50 Successful Harvard Application Essays

S
ADIE
M
C
Q
UILKIN
For every step I take, I could list a dozen reasons why I run. But most of all, I run because I couldn’t.
Maybe it was the sixteen-mile run at a breakneck pace the week before. Maybe it was the
impromptu dip into the icy Atlantic Ocean immediately following the run. Maybe it was the residual
stress from midyear exams. Maybe I was just going too fast down the ski slope that fateful day last
January. Regardless of what precise combination of factors preceded it, the outcome was the same:
The anterior crucial ligament in my left knee was destroyed, along with any hope I had of completing
my first marathon in the spring.
In the months before my ski accident, running had consumed the majority of my thoughts, energy,
and time. I had stopped saying, “I run,” and instead had begun to proudly declare, “I’m a runner.” My
shift in syntax reflected my intensity and devotion to training. When a simple indiscretion stole my
ability to run, it took with it a major part of my identity. Preparing for a marathon had empowered me
to define myself on my own terms, to take charge of my own life. Being deprived of my goal forced
me to redefine my concept of self and success. The sense of failure that began to sink in after my
injury was far more painful than any physical symptom. The dull ache in my knee following surgery
—and even the excruciating stab of a blood clot—paled in comparison to my emotional turmoil.
Not until I acknowledged my misery was I able to take the first step toward regaining my identity. I
realized that the fatalistic pessimism into which I had allowed myself to sink did not reflect how I
normally perceived myself or how others characterized me. No, I was—and always will be—the one
to seek a positive perspective in any situation. By the time I returned to school eight days after my
knee operation, I was determined to face my daily challenges with a smile on my face and a spring in
my step—even if my gait was more of a limp than a skip. I refused to pity myself, and instead focused
my energy on experiencing the present to the fullest possible extent.
My unplanned hiatus from running last winter allowed me to examine how I value and allocate my
time. I realized that running was not the sole source of satisfaction in my life; even if I couldn’t
improve my mile splits, I could become a better friend, sister, and daughter. Prior to tearing my ACL,
the whirlwind speeds at which I had been living my life had left me little time to focus on anyone but
myself. My injury forced me to slow down and appreciate all of the people in my life who offered me
so much support. I learned to focus more of my energy on taking care of the people I love, and in the
process, prevented myself from slipping into self-pity. Getting a friend to laugh or providing a
shoulder to cry on became just as fulfilling for me as finishing a race. Though my muscles atrophied,
my relationships grew in strength and depth.
Now, as I ease my way back into cross-country season, the sport feels both comfortably familiar

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and entirely new. The physical motions are the same, but my emotions regarding running have
changed. I no longer run to fulfill expectations I have constructed for myself; I run because I want to
show my teammates that I love running as much I love them. I run because it makes me stronger—
physically, mentally, and emotionally. Ultimately, I run because I can.
REVIEW
This essay creatively uses an injury as a vehicle for a discussion of the perseverance and positivity
possessed by the author. One of its greatest strengths is the work’s framing. Beginning with
answering the question of “Why do I run?” the essay catches the reader ’s attention and continues on to
discuss possible answers. One of these answers develops into a discussion of the injury that the essay
centers on. The natural flow set up by this sequence continues as the conclusion brings readers full
circle, offering a final answer to the question posed in the introduction.
At first glance, Sadie’s essay is about overcoming obstacles. She was injured and needed to
recover. But it falls into the Passion section because, in the end Sadie did not overcome the obstacle,
she embraced it. She allowed it to shape and help her understand her passion for running. Unlike the
earlier essay about running to overcome obstacles, Sadie does not conclude with a personal-best race
—the prime example of outward success. She instead concludes with an internal success, and to great
effect.
The essay is a work to be proud of. Upon the ending readers feel the message is complete and have
a favorable sense of the author ’s personality and passion.
—Juliet Nelson

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