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Essay Question:
Major Essay - Personal Statement
Throughout my secondary school career, I have really dedicated much of my time to furthering my knowledge of science and conducting research. I have been involved in several different research endeavors over the last few years and have won numerous distinctions. Over the last three years, through my extensive involvement in environmental preservation, I came to realize that there are many severe problems that urban lakes are facing in our modern era. I chose to examine the effects of eutrophication (the process by which a body of water becomes rich in phosphate compounds and becomes shallow with marked deficiencies in dissolved oxygen) in local bodies of water in the Los Angeles Area, namely Madrona Marsh (City of Torrance) and Harbor Lake Machado (Harbor City), and found that phosphate pollution was extremely severe in these areas. After extensive research, I found that phosphate binders, common substances used to treat medical patients with phosphate retention, could be used in this situation, and I devised a filtration system to remove phosphate and ammonia through ion-exchange and accelerated denitrification. I was extremely excited to find that these filters were extremely successful, and currently, the City of Torrance is in the process of funding construction of these filters at Madrona Marsh. For this research, I was awarded best of category and first place at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Environmental Science in May 2002. In addition, I have won third place at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2001, as well as first place at the California State Science Fair and Los Angeles County Science Fair. I am in the process of patenting this filtration system and am submitting my paper for publication to several national journals. I am also participating in the Intel Science Talent Search and the Siemens Westinghouse Science Competition, in which I currently hold semi-finalist status, with this work. I hope that this research will eventually lead to the betterment of lake ecosystems throughout the world. In addition to this research, I have also worked under Dr. Vito M. Campese, M.D., chief of the Division of Nephrology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, for the past three years conducting research on neurogenic hypertension. I have worked extensively in this lab utilizing several techniques, including nephrectomy, femoral artery catheterization, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcription, and western blotting. This research has produced two papers for publication, entitled 'Renal Injury Caused by Intrarenal Injection of Phenol Increases Afferent and Efferent Renal Sympathetic Nerve Activity' (American Journal of Hypertension 2002; 15(8):717-724) and 'Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Stimulate Central and Peripheral Sympathetic Nervous System Activity' (In Approval Stages), in both of which I am a co-author. I have spent over 1000 hours during the past three years conducting research at the University of Southern California, and this type of research particularly interests me. My ultimate dream is to pursue an academic research career. Research has truly been a rewarding experience in my life. I have worked more than 2000 hours during my years as a secondary school student, and I know that my future will be in scientific research and investigation. Through my counselors, previous university alumni from my school, and my own research, I have found that this would be a perfect fit for me in every way. The extensive research conducted there, specifically in natural sciences, and the caliber of the professors with whom I would be working would truly allow me to grow and mature as a scientist, which is my ultimate lifetime goal. I think that my intellectual curiosity, dedication towards research, and extensive experience will contribute greatly to the university community.
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Essay Question:
Major Essay - Describe the most important activity in high school?
My Efforts in Preserving the Environment Of all the activities in which I have been involved, I have been most passionate and committed to environmental preservation and restoration. I have dedicated much of my time outside my rigorous academic schedule to environmental service and have served and continue to serve on the executive boards of several organizations that are committed to this very goal. Since seventh grade, I have spent many hours doing conservation work and I realized the only way to further this goal is to be active politically and by drawing commitment from other people. With this in mind, in ninth grade, I founded the Environmental Sciences Club at my school and became its president. In my three years at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, I have encouraged more than 200 students to commit more than 3000 hours in conservation efforts to make my school one of the most active groups in the area. That year, I was invited by the president of our local chapter of the National Audubon Society to speak at the national conference in Asilomar, California, about the significance of youth in environmental service and I was conferred the Audubon Youth Environmental Service (YES!) Award for my work. I subsequently received an invitation to join the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy Board of Directors as a student representative. In tenth grade, I spearheaded an effort to create the Audubon YES! Council to help coordinate youth environmental activities throughout the South Bay. This council, of which I am currently vice president, now comprises representatives from over twenty high schools acting diligently to increase awareness and promote student involvement. In recognition of my efforts, I was awarded the first Audubon YES! Council award by the Palos Verdes South Bay Audubon Society in 2002, and I was made a student YES! Council representative of their board of directors. In 2000, I created a school-wide recycling program for cans, bottles, and aluminum. After many frustrated attempts, I was finally able to get approval for the program and locate private sources willing to donate all necessary equipment to the school. Since its inception, the Environmental Sciences Club has very successfully headed this program. Concurrently, I conducted in-depth research to reduce water pollution, and served as a consultant to the Friends of Madrona Marsh Board of Directors and the Harbor Park Advisory Council on water quality issues. In recognition of these various efforts, I was conferred the 2002 Palos Verdes South Bay Audubon Society Youth Conservation Award, given annually to the student who best exemplifies conservation efforts in the local and regional communities. I also received the 2002 Palos Verdes Peninsula Coordinating Council and County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Teen Service Awards. During secondary school, I have dedicated over 1400 hours to these efforts, and this impacted my life in many positive ways. I have learned the value of community work where results can only be achieved with the collaboration of many people, organizations, and elected representatives working together in conjunction towards a cleaner, healthier, and balanced world. The protection of our environment is an unending task. It is hard, unpredictable work but vital to our survival and to the quality of our lives on this planet. I am very proud to be a part of it, but at the same time humbled by the immensity of the task ahead of us.
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Essay Question:
Major Essay - describe a unique experience in high school.
It is a sad fact that many species on this planet are endangered or have become extinct due to human activities, especially in recent decades. I have always had a strong desire to be part of efforts to stem or reverse this trend. Due to my many environmental efforts and research that I conducted to reduce water pollution, I was afforded the unique opportunity to visit the Amazon Rainforest in August 2002 to study two species of endangered turtles in the Araguaia National Park (Ilha do Bananal), Brazil. Because of my first place finish in the environmental sciences division at the Los Angeles County Science Fair in 2002, I was also awarded a Helen and Peter Bing Earthwatch Fellowship for the expedition, which included a full share of cost payment and a travel stipend. This project was co-sponsored by the Earthwatch Institute, the Tocantins State University, and Instituto Ecolsgica of Brazil. I had the pleasure of working with a diverse international team of volunteers and researchers for two weeks in a remote region of the Amazon. Our goal was to locate and preserve hundreds of turtle nests from predation by transferring the eggs to safer locations. We also used granulometrics and thermographs to show the correlation between temperature, humidity, and grain sizes to incubation period and sex determination. The two species of turtles involved were the Tracaja (Podocnemis unifilis) and the Amazonian (Podocnemis expansa); these are endangered for many reasons: illegal poaching, deforestation, water pollution, and climate change. The work that was done in the two weeks of the project will hopefully save thousands of turtles and help in the long run to increase the turtle populations back to self-sustaining levels. Overall, the project was extremely successful, and hopefully will make a difference in the protection of these extremely important and beautiful animals. The epitome of the trip was by far the day sighting of a female Tracaja laying eggs. Such a sight is so rare in these early night-laying turtles that the principal investigator, Dr. Adriana Malvasio, had only seen it twice in the many years that she has worked with the animals. Even more amazing, the second group had also found a turtle on another beach. It was almost as though fate had determined for us to find these turtles that morning commemorating our two weeks of work in helping these turtles. A coincidence or an act of fate - something we will never know; but it certainly brought to a grand finale the trip of a lifetime. This was truly an exciting experience, and I hope that I will someday get the opportunity to visit the Amazon once again. I would have to say that the Amazon Turtles expedition was definitely one of the best experiences of my life thus far, if not the best -- it is certainly something that will stay with me for rest of my life. The friendly people, the unique surroundings, and the invaluable environmental work really came together to make this a truly memorable trip.
