Essay: A Letter To Walter Payton College

To the Administration of Walter Payton College Prep,

Everybody calls me Tony, even though my real name is Anthony. I am writing this letter to you to convince you that I am the exact type of student you are looking for to complete the class of 2021 at your amazing high school. Throughout the tours and open houses of high schools, the one school that really stood out to me for its incredibly high mathematical standards, amazing drama program, and the diverse science program was Walter Payton College Prep.
There are many reasons why you should accept me into your school. Along with being extremely talented in mathematics, I also have a very diverse set of skills ranging from STEM to logic to debate to the theatre. Payton is the ideal school for my plans to accomplish success during the course of my life. All of these reasons are why you should accept me into your school because they are my life’s accomplishments, what I am, and what I strive to be as a member of your community.
To begin with, I personally believe, and many tests would agree with me, that I am a mathematical prodigy. Scoring in the 99th percentile in math for every single MAP test I have ever taken proves that I am at a very high level in the world of
mathematics. Often times getting a grade over 100%, I have never received a grade below an “A” in math for my entire career as a student. Even though I am in eighth grade, I tested into Payton’s Algebra 2 Trigonometry BC class over the summer between seventh and eighth grade. As a result, Mr. Galson invited me to take the class at Payton taught by Ms. Heiberger, but by the time my parents and the Ogden principal figured out the logistics, another student had taken my spot in the class. The compromise was me taking the class independently using the Moodle, and doing all the assignments on my own. This has been challenging, but working with tutors and using the tools available on the internet, I still feel like I am doing a really good job in the class..
I got to where I am in mathematics through a very long process. One day the idea came to me when I realized that I felt that math is fun, and that you should learn to master a topic, not just memorize it. Once I decided that, I made the decision to take Algebra I at Latin over the summer in order to get into a higher level math class for my 7th grade year because I do my best work in a challenging environment (like Payton’s), I used Khan Academy to learn new skills (which I reached 76% mastery of all the available lessons in less than a month), and I became a tutor for younger students while at the same time working with tutors who are students of Payton currently. I enjoy math because I like having a clear, and logical solution to everything. The second reason you should accept me to become a student at Payton is because I am a very diverse person with a large variety of accomplishments and interests. I have many interests including math, chess, debate, drama, music, puzzles, reading, building, and science. In drama, I helped found a new club at my school for kids who enjoy drama. In addition, I was part of the cast for the musical Grease which was our high school show (I was the only 7th grader). Outside of school, I have performed in Disney’s Hercules, and Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I am very musical, and along with singing and dancing in musicals, I can also play the ukulele, piano, viola, violin, and recorder. Of course, I must have some interests that apply to my logical side. For this reason, I enjoy puzzles of all kinds spanning from word to number to jigsaw to logic, they are all super fun, especially when they are challenging. When it comes to chess, I am a member of the USCF and I participate in tournaments all over Chicago, both on my school team and tournaments I have found on my own. I love reading, especially anything by Rick Riordan. Due to this, I occasionally read an entire series of thick books over the course of a single weekend.
The final reason you should accept me into your school is because the best job for me is going to be something related to STEM, which just happens to be full of different subjects that I enjoy doing.
To prepare for a STEM career, being in a very challenging environment is great because that will make me strive to try harder and to attempt everything, even if I might fail. I can achieve this by going to Payton because they have classes that the school I tested into doesn’t offer. Those classes include Pre-Calculus BC and Physics, both of which I would take next year as a freshman at Payton. These classes would challenge me and allow me to engage fully in the subject at hand. However, at a less vigorous school, I will be more of the odd man
out. In conclusion, I am positive that I am exactly the kind of student that belongs at Walter Payton College Prep. I am a mathematical genius who loves to learn, I am a very diverse person with various interests and accomplishments, and because Payton would provide the most challenging environment where I can achieve and succeed to the best of my abilities.

I hope you take my application into consideration,
Tony Martin

I also have a large collection of building sets from which I have built historical monuments out of Legos, roller coasters from K'nex, and many Marble Mania contraptions.