New York is calling, and you know it's haunting me

So there is this new york summer writing program.
I'd stay in the resident hall of juliard
spend 3 hours a day being taught by professers,
3 hours of free writing,
and every day/night go to open mic nights, 3 or 4 theater proformances, every museum, and take a few tours.
I'd stay there for two weeks.

Only 26 people get in.
I need an essay, 3 or 4 writing examples, two teacher recommendations, and $4000.

I'm working on the essay.

Does anyone have some favourtie pieces of mine they've read? I'm having trouble picking


Here's the start of my essay. Tell me what you think.


Essay for Teen Ink's Summer Writing Program
Let's start with the basics. My name is ______ ___ _________. When I'm older, I plan on dropping my last name and just going by ______ ___. It has nothing to do with my family. I love my family. I just feel that a name should reflect who a person is. I would rather have a short simple name than a long name.
I adopt little pen names for myself. The most recent one being “Verity Amani”, which means “Truth” and “Dreams.” Contrasting idea's perhaps, but everyone holds contradicting truths in them.
My family is basic in a sense as well. My mother, my father, my sister, and me. My mother is a nurse who works night. My father works at a company that doesn't appreciate him. My sister is 17 and the most driven person I know; an artist, 90% average student, works two jobs. I'm a writer, I work and I am in every music group I can get my hands on. I'm the youngest in my family, at the tender and silly age of 16. We are a weird group of people, my family and I. We are all so busy that family dinners don't really exist, or family game nights, or family vacations, or other such myths, but we always find time to catch up on what everyone is doing, even if it's only at the family calendar where we put where everyone will be each day. My mother and father are very supportive of my sister's and my choice to stray from the path of professionalism in career choices, and in our various art forms. My parents have donated the laundry room to my sister as a workshop for cutting and grinding glass. As I write this today, my father is downstairs setting up my sister's new kiln. I get the support I need from them with simple things like their purchases of notebooks for me, giving me some time each day to sit down and write, distracting me when it isn't going well, and letting me apply to various camps that cost so much that the whole family feels it. Whenever my writing aggravates me, my mother makes it a point to cheer me up by getting me to watch funny old movies with her, making funny faces across the room at me, and laughing so loudly at things and herself that I can't but help laughing along with her. (At her too!)
For the past two summers I have gone to International Music Camp, for drama, choir, and of course, creative writing. This camp is very much a part of me and who I am. Not a day goes by where I don't fondly remember writing in the grass there, while one of the bands in the hut behind me plays bluegrass, Metallica covers, and Mozart. Creative Writing week there was very loosely structured, with the mornings for group meetings where we would read different authors, learn about different writing styles, and be invited to try them out. We were giving lots of free writing time, in which we could meet with our instructors to talk about our writing, or a specific style, or even just our career paths. We were encouraged to become a family of our own, to be unafraid to share what we create, and to most importantly, create ourselves, not just find ourselves. I remember well, one of my favorite instructors telling me that writing is “the heart in conflict with itself.” Something about that has always stuck with me. I discover a piece of myself at camp each year, however, I realize also that I need to go everywhere and try everything to know, so this year I hope I can be accepted into Teen Ink's Writing Program, and learn what it has to offer me.
I have always dreamed of going to New York.