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Essay Question:
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
I grew up in Latvia. The stage of fairy tales. Where Sleeping Beauty lay and Snow White hid from the wicked witch. This enchanted setting sheltered me from the turmoil of my birthplace. Barely safe from the grip of communist Russia, Latvia was as uninviting as a Siberian winter. Before birth, I had two strikes against me: my family's belief in Judaism and my Russian nationality. Latvians saw both of these cultures not only as alien but also pernicious; they treated the two with outward hostility, leaving me family to feel the hate. Antipathy became part of our daily lives. A Latvian woman even chased my ten-year-old brother off a public bus after discovering that he went to a Jewish school. With many such incidents, my mother knew that living in Latvia was no longer a viable option. She began the arduous process of acquiring refugee status for my family. Our physical passage to America was simple. We took a train to Moscow and after a short stopover at JFK, flew to Los Angeles. However, the emotional repercussions of this short trip were far more lasting. The inability of my seven-year-old mind to comprehend the possibilities of the American dream sank me into a depression. I saw only the negative: I had left behind my father, grandparents, friends, home and way of life. I entered a world where I was a deaf-mute. Understanding nothing and unable to communicate, a sense of impending doom haunted my life. I am going to fail, I thought. This is not my land. Arriving home after a long day of school, I would sit down in front of the TV, mute the volume and watch the jubilant mid-day Duck Tales cartoon run before me as I sobbed my pain. Soon after moving to the US, I morphed from a loving, carefree child into something that could only be described as a dry husk. I went through the day mechanically: woke up at 6am, chewed and swallowed my scrambled eggs, rode the bus to school, sat in class straining to catch a word here or there, came home dizzy with exhaustion, cried, and went off to bed only to repeat the same empty routine the next day. But I was born a fighter. This was a 'sink or swim' situation and I would not flounder. After months of struggling with the language, my thinking suddenly transferred from Russian to English. It was as though someone had flicked on an internal switch. Armed with self-expression, I released my unspoken emotions. As I look back on the experience of my immigration, I thank my mother for her wisdom in bringing us to America. I remember the experience of feeling caged by an inability to communicate. This is why I educate myself: never again do I want to be limited by a lack of knowledge. Like Sleeping Beauty, I awoke from my slumber, but not to a handsome prince, rather I awoke to a renewed zeal for education and life.
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Academic activity
AFTER AN EXTENSIVE TWO-HOUR TEST, ASKING ME TO RECALL THE USE OF THE HUBBLE CONSTANT AND THE AUTHOR OF CANDIDE, I ENTERED THE FIRST ACADEMIC DECATHLON CLASS IN SANTA MONICA HIGH SCHOOL'S HISTORY. ALL I NEEDED, ACCORDING TO THE MATERIAL LIST, WAS A PEN, A NOTEBOOK OF PAPER AND A SPONGE-LIKE BRAIN. USING MY MATERIALS TO PREPARE FOR SCIENCE BOWL, OCEANS BOWL, QUIZ BOWL AND ACADEMIC DECATHLON (JEOPARDY LIKE ACADEMIC COMPETITIONS), I LEARNED AS MUCH ABOUT MYSELF AS ABOUT SAPROPHYTES, CNIDARIANS, KIPLING, AND WINSLOW HOMER. EACH NEW SUBJECT AROUSED THE INNER SCHOLAR IN ME, ALLOWING ME TO FLOURISH IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE I CARRIED MY NERD TITLE WITH PRIDE. EVERY TWO WEEKS, I WAS TESTED ON WHAT MOST LEARN IN A YEAR WHETHER IT WAS ART HISTORY, ECONOMICS, BOTANY OR AMERICAN LITERATURE. IN BETWEEN THE TESTS, I PARTOOK IN DAILY CEREBRAL MATCHES THAT BOUGHT OUT THE HEALTHY COMPETITOR IN ME AND GAVE ME AN IMPETUS TO SOAK IN EVEN MORE. CURRENTLY, I AM ENGULFING A GUIDE TO THE ELEMENTS, MAKING MY WAY FROM HYDROGEN TO UNUNOCTIUM AND I JUST ABSORBED THE PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS SO THAT I CAN NOW RECITE ALL 118 EFFORTLESSLY. THIS IS JUST ONE PART OF MY QUEST ON BECOMING A CHEMISTRY EXPERT AS A MEMBER OF SCIENCE BOWL A TEAM. CLEARLY, MY MIND IS WELL NOURISHED WITH THIS HARDY MIX OF CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, LITERATURE, GOOD CONVERSATION AND SO MUCH MORE.
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Essay Question:
Valued extracurricular activity
BEST BUDDIES IS AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION WHOSE CHAPTER ON MY SCHOOL CAMPUS PROVIDES ONE-ON-ONE FRIENDSHIPS BETWEEN DISABLED STUDENTS AND THEIR NON-DISABLED PEERS. SINCE JOINING BEST BUDDIES SEVEN YEARS AGO, I HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD OF MY SCHOOLS CHAPTER. EVEN THOUGH THE TITLES OF MY POSITION CHANGED FROM TREASURER TO HISTORIAN TO SECRETARY TO VICE-PRESIDENT, MY COMMITMENT HAS REMAINED UNFLAGGING. I HAVE DEDICATED COUNTLESS HOURS MAKING SURE THAT OUR MONTHLY ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS A TRIP TO THE LA BREA TAR PITS (LOCAL NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM) AND VALENTINES DAY DANCE, GO ACCORDING TO PLAN. FOR THE PAST TWO END-OF-THE-YEAR BANQUETS, I HAVE CREATED A POWERPOINT SLIDE SHOW WITH OVER 100 SLIDES AND MUSIC CAPTURING THE ALL THE YEARS MOMENTS. AS THE TEARS RAN DOWN THE FACES OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS ALIKE, A FEELING OF PRIDE SWEPT THROUGH ME. MY HARD WORK MADE THE BANQUET ALL THE MORE SPECIAL. I HAVE SEEN WHAT A DIFFERENCE I HAVE MADE WHEN PARENTS TELL ME HOW THEY HAVE SEEN THEIR CHILD GROW FROM AN INTROVERTED FRESHMAN TO A LOQUACIOUS SENIOR. I HAVE SEEN HOW DISABLED STUDENTS SMILE WHEN THEY FIND THAT THEY NOW HAVE FRIENDS. I HAVE SEEN HOW THIS ORGANIZATION WORKS MIRACLES AND I HAVE SEEN HOW ONE PERSON CAN CHANGE THE WORLD ONE SMILE AT A TIME.
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Essay Question:
Personal Statement. Write about any experience.
Escape to Lake Boronda I'm not known as an outdoor person. I've never gone camping or hiking before, and an indoor fly is enough to repulse me. But this summer, a friend convinced me to drive up to nearby Lake Boronda with him ' and for the first time in my life I was introduced to the pleasure of fishing. For five hours on a beautifully breezy summer day deep within the peaceful Bay Area Foothills, I sat at the edge of a dock switching between watching my friend cast his rod, and observing a pair of dragonflies mate besides my head. As I picked up my friend's pole and cast it for the first time, I felt a strange transformation, as if holding that rod suddenly converted me into a placid naturalist. Standing with a fishing pole on a small dock, dwarfed by a huge lake, overshadowed by a mountain range, I had a distinct feeling of serenity in casting and reeling, casting and reeling. My schoolwork, social life, and stress seemed to sink away; all I could do was watch my lure sail through the air and splash, feel the tingling of ants scrambling up my leg, and smell the fresh scent of algae that had just risen to the surface. Some people tend to ignore nature because it doesn't play a part in their daily lives - but as I took my friend's rod and sat down at a nearby, secluded rock, I began to feel a warm dependency on my surroundings. I gauged the passing time by glancing at the sun rather than my watch; I dug in the dirt with my hands to find worms for bait, and then rinsed my hands in the lake water to wash off the grime. I didn't catch any fish that day. In fact, I revisited that lake over a dozen times that summer, yet I did not catch a single fish. However, it didn't matter. It wasn't the fish I was after, but the tranquility, the escape. Perhaps it was fitting that the fish continuously eluded me, for I was on their turf. Some of my friends derided me for enjoying sitting alone on a rock, instead of joining them in more typical teenage pursuits, like playing video games or going partying. But at the lake, I felt a joy from being away from the strains of society, and among the beauties of nature. By walking past the gate that separates Palo Alto from the Foothills, I was stepping into a new world free of calculus tests and English essays. There was something tranquilizing about those wiggling tadpoles, those screeching gulls, and those pesky flies that kept buzzing into my ear. On the last week of the summer, I drew from the murky water a gleaming, four-inch long bass. I didn't feel triumphant, but flattered - as if the fish had finally accepted me into its secret paradise. Feeling a peculiar bond form between that tiny creature and me, I held it tenderly in my hand and stretched it over the water, letting it jump off and scramble away. Then I reset my reel and cast once more, gazing at the lure as it sliced through the air and dove into the water, again and again.
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Common Application: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, or risk that you have taken and its impact on you.
