College Admissions Essay: How Acting Class Changed My Life

My future started at eight year old. It may be hard to believe that signing up for a summer class could be an experience that changed the course of my life, but my life changed all because of my mom trying to find me something to do the summer after third grade. This past July, I turned 17. With that birthday came not only the ability to see R-rated movies (a privilege I couldn’t wait to have) but also an anniversary of sorts for an important date in my life. I was eight years old when I was in my first theatrical production, and since then I’ve been in multiple shows, spent hours watching performances, and taken countless workshops and classes. That momentous first class started me down a road that now influences my future academic interests.

This has taught me the ultimate lesson about theater and life. The field of acting is one of intense competition. This becomes part of your thought processes. Even as I write this, I know every word I write will be competing with, and be compared to, those of someone whose goal for acceptance is the same as mine. At theater competition, it was amazing to see the completely-different opinions that existed over a show. I saw beautiful shows get last place and bland performances win Best Actor. I believe there is a realization every artist ultimately comes to. They must decide if they truly desire a career where they are required by default to freely open themselves to judgement.

My goal is to go to school and gain more skills and training and become a working actor on stage and screen. UT has a unique program that encompasses training for screen acting as well as living in Los Angeles to learn the ropes of the city. I can’t imagine a better opportunity to be able to go to school in my home state and transition into the film world in Los Angeles combined in one program. So reflecting on my first acting class, it is obvious to see that a single experience can change the course of your