What factors influenced your decision to apply to Barnard College and why do you think the College would be a good match for you?

I was miles out at sea with nothing but a boat underneath me and the endless night sky above me, unfettered by artificial lighting and the rat race that had drowned it out before. This was the first time in my life that I saw everything — the universe, the world, the human condition, and myself — with such clarity. It terrified me. How could I find a place in something so immense? I would have never thought that the stars I had marveled at as a child would have changed so much to me.

They used to be different. I remember binge-watching Animal Planet and the Discovery channel as a three-year-old, completely enthralled by beings that seemed to be pulled straight from fiction and pictures of galaxies that stretched throughout the sky. The images were beautiful and breathtaking and alien and infinite and I never wanted to look away. This fascination has only blossomed over the past fifteen years — growing from watching television to learning in a classroom, but sitting at a desk has never been enough to satiate my curiosity. I began to look to resources outside the classroom such as books, websites, videos, and people: specifically my grandmother, a scientist in a research group at Columbia University that won a Nobel Prize for their discoveries regarding regrowing nerves. She valued knowledge over everything because of her experiences during the her country’s civil war, where she went from being wealthy to having nothing. “People can take all your money in one night,” she would say, “but no one can take your knowledge.” She helped me further my appreciation and hunger for knowledge, pushing me to do more.

I no longer could be satisfied with an article, I craved an experience. That is exactly what I sought out, booking a marine biology trip in Saint Martin. Unknowingly, I had just dove into much more than just assisting in conservation efforts. For a whole month, I was separated from the luxuries and distractions of society. From before sun-up until long after sundown, the crew and I were immersed in our fascinating aquatic world. The days seemed to endless.

The nights stretched on in a similar manner to the days, but for a very different reason; my mind was racing. Despite being on a small boat with nine other people, my nights on the boat’s roof were oddly solitary, with only the brilliant night sky and my thoughts as company. I had time to reflect after learning and seeing firsthand the thousands of problems I couldn’t repair and the world had to face. It made me feel small and insignificant. I was merely a blip in time, I knew I couldn’t change that, but it felt wrong to think I couldn’t change anything. I couldn’t control my lifespan, the climate nor the actions of others, but it became clear that I could do something. I had to do something.

However, not all actions are created equal. “If I were to die today,” I ask myself, “ would I be happy with what I’ve done?” No, not yet. My own reflections have taught me, it is not enough just to do more; I have to make a change that will outlive me.

Ultimately, I wish to combine my passion for science and my will to make a change that will last long after I am gone. Although I may not see all the fruits of my labor nor gain praise and wealth, that is not — nor shall it ever be — my goal. As my Grandmother has taught me, the best prize is work itself and knowing it will make a difference.

College Essay Prompts

Barnard:

What factors influenced your decision to apply to Barnard College and why do you think the College would be a good match for you? (100-250 words)

When I came upon Barnard during my search for my ideal college, I knew I had found the college that I could blaze a path in. Barnard’s you tube channel gave me insight into a diverse and driven student body I felt empowered by. As a part of the student body and an EMT, I’d give back to the community through programs like Life force in Later Years, research with professors like Russell D. Romeo, and take part in Barnard’s Pre-Health Students Organization. I’d start a student-run club to create artwork for conditions that can’t normally be seen. Collaborations between this program and publications like Barnard Bulletin could change the misconceptions surrounding these conditions. Barnard’s community is one I can, and will, make a lasting difference with.

Barnard’s diverse array of academic departments, global community with abroad programs, and resources like the Con Edison Summer Internships in Science means I have the freedom to explore my passion for science with a global lens and tie multiple fields together with guidance from professors around the world. These resources combined with the diverse and ambitious Barnard professors would allow me to pursue my goal to introduce games as a tool for research to bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology without having to compromise my passion for medical science. Most importantly, I would make lifelong friendships with Barnard’s diverse student body by introducing each other to new fields, innovative ideas, and problems to tackle together.