A princess at the age of five' I reigned over my imaginary kingdom in the library's children's area every Saturday morning. The cushy seat was my royal throne and the endless shelves of books were my domain. As ruler of a magical land, I had the power to explore Africa, to fly with Babar, or to cross the Boston streets with ducklings at the slight flip of a page. Rows of adventure laid at my disposal. I loved the children's area, the tollbooth to my Wonderland. As I grew older, I still visited the library and knew the librarians by name. However, I spent more time researching in the nonfiction section than daydreaming in the children's area. Sports, music and academics had replaced my adventures into fantasyland. My reign as princess existed only in memories. One Saturday morning, while I returned a reference book, the head-librarian Jennifer voiced her troubles to me. With furrowed brows, she told me apprehensively that the story lady had just phoned in sick. Yet she loath to cancel story hour the sight of eager kids already seated at the children's corner. Sensing her dilemma, I volunteered to be the storyteller for the day. Entering the children's area was like meeting an old friend, but being the storyteller - the center of thirty pairs of eyes' made my stomach churn. With clammy hands, I gingerly picked up a copy of The Three Little Pigs and began to read in a shaky voice. 'Speak slowly. Enunciate. Don't rush,' I inculcated. 'The children count on you to bring the story to life. Don't screw up!' I reminded myself. 'This is just like reading to your brother at night. Confidence. Control. Think of this as giving a concert. Be passionate! Wait - read slower - you can do it. Don't be shy to be a fool. Have fun!' With these encouraging thoughts, I became the raconteur, painting pictures with my voice and hands. When the wolf in the story 'huffed and puffed', I stretched my neck, inflated my cheeks and blew obnoxiously. When the wolf finished devouring a pig, I leaned back, rubbed my stomach and licked my lips slowly. The children and parents laughed, mimicking me by sticking out their tongues and oinking like pigs. Together, we all became the wolf and the three pigs. At the conclusion of the last page, I felt breathless but elated; invigorated by the children's cheers, I opened another tale. Story time has brought me back to the children's section; it has reminded of my imaginative past and returned me to my carefree youth. Every weekend, I reenter magical dragon guarded castles and fairy kingdoms to embark on arduous quest. However this time, I am more than the starry-eyed child who flips though pictures books looking for adventure' I am now 'The story lady', the 'li-berry-ann', the friendly face who safeguards the crowns for the future princes and princesses.
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Essay Question:
Major: Write a personal essay that will help us to know you better. Ex. Families, intellectual and extracurricular interest, ethnicity or culture, school and community events to which you have strong reactions, people who have influenced you, significant experience, personal aspirations, or topics that spring entirely from your imaginations. You should feel confident that in writing about what matters to you, you are bound to convey a strong sense of who you are. (500)
I hug the dryer fresh warm blanket closer around me. Outside the ominous sky threatens to pit fat raindrops against my curtain-drawn windows, but I am safe from the blustering gale. I am in my room, my sanctuary where I can think. Drawing a pillow closer to my chest, I curl up on my bed to reread a worn copy of The Glass Menagerie. Laura lived in her imaginary world - what type of world do I live in? Am I like her? I suppose that I am similar to Laura Wingfield that I reflect upon the past. I can vividly recall my kindergarten self planting leaves and counting stars; playground games seemed only like yesterday: swinging on swings, jumping on seesaws and climbing on monkey bars. However, I have moved on. My past does not define me; it only shaped me. No, though I remember my childhood, I am not Laura - I do not live in memories. As a young girl, I was shy and afraid to express my views like Laura. But after I began playing the violin, I grew outspoken and self-assured - my violin pushed me to overcome my introverted nature. My instrument's four resonate strings and warm sound box believed in me by freeing my emotions and allowing me to sing. From each recital and concert, I gained a bit of confidence - until I finally locked my fluttering butterflies in cocoons within my stomach. My violin is my springboard to the world. It gives me the courage to lead story time and the confidence to serve as Academic League Captain. Without my violin, I would probably be the silent Laura, hiding in the classroom corner rather than leading the class discussions. Laura isolated herself in her glass menagerie and never connected with others. I also have an eclectic trinket collection, but I realize that crystal ornaments are only objects. No matter how sparking or clear they are, they lack the warmth, the trust and the understanding found in human-to-human relationships. I build these bonds between hearts. As a Peer Advocate, I connect with cancer patients, pregnant teens, and failing athletes by listening to their personal experiences and supporting them on their path to success. Through counseling, tutoring and encouraging, I have learned how to empathize and identify with others. My world extends beyond inanimate objects into the emotional realm. And unlike Laura, I dream of the future. I embrace change, I question life, and I wonder about tomorrow. Will I do well on my statistics test? Will become a Yalie and study under Dr. Richard Edelson? Will I make a difference? Find success? Find happiness? These questions linger in my mind as my eyelids begin to feel heavy. The play falls from my fingertips as my head drops into the pillow. The sound of pattering rain fades as I slowly drift off to sleep...
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Essay Question:
Minor: How have you taken advantage of the educational opportunities you have had to prepare for college?
It was six o'clock. I stood at the main gate clutching my backpack tightly in both hands while watching my dad drive away to his night shift job. His last reassurances echoed in my ears as I turned to walk towards class. I tried unsuccessfully to control my jumpy steps as shivers of excitement and fear ran down my spine. It was my first day of school again; it was my first time as a college student. That night marked the advent of my college experience. The year before, I had completed my middle school's highest math level, and I now had the choice to either skip math for a year or enroll in a community college class. At first, I did not know that to do. I loved math but I felt apprehensive of being a junior high student in a college course. After long deliberations, I decided to take the challenge. I enrolled, and I excelled in the college Intermediate Algebra class. Ever since taking that first math class, I have continued to challenge myself with other courses such as chemistry, French and statistics. College is now familiar territory; college classes are where I can study subjects in depth and satisfy my craving for knowledge.
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Essay Question:
Please provide more information about yourself in a written personal statement. The subject matter of the essay is up to you, but keep in mind that the reader will be seeking a sense of you as a person and as a potential student and graduate of Boalt Hall.
The Lust for Knowing: Shifting the Shapes of Words to Worlds 'I have invented the word Be-Friending, which means 'the creation of a context/ atmosphere in which leaps of Metamorphosis can take place.' Be-Friending is Realizing the Lust to share happiness, and it is possible when women begin to re-member our Elemental potency and therefore experience Be-Longing, the Lust for happiness. Happiness, understood in this context, is not a mere passing emotion. It is a life of activity, of Unfolding spiritual, intellectual, sensory, physical, e-motional potency.' *1 Throughout their years as college students, women and men experience a myriad of emotional upheavals and spiritual disappointments as they learn to deconstruct and critically examine the structures and institutions upon which they previously relied for comfort, solace and guidance. This is a manifest function of a liberal education; one of the social sciences' primary tasks includes teaching its students to transcend the superstitious and dogmatic ideologies and paradigms through the application of newly-acquired critical thinking skills. However, as a college student, I realized that women and men experience college education and its ensuing 'enlightenment' differently: Women from all social groups learn to recognize the disproportionate discrimination to which their society subjects them as compared to their male cohorts, regardless of any other factor. Women, in their quest for 'Be-Longing, the Lust for happiness,' discover that only through the awareness, anger and action can the oppressive mechanisms by which Western Institutions promulgate patriarchy be finally, and completely, deconstructed. I began the deconstruction in the fall of 1993. I was 26, a police officer, married - and held only the faintest hope of completing a four-year college degree. Since then, I metamorphosed from the conservative, religious and very female child of my society to the woman I am today: A divorced, Radical, Post-Modern, Neo-Marxist, Neo-Atheist Feminist who, so unlike a jonesing drug addict, yearns to never return to the life I left behind. And yet my journey is not complete. Every class, every book, every protest, every plan I make and undertake expands my mind in new ways. I learn, but I never know enough. I graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Communication in May of 2001. I wish to sustain my intellectual evolution via the Juris Doctorate Program and, after its completion, by pursuing a professional life making a difference for the disenfranchised. I decided, or discovered, this desire college at some point during my course of studies, although the precise moment is lost to recollection. Now it just seems as though I have always wanted to enlighten the world. My sister is my spiritual and intellectual comrade who also shares my passion for social activism. She began college one year before I did, right after her high school graduation. Somehow our paths aligned and we began the 'cooperative effort' in our college education that gradually became the norm. We simultaneously 'discovered' atheism, later, feminism, and later yet, deconstructed atheism and the scientific method during our latter years at [a] State University. Together we labored to make our student organization, [organization name], worthy of the awards it wins. We collaborated our