Essay Category:
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.
Essay Category:
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.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Personal Statement
The piercing shrill of a whistle sounds. Lying drowsily in bed, I groggily roll over to take a glimpse of the clock. 5:14 am. A sudden, booming voice roars, "Miss Chan, we're meeting by the fountain in five minutes. Do not be late." I immediately reply, "Sir, yes, sir!" Hastily changing into uniform, I feel the aching of my joints. However, my excitement and anticipation overrides this pain, for today is C-Trials, a venture at the US Naval Academy's Summer Seminar, where the purpose is to build team strength and unity. Our squad will be challenged with obstacle courses, canoe races, relays, and squad competition. Eeeeek! 30 seconds left. I sprint down the hallway, through the door, and quickly salute my platoon leader and my all-male squad group. We soon set off. The sky is still dark, and a cool breeze blows across my face as the wet dew from the grass gently brushes against my ankles. I breathe in the fresh, crisp, morning air, and a few birds chirp cheerfully amid our rustling feet. As we approach a forest for the obstacle-course stage of C-Trials, my squad mates and I gather around, exchanging words of encouragement. After our group is called, we race down the dirt road into the abyss of the forest. The sun is just beginning to rise, which lights our way through the tortuous road. We soon encounter the first obstacle: we must carry two enormous logs across a field, climb up a cliff, and drop down by swinging from a rope. We head towards the field, each grabbing a section of the log, and slowly lift it to our shoulders. Even with the six of us, every inch we trudge forward is an accomplishment. As the piercing heat from the sun blazes down, each step we take is increasingly exhausting, but we steadily persist. All of a sudden, there is an ominous crack of thunder, and as the sky darkens, rain falls. The dirt path becomes muddier with the rain ravaging down, and my muscles strain while going up the hill. At the top of the cliff, I am bewildered by the steep drop, yet eager to tackle the challenge. This activity is particularly daunting because we must drop down together, thus requiring us to trust one another completely. We link like a chain, selflessly united for the benefit of the whole. We offer all our strength with faith yet apprehension, for we know that if even one person lets go, we all fall. Despite my stress, I hold on, not for my own sake, but for my team. The smile on everyone's faces at the bottom is priceless. We prevailed as a unit, a team, a family. I am proud that each one of us pressed on so that we could overcome the challenge together and bring our expectations to a new level. As we sprint down the path to our next obstacle, our beaming smiles brighten the dreary path, and we race on, ready to undertake anything.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Personal Statement
Personal Statement (Topic of Choice): The piercing shrill of a whistle sounds. Lying drowsily in bed, I groggily roll over to take a glimpse of the clock - 5:13 AM. A sudden, booming voice roars, Ms. Chan, get up, and meet at the fountain in five minutes." I immediately reply, "Sir, yes, sir!" Hastily changing into my uniform, I feel the aching of my joints. However, my excitement and anticipation overrides this pain, for today is C-Trials, a venture at the US Naval Academy's Summer Seminar, where the purpose is to build team strength and unity. Our squad will be challenged with obstacle courses, canoe races, relays, and squad competition. Eeeeek! 30 seconds left. I sprint down the hallway, through the door, and quickly salute my platoon leader and my all-male squad group. We soon set off. The sky is still dark, and a cool breeze blows across my face as the wet dew from the grass gently brushes against my ankles. I breathe in the fresh, crisp, morning air, and a few birds chirp cheerfully amid our rustling feet. As we approach a forest for the obstacle-course stage of C-Trials, my squad mates and I gather around, exchanging words of encouragement. After our group is called, we race down the dirt road into the abyss of the forest. The sun is just beginning to rise; it lights our way through the tortuous road. Soon we encounter the first obstacle: carry two enormous logs across a field, climb up a cliff, and drop down by swinging from a rope. Heading towards the field, we each grab a section of the log and slowly lift it to our shoulders. Even with the six of us, every inch we trudge forward is an accomplishment. As the piercing heat from the sun blazes down, each step taken is increasingly exhausting, but we steadily persist. Suddenly, there is an ominous crack of thunder, and as the sky darkens, rain falls. The dirt path becomes muddier with the rain ravaging down and my muscles strain while ascending the hill. As I reach the top of the cliff, I am bewildered by the steep drop, yet eager to tackle the challenge. This activity is particularly daunting because we must drop down together, requiring us to trust one another completely. We link like a chain, selflessly united for the benefit of the whole squad. We offer all our strength with faith, yet apprehension, for we know that if even one of us lets go, we all fall. Despite my pain, I hold on, not for my own sake, but for my team. The smile on everyone's faces at the bottom is priceless. We had proudly prevailed as a unit, a team, a family. Each one of us pressed on so that we could overcome the challenge together and bring our expectations to a new level. As we sprint down the path to our next obstacle, our beaming smiles brighten the dreary path, and we race on, ready to undertake anything.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
What event or events have shaped your life?
One reason I love mathematics so much is that every once in a while, it reveals to us flashes of some sort of fundamental order and neatness to everything, as well as showing us how incomprehensible it can sometimes truly be. Two events - discoveries, really - have given me this philosophy towards math and science, and pushed me to keep striving to discover more of its secrets. The first was the discovery of Pascal's triangle. I was only in the 4th grade, but my older sister showed me how to make it. I spent an entire day doing nothing but playing with it, plumbing it for its secrets. Of course, I was only 10 years old; I did not find many of them, and I actually found some false ones. But there was just something so cool about it, how so many different neat things could be found in it: combinatorics, powers, binomial expansion, Sierpinski's Triangle, triangular numbers, prime numbers'the list goes on. The idea that so many things could all be found in a simply generated series of numbers blew my mind. There are other things that similarly show the surprising unity of numbers and all sorts of things, but the first one that I ever explored was Pascal's Triangle, and it is what first made me interested in math beyond being good at it. Of course, just when I think I have math figured out, it shows me how incredibly deep it can be, pushing me to keep going and restoking the fires of my curiosity. The board game Go has no luck involved, the rules are simple, and the board is just a 19x19 square grid; it certainly seems like it would be easily solvable. But it is the only popular board game where humans are still far and away superior computers in terms of playing ability, and not for lack of trying. There is little doubt that the game is purely mathematical, yet the basic rules somehow extend themselves into the most complex, abstract game I have ever played. What fascinates me about it is how my brain knows that there must be some way of solving the game mathematically, my heart tells me to play instinctively and to try to feel the flow instead of trying to calculate 20 moves into the future. But since that doesn't work very well, it's apparent that the type of math I know is not going to suffice to solve such an intricate and unique challenge, and that I need new tools and new ways to solve problems. It keeps me humble and opens up new avenues of knowledge for me to explore. It's as if a spelunker was exploring a massive underground system; and right when he thinks he had discovered everything worth discovering, his flashlight plays open a tiny passage that leads to a whole new series of caverns. I have been playing with Go the same way I used to play with Pascal's triangle - not incredibly seriously, but I keep poking around, hoping to discover a little something neat. My curiosity is not limited to mathematics; however, these two mini-revelations are the best thing to illustrate how discovery of new things have pushed me in the direction wanting to explore deeper into the caves.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Please share with the Admissions Committee how you discovered Caltech and the reasons you decided to apply. What do you believe you would contribute to Caltech both academically and personally?
