It’s funny I have this weird feeling that after posting this there are going to be a number of searches that will land on my site from high school seniors googling, “How to get into Wheaton essays” and “Free Wheaton Application Essays online.” If that’s how you got here, just know the essay that your about to read is probably not what got me into Wheaton. I actually got in because of my personal interview where I presented a song and dance routine in the key of h# and directed an entire pantomime by a troupe of trained monkey’s (though I had to agree not to house them in my dorm room; something about a total sum of body hair between roommates restriction).

I figure now that I’ve graduated, and because a friend asked why I wanted to go to Wheaton, there is no harm in revealing this essay to the general public. This was one of three essays I submitted for the Wheaton Application my senior year of high school. (UNCUT: Director’s Edition)

How do you see yourself as a good match to Wheaton’s academic and spiritual environment?

Since I first heard of Wheaton I knew I wanted to attend college there. It was a bright orange T-shirt with a blue Ichthus on the front and “Wheaton Soccer” on the back that first attracted me. “I’d go to that college just to get that shirt!” I told my friend who was wearing the shirt. At the time I wasn’t serious, but as I’ve learned more about the school I’ve found many more important reasons to go to Wheaton then to get a T-shirt.

Compared to many other colleges, Wheaton has tough academic standards. That appeals to me. I’ve always liked to challenge myself in school, taking hard classes that really push you. I don’t like to just get by, that’s a waste of the thousands of hours I spend in school. I believe Wheaton is looking for students that want to get the most out of their academic experience, and I believe I’m that kind of student.

The best way I’ve found to really get a feel for a colleges spiritual environment, besides visiting it, is by the people I know who have attended or are attending there, and the ways they are changed by it. In talking with friends attending Wheaton I’ve heard only positive comments and seen great growth in their spiritual walk. Those adults at my church who have attended Wheaton are individuals I have great respect for. The Wheaton alumni and current students I have talked to are all people with whom I agree theologically in almost all respects.

Two great men who have greatly influenced my life have also graced the halls of Wheaton. John Piper’s sermons and the memoirs of Jim Elliot have never ceased to amaze me. I want to learn from a school that has helped John Piper gain an amazing insight into God’s word and Jim Elliot an incredible patience for God’s guidance. Yet more then anything, I want to go were God leads me to go.