research and development as well; with surprised instructors' approval, we conducted research and co-authored several papers in shared undergraduate classes, creating several synergistic products of scholarly excellence; for instance, we wrote a 43-page paper combining Michel Foucault, a French philosopher, and feminism. We focused on the Enlightenment's incorporation of women's bodies (via the witch-burnings of the 14th-18th centuries) as the vehicle by which the conservative Clericalists and emerging Scientists rode out the tumultuous paradigm shift, dismounting only when Science finally arose supreme. The paper concludes with the assertion that women's bodies are still used as a vehicle of social change. It is only the mechanisms that have metamorphosed. Our accomplishments are not limited to academic prose; we co-authored and continue to teach, both singularly and together (when possible), two student workshops. One of these workshops is entitled [name], in which we discuss various aspects of the female body image ideal as portrayed through popular women's magazine advertisements. This program, which is directed at high-school and college-aged women, exposes the connection between impossible corporeal ideals and eating disorders. Another we co-teach, [name] engages the history of witchcraft, employing the Malleus Maleficarum as the primary instructive tool of torture (another mechanistic means to focus on the woman's body). I began teaching Fundamental of Speech Communication in August of 1999 after winning a teaching assistantship. I developed my own curriculum and, from the beginning, have taught my students to become critical consumers of internal and external messages. For instance, I appointed my students to one of six groups on the first day of class. For their first assignment, I gave each group-member two handouts: one provided a basic explanation of propaganda; the other addressed one of eight various types. We discussed propaganda over the next two class periods and each group was directed to prepare a 15- to 25-minute dramatic presentation that would illustrate their type for the remainder of the class-members. The presentations were immensely successful; from two classes, the groups chose topics such as 'Y2K' (bandwagon approach), gun control (unwarranted extrapolation and fear approach), political processes (transference and plain folks approach) and one group used a 'Jerry Springer Show' format to vividly portray name calling as a mechanism for other-centered status reduction. During my educational journey I have made some insightful discoveries. As my class so vividly demonstrated, certain academic disciplines are considerably more conducive to a liberal education, not the least of which is Communication. Simply because no inter- or intrapersonal human interaction is possible without it, Communication is a fertile field in which vigorous studies can unearth remarkable insights. In my opinion, this disciplines promise lies in its rejection of lineality, overall lack of essentialism and, as of yet anyway, its minimal dogmatism. Epistemologically, Law offers students generous space in which to explore; within its rigorous structure, one is able to gain an empowered perspective of her or his world. Law allows the scholastic investigator to trace the fragile yet overpowering forces acting between the deepest roots of Western Society's paradigms, ideologies and institutions and their most manifest consequences. These include, but are not limited to formerly unconnected phenomena such as gender, ethnicity, the creation of knowledge, criminality, self-esteem, environmentalism, capitalism and so on. Academically, the study of Law allows one to uncover the means by which a particular society's or groups' ideas concerning age, sex and sexuality, ethnicity, class, race, socioeconomic status, prestige, et cetera (ad nauseum), are transmitted to and within societys peoples. It also assists investigations into how these ideas sustain and propagate the institutions themselves. 'Traditional' societies' ruling classes seem to have maintained their superior positions through the exclusion of women, and other nongroup members, from preferred and intellectual endeavors. These groups' inferior societal position was, and is, maintained via various forms of law: For instance, in the nongroups' exclusion from historical accounts (marginalizing works excluded); in the nongroups' inundation of ruling ideals via conservatively-owned mass media and the ultimate control over institutions of public, and private, rule; and by the artificial manipulation and evolutionary control of humanity's most essential tool: language. Pursuing a juris doctorate degree will provide me with the opportunity to vigorously engage the subject of my primary interest: the mechanisms of oppression. I believe that human societies' infrastructural, structural and superstructural assemblages are so intricately interconnected that any coursework that I undertake within this discipline will yield prolific insights and assist me in my journey to eventually transmit freedom via the postgraduate practice I will engage. And precisely because of the complimentary nature of my prior academic and professional experiences, a juris doctorate degree will permit me leaps of Metamorphosis that not only can, but will take place for women everywhere. *1 Daly, M. (1985). Beyond God the Father: Toward a Philosophy of Women's Liberation. Boston: Beacon Press, xi.
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Essay Question:
We are often misled by the appearance of things, of people, even of ourselves. Write about an appearance that deceived you and analyze its significance to you.
June 28, 2003 - Bienvenidos a Guatemala For the past year, I dreamt of volunteering overseas. I was involved with service work in my community, first working in Good Samaritan Hospital and later founding the first child-based service club at my school. However, I wanted an experience beyond what I was familiar with, and helping overseas was an opportunity for me to experience something new as well as further my commitment to public service. Though I knew my reasons for volunteering abroad, I had qualms. I pictured nursing ill infants and being taught Spanish vocabulary by mischievous teenagers, but in truth, I had no idea what to expect. Only 17 and born to protective Asian parents, I was unsure if I could handle what I saw or if I could even help. July 1, 2003 - Hogar de Marina Guirola Leal It was my first day of work. I was assigned to Hogar de Marina Guirola Leal - an orphanage for abandoned children. As I walked through the heavy wooden doors, I saw the children, most in wheelchairs. The nuns gave me a tour, and all I could see were the twisted limbs, drooling mouths, and empty eyes. I was shocked, uncomfortable, but most of all, scared. Numb from what I saw, my mind was blank. July 5, 2003 - Arriba, abajo I went through the first days in a trance. Still uneasy, I worked tentatively. While changing the urine-soaked sheets, I held the corners. When diapering the children, I winced at their emaciated forms. After mealtime one day, I sat, exhausted and emotionally spent. As I lowered my head, Sindy, a curly-haired girl with a distended cheek deformity, sat and began scratching me. Continuing her game, she lifted my hand and said 'Arriba,' lowered it and said, 'Abajo.' As I repeated the words after her, she beamed and snuggled in the crook of my arm. I had made her happy. July 19, 2003 - Adios Today I said my good-byes. Despite my shaky start, I grew to understand and love every child. I knew who would be difficult to feed and who loved the mango puree. I knew who wanted the rubber ball and who loved back rubs. Santiago cried when he suffered from headaches but grinned when I pushed his wheelchair in circles. Julio ran to me when I walked through the door and loved using my lap as a pillow. Raul was distant and aloof, but bobbed happily whenever I fell on the ground, spilling chicken soup over myself. Despite my initial doubt in my abilities, I felt that I had made a contribution. I felt as if I made their lives a little bit happier by helping them smile. *** Throughout high school, I have been dedicated to helping my community. This short but meaningful experience forced me to test that commitment and has shown me that community service is challenging but rewarding. Though I expected volunteering abroad to be a much different experience, I learned to overcome my initial discomfort, and my work with the children helped me develop emotionally and allowed me to gain confidence in my capabilities. I now know that in the future, no matter where I am or what I do, I will be able to make a contribution in some form to my community and incorporate service into my life.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Name a favorite book or movie that you are reluctant to admit you like. Briefly explain why.
I love A Walk to Remember. You might recognize the name from the posters of the teenage movie adaptation or know it as the tearjerker that romantics love. I am sometimes reluctant to admit that it is one of my favorite books because it is a silly romance novel that touches me with its story of 'fated love' between Jamie, a terminally ill idealist, and Landon, the bad-boy in town. Yet, I feel my appreciation for this book reveals other aspects of me. Am I diehard romantic? - Oh yes. Am I looking for love? - Isn't any girl? However, more significantly, I think my love for this book, specifically my admiration of Jamie's positive character, reveals that I am an optimist who gives everything her best shot no matter how bleak the situation. Some call this 'idealism,' believing I foolishly cling to my aspirations. (As a child, I believed that with effort, I could surpass my natural affinity for catastrophe and rise to become a prima ballerina. I'm still working on it - almost got the splits.) I agree that idealism should be accompanied by realism. I agree that A Walk to Remember is not great American literature. However, I love this book because I see a regular teenage girl thrive through her endurance and idealism, and it is my optimism and persistence that allow me to do the same.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
What is the most important phrase to learn in a foreign language and why?
Born and raised in Taiwan, my mother spoke only Mandarin until she came to the US at age 35, but this never prevented her from communicating with others. She once told me, 'As long as I said 'How are you?' people saw me as polite and kind, so they listened.' I saw the prudence in her words. Kindness is a universal language, so a key to communication and opportunity is to convey this in words. 'Ni hao ma?'
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
In the space provided below, or on a separate sheet if necessary, please describe which of these activities (extracurricular and personal activities or work experience) has had the most meaning for you, and why.