My introduction to Caltech came while reading one of Richard Feynman's autobiographies; the man was brilliantly creative, and he chose Caltech as his place to research, study, and play with knowledge. Later, when I went with my sister to visit colleges, we went to Caltech; although my sister didn't like it, I was excited the palpable hum of things being discovered and the thrill of opening new frontiers of knowledge. Still, I was just in 8th grade, and I wasn't thinking too seriously about college. Cut to last summer. Having won a paid internship and University of Illinois- Chicago through Scholastic Bowl, I begin doing research work in solid state physics (specifically, adsorption of transition metals on a silicon (001) surface). I became fairly well-versed in solid-state physics, learned how to read scientific papers effectively (eventually just summarizing them for the postgrad I worked with), and became enamored with the idea of intellectual discovery. While a lot of the action, like feeding numbers into a supercomputer, is tedious, the application and purpose behind it greatly excited me. The difference between doing science work for some assignment and doing it for the expansion of the human store of knowledge is something difficult to pin down, but having that goal to work towards makes research that much more sublime. Admittedly, I have no formal work experience, but I feel that what I would most like to do in my life is research. Caltech, being such a great research institution, is among my top schools because of this. It's a university where my enthusiasm for discovery and learning previously unknown things will be shared by both professors and students, and where I will have the opportunity to do what I really want - research. A characteristic of mine that I feel that sets me apart is how I learn, especially in math and science. Initially, I may not be the fastest to grasp a topic, but I am adept at understanding the fundamentals that drive the issue; once I realize those, I am very good at solving problems because of my deeper understanding of it. Many times, I have to convince myself that what my teacher has told me is true, and because I do it my own way, I will often have different methods and a different way of thinking about problems. This comes in extremely useful when I'm student-teaching a precalculus class or tutoring people after school, because the reason the students don't understand the first time is because the teacher's method doesn't work for them; many times, my way of explaining things will clear it up for them. This has great potential for research, too. A slightly unconventional way of looking at an issue could lead to new insights; and Caltech would certainly have quite a few people able to think creatively, pushing each other to come up with bold new theories together. I want to be a part of that community, and I feel that I could really add to it.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Please share with the Admissions Committee how you discovered Caltech and the reasons you decided to apply. What do you believe you would contribute to Caltech both academically and personally?
When I was in the fourth grade, the eyes of the world were focused on Mars. The Mars Pathfinder mission was underway, and everyone waited in anticipation for the pathfinder to land on the Red Planet. Was there ever water on Mars, and might there have been life once upon a time? All of these questions were interesting, but there was something that intrigued me even more. How did they manage to get a robot out that far, unmanned, and then have it take samples and collect data on a planet that is more than 35 million miles away? My dad told me about this place called JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratories. They had a major hand in most of the unmanned NASA space launches during the last forty years. They were based at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. I already knew that Pasadena hosted the Rose Bowl. I immediately quipped that I wanted to study at Caltech and work at JPL when I grew up. What an opportunity - I could help launch rockets and watch the Rose Bowl every year! Then, in ninth grade, my uncle gave me two books, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman and What Do You Care What Other People Think? I had no idea who Richard P. Feynman was. The only way to find out was to read the books. I was glad that I did. Not only were they wonderfully entertaining, but they taught me so much about the world of science. I wanted to be like Feynman - he was the coolest nerd I had ever read about. So when I read that he had worked and taught at Caltech, I figured that there were others like him there as well. I wished my teachers in high school were as hip as he was. Now that I am a high school senior, some things have changed, but many have not. I still want to go to Caltech, but not because of the Rose Bowl. Caltech has a longstanding reputation of excellence in engineering. I know that I can learn under some of the best educators, who like Professor Feynman will inspire me to be creative and work beyond my potential. I will be able to work at some of the best facilities. I can fulfill my childhood dream and learn about rockets at JPL. At the CACR, I hope to delve deeper into my explorations of agent-based models and computer simulations. At the Beckman Institute, I envision myself pursuing my current interest - nano-technology and biology. Simultaneously, I can continue my love for music in of one of the many ensembles at Caltech. However, most importantly, I know that I will get the best education in the world at Caltech. And that is all I could ever ask for.
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Essay Question:
Select one activity outside of math and science in which you have been involved, and describe why it has been meaningful to you.
Last fall, my high school marching band was performing at one of our home football games. We had a great half-time show rehearsed, with music from James Bond movies. Parading down to the field, I was leading my squad of clarinets in visuals when someone in the audience screamed, 'Look at that crazy band nerd!' My first instinct was to yell back at him to shut up and keep his opinions to himself. Nobody talked to me that way. But then I thought a bit, and realized that he might be on to something. Maybe I really am a band and music nerd. My world has been enveloped in music as far back as I can remember. As a child, I would sing along with the Beatles and chant nursery rhymes at preschool. As I grew older, I was introduced to classical music and took up the clarinet in fourth grade. I have been playing ever since. A bit of talent, excellent instruction, and hundreds of hours of practice have taken me many places, literally. I have had the privilege of playing in locales and venues ranging from Cedar Point Amusement Park and Disneyland to Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor and Carnegie Hall in New York. This coming April, my high school symphony band will play in Boston's Symphony Hall. For me, music has been an escape from the intensity and troubles of the real world. Sometimes, when things are just not working out, and I am feeling frustrated and down, I reach for my clarinet, and play. I play the stress away; I play my troubles away. I always feel better after a practice session. Music is a wonderful medicine and a lightning cure for my low spirits. The same formula works at school. Even with three tests and two quizzes the next day, I always look forward to it. Sixth hour band rounds out the day, and by the time it is over, my day is as good as ever. Band is truly a refuge. The band room is the one place in school where I will always be accepted, regardless of the circumstances. When I go to a movie or watch a football game with my buddies, one can be sure that at least a few of them are my band-mates. My fellow instrumentalists are like a family to me, and are some of my best friends and closest confidantes. My involvement in music and 'clarinetistry' if you will, has grown from just another class and a hobby into something much bigger. Today, music is an integral part of my life. I am one of the few who would go to a college football game just as much to watch the marching band, as for the game. I conduct an imaginary ensemble as I walk around to just about whatever music is stuck in my brain, regardless of whether the composer is Debussy or Green Day. I am a 'band nerd,' and proud of it!
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Essay Question:
Please fill the rectangle below with something you think is interesting.