Pick one woman in history or fiction to converse with for an hour and explain your choice. What would you talk about? (100-250 words)

Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmental and women’s rights activist, is personally the most inspiring women in history. She was the first woman in East and Central Africa to obtain a Ph.D., showing the world anything could be done and paved the way for future generations. She saw poverty and environmental sustainability, not as competing factors, but as two parts of a larger problem which she worked to solve with the Green Belt Movement. Her unyielding attitude in the face of ruthless influential business and political leaders allowed her to empower forgotten woman and with them pioneered environmentalism, peace, and democracy. In the modern political climate where repealing environment protection is the new norm, finding ways to combat this would be the focus of our conversation. What has she learned that she wishes she knew during the Green Belt movement and how could it be applied to current environmental activism and human rights pushes? Would reducing poverty and environmental protection still coincided today and what would she do to address both of these issues? How would Wangari view the rise in student activism and what could be done to empower it further? Perhaps most importantly, what would she want my generation to know in order to carry on her legacy of empowering those suppressed and fighting for the betterment of humanity? Wangari Maathai may be gone, but there is still work to be done, and I am certain she would push others to continue the fight for equality and sustainability.

Boston uni

What about being a student at Boston University most excites you?(250)

When I came upon Boston University during my search for my ideal college, I knew I had found the college that I could blaze a path in. Watching the videos posted by Boston University gave me insight into a driven student body with equally engaged professors I felt welcomed by. As a member of Boston University and an EMT, I’d give back to the community through programs like MEDLIFE, research with professors like A.J. Rosellini, and take part in Boston University’s effort to change the world through organizations like HOPE. I’d start a student-run organization to create artwork for conditions that can’t normally be seen and collaborate with the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders to change misconceptions surrounding these conditions. Boston University’s community is one I will make a lasting difference with.

Boston University’s diverse array of academic departments, global community with abroad programs like the Denmark University of Copenhagen exchange, and resources like UROP means I have the freedom to explore my passion for science with a global lens and tie multiple fields together with guidance from professors around the world. A Boston University education would allow me to introduce games as a tool for research to bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology without having to compromise my passion for medical science. Most importantly, I would make lifelong friendships with Boston University’s diverse student body by introducing each other to new fields, innovative ideas, and problems to tackle together.

Boston Col.

Boston College strives to provide an undergraduate learning experience emphasizing the liberal arts, quality teaching, personal formation, and engagement of critical issues. If you had the opportunity to create your own college course, what enduring question or contemporary problem would you address and why?(400)

Our world in the 21st Century is rapidly evolving with challenges that require skills no textbook can teach. Communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity are the basis for global innovation and are fostered through the class Gaming’s Utility in Developing Earth (G.U.I.D.E.). It is time to correct the close-minded concept that games are nothing more than distractions and see them for their true potential as powerful tools in all walks of life.

The class would touch on subjects such as economics with its ties to hyperinflation, sports with action games training perception and spatial cognition, epidemiology with the “corrupted blood” virtual pandemic, and games in education. Class discussions would be a daily occurrence to practice critical thinking and communication rather than just note-taking. We would cover why games aren’t currently utilized to the extent they can be in a segment that would explore the power of misconceptions while questioning what other groups have had similar problems with stigma and why ranging from rock and roll to refugees.

Innovation can be at its most potent when aided by collaboration as I learned at Oxford when I tried to utilize games to face psychology’s struggle to obtain data. The quality teaching and intellectual discussions lead me to pursue my goal. By utilizing people’s natural inclination to play, we could make experiments more immersive by embedding real-life issues into games to collect nominal data on human behavior. In fields that have limited data to work with, such as psychology, dangerous and unethical tests in real life may be much more realistic to conduct using games.

In Boston College, I know that students would have the resources to pursue such goals. The expansive range of professors combined with the Institute for Scientific Research means each project will have the adequate amount of guidance and expert help to come into fruition and Technology Transfer and Licensing would safeguard the intellectual properties from there. Most importantly, students would be among like-minded individuals willing to help each other change the world.

Brown

What do you hope to experience at Brown through the Open Curriculum, and what do you hope to contribute to the Brown community? (250-word limit)

During my Brown University campus visit, I knew I had found the college that I could blaze a path in. My tour guide gave me insight into a diverse and driven student body I felt welcomed by. As a part of the student body and an EMT, I’d give back to the community through programs like Carefree Clinic, research with professors like Dr. James Anderson, and take part in Brown’s effort to change the world through organizations like GlobeMed. I’d start a student-run organization to create artwork for conditions that can’t normally be seen. Collaborations between this program and Eye-to-Eye could change the misconceptions surrounding these conditions. Brown’s community is one I can, and will, make a lasting difference with.