This coming semester, I will be leading Youth Acting for Kids (YAK) in an effort to raise awareness and prompt discussions of world peace as it relates to children and the World Peace Project. We will be visiting local elementary schools, sharing Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, a story of a terminally ill girl who suffers from leukemia due to the radiation left by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima during World War II. In the story, Sadako makes 1000 paper cranes so that, according to Japanese legend, she can receive one wish. Like Sadako, we will teach students to make cranes while leading discussions of peace. The effort will culminate in a donation of 1000 paper cranes to the Lucille Packard Childrens Hospital, symbolizing the wishes of children in the community for the health of the patients. It is because of projects such as this that I co-founded YAK, my high school's first child-focused service club. My objective in creating this club was to add depth to the service work done by students. During my freshman year, I joined many of the community service clubs on campus such as Interact and Octagon. However, after activities such as sorting clothing and gift-wrapping, I was disappointed with the lack of interaction between myself and those I was trying to help. Thus, with YAK, I wanted to give members opportunities to work directly with children for extended periods of time and see the direct impact of their influence. What I didn't expect was how significantly YAK would impact my own personal development. Despite a slow first year plagued by little public interest and suggestions from my peers to abandon the club to avoid 'inevitable disappointment,' I refused to quit because I was passionate about youth service outreach. With perseverance, YAK has grown to include over 100 dedicated members who have developed positive and consistent relationships with children in shelters, hospitals, and elementary schools. From building gingerbread houses with students at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School to reading Dr. Seuss books to the kids at the San Jose Family Shelter, YAK has succeeded in building strong ties between its members and the children around the Bay Area. In leading and witnessing this change, I have realized how service to the community, particularly with children, is something I find personally fulfilling. Specifically, it spurred me to work in Guatemala this summer and has motivated me to pursue service work as a primary focus in college.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Sharing intellectual interests is an important aspect of university life. Describe an experience, literary work, class, project or idea that you find intellectually exciting, and explain why.
Three years ago, I was known as 'Mini-Hanna.' I looked like my sister, talked like her, and with a extracurricular list of tennis, debate, and Mock Trial, had a schedule that even mirrored hers. I always thought I knew who I was, but the constant comparisons between my sister and me threw me into an identity crisis where I began to question who 'I' was. I found this reflection of 'self' an intellectually stimulating issue that has led me to question my concept of identity and the forces that shape it. My parents are Taiwanese, but I was raised in America. Does my American citizenship or Chinese ethnicity dominate? In an increasingly global society, does this artificial construct of 'nationality' matter? Yet, if 'nationality' doesn't describe identity, what does? A name? In that case, am I 'Megan' or 'Qiu Zhuan-Huei?' Perhaps that depends on whether I am at home or at school? If this is true, does my environment dictate my identity? Does this suggest that my identity is always changing? These questions have confused but aided me in my search for myself. I have been slowly finding 'me' by carving my own path, replacing tennis and Mock Trial with my passions: Youth Acting for Kids and art. While more 'myself' now, I know I will change. I know that my identity isn't static and that my questions about this complex concept will continue to help shape my individuality in the future.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
How have you taken advantage of the educational opportunities you have had to prepare for college?
I have taken advantage of the educational opportunities I have had to prepare for college by always challenging myself and taking the most difficult courses that I can, and I have participated in extracurricular activities to support the things I learn in school. The first opportunity that I had to improve my education was to skip from kindergarten into the first grade after a resource teacher tested me and recommended my advancement. I was moved from my kindergarten class into the first grade and I quickly moved ahead of my first grade class in mathematics and I was going to a second grade class each day for math class. Another instance where I was able to advance myself more quickly in the field of mathematics was in sixth grade when I was able to skip into advanced seventh grade mathematics. These advances into more difficult and challenging classes enabled me to take more challenging courses earlier in high school. In high school I took as many of the courses I wanted to take that I could fit into my class schedule. For the second semester of freshman year, and the entirety of my sophomore and junior years, I took eight courses, one more than the usual seven, and forgoing my lunch period. The second semester of my freshman year I took Japanese as my extra course, during my sophomore year I joined the school's Concert Choir, and during my junior year I took AP Physics C: Mechanics. By taking these extra courses I have better prepared myself for college. I also took many Advanced Placement and honors courses whenever I could because I like to be challenged in my school work. I take the most advanced courses that I can in areas that I enjoy and excel. In mathematics, I have finished BC Calculus and am currently taking the Multi-variable Calculus and Differential Equations course that is offered by my school. In the field of physics, I have taken both AP Physics courses and exhausted the options my school offers. Currently I am self studying electricity and magnetism using Berkeley's introductory physics textbook by Purcell. I have also taken Advanced Placement courses in areas that are not my forte because I thought that they would better prepare me for college. Even though English and World Studies are not my strongest subjects, I take Advanced Placement courses in those subjects. By taking these courses they have helped me overcome my weakness in the area of humanities, strengthened my writing skills, and better prepared me for humanities courses that I will take in college. In addition to taking more challenging courses I have also participated in extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities enrich what is done in the classroom by providing more interesting and less pedagogical information about a subject matter in general. My participation on the Math Team has introduced me to mathematics competitions including the AMC, AIME, and ARML, and has improved my mathematics education. I have also competed in University of Maryland and University of Wisconsin competitions. Also my involvement with the school's FIRST Robotics team has taught me practical skills with robots and electronics that will help me when I take laboratory courses in college. I have taken advantage of and used all the opportunities that are available to me in order to better prepare myself for college. By taking the most challenging honors and advanced placement courses whenever I can and by participating in extracurricular activities that enhance what is learned in the classroom, I have taken advantage of the educational opportunities that I have had to prepare for college.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Tell us about a talent, experience, contribution or personal quality you will bring to the University of California.
I also have a wide variety of musical and exotic interests that I will bring to the University of California. I have studied the piano for eleven years. I have since expanded into cello and I have studied it for eight years. This is my fourth year in the school's Symphonic Orchestra. I have also played in the pit orchestra for the musical productions of Anything Goes, Fiddler on the Roof, and this year, Les Miserables. I also have other hobbies that keep me occupied, which include computer hardware and assembly, poi, whip making, and whip cracking. I was exposed to technology at a young age, and I planned and assembled my first computer when I was 12 years old. Poi is of Maorian origin and is a dance where lighted implements or weights on strings are swung around the body. With the correct equipment, this results in an impressive visual display. A couple friends and I have performed poi at my school's talent show for the past two years. Recently, I have begun to explore the hobbies of whip making and whip cracking. These musical and exotic interests are what I would bring to the University of California.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Is there anything you would like us to know about you or your academic record that you have not had the opportunity to describe elsewhere in this application?
I was led to physics and mathematics as areas of academic interest mainly because of the fact that they come naturally to me and that I can pick up new concepts quickly. I have been good at math and science since elementary school. Naturally, I was interested in the subjects that I excelled in. As my study of math and science became more advanced, I was able to appreciate the applications of the things that I was learning. I became interested in physics after a first year course that I took two years ago. Physics interests me so much because of its ability to explain how the universe works. At the start of my physics education, I learned about simple accelerated motion and Newton's Laws, which only explain the movement of objects. Now, still at the beginning of my physics education, I am learning about electromagnetism and Maxwell's Equations, which explain the interactions of electric and magnetic fields. My main goal is to get a Ph.D. in physics. Mathematics is an area of academic interest because learning more advanced mathematics allows me to understand physics better and lets me advance further in the field.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Tell us about an opinion that you have had to defend or an incident in you life which placed you in conflict with the beliefs of a majority of people and explain how this affected your value system.
One of the characteristics about myself that I am proud of is that I am vegetarian. My parents raised me as a vegetarian and I have chosen to remain vegetarian because I believe that it is both a healthy and environmentally friendly decision. However, while growing up, most of the people that I dealt with were not vegetarians. Sometimes, this set up a conflict between my peers and I. During these times, my classmates questioned my beliefs, putting me in the position of defending and explaining my reasons for being vegetarian. Through this experience, I have strengthened my own beliefs and I have become more tolerant of the beliefs of others. As a teenager, I occasionally find time to go out for dinner or to a party with my friends. It was through these types of social engagements that my friends learned that I am vegetarian. Several times I have been in situations where as result of a misunderstanding or miscommunication, there are not any vegetarian accommodations for me. After incidents like that, food usually becomes the topic of the conversation. There are hosts of typical statements that I have heard said about being vegetarian such as, 'What do you eat?' or 'I would starve on vegetables!' or 'Where would I get my protein?' My all-time favorite is 'I tried a veggie-burger and almost died!' I have found that a good response to these questions is a small joke or an example of how simple vegetarian lifestyle can be satisfies everyone's general curiosity. The scope of my interactions concerning vegetarianism is not limited to simple meal discussions. Conversations on the pros and cons of not eating meat and eating meat made me cringe when I was a freshman and sophomore in high school, because I did not know where to begin defending my belief. At this point in my life I began to seek out other vegetarians my age in order to answer some of my questions and find support. For a year, I joined a controversial animal-rights club at my school. Through this experience I discovered a number of other organizations that supported my cause, such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Northwest Animal Rights Network (NARA.) Through my research, I found an abundance of literature that answered my questions about why being vegetarian is significant. Prepared with the certainty of my research, I have the facts to hold up my side of debate over vegetarianism. After resolving the insecurity of my beliefs on vegetarianism, I did not go out and attack other's beliefs. Instead, I have chosen to be more accommodating. After having gone through the intimidation of facing a majority that opposed my beliefs, I do not want to put someone else through the same uncomfortable position. I have taken it to heart to be more flexible in understanding people or groups that don't share my beliefs without compromising my own.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
It was 8:00 A.M. on the first day of the Tournament of Champions National Debate
Tournament (TOC), and I was utterly exhausted from researching, writing
arguments, and doing practice debates the day before. I was also jittery and
excited, for I was finally competing at the most prestigious high school policy
debate tournament in the country. Only 72 teams were accepted into the
tournament, and this Holy Grail of debate had eluded me for a year and a half.
