand the scope of enterprise and discover novel solutions to old problems.

My initial goals are modest, insofar as my first step will be to seek a position as an analyst in asset management. Asset management ...

I absolutely love FSU’s mission statement, and its principles of leadership, learning, service and global awareness. Of these characteristics, I find that I appreciate the value of service most of all, because this principle appeals to me more than anything else. My entire life, I have dedicated myself to serving others; I feel that my greatest responsibility in life is to make my talents and effort work for my fellow man (and woman). I have always wanted to help people, even when I was young; growing up in Gainesville, FL, some of my first jobs included babysitting for ...

In order to get a better understanding of who I am as a candidate, it is necessary to recount to you some of the most profoundly character-building moments in my life; in my case, my understanding of Communications ties back most clearly to my time in the United States Army. While in Basic Training, I learned discipline, leadership skills and a strong work ethic – all vital attributes necessary to being a fully responsible and self-actualized member of society. I feel these traits would also help me greatly in pursuing a Communications degree at the University of Texas-Austin.

While in ...

During the first semester of my third year in undergraduate studies, I lead a team of 4 people in a national competition held by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants. There were more than 200 teams from universities throughout China. The competition was divided into three rounds; in the first round, each team was required to submit an abstract report of a case analysis. In the second round, each shortlisted team was required to submit a full case analysis. Finally, in the 3rd round, each finalist team was required to give an on-site presentation based upon the ...

My academic experience with Hong Kong Baptist University and my previous professional experiences will provide a foundation towards achieving my career goals. The Master’s in accounting that I would receive from McIntire will further add finishing touches that will enable me to excel ahead of other candidates and distinguish me because of the rigorous academic requirements. During my undergraduate education I was a highly involved student. I excelled in the academics, because I enjoyed the course work. I studied the foundations of accounting and I was often collaborating with colleagues and professors in a wide range of disciplines. ...

Previous to my consideration to send my application to the University of Pittsburgh, I had been enrolled in a community college for two years. This was preceded by my one year at the University of California Davis for one year. I was however, not able to continue with my education and had to drop out from University of California, Davis following the ill-health of my father and financial constraints that came with the challenge. I then resorted to working as a full time waitress, tutor and later on as a sales clerk to be able to raise my tuition ...

Life, it is said, is best taken ‘one step at a time.’ There is a reason this aphorism is so ingrained in our language and culture; our ability to walk, to move forward, is highly dependent on the health of our feet. We must do whatever we can to take care of ourselves, especially this incredibly important part of us, in order to maintain the quality of life that allows us to reach our full potential.

One of the biggest dangers people face when dealing with podiatric health is diabetes; I have had experiences with diabetes in my family ...

As an alumnus of Babson College’s undergraduate program, I was able to leverage my business education and knowledge upon graduation into a management consultant’s position. My experiences at Babson gave me a strong business foundation that was critical for me to be a successful manager and leader. For the first ten years of my career, I engaged in and led a variety of consulting projects in a broad range of fields such as: strategy development, market analyses, organization redesign, executive coaching and business development. We quickly grew from a seven member consulting firm with less than $1.0M ...

“Maleeha, take care of your parents. Take care of others around you because there is no reward greater than helping those in need.” My uncle and I were having our last conversation. I was twelve and he was dying of pancreatic cancer. Looking back, I didn’t truly understand the situation, but I did know that it was bad. Hadn’t I just seen my father, the rock of our family, break down and cry?

Although I shortly lost my beloved uncle, something good did come out of that last conversation. To this day, I can still hear him ...

During the first year at my current university I was a motivated, dedicated and driven student. I was hoping to reach my goals of graduating as a successful mechanical engineer. I had maintained a perfect balance between academics and extracurricular activities. I was accepted into the ABC engineering program. The program focuses on issues that engineers face in a competitive marketplace.

At the ABC program, I made friends with people from around the world with a wide range of cultural backgrounds. My friends and I organized events such as table tennis and chess tournaments. I was involved in community ...