Brown’s diverse array of academic departments, global community with abroad programs like the Consortium for Advanced Studies Abroad, and resources like the Computer Science and Ethics Group means I have the freedom to explore my passion for science with a global lens and tie multiple fields together with guidance from professors around the world. These resources combined with Brown’s open curriculum would allow me to tailor my learning to introduce games as a tool for research to bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology without having to compromise my passion for medical science. Most importantly, I would make lifelong friendships with Brown’s diverse student body by introducing each other to new fields, innovative ideas, and problems to tackle together.

Why are you drawn to the area(s) of study you indicated earlier in this application? (You may share with us a skill or concept that you found challenging and rewarding to learn, or any experiences beyond course work that may have broadened your interest.) (250 word limit)

Science is a field where discoveries build on one another and breakthroughs are shared as a victory for all of humanity. The awe-inspiring clarity science provides about the world around us has captured my curiosity which has only grown into an unbridled passion. When I had the opportunity to study in Oxford, I immediately seized it. I’d chosen to explore medicine during my abroad experience and I haven’t looked back since. During the first class in the medical course, I realized just how diverse the community was. My newest friend lived in South Africa, our table mate came from Australia, the class clown hailed from Germany and one of the doctors had already been living in England. I was exposed to a global view and insightful experiences from doctors and students alike, shifting the focus away from learning factoids and toward critical thinking. Rather than jumping to conclusions or accepting practices at face value, we were taught to question why they were used and how they worked. I can remember the first mock patient encounter we did and the satisfying “aha!” moment when the clues came together. They pointed to the fact that the patient had developed diabetes, and more importantly, that I had fallen in love with the medical field. The collaborative global community, the constant push for innovation, and the hands-on nature of the care all culminated into a career path that fit me perfectly. The breadth and depth Brown’s education provides could make my calling a reality.

Tell us about the place, or places, you call home. These can be physical places where you have lived, or a community or group that is important to you. (250 word limit)

education

I’ve been doing community service all my life, but no community has stuck with me like my church group. The community there is based upon the principle of helping people in need, no matter where they are. During the summer, the location happened to be in a rural village of Honduras. Every morning the rooster would wake us up just a bit too early before we would get together and have breakfast as a mission group, but more importantly, a family. We would tell funny stories and try not to choke when laughing between discussing what goals we had for the day. Despite being nearly 2000 miles away from Connecticut, I never felt so at home.

After breakfast, we would walk to the Community Center where we watched over the village’s elderly and cared for the young by providing healthy meals, education and a chance to be children. I remember the time when the children made images of themselves with papers that had different eye colors, mouths, hair, glitter and words. Those who were literate were passed words to read aloud for others. Some children passed the words to us. My Spanish, at the time, was not comprehensible but I wasn’t asked to translate the word but to keep them. I still have those words on my own picture and every time I see them, it reminds me that a community is defined by the people and that if the bonds are strong enough, a community becomes a home.

Despite being nearly 2000 miles away from Connecticut, I never felt so at home. During the summer, my church and I went to a rural village of Honduras to help several villages. Every morning the rooster would wake us up just a bit too early before we would get together and have breakfast as a mission group, but more importantly, a family. After breakfast, we would walk to the Community Center where we watched over the village’s elderly and cared for the young by providing healthy meals, education and a chance to be children. I remember the time when the children made images of themselves with papers that had different eye colors, mouths, hair, glitters and words. Those who were literate were passed words to read aloud for others. One child ran up and pressed a few words into my palm. I was confused, the children knew I could not speak spanish well. I tried to hand it back, pointing to one of my friends who was fluent in the language, but he didn’t want anyone to read it for him. He continuously pressed it into my hands and I realized, the words were for me to keep. I still have those words on my own picture and every time I see them, it reminds me that a community is defined by the people and that if the bonds are strong enough, a community becomes a home.

Cornel:

Students in Arts and Sciences embrace the opportunity to delve into their academic interests, discover new realms of intellectual inquiry, and chart their own path through the College. Tell us why the depth, breadth, and flexibility of our curriculum are ideally suited to exploring the areas of study that excite you. (Please limit your response to 650 words.)