In
my junior year, my partner and I were put on the waiting list for the
tournament,
and then, three days before the tournament, a spot opened up. My partner and I
immediately began working on debate like crazed fanatics, tossing homework aside
in order to prepare for the tournament, then flying across the country to
compete. Although badly unprepared, we were ecstatic.
In the first round, our opponents were Westminster School's top team, among the
16 best teams in the country. Their arguments were excellent, and despite our
most valiant attempts we lost that round. Rounds 2, 4, 5, and 6 had similar
outcomes, and the win/loss record for my first year at TOC was 2:5. Two wins,
five losses. It was depressingly reminiscent of sophomore year, when nearly
every
tournament had ended with a losing record.
Sunday night, after the seven prelim rounds were finished, gloom hung over my
head. I was functioning on four hours of sleep and doubts were gleefully
parading
through my fatigued head. I was missing classes to be here and had spent the
last
week preparing for the tournament rather than the AP exams that were beginning
in
five days. My teachers had suggested that I skip the tournament and my parents
had been hesitant to support me. What would they say when they heard about my
dismal performance this weekend? My blood began to boil at the
thought of the 'I told you so,'s that I'd be hearing in a few days, and suddenly
the debater in me stood up and aimed an evil glare in my direction.
She demanded to know why I was moping around like a whiny second-grader. I liked
debate, didn't I? I'd chosen to come here, knowing that the competition would be
intense, and had opted to spend my time embroiled in fast, heated arguments
about
foreign policy and weapons of mass destruction. I'd debated decently in all of
the rounds, and there was no justification for sitting on my bum and brooding.
A bit shocked at first, I realized that the irate debater manifestation of
myself was correct. I was obsessed with debate, and still haven't found anything
as stimulating and invigorating as the fierce, intellectual arguing that is
policy debate. Unlike other forms of debate, policys focused on argumentation
rather than rhetoric, and it pulled out a confrontational, aggressive side of me
that none of my other academic activities could. The multitude of rounds that I
lost in tenth grade, although dismal, only served to make me stronger, more
tenacious, and more determined to succeed. And the work had paid off; even if my
showing at TOC hadn't been stellar, I'd made it into elimination rounds at other
national tournaments in my junior year. Furthermore, despite having only three
days' notice, I'd held my own against some of the best teams in the country,
teams that had been preparing for two months. The chance to face off against
some
of the most intelligent people in the activity was more than worth the lost
study
time.
People ask me why I debate, why I choose to participate in an activity that
takes up most of my weekends, my spare time, and weeks of every summer for
tournaments and camps. The answer, which my debater self reminded me of at TOC,
is that policy debate challenges me. It demands work, obsession, and passion.
Schoolwork, sports, music - none of those hobbies is as intense as debate, and
none of them has taught me as much as debate has. From debate, I've learned
about
a wide variety of topics: deaf education policies, racial profiling, critical
race theory, and Bowers v. Hardwick, for starters. Furthermore, debate has
taught
me about life - from the countless rounds where Ive had to give a speech
extemporaneously, I've developed an ability to appear self-assured and
competent.
That has bled over into life outside of debate, and I find that I'm much more
self-confident and forceful in front of people than I used to be. More
importantly, debate has made me critical and skeptical. Everything is open to
attack in debate, since the point is to seek out the holes in your opponent's
arguments and then blast them into craters with the cannons of logic and
evidence. After spending hours playing this game, I can't take anything for
granted - information that teachers present, articles in the news, formerly
sacrosanct religious beliefs, all are scrutinized from a doubting point of view.
It's as if I have to intellectually dissect whatever thought is presented to me
before I can take a stance on it. I've been debating for three years, going on
four, and yet my obsession with this activity of intellectual skirmishing has
yet
to fade.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Personal statement
One of the main activities of the Junior Classical League (JCL) is certamen, a buzzer game that's Quizbowl with a Classical twist: all of the questions are about ancient civilization. In ninth grade, when I started taking Latin, my teacher would use the last few minutes of class for a bit of certamen practice. Although we only had time for two or three questions, each reference to an unfamiliar nymph or a quirky Roman bathing habit spurred me to learn more about the ancient world. The Classics were a foreign realm to me, and the tidbits of knowledge that I picked up in the certamen questions were entrancing hints that an ancient civilization had once thrived in Rome and Greece. I chose to focus on mythology and Roman customs, and studied fiercely. My teacher took the school's JCLers to competitions, and through attending local, state, and regional certamens I met people who passionate about ancient Greece and Rome. We challenged one another to see who was the quickest at answering questions and argued about obscure mythology. I continued to play certamen for the next three years, and although winning competitions and correctly answering questions were thrilling, the true allure of certamen was that it pushed me to learn more about Latin than basic grammar and translation. Since certamen questions covered a wide range of topics, from Roman history to grammar to Latin derivatives, in order to succeed I had to study subjects beyond what I learned in class. As my interest in certamen grew, I started to write certamen questions as well as compete in tournaments. As opposed to simply reading Meridian Handbook of Classical Mythology and attempting to master its contents via rote memorization, writing questions demanded that I absorb the stories of the capricious Olympians and think how to best test the information in the format of a certamen question. Writing them certainly increased my skills at the game, since I was retaining more information, but it was primarily a way to learn more about the fascinating cultures that had once flourished on the Mediterranean. These were militaristic civilizations that had conquered the greater part of Europe, but they were also the poetic realms that had produced Homer and Vergil. At first, Dr. Duncan, an ex-JCLer who dropped by Harker to help the Latin students with certamen practice posted my questions online on the Certamen Questions Database. Although I knew that very few people were using my questions, I was still excited at the idea that my work was available to other people. In my own way, I was promoting the study of the Classics, spreading knowledge of this bygone but fascinating world. I spent my weekends perusing the official, JCL-sanctioned sourcebooks for certamen and wrote questions for whole sections of Mythology, by Edith Hamilton. Although my early questions were basic, a hundred and fifty questions later, my question-writing skills have improved dramatically and my certamen questions possessed the same flair and tested for the same depth of knowledge that questions from the National Junior Classical Leagues certamens did. Last summer Dr. Duncan published Myth Mayhem, a book of more than a thousand certamen questions on the material in Mythology, and we sold many copies at the National JCL convention. I wrote over three hundred of the questions in Mayhem. The thrill of seeing my work in print was certainly exciting, but the true joy came when teachers and students from across the country bought Myth Mayhem - people would be using my questions to further their own knowledge of mythology! Three years after starting certamen, I remain excited about all the details of the Classical world that I don't know - yet. Continuing with writing questions, I'm now writing a book similar to Myth Mayhem, but this time around I'm expanding my horizons to write on Latin literature rather than mythology, and I'm doing it independently. My questions are based on Moses Hadas' A History of Latin Literature, and my goal is to present the information contained in the book in an engaging format that is more accessible to the average JCLer than Hadas' dull, if informative, prose. Thus far, I've written 227 questions on subjects ranging from Plautus to Cicero, and with determination and a bit of luck, next summer I'll be selling a book filled with thousands of questions on Latin literature at the National JCL convention.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
This question seeks to give students the opportunity to share important aspects of their schooling or their lives, such as personal circumstances, family experiences and opportunities that were or were not available at their school or college, which may not have been sufficiently addressed elsewhere in the application. Is there anything you would like us to know about you or your academic record that you have not had the opportunity to describe elsewhere in the application?