Throughout the majority of ones formal mathematics education, one will spend over three years studying topics such as Calculus and Linear Algebra. However, almost no time is spent on fields like number theory and prime numbers, even though they are integral to even the simplest day-to-day actions that are routinely taken for granted. Why do we need prime numbers anyways? Without them, encryption would be very difficult. Encryption is used not just by the government to secure sensitive information, but also by civilians for everyday tasks like paying for groceries with a credit card or bidding for an item on Ebay. Without primes, the world of e-commerce would not exist. One of the problems in encryption is the use of very large prime numbers and verifying whether a large number is a prime. In 2002, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India formulated the first ever algorithm to verify primality in polynomial, not exponential time. The AKS algorithm has led to a sudden ease in primality testing, making encryption both easier and more secure. My sophomore year science project was a Java language implementation of this unique algorithm. In the future, encryption might replace the traditional lock and key. People could have a computer chip implanted in them containing a unique digital signature, to be read by external sensors. Thus, a person could stand outside his car, and if his data matches, he is allowed to drive it. Since evildoers would certainly covet the unique digital signature, encryption will be needed to keep this data private and secure.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
1. Please share with the Admissions Committee how you discovered Caltech and the reasons you decided to apply. What do you believe you would contribute to Caltech both academically and personally? (<500)
For most of my life I've lived right around the corner from Caltech on the border between Glendale and Pasadena, but it wasn't until I actually stepped onto the campus that I began to discover it. My earliest visits were to the Beckman Auditorium for the lectures on Wednesday nights. The lectures were quite informative, particularly Michael Dickinson's 'How Flies Fly' lecture - I was thoroughly entertained as well as enlightened. These lectures revealed just a few of the things that I would find at Caltech: brilliant minds, interesting subjects, and opportunities to both meet these minds and learn about their research. In addition to these reasons, my main reasons for wanting to apply to Caltech lie in my dream to pursue a career in research and to contribute to the scientific community. Caltech can provide me with what I need to achieve my dream, to learn more about the amazing world I live in, and to preserve it from its many afflictions. When looked at from a pair of scientific eyes, the world is not the chaotic place some claim it to be. It is a place filled with order and meaning, of action and reaction, of causal movement and interaction. I wish to learn how to see through these eyes for myself and without the aid of my teachers. Caltech can help me gain the knowledge and experience needed to be able to see through these eyes, which will ultimately guide my way to becoming a researcher. The world, as of today, needs scientific development in order to fight the variety of problems afflicting it: global warming, cancer, and AIDS, to name just a few. I've learned that the United States, as well as the rest of the world, lack the scientists and researchers it needs to solve these problems. Thus, as a scientist, I would be able to actively aid the world that I'm so attached to by getting involved in life-changing research. With the education and the opportunities I would receive at Caltech, I would be able to begin to make a difference. Academically and personally, I have much to contribute. In the classroom, I work mainly behind the scenes. I am not outspoken. Rather, I tend to make the occasional, well-thought-out comment that can be poignant or direct the conversation to new depths. Outside the classroom, I have a willingness to help others and a calmness on which others can depend. I attempt to answer any and all questions, and my classmates have come to rely on me for help on various subjects. My classmates have also learned that I am not easily stressed out, always remembering that the little things aren't worth getting worked up over. I soothe my friends by reminding them of what's important and by laughing to ease their tension. Caltech has much to offer me in trying to achieve my dream, and I have much to offer Caltech. I believe an extended relationship between Caltech and me would turn out wonderfully!
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Please share with the Admissions Committee how you discovered Caltech and the reasons you decided to apply. What do you believe you would contribute to Caltech both academically and personally?
In the world of science and technology, it is impossible not to discover the California Institute of Technology, renowned for its rigorous courses, its Nobel Prize winning professors, and its state-of-the-art laboratories and research equipment. In my AP Physics class, every other current event we talk about is somehow related to Caltech, be it a breakthrough made by an alum or professor, or the recent 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics, awarded to Caltech professor H. David Politzer and two other scientists for their discovery of asymptotic freedom in quantum chromodynamics. Considering my intended major, Environmental Engineering, Caltech can provide a vital source of knowledge and experience required to assist me in my course of study. I have chosen this major because of my interest in the future of energy sources. It is apparent that the world is on the cusp of an energy revolution. Just like the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, this one will pertain to discovering new energy sources and utilizing those we have available more cautiously. In the 1700s, coal was the miracle fuel on which technology depended; today's revolution calls for alternative sources. I am excited to be a part of the revolution and see how it will play out in my lifetime. Caltech already has professors researching the need for alternative sources. David Goodstein, a professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Caltech, published an article titled 'Energy, Technology and Climate: Running Out of Gas.' Goodstein's main point is that the supply of readily available fossil fuels will become non-existent in the near future, which can have catastrophic effects on civilization. New energy sources are going to be a vital area of study, and I am extremely passionate about getting involved in its research. In the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, one of the courses students can enroll in is 'ESE: Undergraduate Laboratory Research in Environmental Science and Engineering.' In this course, students independently research any current environmental problem of their choice; this freedom of study for undergraduates is unique to Caltech. Research is a major aspect of Caltech. Every successful research group requires a leader, which is what I would contribute to Caltech, since I have acquired extensive experience in this role. For example, on the AP Chemistry lab final, our three-person group only had nine days of in-class time to do the eight days' worth of lab, so we had to work accurately and efficiently. As the leader, I assigned specific tasks to the other two members, and compiled and checked the results. Due to my contribution as a leader, we received the highest grade out of the three AP Chemistry classes. With my long-standing history of being the leader in projects, it is just second nature for group members to depend on me, and I never let them down. Given the opportunity and the proper learning environment, I am confident I can achieve all the goals I set for myself. With Caltech's longstanding reputation as one of the top science schools in the world, this could be the perfect match.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Please share with the Admissions Committee how you discovered Caltech and the reasons you decided to apply. What do you believe you would contribute to Caltech both academically and personally? (minor essay--less than 500 words)
I was first drawn to Caltech by its history of innovation and the opening of its description in the famous Fiske Guide to Colleges 2004: "If you're a distractedly brilliant techie... maybe you'll have a fighting chance of getting into Caltech." This passage beckoned to me--it was issuing a challenge which I could not refuse. After receiving information in the mail and visiting Caltech's website, I was further impressed by the "Techers Talk" section. A biology major on this part of the site remarked that one of her course requirements was an optional senior-level course for physics majors at a different institution. The high level of academic excellence that she described convinced me that I would fit in at Caltech. Last August, I visited the campus in the 21-hour first day of a cross-country trip, and I was able to have informative conversations with two admissions officers and Dr. Aron Kupperman. Every time Caltech is in the news for its students winning programming competitions, its geologists remarking on tectonic activity, or its world-famous jugglers, my desire to attend increases. Caltech's honor system, which mirrors my personal standards, demonstrated to me that even the non-academic mindset of the students is quite like my own. Finally, my brilliant and charismatic physics teacher is a Caltech alumnus, showing to me the passion that Techers have for science. The Institute's academic atmosphere, its top-notch staff, and the research opportunities available to undergraduates make it the school that would force me to examine my true academic ability and realize my scholastic potential. I would contribute a great deal to Caltech academically and personally. I would bring a young mind eager to absorb knowledge and explore science in a research-oriented setting. Also, I could introduce my experience with research in bioinformatics and computational chemistry to the scientific frontier. My sense of humor and teamwork skills, two of my outstanding personal attributes, would enrich the Caltech community. Making others laugh is one of my hobbies, whether through the written or spoken word, and I feel sheer exuberance when I am able to lighten a serious situation with a spark of comedy. I use my ability to work in a team almost daily in my computational chemistry project, and last summer's work required me to cooperate with other members in the bioinformatics lab. I am applying to Caltech because it is an amazing institution which I could enrich with my academic and personal qualities.