To follow a path requires only the will to walk. To forge a path requires the means, skills, and determination to make something new. When I first discovered Cornell University during my search for my ideal college, I knew I had found the college that I could make my path in. Cornell’s diverse array of academic departments, flexible classes, and global community means I can pursue my passion for medicine without compromising my goal to introduce games as a tool for research and bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology.

I realized my desire to pursue medical science during my study abroad at Oxford. I discovered I learned best when exposed to a global view and insightful experiences of doctors and students alike. They shifted the focus away from learning factoids and toward critical thinking. Cornell’s Courses (like BIOG 1250) hold a similar approach of not teaching on what to think, but how to think. This teaching method combined with abroad opportunities like the DIS Computer Science course and hands-on, exploratory learning found in classes like (BIOG 1500) Investigative Biology Laboratory, would allow me to engage in multiple environments that encourage cooperation rather than competition. With the help of the Cornell student body, I’d start a student-run organization to create artwork for conditions that can’t normally be seen, such as mental illnesses and concussions. Collaborations between this program and the Art Majors Organization could change misconceptions surrounding these conditions.

Collaboration can be at its most potent when interdisciplinary as I learned when I tried to face psychology’s struggle to obtain data with an untapped resource, games. I started by asking my Psychology professor if the solution was viable and ended up meeting with the Entrepreneur, Law and Computer Science professors to discuss its execution. In Cornell, I’d like to collaborate with professors like Shimon Edelman, with his background in computer science and interest in the human mind, to bring this concept to life.

My goal to merge science and games started as a small fascination with a programming assignment, but I turned the project into a full-fledged game. This, combined with my Oxford experience showed how games can be more than recreational. Exploring multiple facets and lines of thinking regarding a subject is how I developed the concept of utilizing games for data and I am confident that Cornell’s education will help me continue this pattern.

This task would require people from all fields, funding, and guidance to be successful. Professors and the Cornell Undergraduate Resource Board collaborate with innovative students every day, providing the kind of mentorship and guidance that would elevate this venture. Cornell’s endorsement of innovation can help propel this project into reality with fellowships, scholarships and the world’s most brilliant minds. The open curriculum and dynamic classes would allow me to fully pursue both my calling for the medical field and tailor my classes to support my ambition to change data collection. Most importantly, I would be among like-minded individuals willing to help each other change the world.

Columbia

Tell us what you value most about Columbia and why. (300 words or less)

The train’s doors were closing and I had to choose whether to wait for my mother to get to the platform and miss the train, or dive through the doors and visit my first college without the guidance of my mother. I took my leap of faith and began my journey into a brand new experience, nervous, excited and entirely alone… or so I thought. When I walked into the Visitors Center I was greeted by a supportive community that I felt right at home with.

My tour guide gave me insight into a diverse and driven student body I immediately engage with. The altruism and curiosity were infectious. As a part of the student body and an EMT, I’d give back to the community through programs like Lifeforce in Later Years and take part in Columbia Community Service. I’d start a student-run club to create artwork for conditions that can’t normally be seen. Collaborations between this program and Organizations like the Artist Society and Peer Health Exchange could change the misconceptions surrounding these conditions. Columbia’s community is one I can, and will, make a lasting difference with.

Columbia’s diverse array of academic departments, global community with abroad programs like Columbia in London, and resources like Columbia E’ship Community means I can pursue my goal to introduce games as a tool for research to bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology without having to compromise my passion for medical science. Researching with professors, like Dr. Patricia Lindemann, who could utilize this technology would give me the chance to empower other great minds. Most importantly, I would be empowering the lifelong friends I would make with Columbia’s diverse student body by introducing each other to new fields, innovative ideas, and problems to tackle together.

List a few words or phrases that describe your ideal college community. (150 words or less)

My ideal college community inspires me, challenges me, pushes me, empowers me, and works alongside me. My ideal college community pushes what is possible, takes risks, fails, learns from failures, and always moves forward. My ideal college community is one that engages me, debates with me, builds a robot with me, researches with me, goes to experience theater performances with me, and makes lifelong memories with me.My ideal college community cares for their health, cares for their studies, cares for each other, cares for those who can’t care for themselves, cares for human rights, cares for the future, and doesn’t care about labels. My ideal college community sees the world as their classroom, sees the merit in their efforts, sees the flaws in themselves, sees the strengths in themselves, sees the flaws in society, and sees opportunities to make a difference.

