"When they [NASA] were soliciting applications for astronauts, they rejected people with pure histories of success and instead selected people who had had significant failures and bounced back from them" (Dweck 29).
Imagine that Poly has a selection philosophy similar to NASA's. You are applying to Poly as an incoming ninth grader and have been asked to write a short reflection of 250-300 words on a significant academic or school failure and how you bounced back. (Not your personal life.)
I have had many failures in many areas in my life, and bounced back from them. But, the most significant failure in my academic career was in the beginning of middle school. I had a rough transition from the extremely simple concepts of elementary school to the increased workload and intensity of junior high school. Elementary school was more fun and relaxed, and I failed to develop the necessary time management skills needed for the next level of education. When I entered middle school, I got behind on many assignments and my grade began to drop dramatically. I went from enjoying school and being the top of my class, to struggling and not performing at the best of my abilities. I particularly struggled in my History and in my English classes. I have always enjoyed subjects with direct concepts and exact answers, such as Math and Science classes. In my History and English classes, we did a large amount of reading and critical thinking. I had never needed to ask for help from my parents or siblings on my homework, but in middle school, this changed. On almost every history assignment, I needed to sit down with either my mom or my dad, and have them assist me with my critical thinking problems. I was completely unable to do it on my own. They gave me very important advice on how to think critically. But I still struggled, and this, along with dependence on others for help, lowered my self confidence exponentially. This change spilled over into my other subjects, and I began hitting low Bs and eventually Cs. When I received my first C, teachers began to reach out to me, and I am thankful that they did. They, like my parents, advised me, and helped me raise my grades back to what I was capable of achieving. This was very significant, because if I continued to produce low grades and scores, I would not have the privilege of Poly. To be receiving some of the best possible education available, I am more than thankful to my teachers from middle school for helping me regain my grades and my academic self confidence.
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