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Essay Question:
Select one activity outside of math and science in which you have been involved, and describe why it has been meaningful to you.
The activity outside of math and science which I find the most meaningful is studying and playing piano. I feel intense pride and satisfaction when I have mastered a difficult piece through self-discipline and self-improvement. I enjoy the development of my hand-eye coordination, finger strength, and sight-reading ability. Witnessing the genius of classical composers through playing and listening to their music is enormously satisfying and gives me a sense of awe. As I play, the notes from composers such as J.S. Bach and Joplin give me a joyful and lighthearted attitude. The concentration and solitude required for instrument practice allows me time to meditate and relax. Music at its core really is a kind of mathematical puzzle: the rhythm and frequency of the notes, the patterns formed by chords, the rules of key and tone that the composer must observe. The mathematical challenge is a recreation I welcome next to the physical and musical demands of piano. Additionally, when I play, I envision the physics of music--longitudinal sound waves dancing through the air, playfully bouncing off of walls and around chairs while the metal strings inside the instrument oscillate at their fundamental frequencies. Playing the piano is my most challenging and rewarding activity, enriching my analytical mind and soul, as well as the ears of my listeners.
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Essay Question:
Please fill the field below with something you think is interesting. Be creative!
Wonders of Life Did life start as a coincidence? Did atoms form organic molecules in lightening strikes? Or, is it predetermined? Do atomic properties make bonding of certain elements or molecules more favorable than others do? Did life come from space? How did we evolve from simple species to complex ones? Do mutations happen randomly? How do we develop from one cell and differentiate into many parts, mostly WITHOUT ERROR? How are intrinsic behaviors coded in genes? How does damaged DNA repair itself? How does the human brain function? How can one small human brain be more powerful than all supercomputers in the world COMBINED? Why aren't we able to explain its working in a simple way? They are miracles.
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Essay Question:
Please share with the Admissions Committee how you discovered Caltech and the reasons you decided to apply. What do you believe you would contribute to Caltech both academically and personally? Major
When I started high school, my parents and close family friends started to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I would respond that I wanted to be an engineer because I like the math and sciences. A couple years down the road, that question became where I wanted to go for college. I would shrug and say that any college outside the Midwest would probably be fine. They would smile and start to suggest a list of colleges. Names like Caltech, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, and Yale started to float around in my head. I decided that some research of my own would be in order. While searching the Internet, I stumbled upon a letter that Stanford president Gerhard Casper wrote to U.S. News & World Report editor James Fallows in 1996. In the letter, he criticized the college ranking process utilized by U.S. News and brought up the example of Caltech. He wrote, 'The California Institute of Technology offers a rigorous and demanding curriculum that undeniably adds great value to its students. Yet, Caltech is crucified for having a "predicted" graduation rate of 99% and an actual graduation rate of 85%. Did it ever occur to the people who created this "measure" that many students do not graduate from Caltech precisely because they find Caltech too rigorous and demanding - that is, adding too much value - for them?' The letter caught my interest; this was high praise from the president of another prestigious university. Browsing through the Caltech catalogue, I again got a sense of the value of education at Caltech from the core curriculum to the research opportunities. Drinking from a fire hose and boot camp for the brain were two descriptions from students that stuck to me. It was the rigorous and exciting nature of a Caltech education that made me decide to apply. I believe that it is in this kind of academic environment I thrive. High school for me can be fairly dull overall, punctuated occasionally with exciting moments. However, Caltech provides many opportunities in both the classroom and the lab. It is important to seize the opportunities that are present and not let trying circumstances detract from them. I feel that I would be in a good position to contribute academically because of a love of learning and exploration that has been with me since I was a curious little kid. Socially, I would also bring a slightly different perspective of the world. I am a firm believer in the concept of Aristotelian Virtues. It is the belief that one must act according to virtue to enrich oneself and most importantly, act for the better good of the community. It is my belief that individual talent should be used for the betterment of the world. This kind of world view is very important in a small, tight-knit community at Caltech. These fundamental beliefs and how I act upon them will be my contribution to the Caltech community.
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Essay Question:
In addition to your interest in studying math, science, and/or engineering, we are interested in knowing about you as a person. To this end, write an essay on one of the following: b. Select one activity outside of math and science in which you have been involved, and describe why it has been meaningful to you.
My involvement in music playing the piano and the clarinet has truly been the most rewarding of my pursuits. It is something that I do not for other people but for my own enjoyment. I have discovered the immense rewards music has to offer and it goes beyond winning competitions or prizes. When I competed in the Young Artists Solo Competition on the piano in January of 2004, I competed alongside fifty of the best young musicians in the region. After I was finished with my performance in the final round, I went into the audience to listen to those after me. Listening to them, I forgot about whether or not I was going to win but thought to myself, 'Wow, these guys are good!' In the end, it didn't matter that I was took third place or earned $300 for my efforts; what really matter was that I played alongside some of the most talented individuals and had fun. Some of my most exciting experiences involve music, such as traveling with my piano teacher to the regional Music Teachers National Association competition, participating in the North Dakota All-State Band, performing with my woodwind quintet, playing in Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Festival with the other Young Artist prize winners, or performing side by side with the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra. Music is the other aspect of my life that provides a contrast to the very math and science oriented side of myself. Much is open for interpretation in music, as opposed to math or science. One cannot interpret a mathematical or chemical equation to one's liking. Definitions and established laws have to be followed. In music, it is nearly the complete opposite. Tempo markings are only suggestions; dynamics are relative to each other; articulation and phrasing can be readily modified; tone quality is distinct for every performer. The freedom of interpretation and expression that music provides is a welcome relief from the strict, logical thought processes that govern most all other aspects of my life. It is in this manner that music allows me to express myself. There is Debussy for my quiet and pensive moods and Chopin for a more melancholy feel; Beethoven is flamboyant and grandiose while Bach is more stately and regal. It is because of all this that music has become a very important facet of my life. No matter how busy my school schedule is, I always try to find time for the piano and the clarinet and reap the rewards and benefits of music.