List the titles of the required readings from courses during the school year or summer that you enjoyed most in the past year. (150 words or less) The Things They Carried; Hamlet; Grendle; Death of a Salesman

List the titles of the books you read for pleasure that you enjoyed most in the past year. (150 words or less) The Prince of Milk; The Art of War; How to Read Literature Like a Professor; An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

List the titles of the print, electronic publications and websites you read regularly. (150 words or less) The New York Times; The Washington Post; Medical News Daily.

List the titles of the films, concerts, shows, exhibits, lectures and other entertainments you enjoyed most in the past year. (150 words or less) Shows: Stranger Things; Last Week Tonight; Critical Role. Plays: Midsummer Night’s Dream; Twelfth Night. Youtube: TED talks; SciShow; Extra Credits; Extra History; Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell; Exurb1a; Mark Rober; CGP Grey.

For applicants to Columbia College, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the field or fields of study that you noted in the Member Questions section. If you are currently undecided, please write about any field or fields in which you may have an interest at this time. (300 words or less)

I knew my interests were not like those of most other kids. “No way!” I gasped, gawking at my screen. My classmates came pouring over to see what had gotten me squirming like a kid on Christmas. I could tell by the looks on their faces that they were less than thrilled to see the pictures of rat brains with varying blotches of color to indicate brain tumors. “What is it?” one of them asked. I straightened up and beamed, “This is what using bacteria to fight brain cancer looks like”. Needless to say when I had the opportunity to study medicine in Oxford, I immediately seized it and I haven’t looked back since.

My newest friend lived in South Africa, our table mate came from Australia, the class clown hailed from Germany and one of the doctors had already been living in England. Despite being from around the world, the whole class shared my same childlike excitement when we had the opportunity to dissect our own pig heart. When I saw one of my classmate take a selfie with theirs, I realized that the medical community held the individuals that shared the same audacity and curiosity I’ve had all my life.

More recently, I find myself motivated by another group: the elderly. In recent years there has been an increasing number of senior citizens and America’s medical care hasn’t been able to keep up. I witnessed this shortage first hand when my grandmother had to recover from a surgery. I began to focus my studies toward a medical carrier, interned at a doctor’s office, and I’m currently training to be an EMT in hopes that one day I’ll be able to work with the medical community to improve the lives of our most vulnerable population.

Dartmouth

While arguing a Dartmouth-related case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1818, Daniel Webster, Class of 1801, delivered this memorable line: “It is, Sir…a small college. And yet, there are those who love it!” As you seek admission to the Class of 2023, what aspects of the College’s program, community or campus environment attract your interest?(100 words or less)

Everything in Dartmouth’s community is built around helping each other succeed: students giving back to the community through programs like LISTEN Community Services, undergraduates researching with professors like Yaroslav O. Halchenko, and unequivocally the most hands-on biology education through abroad programs like The Tropical Biology Foreign Studies Program. Dartmouth’s diverse array of academic departments, flexible study plans, and global community means I can pursue both my passion for medical science and my goal to introduce games as a tool for research to bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology in just four years.

250-300 words, pick 1

In the aftermath of World War II, Dartmouth President John Sloane Dickey, Class of 1929, proclaimed, “The world’s troubles are your troubles…and there is nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix.” Which of the world’s “troubles” inspires you to act? How might your course of study at Dartmouth prepare you to address it? (300_

This task is not a one-man job and would require people from all fields, funding, and guidance to be successful. Professor Yaroslav O. Halchenko with his experience in developing new software solutions could provide necessary insight regarding the technical aspects of the project. Dartmouth’s research programs like Woman in Science Project would empower me to pursue this revolutionary concept while the Synergy center would allow me to explore its application in epidemiology. Dartmouth’s endorsement of innovation can help propel this project into reality with fellowships and grants while Dartmouth’s extensive alumni network would provide professional insight from around the world. The flexible curriculum and dynamic classes would allow me to fully pursue both my interest in biology and tailor my classes to support my ambition to change data collection. Most importantly, I would be among like-minded individuals willing to help each other change the world.

Duke

If you are applying to the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences as a first year applicant, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something particular about Duke that attracts you? (Please limit your response to no more than 150 words.)