I have always loved art. However, my parents believed I would be more productive using my time in other ways and never supported my efforts. Nevertheless, I have always found ways to incorporate it in my life. With projects, I took the extra step of designing posters of historical movies. For my school magazine, I drew charcoal sketches to accompany my poems. Art instills within me a tranquility that erases all worries that I may have on my mind. I have grown up in a household where anything less than an 'A is unacceptable. The consistent pressure from my family to excel academically, coupled with responsibilities of forensics and community service, often causes stress to mount until I reach an almost breaking point. However, art relieves me of this stress. Whenever my hands become immersed in transforming a blank canvas into a setting sun, my mind is occupied with nothing but the strokes of the paintbrush. While art doesn't finish my monstrous piles of work, it does give me peace of mind. It is my form of expression where I am able to channel all my frustrations, happiness, and raw emotions into what I view as tangible expressions of myself and what others call, 'Art.'
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
'The best advice that you can ever receive is from yourself; listen to yourself.' - My friend, Tony. I always believed that I could learn from others' advice, but after hearing these words, I know that when I combine others' wisdom with my experiences and self-reflection, an ultimate solution will arise that will suit both me and my circumstances.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Tell us something about yourself that is not readily apparent from your application
'Wait, don't throw that away!' My incessant need to preserve candy wrappers, ticket stubs, and receipts is an obsession that friends claim sets me apart from everyone else. After every trip, memorable event, or personal success, I make a scrapbook. For some, it is a timeless tradition, and for others it is an activity people do in their free time. For me, the experience of making scrapbooks is a means to catalogue my memories and record what is important. Flipping through a scrapbook, you will find a sepia photograph of the Tower of London, carefully mounted on a mat of ivory wallpaper decorated by leftover gold filigree wrapping paper. A few pages later, you may find a plastic bag of volcanic ash and pocket lint from Volcan Pacaya positioned next to a picture of me grinning with handfuls of volcanic stones. This seemingly meticulous work was produced effortlessly, not because I am a scrapbook-making prodigy, but because it is a treasured hobby that integrates my love of art with my desire to have a lasting memoir. They are personally significant because they combine my passion for art, my creativity in crafts, and my sentimentality by cataloguing my remembrances into a lasting memoir.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Personal Statement
My personal battle against knee injuries was my first major encounter with the field of biomedical engineering. I constantly questioned my doctors about everything from how the MRI worked to the mode of action of drugs I was given. I also discovered that one could be a physician and still be involved in the areas of engineering and biological research. The interest I developed in the field of bioengineering has continued to grow since then, but it was not until I took neurobiology at Harvard University summer school that my plan to pursue a degree in medicine was confirmed. I not only learned the basics of the nervous system, but also the practical applications of this knowledge and how scientists are using the nervous system's extraordinary power to solve medical mysteries and fight disease. The most interesting aspect of the course was the section about neurotransmitters and how modification of the release, absorption, and re-uptake of neurotransmitters can produce such widespread and drastic results in the body. The opportunity to immerse myself in solving problems found in the complex world of the nervous system by utilizing engineering and design techniques would be ideal for me. Problems associated with the knee joint still interest me as well and I would love to have the opportunity to facilitate improvements in the treatment of those who have had to endure the pain of knee injuries. A career as a physician along with training in bioengineering would give me the opportunity to help others to overcome painful injuries and return to an active life.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Extra Adversity
I learned a lot in tenth grade but the most important lessons were not taught in my classes. The knowledge I gained was an understanding of my ability to overcome the challenges found in life. My classes were interesting and challenging and I looked forward to a great year of academics and sports now that I had recovered from two knee operations. Unfortunately, my life took a sudden and distressing turn when financial problems struck our family. My father lost his job due to the bankruptcy of his employer. My parents warned me that we might need to move to another state where my father could find work. It was difficult to concentrate on school when I was worried about moving and future college tuition. I worried about my father who was concerned about providing for us. He felt depressed over the loss of his job. This was only the second time that I had seen my father cry; the first was when my older brother drowned. As the oldest surviving child, I gladly took the responsibility for helping to care for my disabled younger sister and my asthmatic younger brother as their medical conditions required the presence of a responsible party. As the emotional burden I carried took its toll, I thought about my parents and their resiliency even after the death of their first child. They persevered despite their pain. They did not neglect their other children. I realized that it was my responsibility to overcome my distress and get back on track with school. I knew that I was strong enough to take back control of my life. With a positive attitude and a conviction that I could succeed, I found that my grades began to rise. My time management skills improved as I sought to study, play sports, help my family as much as possible and continue to volunteer in the community. I even found that my positive attitude and belief that I would succeed helped my father renew his faith in his own ability. This translated into a more optimistic approach to his job search. The adverse circumstances I experienced may have threatened to ruin my dreams, but I did not allow them to take control permanently. Despite the stress of my family situation, I learned to take responsibility for my own success and I mastered the art of multitasking and effective time management. My lessons were well learned. This past summer I was told by one of my university professors that I demonstrated an obvious capacity for organization, self-management, and discipline. My junior year grades also reflected my resolve to overcome my distress and succeed academically. It is my hope that the future will be relatively uneventful for my family so that I may focus my energies on my academics. Even if that is not the case, I am confident that I can overcome any obstacles that I encounter. I am a stronger person now and the lessons I have learned will guide me through the events that I may encounter in the future.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Personal Statement
'Hey! wassup?' -'Not much, u?' 'Haha same, just doing hmwk' -'yea me too' Welcome to the world I have looked forward to everyday since the beginning of my adolescent days. I seem to find myself anxious to sign on with the rest of the world and get caught up in the web of online personalities. I watch my fingertips swiftly caress the smooth keys with a clickity-clack that soon becomes music to my ears. My parents can't help call it an obsession, but I've befriended the little yellow running man. AOL Instant Messenger has become a key to unlocking a whole new side to who I am. My parents have generously granted me the title of a promising student and an ambitious daught, but what about simply being a confused teenager looking for others in the same boat? 'dude I wish it were Friday, I wanna go out' -'I know, same here' In our world of messaging, we create the rules. The mundane phrase of 'whatever' can answer all sorts of questions from 'what should I have for lunch?' to 'what is the meaning of life?' Simplicity at its finest; things dont always have to be so complicated in our fabricated, or rather, online world. I remember my good friend and I always having a blast talking online, often mocking how pathetic it is, then pointing out how we are such hypocrites. One day though, she broke out of the conventional conversational style. 'do you ever get that gut feeling where you know something's wrong??' I thought it to be a trivial matter and apathetically replied, -'yea sometimes, but it goes away. Hope you feel better soon babe!' and gradually brought everything back into the prospective of the nonchalant Instant Messenger world. I shudder as I realize how I instinctually talked my way out of her facing her problem, dismissing her IM of possessing any serious implications. However, I'm forced to remind myself it's just more convenient this way; we all just want to be okay, or at least pretend we are. Escaping problems in reality is not possible; thus, the online world becomes our haven. Recently though, I've begun to realize the difference between who I am and what I IM. Though now I'll never really know whether my friend's problem was serious or not, it's a consequence of instant messaging I've come to accept. It's becoming even harder to decipher one another as we disguise ourselves behind bubbly screen names. We've all become personas of someone we want be. IM seems to have created mass confusion in distinguishing peoples' true identity and simultaneously decreased the self-confidence of many users. It seems as though people willfully reveal secrets in the world of 2' by 4' windows, but hesitate when they come back to reality. I fear the ignorance of being unable to distinguish reality from facades. I hope to steer away from this technologically advancing world, go back to conversations over Starbucks hot chocolate, to sign off from fantasy, and check into reality. It's becoming far too easy to slip between who you are and who you want to be. The gap between 'I am' and 'IM' is gradually decreasing, and it's becoming harder each day to distinguish the difference. I'm afraid. The ability to transform one's own image has now been placed in the hands of 11 year-olds. People will continuously strive to perfect an aspect of themselves, and technology has now provided them an outlet to do so. As for me though, I want to be liked for who I am, not who I am pretending to be. So the next time I am online, I will be real. Deception and confusion are two states of mind the world can do without. 'I am certain.' X.Y. has logged off. Session concluded at 3:14 PM.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Personal statement describing your interest in your intended course of study
A gust of cool September breeze picks up a troupe of golden leaves off the Beijing street, a Soviet-style bus pulls into station with a trail of dust; as the folded doors reluctantly creak open, a six-year-old boy hops off the bus as his mom follows. The boy will begin school in a week and is on his first school supply shopping trip. He giggles as he thinks about four aromatic pencils his grandma sharpened with an exacto knife the day before. As the boy and the mother stroll past the counters inside the general store, the mother suddenly says, 'Lele, let's get you a mechanical pencil.' I remember my fascination as the store employee placed into my hands a round plastic barrel with a pointed tip. That was the first time I saw and touched a mechanical pencil, a piece of engineering brilliance. My first pencil box contained four wooden pencils, a razor, and a strip of sandpaper used to sharpen the lead. A young witness to pre-modernization China, I had never seen a mechanical pencil until first grade. I cannot remember how I returned home from the general store, for the only thing on my mind was the egg yolk-colored barrel. As soon as I got home, I tried to open the pencil to see the magic behind a button that, when pressed at one end, advanced lead at the other end. After many lead fragments and a bent barrel, my mother ripped the magical barrel out of my destructive fingers and scolded me for not valuing goods. The Confucian respect for elders stopped me from further exploring the design of the mechanical pencil and so ended my first encounter with engineering, but my fascination with 'how does it work?' was unleashed. Between that day and my arrival in the United States in 1995 included long, I remember long, dull stares at the gears of moving bicycles while sitting on the back of my moms bicycle, adventurous peeks into the inside of my grandfather's typewriter, and temporary blindness from prolonged examinations of a burning light bulb. My curiosity was put on hold for a year after my arrival as I devoted all of my time to learn English with only knowledge of the alphabets and the lyrics to 'B-I-N-G-O.' With an urge to gain control of my life, I completed the ESL program two years ahead of schedule. My meager collection of happy meal toys grew as my family's conditions improved, and dwindled as I began prying open poor Simba to see the gears and wheels inside. A few years later, I found myself covered with black motor oil as I lay next to my father under our car, learning how to change the oil filter. As the black fluid poured beautifully out of the engine, the sparkles of the falling stream met the sparkles in my eye: I realized that I would become a disciple of engineering. As soon as the yellow pencil road led me to engineering, it split into many inviting trails: electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineering, etcetera, etcetera. Each one stared at me pleadingly with large, watery eyes, begging me to adopt and treasure it. I decided to give myself some more time to decide. Soon the calling came. As I sat in my AP Biology class squeezing my eyesight through the teacher's puffy white hair at the projector screen, a diagram comparing the electron pumps of a cell membrane to turbines in a dam came before me. Suddenly, it all connected under the glorious light of the projector and the triumphant trumpeting in my head; the gears in Simbas stomach, the burnt memory cards of my computer, and the fascinating science of biology all came into union under bioengineering. I realized that my destiny was to study a combination of all fields of engineering, computer science, and biology and contribute to the logistically growing biotech industry. Isn't it amazing what a little mechanical pencil can do?