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Essay Question:
Personal Statement
"I thought he was a humanities kid." I was walking into the physics lab as I heard those words, and they came as a shock to me. I had always thought of myself as someone who would contribute to the natural sciences, not the humanities, and I frequently envisioned myself years later at some institute doing important research in a white lab coat. So it was surprising to hear someone say that I was a so-called 'humanities kid.' It was true that I had gone out in English contests and philosophy competitions and that I enjoyed reading books by Sartre and Nietzsche (when I could understand what they were saying), but my passion had always been for the sciences. I took pleasure in being in the lab and doing experiments. I couldn't see why the fact that I liked reading classics automatically had me labeled as a 'humanities kid.' I lived for quite some time in the States before I came to Korea, and one of the things that astonished me was the ever-present dichotomy between the humanities and the sciences. You were either one or the other; there was no in-between. On top of that, all of my fellow Korean students had already made up their minds firmly between the two, and this was actually encouraged by teachers and schools. Students who had not made their decision were considered lazy. That was why one of the reasons Caltech appealed to me was that there were students who broke discipline barriers and studied both biology and literature or both geology and history. Students who study both the natural sciences and the humanities are impossible to find in Korean colleges, especially tech schools such as KAIST or Postech. In my case, the science is always first, but I wouldn't mind studying some literature or philosophy on the side as well. In the years that followed that day I walked into the physics lab, my friends came to accept me as a sciences student who was also interested in the humanities, and after working hard in the lab and in my elective classes (AP Physics, AP Biology, and Differential Equations), my friends never doubted me. I had to work diligently, though, to get past everyones prejudices. It was distressing when people thought I was somehow inferior because I did well in humanities subjects, even though I actually got better grades than most of them in biology and differential equations. My hard work paid off when, one day, my lab team thanked me for my excellent lab work. I had finally gotten the recognition that I had desired. Caltech gathers the best students from all over the world, and I am sure that I would be working with many talented students should I be admitted. While I hope to develop my skills as a scientist and gain recognition, which I expect will be much harder than in high school, I also hope to be able to always lend a helping hand to my fellow students whether it be as a research partner or as a roommate. And who knows? Maybe there would be someone on campus I could have late-night discussions on philosophy with.
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Essay Question:
"We are interested in knowing in what ways a scientific or engineering education in a research-focused environment is a good choice for you. What areas are you particularly interested in studying and why? How did your interests develop?" Personal statement
'Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars' - Bart Howard has written these two lines for the lyrics of 'Fly Me to the Moon'. To some, this is no more than a castle in the air. To me, on the other hand, it embodies a dream which I want to spend the rest of my life pursuing. The beginning of it all was an educational comic book. Some say that one does not make up his mind about an intended career until he changes his mind at least twice. Ten years ago, a 7-year-old had longed to become a teacher when she saw the delicious biscuits that her teacher received as holiday gifts. She began to observe her teachers daily performance closely and quietly, admiring any appreciated deeds and criticizing any acts disapproved by her fellow classmates. However, the desire of becoming a teacher faded away as a new aspiration was born in the little girl's mind a year later. The prestige and compensation of a lawyer appeared attractive to her. Nevertheless, this vision disintegrated before long when she realized that money might sometimes weigh more than justice did to a lawyer. In fourth grade, I had lost all the initiative I might have for writing a composition on 'my future career'. Then, my mom planted this passionate flame for science within my heart with an educational comic book. Titled 'The Mysterious Universe', this book did more than entertain me: it enhanced my knowledge about the unknown outside the Earth's atmosphere and powerfully attracted me to the idea of space exploration. They all fascinate me - the planets, the natural laws - everything that is enclosed in this mystery. Sometimes I wonder how long this fascination will last, and apparently it has persisted for all these years and yet is still growing strong. My mother bought me another book about space written at a more professional level; it did nothing but increase my interest. I took an astronomy course in the summer to see if it would bore me, but astronomy has only become ever so enthralling. It is the subject that I have determined to dedicate myself to studying. Neither the accident of the Challenger nor my uncle's suggestions about higher paying jobs could hinder my dream of becoming an astronaut. I am like an arrow, and astronomy is the bow to which I am stringed. Filled with potential energy and passion, I await for the chance when my education, the bowman, directs me at the right place to be released. I need a bowman like Caltech, a research-focused environment with its advanced instruments such as the Hale Telescope and the Oschin Telescope. Caltech is, as British astronomer Martin Rees pointed out, the center of the universe of astronomers. I desire to get out there, not just out into the real world but into this mystifying indefinite world that will forever mesmerize me. Perhaps my enthusiasm is evidence of my previous life being an extraterrestrial creature after all!
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Essay Question:
Select one activity outside of math and science in which you have been involved, and describe why it has been meaningful to you.
'You know what? This is impossible,' Albert said. 'How many tutors do we have now?' Tom asked. I read from my planner, 'We only have sixteen people so far.' I still remember our conversation during that crucial meeting with my friends at the beginning of junior year. This dilemma concerned ambitions to grow our club, Tutors Helping to Educate Minds. We were expanding our tutoring program from one school to two schools. Therefore, we had just attended a meeting with the superintendent, principal and faculty to discuss our proposed goals. The meeting had ended with our pledge to tutor 50 eighth-graders for two days a week. Soon, we realized that it would be impossible to achieve our goal without recruiting many more tutors. I founded this club during sophomore year with several friends to advance the education of younger students. As Stuyvesant students with immigrant parents, we realized the emphasis placed on education in our families. As a result, we wanted to open up educational opportunities for others. Our goal was to help students in Chinatown prepare for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test. Since these economically disadvantaged students could not afford private tutoring, we wanted to provide free tutoring. The process of recruiting tutors, however, proved to be an enormous challenge. After witnessing a mini-Oreo food fight among these kids, I understood why my classmates were reluctant to join the tutoring club. Furthermore, my peers were already overextended with other extracurricular activities, tests, and homework. The necessary time commitment discouraged many prospective members and, therefore, made the task of enlisting dedicated tutors a difficult problem. By promising to expand our tutoring program into another school, we had agreed to a seemingly impossible goal, which placed our club at great risk. We were now about to send out 50 consent forms to 50 new students. If we failed to gather enough tutors during the next few weeks, we would let down the 50 new kids in addition to those we were already tutoring. Fearing broken promises, I considered returning to the principal's office to admit that we could not reach our goal. However, I did not want to back out of this challenge. While the risks were great, the advantages of success were potentially greater. If we could accomplish the task, our club would double in size and be able to reach more kids in two schools. During the next few weeks, we proceeded to recruit more members by holding interest meetings that informed the student body of our goal. We even managed to recruit freshmen during their first week of school. By October, we had successfully expanded tutoring to two schools. After our success, I learned to aim higher and to challenge myself. I learned not to back down from what appear to be insurmountable odds. If a challenge presents itself, I will go after it. I have also learned not to gamble with other people's education and not to make promises before considerable thought. Creating a successful club has made me approach situations more maturely and responsibly. Upper limits do not exist in reality. With persistence, nothing is impossible.
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Essay Question:
Please share with the Admissions Committee how you discovered Caltech and the reasons you decided to apply. What do you believe you would contribute to Caltech both academically and personally?