Optional) Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you’d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you’ve had to help us understand you better-perhaps related to a community you belong to or your family or cultural background-we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250-word limit)

Despite being from around the world, the whole class shared my same childlike excitement when we had the opportunity to dissect our own pig heart. When I saw one of my classmate take a selfie with theirs, I realized that the medical community held the individuals that shared the same audacity and curiosity I’ve had all my life.

More recently, I am motivated by another group: the elderly. I’ve witnessed first hand how the surge of senior citizens has overburdened America’s medical care system when my grandmother was in recovery. I began to focus my studies toward a medical carrier, interned at a doctor’s office, and I’m currently training to be an EMT in hopes that one day I’ll be able to work with the medical community to improve the lives of our most vulnerable population.

Fairfield uni: none

NYU

We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. We are particularly interested in knowing what motivated you to apply to NYU and more specifically, why you have applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and/or area of study? If you have applied to more than one, please tell us why you are interested in each of the campuses, schools, colleges, or programs to which you have applied. You may be focused or undecided, or simply open to the options within NYU’s global network; regardless, we want to understand – Why NYU? (400 word maximum)

When I visited NYU, I knew I had found my ideal university. NYU’s College of Arts and Science provides a diverse array of academic departments, flexible classes, and a global community. This means I can pursue my passion for medicine without compromising my goal to introduce games as a tool for research and bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology.

NYU’s New York campus offers in-depth education and the opportunity to conduct research in world renowned facilities among people from around the globe. NYU’s Shanghai campus also offers superb education alongside one of the most diverse student bodies to learn from. This combined with China’s projection to become the next world superpower means that being fluent in both English and Mandarin could lead to greater opportunities in the future.

My goal to merge psychology and computer science started as a small fascination with a programming assignment, but I turned the project into a full-fledged game. This, combined with my Oxford experience showed how games can be more than recreation. Exploring multiple facets and lines of thinking regarding a subject is how I developed the concept of utilizing games for data and I am confident that NYU’s education will help me continue this pattern.

By utilizing people’s natural inclination to play, we can make experiments more immersive by embedding real-life issues into games to collect nominal data on human behavior. In fields that have limited data to work with, such as psychology and epidemiology, dangerous and unethical tests in real life may be much more realistic to conduct using games. This task would require people from all fields, funding, and guidance from professors like Brenden Lake, who focus on psychology and data science, to be successful. NYU’s global network, experienced professors and flexible education can make this a reality.

Yale:
What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)

During my Yale University campus visit, I knew I had found the college that I could blaze a path in. My guide gave me insight into a diverse student body I felt welcomed by. Everything was built around helping each other succeed: students giving back to the community through programs like the Yale Hunger & Homelessness Action Project, undergraduates researching with professors, and the whole Yale community changing the world through programs like Yale Association for African Peace and Development. Yale’s diverse array of academic departments, open curriculum, and global community means I can pursue both my passion for medical science and my goal to introduce games as a tool for research to bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology.

35 words or less (200 characters) What inspires you?

People’s outlandish, nearly science-fiction ideas becoming reality inspires me to have faith in my own goals and my own ideas, no matter how far off they may seem.

Yale’s residential colleges regularly host conversations with guests representing a wide range of experiences and accomplishments. What person, past or present, would you invite to speak? What question would you ask?

I would invite Wangari Maathai and ask, “If you could define humanity’s standard of living, but had to choose between quality of life or sustainability, which would you choose and why?”

You are teaching a Yale course. What is it called?

G.U.I.D.E. — Gaming’s Utility in Developing Earth

Most first-year Yale students live in suites of four to six people. What do you hope to add to your suitemates’ experience? What do you hope they will add to yours?

I want to make lifelong friendships by collaborating in all aspects of life. Exposing each other to new fields, innovative ideas, and make a home where trust, comfort, and support is the norm.

Please choose two of the following topics and respond to each in 250 words or fewer.
1. Think about an idea or topic that has been intellectually exciting for you. Why are you drawn to it?

