When I first decided I wanted to go to FIT, I was so worried that I wouldn’t get accepted. I had heard about how competitive it was and knew that if I wanted things to work out, I would have to stand out from other people. I tried looking up things that I could do to help my chances of getting in but I never found anything good. I watched every youtube video there was for tips on getting into FIT.

The most important thing I found was that you need to write a good essay, which honestly just stressed me out even more. Yeah FIT cares about your grades, but not as much as they care about who you are as a person and what you can bring to the table. This is exactly what you will show in your essay. You want to tell a story, not just list facts about yourself. I really want to help you guys out as much as I can so, without further ado, here is the college essay that got me into FIT…    

My FIT Essay… 

I remember one late Saturday evening, the train was stopped at Jamaica station. Rain ran down the side of my window. A crack of thunder broke the silence on the train where I sat among a few. I lowered the brim of my glasses ever so slightly to get a better look at the people on the platform, and that’s when I saw her. A woman, wearing a dress made entirely of what looked to be, rose petals. That’s when it dawned on me, I had just spent an entire day in NYC and she was the only person I really noticed.

Sitting on this train, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. 

I didn’t grow up with the luxury of getting brand new sneakers every year, or a nice new car. This made it difficult for me to express myself through style and being a young female, that’s all I yearned for. And while this is difficult to admit, most of the time I envied my peers and the new clothes they were buying.

So, I did what I know best, I got creative. Cutting plain dresses into simple shirts, alternating accessories, experimenting with layering to put a spin on an old outfit, basically anything just to fit in. This is why I’ll never forget the women who made me realize, fashion isn’t about fitting in. Fashion is fierce, bold, and different. It’s creativity, taking what you have and making the most of it. It’s about finding your voice.

And in the midst of struggle, I had found mine. Better yet, it had found me.

With industry-level real-life experience from FIT’s professors, I will be given the opportunity to better my knowledge in fashion marketing, international merchandising, product development, and planning. I would take advantage of the many resources and opportunities FIT offers. Such as the Career and Internship Center and Study Abroad programs. One of my many goals is to one day study Fashion Business Management in Florence, Italy. This would give me the opportunity to learn French culture and language, all while doing what I love.

My eagerness along with my certainty of this decision prompted me to graduate two semesters early from high school in order to continue pre-college courses at FIT, all while still having time to work and save money. Not only so I can better prepare myself with the knowledge and understanding that I’ll need to succeed in my major, but so that I can stay ahead of my peers. I was also awarded a plaque from the New York State Comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, in recognition of my hard work, dedication, and success upon my graduation.

I am a very persistent and energetic person. I have been a part of the fashion and sewing club at my school for the past 3 years. Outside of high school, I took my first pre-college course at FIT my sophomore year, which was the In’s and Out’s of Fashion Merchandising with Professor Wolf. We took trips to Barneys, Sax fifth avenue, urban outfitters, and visited The Museum at FIT numerous times. We wrote papers on collaborations, developed campaigns for certain brands, and learned how to use a target audience to sell clothing in the highly competitive fashion world. I also gained a knowledge of current fashion trends as well as the ability to forecast future trends through fashion’s history.

When summer came to an end I attended another pre-college course at FIT. I knew that if I wanted to be successful in the fashion industry, I would have to know all of its aspects. After completing a design portfolio for Professor Cutting’s Creating the Fashion Figure course, I am confident in my understanding of sketching and the history of fashion design. I have gained so much from these courses, and being at FIT, I know I will continue to grow and improve.

Fashion is self-expression and goes so far beyond what the eyes can see. It has the power to change perception. What someone is wearing becomes who they are. To me, fashion has no definition, it is a voice.

So what makes me the perfect candidate for FIT?

Simply put, it is the promise of success and determination encapsulated by my hard work and devotion.