I discovered Caltech about 3 years ago when my parents informed me of your college as one to consider for my pursuit of higher education. So, being my normal self, I began to research Caltech online and found that it was one of the top math, science, and engineering universities in the country. There are some research projects at Caltech that I am interested in, including Caltech's involvement with NASA JPL, and research involving Elementary Particle Theory in the field of Physics, that Professor Politzer was recently awarded for. Last spring I visited the campus and it felt like a nice place to be. The professors were cool, the students were nice, and the food was actually delicious (I specifically enjoyed the pizza and teriyaki rice bowls). While walking around Millikan Library, I remember enjoying the pools and sculptures. The campus can be described as simply beautiful, and the weather of Pasadena is very agreeable. I decided to apply mainly because of Caltech's top physics and mathematics programs, which are important to me because my primary academic interest is physics and I would like to pursue it as a career. Caltech meets both my needs in terms of its excellent education and its campus life. I believe I will contribute to Caltech, my academic interests in physics, mathematics, Japanese, and my more informal interest in philosophy. My main academic interest is in the field of physics, with mathematics to support my study of physics. I feel that I would be able to help and tutor those who are only taking physics because it is a core requirement. I work well with others and I am very self-motivated and determined to accomplish my goals. Since Caltech is a smaller college and is math and science oriented, I feel that I would bring much more in terms of my interests in the humanities, namely Japanese and philosophy. I have studied Japanese for three years and am becoming more proficient. Also, I have become intrigued by the philosophical discussions that take place during my English classes, and I am interested in studying philosophy more formally. I also have a wide variety of musical and exotic interests. 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 personally contribute to Caltech.
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Essay Question:
Select one activity outside of math and science in which you have been involved, and describe why it has been meaningful to you.
An activity outside of math and science that I have been involved in that has been meaningful to me is my private study of the piano. I have been studying piano and music theory for 11 years and my piano teacher has not only taught me how to play the piano, but she has also enriched my understanding and appreciation of all kinds of music. My understanding and appreciation of music was greatly increased by my knowledge of music theory. Music theory involves the analysis, classification, and identification of the elements of a piece of music. This has enhanced my appreciation of music by being able to hear and identify the countermelodies and harmonies, subtle key changes, and underlying rhythms that give it its artistic quality and beauty. As a result, I have grown to love classical music among other types of music, more specifically music from the Baroque and Romantic periods. I also find myself subconsciously analyzing popular music whenever I listen to it. Since music is very pervasive in our culture, it is very useful to be able to identify the unique qualities present in different types of music. Learning how to play the piano has also enabled me to explore different opportunities and different types of music. I have studied cello for 8 years and have been involved in the school's Symphonic Orchestra, and recently I got interested in singing, and have been involved in the school's Concert Choir. Playing the cello and singing have been very enjoyable and have added to my musical education. In choir, knowing how to play the piano has helped out because I can play out my part on the piano and learn the part. The most meaningful thing about my study of piano has been knowing how to play the piano at a level where I am able to enjoy the music I produce. I am able to play some of the songs I enjoy hearing on the radio and although it might not be as good technically, it is more gratifying to hear my own version. Also I have been able to perform the piano for others and it has been especially meaningful when I have performed for the elderly at nursing homes. Brightening the day of an elderly person at a nursing home is very meaningful not only to me but also the people affected.
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Essay Question:
What event or events have shaped your life?
The Farm I was seven years old when I moved out of the small apartment I had been living in onto a large plot of land in rural Fairview, Tennessee. Moving to the farm was a remarkable change. With the new environment I was able to pursue and develop my interests. Living on the farm is unique and has taught me useful skills through practical experience. Having been uninhabited for ten years, the farm was quite overgrown. I helped my parents improve the land while the house was being built. I learned to drive a tractor and to chainsaw when I was only seven. My dad loves carpentry and together we spent weekends milling wood, constructing sheds and building bridges across our lake. We built an irrigation system to water the myriad of orchards and forests we had planted. It was powered by ram-pumps, which use the force of falling water to drive water uphill. The system became so complex that we had five pumps running, some of which put out up to 500 gallons of water per day. Building the ram-pumps was particularly interesting for me since each one we built became more technologically advanced. My house is an interesting one. It was designed to be energy efficient while maintaining aesthetic appeal. My dad modified the design so that the air conditioning takes advantage of geothermal heat and the glass in the house was specially made to capture solar energy. We also added efficient wood burning stoves, which heat the house in the winter. My dad instilled in me these concepts of efficiency, and they continue to play important parts in all of my projects as I design them. My interest in rocketry is a particularly good example of a hobby, which the farm allowed me to explore; most other conditions would have made it difficult for me to launch and test rocket motors. I wanted to build rocket engines, not just assemble kits. I acquired the appropriate chemicals and began testing. I was still very young so the experiments were often failures, but I learned about the critical design considerations of rocket motors. Some of the rockets I built flew out of sight, an incentive for me to continue. These experiments in rocketry solidified how I most enjoy learning-through experience. After rockets came high voltage and glassblowing. I tinkered with high voltage sparks and discharges, capacitor banks and static generators. For glassblowing, I set up gas lines, torches, an annealing oven and a furnace, most of which I made to save money. The glass shop soon also became a metal shop with tools and machinery that I scrounged and repaired for myself. Living on the farm was ideal since residential areas are not usually the best place for these types of activities. I would not have been able to pursue many of my interests had it not been for moving out to the farm. I would not have had the opportunity for empirical learning, which has come to distinguish me. The farm has allowed me to develop skills while expanding my knowledge. This opens new possibilities for me, which I will benefit from throughout my life.
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Essay Question:
Please share with the Admissions Committee how you discovered Caltech and the reasons you decided to apply. What do you believe you would contribute to Caltech both academically and personally?
'Work Hard, Play Hard' 'Get up, it's time to go observe!' 'But it's 2 in the morning...' I grumble again as I got out of bed for the millionth time. This was a common sight this summer when I went to the Summer Science Program, where I participated in a research project to determine an asteroid's orbit with 35 other brilliant students. Yet this project was only one of many memorable features of the program. The basketball tournaments, soccer games, and other activities, along with all the injuries, will always remain in my mind. Late at night, we toiled together on our homework in the dining hall. The community at the Summer Science Program was the ideal setting for me to reach my full potential because of the 'work hard, play hard' atmosphere. Though we had only a few problems assigned every week, it was vital that everyone collaborated with each other or discussed their work with the teaching assistants. One night, while working on a difficult physics problem, my teammate, Min, approached me with the same problem. 'Ok, let's do this separately and see how far we get.' His approach: linear algebra and matrices. My approach: pure algebra. Our result: two answers that were several magnitudes apart, accompanied with an exasperated sigh. We looked over the each other's work and found miscalculations on both sides. After correcting my calculations, I cautiously turned to Min, eyeing the clock at 4 am. 'Ok, what'd you get this time?' We breathed a huge sigh of relief together as we ended up with the same answer. The next morning, however, neither of us could stay awake in lecture. But what also amazed me was that not only were these people smart, but everyone had other strengths besides academics. A majority of students were on sports teams in their schools. Others were excellent singers, musicians, or comedians. We held basketball, soccer, or volleyball games nearly every afternoon until we were beyond exhausted. All throughout the day, people complained, 'Oh man I'm so sore I can barely move!' Yet these were the very people that chased after the ball like mad every single day, regardless of how physically incapable they were claimed to be. Because of my ignorance of pain, nearly every day, I would hobble back to my room supported by handrails, but like everyone else, I was back on the field the next day. Though plagued with fatigue and the occasional injury, we enjoyed our matches together. The Summer Science Program was truly an academically and physically rigorous experience. I will probably never feel the same mind blowing sensation - that is, unless I find myself lugging my bags down the Olive Walk next September. Discovering a similar philosophy and work ethic in the Caltech community, I hope to contribute to and gain from this same motto: Work hard, play hard.
