The American Musical and Dramatic Academy

Application Essay Template

Please complete the following form and attach it to your online application or mail it to the AMDA
campus where you plan to begin studying:
New York Admissions Office 211 West 61st Street, New York, NY 10023
Los Angeles Admissions Office 6305 Yucca Street, Los Angeles, CA 90028

First Name: Fatima

Last Name: Poggi
Date: January 26th
Campus of Interest: Los Angeles

Through your essays we hope to get to know you better. This is an important part of our
admission process. Use as much space as necessary to fully answer each question.

New students and international students please respond to the following

questions for your essays:
Essay # 1 Describe a challenging experience in your life and what you learned from it.
Ever since I was a little girl, I have moved around a lot, having to leave friends and family
behind. The hardest thing in my life has always been being away from the people I love, but those
difficulties have taught me that everything happens for a reason. I wouldnt be who I am, and I
wouldnt have what I have if I hadnt gone through those difficult moments in my life.
I was born in Peru, where the economy is not too good and the opportunities for a career
are very limited. When I was 9 years old, my mom came to the United States searching for a
better life for the both of us and I stayed with grandma. A year later, she came back for me. I was
very happy to see her again, but at the same time, it was very hard to leave my house, my family,
my friends, and my entire life behind. We settled in NJ where we lived for about four years. It was
very hard and scary for my mom and me to start a new life in a place we didnt know, with people
we didnt know, in a different country, with a different language, by ourselves, and away from our
family. There were many Peruvians living in the area which made it feel a little bit more like home.
I made new friends, and got involved in many activities that I absolutely loved. However, when I
was 14, my mom got married and we had to move to Michigan. Once again I had to leave my life
behind and start a new one from scratch. This was a whole different culture for me, with no
Hispanic communities. It took me a while to get used to my new life but I learned to like it. I finally
got to see my family again after 5 years and now Im able to see them a lot more often than I
used to. Michigan has given me a lot of good things and opportunities that I am very thankful for.
I have gone through many challenging experiences since I was a little girl and I know that
I will go through many more in the future. Ive realized life isnt always as easy as we think, but it
has also taught me that whenever we fall down, we have to know how to get back up. Life is full
of obstacles, and instead of lamenting them, its better to see the bright side because everything
happens for a reason.

Essay # 2 What are your interests and career goals?

Ever since I was 4 years old and won my first voice competition, I knew my future was destined to
be involved with music. My dream has always been to be the best that I can be, and be
recognized for it internationally. I want to be the best singer, performer, musician, actress, and
dancer. I know its hard to do so many things at the same time, but Ive always believed that
anything is possible with hard work, perseverance, and a good attitude. I want to be very
successful in the music business. I have very big expectations, and I wont stop trying to reach
my goals until I get it. I want to be able to make a living out of music, to be able to fill up a big
venue in a concert, to have important roles in stage productions and movies, and specially help
out my family. I want to make big money doing what I love, I know that sometimes this may sound
harsh but its the reality. I would love to be able to help out my family, and Ive always dreamed of
having a foundation and being able to help out people who are in need of a roof, food, clothing,
education, etc. I know that I can do all of this with a good career; for this I need to be well
prepared and the first step into making my dreams come true, is to study. I can feel it coming right
around the corner.
Essay # 3 Choose two people whom you admire in the performing arts and explain why.
The two people I admire the most are Selena Quintanilla and Michael Jackson. I know
that is very common to admire people who have passed away. I think its kind of ironic because
while theyre alive, people focus more on the scandals and when they die, people focus more on
their lives.
To me, Michael Jackson is the most amazing artist I have ever known. Every time I watch
his movie, This Is It, I get very inspired, and it makes me want to be a better artist, it makes me
want to be the best. He was the best at everything; singing, dancing, performing, acting,
producing, arranging, designing, etc. The best part is that he was actually good at all of those
things, he was a perfectionist. Most of the time, people who focus on doing more than one thing
at a time, end up doing a mediocre job. However, he was so passionate about everything he did,
that he ended up being a legend.
Selena has been my biggest inspiration since I was a little girl. Sometimes I cant even
explain why her life interests me so much, and why her death hurts a lot. I guess there are a lot of
things in life that simply dont have an explanation but make your life that much better. The first
time I ever heard about Selena, was when her movie came out. The story of her life draws me in
because I feel I can relate to her personal and professional life. She was also a very kind person
who never lost her humbleness with fame, and always put her family first. Her voice was
fantastic, and her charisma on stage was contagious. Every time I perform, I listen to her music,
watch her videos and think of her before I go on stage, and it lifts my spirit in a way I cant
explain.
My dream is to leave a great legacy just like Michael Jackson and Selena did. I want
people to remember my talent, my life, my music, my work, and all the good things I ever did. I
want to inspire people to follow their dreams and reach for their goals just like Selena and
Michael inspired me to reach for mine.