What defines an individual? Is it our body? Our actions? Our mind? Our consciousness? At first, I thought this would be clear cut, but fascinating occurrences like Alien Hand Syndrome and cases like Phineas Gage showed me how blurry the lines actually are. In an attempt to learn more, I exposed myself to different fields I hadn’t looked into prior, like psychology, neurology, and philosophy. The question of what defines and person challenges the identities people create, their preconceived notions of self, and consciousness. To get people thinking I did the equivalent of a TED talk while at Oxford and I was later approached by inquisitive minds, eager to learn more. When pondering the notion of self, reflecting on values and introspection naturally arise. The conversations sparked with this has given me a better understanding of the people I had such conversations with and deep insights into their cultures. It is the difficult questions that encourage a search for the amazing science or thought-provoking hypotheticals that could lead to information, revelations, and changes. At Yale, I hope to strengthen this intrigue and exploratory attitude within myself and with other students. To me, it is not the answer to these questions that are important, it is the learning that it leads to that makes it so interesting.

Yale students, faculty, and alumni engage issues of local, national, and international importance. Discuss an issue that is significant to you and how your college experience might help you address it.

Information is the backbone of science but getting such data can be difficult. What science needs is the near-limitless resource offered by gamers. We spend 3 billion hours a week as a planet playing video games. By utilizing people’s natural inclination to play, we can make experiments more immersive by embedding real-life issues into games to collect nominal data on human behavior. In fields that have limited data to work with, such as psychology, dangerous and unethical tests in real life may be much more realistic to conduct using games. This task is not a one-man job and would require people from all fields, funding, and guidance to be successful. Professors like Marcia Johnson and Yale’s world-class research programs, centers, and organizations collaborate with innovative students every day providing the kind of mentorship that would elevate this venture. Yale’s endorsement of innovation can help propel this project into reality with fellowships and grants while the abroad programs like King’s College London would provide professional insight from around the world. The open curriculum and dynamic classes would allow me to fully pursue both my interest in biology and tailor my classes to support my ambition to change data collection. Most importantly, I would be among like-minded individuals willing to help each other change the world.

Pathway to intellectual growth and character formation. What beliefs and values inform your decisions and actions today, and how will Boston College assist you in becoming a person who thinks and acts for the common good?

Our world in the 21st Century is rapidly evolving and requires skills no textbook can teach. Communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity are the basis for global innovation and are fostered through the class Gaming’s Utility in Developing Earth (G.U.I.D.E.). It is time to correct the close-minded concept that games are just distractions and see them for their true potential as powerful tools in all walks of life.

The class would touch on subjects such as economics with its ties to hyperinflation, sports with action games training perception and spatial cognition, epidemiology with the “corrupted blood” virtual pandemic, and games in education. Class discussions would be a daily occurrence to practice critical thinking and communication. We would cover why games aren’t currently utilized to the extent they can be in a segment that would explore the power of misconceptions while questioning what other groups have had similar problems with stigma and why ranging from rock and roll to refugees.

Projects would consist of small groups picking a current event in any field they choose and developing a concept for a game that could help solve a problem related to said event. It would later be shared and analyzed with the rest of the class to practice constructive criticism while encouraging students to teach each other. At Tufts, I know that students would have the resources to pursue any fascinations and innovations they would develop in class. Why not make a class to do just that?

What excites you about Tufts’ intellectually playful community? In short, Why Tufts?(250)

At Tufts, nothing is too outlandish to study and make a change with. While looking for my ideal college, I did a deepdive into Tufts University and I knew I had found the college that I could blaze my path in. Inspirational alumni gave me insight into a diverse and driven student body I connected with. Tufts’s emphasis on learning and exploration would allow my creativity and curiosity drive my education. As a part of the student body, I’d give back to the community through programs like Leonard Carmichael Society, and take part in Tufts’s effort to change the world.

Tufts’s diverse array of academic departments, global community with abroad programs like the DIS: Danish Institute for Study Abroad, and resources like Pre-Health advising means I have the freedom to explore my passion for science with a global lens and tie multiple fields together with guidance from professors around the world. The opportunity for early admission to Tufts University School of Medicine means I can accelerate my learning for a fast track to my future. These resources combined with Tufts’s flexible curriculum and professors like Matthias Scheutz would allow me to tailor my learning to introduce games as a tool for research to bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology without having to compromise my passion for medical science. Most importantly, I would make lifelong friendships with Tufts’s diverse student body by introducing each other to new fields, innovative ideas, and problems to tackle together.