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
How have you taken advantage of the educational opportunities you have had to prepare for college?
Of all the education opportunities that I have been presented to, I have tried my best to take advantage of as many as I can, going above and beyond what is required. I have challenged myself to take the most advanced courses possible in high school, enrolling in 6 Advanced Placement courses at school. When I finished all available math classes at school, I didn't stop; I enrolled in multivariable calculus and differential equations, and am currently taking linear algebra at West Valley College. When my school did not offer Physics AP, I studied mechanics on my own and scored a 5 on the AP test. In the summer of 2003, I attended Mathcamp, where I was given a chance to study college level math, such as graph theory, set theory, topology, and many others. Last summer, I participated in the Summer Science Program, where I led my group in a research project to determine the orbit of an asteroid. We used a series of observations with an astrograph, made precise measurements with a measuring engine, and created a computer program to calculate the asteroid's orbital elements. I strive to go above and beyond the minimum and always try to reach beyond what I can grasp.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Common University of California Essay. Please descibe a challenging experience that defines you.
Indifferently, a deep, monotonous voice informed me, 'Well, Dara, you dislocated your shoulder and you tore some ligaments. My recommendation to you is that we perform surgery to repair the damage. Without surgery you will be more susceptible to dislocating again.' 'How long until I can play football after surgery?' I asked Dr. Casanave, my surgeon. 'Well, Dara, we are probably looking at about twelve to twenty months, but I highly recommend you never play again.' At this point in the conversation I curtly informed my doctor that I would be playing football as an outside linebacker for the Lincoln Lions by next year at the latest. This man didnt know me, or my capabilities, nor did he know how much football meant to me. I would not allow my surgeon to determine whether I could play football again. I needed the love and comradeship that can only be found on the football field. If I needed to have surgery in order to play, fine, but I would return to football. I was determined to prove that surgeon wrong. I would mentally focus my will and work hard to recuperate sooner than Dr. Casanave predicted. Then surely he would clear me to play. Quitting football and abandoning my team would be like disowning my family, which was not an option. Having agreed to surgery, I decided nothing would slow me down from strengthening my shoulder so that I could play football again. While recovering from surgery, I continued to go to practice and to help my team in any way I could. If someone needed water, I got it. A helmet broke; I fixed it. I helped my teammates stretch their hamstrings; I became their unofficial trainer. I filmed our games so that the coaches could evaluate our game to make us a better team. Yet I felt useless after every game, especially when we lost, because I couldnt contribute on the field. I couldnt help feeling partially responsible for losing because I was injured. I kept asking myself, 'How could I have allowed myself to get hurt?' Nevertheless, I was not about to quit. My hard work paid off and two months after surgery I began weight training, although most patients begin after four months. Every night I would anxiously complete my homework so I could work out my shoulder until I had nothing left but sweat and pain. After a cool, rewarding shower I slept better, knowing I was one day closer to joining my teammates on the field, which alleviated my mental frustrations. Seven months after surgery, my doctor hesitantly cleared me, but all that concerned me was that he said the magic words 'clear to play.' Overcome by my exuberance, I hugged Dr. Casanave, whom I once wanted to clobber for uttering the word 'surgery.' After a year of ups and downs, minor set backs, and continued physical therapy, I finally reached my goal. Today I am playing football with my teammates.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
General personal statement, no topic
Reach As I cross the green, I pause to take one last glance over my shoulder at the castle, trying to capture an image that will last me a lifetime. Months ago, as I daydreamed at home in Taiwan, the desire found its way into my head: I wanted to kiss the Blarney Stone. As an Asian American, I do not have any drop of Irish blood in me. The strange urge, though, grew stronger, and by August, I have managed to fly, walk, ride, run, and tumble my way to Blarney Castle in Ireland. That was the summer after grade ten; and actually, I aspired then to do more than just kiss the Blarney Stone. I wanted to set foot in the Vatican, behold the Leaning Tower of Pisa, visit the little Irish town called Tralee, reunite with Irish friends I had met a year earlier, marvel at the magnificent Book of Kells, and venture up the snowy mountains of Switzerland. In order to do so many different things, I needed great control over my itinerary, so I decided to make the trip alone: total freedom. As I was only fifteen years old, making my own trip would be a challenge. I would have to plan my route, book youth hostels, compare airfares, pack for the long trek, and fly alone to Europe. When I finally touched down at my destination, I would have to find my own way to the hostel on foot and public transport: a reasonable budget would permit no taxi rides. Then, for about five weeks, I would be on my own. My family and friends would be back home, thousands of miles away. My parents had complete confidence in me, but I wondered, as I hugged them goodbye, if their confidence was misplaced. Before I knew it, though, I was checking in at the hostelI had made it to Rome. I soon met other travelers who shared my interests and discovered that I could easily make friends if I felt lonely. I learned to be independent, to be a street-smart backpacker, and to get along with strangers. First in Italy and then in Ireland and Switzerland, I surprised myself by being able to roam and discover on my own with only a trusty cell phone as a lifeline. I found museums to visit, streets to shop, ancient ruins to explore, and national parks to hike. Afterwards, I always managed to arrive back at Pisa Centrale Station for my next train, Bus Iireann Killarney Station for my next bus, or Zurich Flughafen for my flight home. I realized each of the dreams I had had in Taiwan and new ones that came to me in Europe, like biking through Killarney National Park. The park boasts many breathtaking sights ranging from waterfalls to castles and from gardens to lakes. Exploring the park, I biked over 24 miles in one day. After hours upon hours of cycling, I was exhausted; the stunning beauty of the terrain ahead, however, kept me moving. I remember parking my rented bicycle on the shore of a vast, serene lake and sitting at the waters edge. There was not another human in sightin any given direction, I could see only the emerald of grass and leaves, the amber of branches and earth, and the sapphire of water and sky. The idyllic beauty of my surroundings was overwhelming. However, what I enjoyed that summer, more than the scenery and the landmarks, was the independence and the adventure. For the first time in my life, I was completely on my own, free to go where I wanted, when I wanted, free to follow my itinerary or change it on a whimfree to decide. I discovered that when we chase our dreams, we are on our own, but if we want something intensely enough, we will find a way to reach out for it. I accomplished much that summerI have fifteen rolls of film and a new, confident outlook to prove it. Those five weeks were the most amazing ones of my life.