I am applying for admission to the Drexel University / LeBow College MS Accounting program to help fulfill my long-term career objective to become an outstanding finance professional, yet committed to continuous learning and ongoing self-development so that I will make a significant contribution to the success of a growth-oriented organization. A graduate degree in Accounting will not only help me to widen my academic knowledge but will also help me prepare for the CPA Examination (Certified Public Accountant). I believe that LeBow College, as one of the longest-established and premier business schools, ranked in ...

Question 1 

In what industry, role and where (companies, locations) do you see yourself working immediately after graduation from London Business School? What motivates you to join this industry and how will your academic, professional, and personal experiences help you achieve this career goal? What is your alternate career plan? How will the Masters in Management contribute to your personal and professional development and why is this the right time for you to pursue this degree?

After graduation I plan to work in my own existing enterprise in the fashion industry, as a young entrepreneur. In ...

Managing and maintaining a hospital, and ensuring that the patients get the highest quality medical services possible at the same time is, in reality, more complicated than how most people think it is. In fact, this is one of the biggest ethical dilemmas that not only hospital administrators but also allied medical practitioners face in this era of contemporary medicine.

Hospitals are technically classified as businesses because they would not be able to exist, operate, and offer medical services to patients that require them without money. Like businesses, these medical institutions cannot do without revenues and profits; they have ...

As a military veteran, I know there’s a lot of change going on in the world. People all over are seeking answers and time and again, the United States Army steps in to lend a hand. While working in the military, I learned I can make a real change, not just in the lives overseas, but in the lives of those in our country. The tools my training has provided me are not enough; I need a better education, a degree, and ultimately a job that will open up another side of the military to me.

I am ...

The robotic arm moved from side to side, as if waving hello. My friend Tim was running some final tests before the MATE ROV competition, which he had been working towards with his team for months. Together they built a submarine Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and I had the incredible opportunity to participate! The goal of the competition itself, every year, is to complete a series of tasks underwater and in a limited amount of time. Each year, though, has a general theme that is applied to the competition, such as “fixing the BP oil spill” or “detecting sunken ...

Marilyn vos Savant, American columnist, author, lecturer, and playwright, once said, “Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses.” I could not agree more with this statement. In my life, I always seek to focus on my strengths, while also recognizing that I, like everyone else, does have weaknesses. Of course, we always must work on minimizing these as well, which is best done after we recognize and understand them.

I always put my best effort into further developing my strengths. I pride myself on being personable and also professional. I am highly motivated, detail-oriented, ...

An issue of great importance to me is how media and its current portrayal of teenagers affects them. Issues like alcohol consumption, drug use, bullying, teenage pregnancy, violence, gangs, etc. are frequently shown on the airwaves, and often even on programs aimed at teenagers. Frequently, it even seems to be glamorized (as in many video games, such as the Grand Theft Auto series). This leads to a perception of these behaviors as “normal” and abstaining from them, by default, “abnormal”. This leads to peer pressure and pressure from society for teenagers (and others) to partake in such activities.

This ...

I have planned the last seven years of my academic career such that I would reach this point of furthering my education through the attainment of a doctoral degree. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and with a Master of Science degree in Clinical Health and Counseling, I believe that I have gained a solid foundation for obtaining a doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision.

I am greatly passionate about the importance of mental health and how mental health issues are current societal problems that are not being given as much attention as they need. I ...

I came to the United States in 2009. I was deeply shocked by the stack contrast between my culture and the United States culture. The Americans had a unique culture. Most of them were always challenged by everything around them. No sooner had I started interacting and mingling with them, than I was assimilated into their culture of tackling challenges as they emerge. For sure within no time, the challenging spirit became one of most precious treasure. By 2011, I was in a position found an auto trading company in China with two partners. I became the vice manager ...

Issues of ethics as well as situations that require that we make choices out of competing interests are things that individuals and businesses face every day. People should develop ways of ensuring that they make the best choices when situations when ethical situations come their way. This paper explores the role of virtue ethics in the field of management, where I was involved as an intern last two summers, where I had to report to my immediate manager and supervisor. However, despite being in the management position of this esteemed restaurant, the manager relegated the duties of ensuring the ...