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Essay Question:
Select one activity outside math and science in which you have been involved and describe why it has been meaningful to you?
The Limit of Determination Dedication, discipline, and determination. These three words appear on the back on the t-shirt I got from my tennis academy. Within the first two years, I had proved to my coach that I had both dedication and discipline. But whenever I played against a closely matched opponent, my skills would fall apart. I realized what I needed to do to win and ever since then, I have rarely lost to an evenly matched opponent. The most important value I gained as a tennis player is what I lacked before: determination. 'And playing for the Marymeade team, Rico Chiu!' I gulped as I met eye to eye with my opponent: a daunting demon with dark shades. As the game started, his powerful forehand scored point after point against me. When I whined to my coach about his intimidating forehand, he chuckled, 'What are you talking about? Your forehand is way better. Just believe in yourself, you should be able to beat him.' I scoffed silently in disbelief. But his words lingered in my mind, and as I subconsciously began to believe in what he said and my opponent scored less and less. That little pinch of self-confidence made all the difference. I continued to face difficult matches, especially because I played #4 singles on my high school varsity team as a freshmen. In every match, my opponents literally towered over me as I stretched upwards for a handshake. At 5'2', my height really didn't give much of a formidable impression. No one expected me to win against this powerhouse player who could have used my shoulder as a footrest. Physically stronger and faster, he hammered the balls mercilessly. I held onto my last string of hope; I would try to outlast him mentally. As the points began to fall towards my favor, with the score growing from 1-5 to 4-5, he became progressively discouraged; he could not hammer the last part of the nail into the ground. In a series of lucky points, I broke his strength of mind. No longer did he have the will to play, allowing me to score easy points that he should have won. With all his confidence evaporated, he paid little attention as I served aces past him. Physically, he was the better player, but I overcame him because I was mentally stronger. Tennis has not only given me confidence in competition, but has improved my attitude in difficult or frustrating situations. I believe in my abilities and wont give up when I still have a chance. I will always remember the most important of the academy's three ideals. I can only dedicate so much time to train. And I can only discipline myself to a certain extent to put effort and meaning into practice time. But when it comes to determination, only I can define my own limit.
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Essay Question:
Why Caltech?
There are many qualities that I am looking for in a college, the greatest of which is that the college's undergraduate curriculum must be world-class in the areas of math, science, and engineering. Less tangible characteristics are that the college should have an intimate feel with a welcoming surrounding environment. Lastly, I am concerned with the opportunities that the college provides outside of the classes for people to pursue their passions and career interests. Caltech meets all of the above criteria. One of the strongest features of my personality is that I am never content to settle with something below my abilities. I try to excel in whatever I do, and being at a college such as Caltech, where an aptitude in math and science is expected rather than exceptional, would challenge me in a way that other colleges would not. The world-class faculty and curriculum manifest themselves in a variety of ways, including the success that the faculty and alumni have had in conducting award-winning research. Caltech's atmosphere also appeals to me. Although my high school is moderately sized, I have the same twenty or so students in all of my classes. This can be somewhat limiting in terms of opportunities for friendships and working with a variety of people, but I do enjoy the way everyone knows everyone else. Caltech's size is very similar to my high school's, but because students are at roughly the same ability level, I would probably have more variety in my classes while avoiding the impersonal seminar classes that are prevalent at larger colleges. In addition to this, the Honor Code at Caltech is something I approve of; it shows that the college respects its students and gives the students an understanding of what is expected of them. Things such as these, which are not essential to a college but give me a greater idea of the general feeling of the college, make Caltech appeal to me. While interning in Los Angeles with NASA this summer, I had the opportunity to visit Pasadena. Having lived in a small town on the East Coast for my entire life, I was impressed with Pasadena's intellectual climate as well as its meteorological one. The presence of nearby cultural sites and opportunities such as the Getty Museum and the Pasadena Symphony was an unexpected but pleasing aspect of my internship. Caltech's location in Pasadena means that students can enjoy both the comfort and safety of a small city and the opportunities that a cultural center such as Los Angeles presents. Finally, Caltech presents many unique opportunities within the college and in the greater community. I want to be an astronaut and am fascinated with everything related to space, but I do not know whether engineering or physics appeals to me more. Since students at Caltech do not have to declare a major until the end of freshman year, I would be able to explore both of these options before committing. Furthermore, Caltech's collaboration with JPL and its Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship would give me the opportunity to work and conduct research from Caltech, giving me valuable career experience. This will ensure that I am successful in both college and the years beyond.
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Essay Question:
What activity do you value most?