My choice to apply to Nova Southeastern University Masters of Health Science with a Concentration in Vascular Sonography program was simply because I believe it is a program with a strong social justice; I want to be a part of the diagnostic process for patients who experience a variety of illnesses and/or diseases, such as peripheral artery disease and atherosclerosis. I wish to study vascular sonography to help cure heart disease. Becoming a knowledgeable, caring, responsible sonographer, who people trust, is without a doubt a challenging and arduous journey. I think Nova Southeastern University can help me achieve that ...

As far as my career is concerned, my biggest aspiration is to make a difference in the life of children. It was during my freshman year at Leesville High School when I was attracted to exploring the various aspects of child development and psychology. Over the past ten years, my passion to work with children has impacted my life tremendously. My parents have always instilled in me that in order to make a difference in the world, I must first serve others by helping in my community, and this inspired me to make one of my short term goals ...

Every time I reflect on the words of E. E. Cummings, I realize that I have been on the same career development in my whole life. Cummings indicates that “To be nobody but yourself, in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting”. These words reflect the story of my life in curriculum and career development.

Looking back, in precedent years, my family adopted five orphans, all with different backgrounds, from Russia. These children needed to ...

Growing up in Korea, my family did not have a lot of money. My father was a policeman, and was very good at his job, but we still had to struggle to make ends meet. As a result, we often made sure to never waste anything, and never take anything for granted - aspects of my personality I carry with me to this day. My father taught me the values of hard work and perseverance; I also learned patience and compassion for my fellow man from him. I also vowed to work as hard as I could to make ...

Have you ever tried to learn a foreign language? The best way of learning it is to surround yourself by those who use it and interact with them regularly; music can be learned in the exact same manner. Hence, interaction with my peers is, according to me, crucial in my quest to learn, and hopefully master, jazz music.

Unlike most young talented musician who begin their musical careers early, I decided to pursue music only ...

Choosing a career in a rapid developing era like ours is a serious challenge to face. Surely, there are a lot of business areas that are very popular and profitable nowadays – for instance, Information Technology, Banking, Manufacturing and so on. We have become a generation of consumerism and every day each of us buy more and more products and property. It results in a growing fear to lose all this, and of course the main personal value – health, as today’s business environment requires a lot of energy and hard work. Undoubtedly, more people try to insure their private ...

I believe that among all careers available today, those dealing directly with people are the hardest. Although it seems so easy to communicate with human creatures, it is actually a tough task to accomplish. The problem is you cannot get into other person’s mind and retrieve the information you need, you can never fully understand what their intentions are, finally, you never know what to expect as a reaction to your words. Considering all ...

When I was in eighth grade, my close friend Rick was diagnosed with a hole in his heart. After repeated attempts to repair it, his doctors just decided that he needed a new one. It took two years to find a donor, but Rick finally got a new heart. A year or two went by, and he started developing the same problem that he had before. His immune system was causing the hole which had by then grown so large that he needed another replacement. Another donor was quickly found, and he was back by the end ...

The stench of a fish market is sufficient to create a frenzy environment; it is probably a product of the customers’ rush in an attempt to escape the foul smell. I tried to distract myself from the foul smell and fortunately, I succeeded in doing just that. I looked upon the holy river of Nepal, Baghmati—the river that was once the pride of the nation but had lost its grace and integrity due to the sewage wastes that were dumped recklessly and irresponsibly. As years passed by, the river began to recede and the only ones who witnessed ...

Perseverance is a quality, a trait that only a select few have and it is those select few that achieve recognition for their work. Those individuals, who are determined to achieve the impossible, do persevere. People that have persevered are Martin Luther King Jr., Sir Isaac Newton, Mahatma Gandhi and many others. They stood by their beliefs and understandings against harsh obstacles, and achieved their intended results. Perseverance is as much as a part of them as it is a part of me. To this end I feel so good about all the dedication, hard work and perseverance that ...