The activity that I value the most is the UpBeat Peer Leadership Program. UpBeat is a club that is run by seniors and performs community service while emphasizing making good decisions with regards to drugs and alcohol. Fourteen 'houses' target different areas of the community, such as schools and the firefighters. Through it, I have been able to conduct fulfilling volunteer work, such as tutoring, and I have learned about myself in the process. I was chosen as one of five coordinators of the 300-member program, and I have learned how to run meetings, both in small and large groups, and how to keep a large program running effectively. One of the hardest parts of being a coordinator, however, is not keeping the program running but working closely with the other four seniors. Although we were all friends or acquaintances before becoming coordinators, we have disparate personalities. Two of us are relatively concrete, while the other three are abstract; some of us are better with looking at things from a large scale, while others prefer to become involved with the details; and, with only one male in the group, we tend to overlook his perspective. I used to assume the role of mediator whenever there was a disagreement, but after seven months of working together, we have learned how to use our strengths and weaknesses to complement each other's rather than to detract from the group. Aside from the community service that I do, the most gratifying aspect of UpBeat is the interaction I have with the underclassmen. As a coordinator, I usually try to organize the seniors who run the houses. Although I have a large impact on the implementation of the entire program, I rarely have the opportunity to become involved on a small scale. When I do have the chance, I am always amazed at how much the underclassmen know about and look up to me. I often forget how being a coordinator of such a large program results in more people recognizing me than I do them. While mentoring a freshman who had been caught using alcohol, for instance, I was surprised to find out that, not only did she want to be an astronaut, but she also remembered that I had the same goal from a speech I gave to the middle school two years ago. Experiences such as these remind me that I can use my position as a coordinator to have a positive impact on my peers, especially those who are younger than myself. Four years ago, I could never have seen myself as a coordinator of UpBeat. The seniors in charge seemed gregarious and confident, qualities that I did not believe I could ever have. After attending UpBeat's workshops about public speaking and communication skills, however, I gained self-assurance. Now that I am a senior, I try to become friends with the quieter underclassmen. I recognize my personality in them, and it has become a sort of personal mission to show them that it is possible to be both shy and confident. While I may never be an extrovert, and I sometimes feel silly doing the Hokey-Pokey in front of 300 people, I no longer feel awkward talking to a large group or making small talk with adults. This change, and many other ones, has been made almost entirely because of UpBeat.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
Personal statement
In every cubic centimeter above, on, and below the earth exist millions of living cells. Each cell struggles to reproduce and survive, along the way incurring mutations. Every mutation is a step in the surreal and unseen dance of evolution - a dance the Digital Life Laboratory's Avida project attempts to recreate artificially. Evolutionary programs and transcendent algorithms are what I hope to study in Caltech. Doing research there or in SURF would be a tremendous outgrowth of what I am working on now: my own genetic algorithm project for Intel Science Talent Search in Sumter High School. I am fascinated by emergent behavior in general, such as Stephen Wolfram's cellular automata. But I am interested not in solving problems but creating independent intelligence, which coincides with the Digital Life Laboratory's purpose. (It would also be a continuation of my own research under the guidance of Dr. Michaelis of in the Greenwood Genetics Center.) Mathematics is my passion, a passion embedded in a world of imagination and creativity. The endless patterns of numbers are dilemmas to solve; nothing is as captivating as an unsolved problem. My curiosity for mathematics leads me to new insights and projects everyday. But mathematics is little without creativity, and I think that I create that interesting medley of ideas. Niels Bohr said "We all know your idea is crazy, the question is whether it is crazy enough." Picasso encapsulated three dimensions in two; so in art I envision my own shapes that twist and turn impossibly, but contain elements of my beloved mathematical underpinnings. I have created art that spanned subjects ranging from quantum mechanics' Calabi-Yau shapes to the fractal-like art of Jackson Pollock. I have even played the humorous role of an eccentric 'Mathman' in a short theatrical monologue. This is the spirit I think Caltech encapsulates: a playground where my imagination and thought can be happily united. I think this is why I am enchanted with Caltech, because of its math and science-infused life; when I hear the tales of Senior Ditch Day and impromptu acts of benign pranking, all I can think of is, "I do that!" But perhaps most importantly, I want to be challenged. I want to stretch my mind to the limit, to maximize my ability, to work so hard towards a purpose that I will cry tears of frustration alongside those of success. Caltech is the only place for me to research my passions, to excite my creativity and to simultaneously become a stronger individual.
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
What, aside from science and math, do you like to do with your free time?
The curtain rises. I surge forward, oppressed by walls on either side of me: on my left, a concrete, brick-and-mortar wall, on the other, a thin black veneer. A dangerous two millimeters divorces two worlds. Appearing and disappearing in the dark, half a costume and two enshrouded eyes silently scurry by my left, rippling the mysterious fabric to my right without a touch. The ripple leaks a slimmer of a seductive light from the gap between the curtain and floor; the light reflects onto the wall and disappears. Pressing on, a slow drum behind my ears grows into a furious pulse. I am the keen hunter on the untamed savannah: every sense is trained for that fleeting instant; a moment too late or too early is a moment too fatal. The exquisite and articulate words are spoken, "And those things do best please me/That befal preposterously." I leap into the air a savage, but land on the stage a gentleman. The old world melts away, replaced by radiant lights, an enraptured audience, and a mortal foe. I advance with a careful, measured and almost practiced step, shoulders reflecting my proud demeanor, eyes dancing with my passion and lips declaring, "Why should you think that I should woo in scorn?/Scorn and derision never come in tears." As an incoming freshman, I enrolled in my first drama class. I lived a narrow life, my mind limited to a self-imposed exile of pure logic, accepting everything on a pragmatic basis. The only 'use' for the arts would be coldly calculated for efficiency and aesthetic. At the time I was like a horse with blinders, oblivious to that relatively incomprehensible world. My expression was muted and my personality characterless. Two hundred and sixty-six days, nine productions and one epiphany later, I acted in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Since then, my thirst for knowledge has broadened to accept or try anything. The pace has only accelerated: I took an art class, then a philosophy class. That single exposure to drama was a catalyst that revolutionized the way I thought. But if my understanding evolved then my mathematics did also: a fusion of creative, abstract, and alternate understandings of everything, analytic or not, resulted. I look back and think of who I was and think, just as Puck proclaims, "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
Essay Category:
Essay Question:
What were your principle activities as a high school student.
Distributed Genetic Algorithm Currently I am conducting my own research in my high school in the field of genetic algorithms for the Intel Science Talent Search. The basic idea behind genetic algorithms is very simple. A genetic algorithm is an iterative procedure that maintains a population of solutions to a certain problem. During each generation the structures in the current population are rated for their effectiveness as solutions. The least effective structures are eliminated from the population. Genetic operators such as crossover and mutation are applied to the remaining population to create a new and theoretically more effective population. The result is an evolved pool of possible solutions; each generation is generally better than the previous. My research differs in that my genetic algorithms do not have a specific purpose, but instead vie for survival, in a sense attempting to recreate primitive organisms. Similar to the Digital Life Laboratory's Avida project, my program will run on a computer network (my high school), turning it into a distributed computing cluster, while using the computers only when they are idle. Research L1CAM Protein Alongside Dr. Ron Michealis, I studied the mutations on two patients' L1 Cell Adhesion Molecules (L1CAM) proteins. These proteins are essential to guiding neurons to their final destinations on other neurons. Our research involved the correlation between the placement and class of mutation to the resulting phenotype. Math/Quiz Team Since my freshman year, I have been a part of the Academic Quiz Team and the Academic Math Teams. I have attended over thirty meets and have been captain of either the Junior Varsity or Varsity team since my sophomore year. In that time, I have competed with my team in the finals of every tournament and have been nationally ranked. We have also placed second in a state math meet. Drama I began theater in 9th grade and have been in over twenty productions and three musicals. We have performed in fifteen state competitions and all have been ranked as either Excellent or Superior. I have won the Best Actor and was nominated again this year. As a senior, I am acting vice-president of the Drama Club. Visual Arts In addition to a job as a muralist at elementary schools, I regularly contribute art to the local children's art magazine, Imagine That!. Furthermore, I have created posters and other artwork around the school for various events. In the national Iris Festivals, I won an Honorable Mention in the Visual Arts category Volunteer Work As part of the International Baccalaureate Program, I have been involved in over 150 hours of community service. I regularly help in the school as part of the student government; for example, I have helped in the construction for Prom or the set in a new drama production. Perhaps my most satisfying experience would be the yearly Croswell Children's Home, where we have a Christmas party for all the orphaned children there. Research with Dr. Michaelis on L1CAM Protein at Greenwood Genetics Center, 2003 Travel to the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Spain, 2003 Art Work for children magazine Imagine That! 2002, 2003 Habitat for Humanity, 2001-2003 Design of website for Foreign Language Department at School, 2002-2003 Development of Distributed Genetic Algorithms. Travel to the US Midwest, 2002 Drama camp, 2002 Sumter District 17 Painted murals for Sumter District 17 Elementary Schools. Senores Pujol Tutored the English language to Spanish students.