The field of pharmacy has always held a tremendous interest for me - ever since I was a boy, I have wanted to understand how the world works. The way things react to each other on a chemical level helps me to comprehend a sense of order to our world - a step-by-step process by which something changes into something else. The organic chemistry that goes into understanding these reactions, and pharmacy in general, is a particular passion of mine; this had led to an ardent fascination with the field.

This need for order stems from a desire to ...

The advanced practice nurse, or APN, has an advanced scope of practice in the nursing field, having been equipped with advanced training in clinical and educational practices. “Most states allow APNs to prescribe medications, including controlled substances,” and they “work in clinics, nursing homes, and hospitals to provide primary and preventive health care services, prescribe medication, and diagnose and treat common minor illnesses and injuries” (Prater and Hall, 2008). This often involves a much higher level of education than a normal RN, and they are given greater responsibility regarding the care of a patient, often under their ...

I live in a society where nursing, as a profession, is never appreciated, a society that does not understand the ancillary role that nurses play in a health care system, and worse still a society that explicitly discourage the women from pursuing this career. I personally differ with my community members in regards to this stance, and it is for this reason that I decided to become a nurse. It is a painful experience to go to a hospital and spend much time waiting to be attended to just because there is an insatiable ...

The modern methods of doing business and business related activities require that one possess the required qualities, not only the business knowledge, but also the frequency of searching for information. With the current trend where business organizations are increasingly becoming global and multicultural, a businessperson is required to posses the necessary entrepreneurial information in order to fit in the dynamic world of doing business. Profitability is the key issue in this, and each business organization is striving not only to gain basic profits, but also to increase profitability margins. Business knowledge requires both education and experience, ...

Introduction:

I wish to tender my interest to secure admission in military college. I had a primary interest of being a soldier, and this has been a natural conviction which emanates from a very remote encounter to this discipline.  I discovered quite early in life when I was a teenager at sixteen years that I am a peace maker who is naturally very inquisitive, argumentative and critical and my father testified to this when he said that I took after my uncle who was a soldier. I could then critique the behavior of those in the fraternity of the ...

It has always been my desire to get a degree in engineering and pursue my interest in this field. By choosing the right program I feel that I will be motivated to do my best in this field and also gain confidence. Since when I was young it has been my dream to study abroad. I have always been a responsible student and have been immensely interested in gaining more knowledge. With a high score of (3.8) in GPA and being the best student in school, I was able to get a full scholarship from The Ministry of Higher ...

Introduction Psychology is simply defined as the study of the behavior of human Psychology is simply defined as the study of the human behavior and mind. Research in this area is geared towards explaining behavior, thoughts and emotions. Human identity is one of the major components of behavioral psychology. This forms the core of discussion in this article. Identity is one of the key issues dealt with in the study of psychology. Behavioral scientists have developed several approaches to the study of identity. This article discusses two f the major theories of psychological approaches to identity and their contributions ...

I’m in my A levels studying Maths, Chemistry and English Language. I major in Maths which I happen to enjoy a lot. Electrical appliances have always fascinated me too; hence I have unconditionally developed an affinity for them. My thirst for knowledge in this field has ensured that I am consistent in reading so as to augment required knowledge on the subject each day, since learning is a process and a day-to-day activity. This has helped me broaden my perspective as well as increased my insight not only in electronics related subjects but on various issues. I recently ...

At the age of four, I had not learnt to associate with many of my peers; solitary life overwhelmed me, but not to despair point. Car dolls made ease of my environments and still squandered my childish time, but still, unwelcomed animates of diverse species categories, particularly the arthropods from classes of insects, mollascus and a few mammalian pets, amphibians and reptiles made part of my environment. I definitely developed a unique character by getting interested with them, initially watching butterflies hovering in the air as they did their mediocre plays; in fierce struggles, I touched, rolled them, and ...

It was never my plan to pay for Graduate School using student’s loan as this would double my loan debt. However, this was not to be. All the plans changed the very day my sister passed on. She left behind a beautiful, three day old baby boy, whose care became my sole responsibility. Considering the great achievements of my sister and the big plans she had for the baby, I never wanted to be a let-down. I had to accomplish the dreams of my sister. The biggest wish she had was to ensure that her son obtained the same level ...

For a long time, I have consulted widely and researched on the contributions of healthcare providers in various healthcare departments. Over the years, my interest of becoming one of these great professionals has grown increasingly. Of particular interest has been dentistry. I have come to realize that through their skills and knowledge, dentists play a critical role in the healthcare of any society. This has made me develop a strong interest of pursuing the dental profession. I believe that my academic background has laid a good foundation for my enrolment for a dental profession – I hold a Bachelors degree ...

Admission Essay

Choosing to work for Quantum Mortgage Brokers, a small real estate brokerage firm, was indeed one of the best decision of my life, which I took at the onset of my professional career. The small setting in the organization helped me in gaining a holistic and practical understanding of the accounting world. The very ethical and dynamic accounting job, paved my thoughts to rise fast through the career. In the beginning of my career as an accountant, my responsibilities in Quantum Mortgage Brokers revolved around preparation of vouchers, monthly reconciliation and the preparation of the financial statements. However, soon ...

Admission Essay

My desire to pursuit a Degree in Medicine has been conceived from the motivation to grow intellectually and improve my knowledge. It seems that I always strove to devote myself to people as a human factor plays a significant role in the future career. Allegedly, my life was always full of enthusiasm to help people ever since graduating from high school. I spent a substantial amount of time participating in voluntary work that was straightly associated with healthcare. Through volunteering, I had the possibility to grow significantly as a person, and I learned about the meaning of compassion and ...

Among Internet users, it is difficult to find anyone who does not have one or even several profiles in social networks. Their emergence is very often considered to be an intellectual breakthrough of humanity. However, some people think that social networks are created to turn people into obedient robots, living in a virtual life. Undoubtedly, social networks are the greatest technological accomplishment that promises scores of opportunities, however, it also might cause a lot of trouble. Of course, one cannot claim that social networks is one continuous harm, just as it cannot be said about video games. With proper, ...

Introduction

Working in the field of Allied Medicine is an amazing and at the same time, challenging opportunity. One of the reasons I found why this is so is the truth that it requires great time, effort, and even sacrifices to know how to address some of the medical needs of a patient but at the end of the line, being able to successfully treat a patient and make dramatic changes to his life provides a fulfilling feeling, a sense of achievement if you will. The objective of this paper is to outline my perceptions on professional nursing practice, what ...

APPLICATION FOR GLOBAL EXECUTIVE DOCTOR OF EDUCATION PROGRAM

Over the course of my education career, I have slowly come to the realization that in order for me to have more influence on the way things are done in the education field, I have to have some virtue of power and authority. This factor has been my major driving force in applying for the Global Executive Doctor of Education Program at USC. I have considered several other institutions, which offer the program. It is however, the program’s cohort structure at USC that has captivated me and made realize that at this institution, the program can help me ...

I toured over 20 tertiary institutions over the past few years, but Florida National University is the only university that most appealed to me. When I conducted my institution search I learned that I fancied a well-established university to a college. The relationship between the faculty and existing students, the sense of interaction among students, and the freedom, interdisciplinary arrangement of the curriculum are all very essential to me. In addition, my undergraduate experience was greatly nourished by the cultural diversity of the student body, and I am awed by Florida’s diverse history and its ongoing efforts connected ...

Admission Essay

Every child dreams of becoming an engineer, a doctor, a lawyer and all other manner of rosy professions. Television programmes and adverts make these professions appear surreal. As a child, I was no different; I knew I would study medicine and become a famous surgeon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Sadly, my dream did not last long. At ten years old, I discovered that I could hardly stand the sight of blood. Even the tiniest drop would make me queasy. Still, the fact that I grew faint at the sight of blood did not immediately extinguish my dreams. My friends ...