Personal challenges

In 500 words or less, please describe any challenges you have faced personally, financially or academically that you have had to overcome. How have you dealt with the challenges you have faced? How have these barriers or your success in overcoming challenges affected your goals and personal character? If you do not have any extracurricular/community service involvement, you may use this space to tell us why.

I was sitting in my math class with sweaty palms, mind blank. I just stared at the test in front of me filled with questions I could no longer solve. “Everybody gets nervous,” I told myself. The occasional jitters and butterflies in people’s stomachs are expected during anticipation-fueled events. I had been taking studious notes in class, doing ever homework assignment and I had totally gotten the concepts covered, but right when the teacher declared, “Fifteen minutes left.” I forgot it all. “This should be easy, I’ve done these problems before,” I thought as I combed the page in front of me, searching for something to spark my memory. The harder I searched the more nervous I got when I found nothing. My mind began to race.“Think! If I don’t get this done, my grade is going to tank!” I could feel my dread manifest itself in a constricting pressure against my shoulders, back and ribcage, pushing me to curl into a ball. My mouth became dry, my eyes glistened, my breathing turned shallow, and my heart’s racing beat drowned out the world around me. Everybody gets nervous… But this was more than just nervousness.

In the back of my mind, I knew this wasn’t normal. When my grades got impacted, I had to do something different, so I arranged to meet with my math teacher. What I discovered was that I didn’t have problems with the content. In that low pressure environment, I was perfectly fine. When I tried to get my teacher to understand my situation, I got the feeling they didn’t believe me. What made it worse was the fact that I looked fine. Since I looked okay, saying I felt poorly meant the teachers didn’t always give me the time I needed to calm down. I had to find different ways to cope.

After about a month, I had done my own research and worked to shape my life so I wouldn’t be caught in situations in which my fear would take over. I made a meticulous schedule, met with teachers regularly, worked out, relaxed by making art and even went to seek professional help, but it always bothered me how so few people were willing to talk about this issue. “Out of sight. Out of mind, “ I thought…That is, until a scientists came and spoke about migraines and concussions and we were given the task to make artwork inspired by these issues, when it hit me. What if people could see these illnesses? In a moment of brilliance, I realized I could utilize my passion for art to give the public a visual so they could understand the severity of these issues. So I did just that. I mustered the courage to present visual artwork in conjunction with a sonnet I wrote to my school. I could see the moments when people got it. They understood, an even empathized with the emotions and messages. They finally saw it.

Georgetown

Indicate any special talents or skills you possess (250 words).

Art & implementation for raising awareness.

Art has always been an outlet for me, allowing me to relax and utilize my creativity to accomplishing something I am proud of. In 2015 I discovered digital art and an online community that helped improve my works with encouragement and advice. Over the past four years I have tested the limits of my capabilities and tried different styles. Despite not having any formal training in visual art, I’ve improved with practice and helpful insights from other artists around the world. When a scientists came to my school and spoke about how unseen ailments, such as migraines and concussions, are overlooked by society, the saying,“Out of sight. Out of mind” came to my attention. But what if people could see these illnesses? In a moment of brilliance, I realized I could utilize my passion for art to give the public a visual so they could understand the severity of these issues. In 2017, I made “Locked-In”, a digital art piece that was chosen and displayed at Sacred Heart University. The image worked to embody the experiences those with Locked-in syndrome deal with everyday in order to raise awareness for these people. I hope to refine my art further to create more impactful pieces to help educate the public on the reality they can’t see.

Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.

It was several days after our first robotics tournament of the year and we were in a jam. The mechanism that pushed the boxes out was broken and we only had six hours to interact with our robot before the next tournament. This was crunch time. We had to devise a simple solution on how to modify the robot that could be executed in under three hours so that the last three hours could be spent testing and troubleshooting its functionality. Although the situation seemed dire, my team and I were up for the challenge. We had all joined robotics with the intention to practice applying our engineering skills and even Murphy’s law wouldn’t stop us.

The whole process of brainstorming, modeling and executing was the epitome of why I love engineering. Everyone was focused and offered suggestions or concerns regarding the solution we created together. The design made was then clearly divided up between people with different skill sets and put together seamlessly. My teammates and I assembled a dump-truck-like mechanism to push the boxes out. We watched with bated breath as we prepared to test the mechanism for the first time. With the press of a button, the robot began to move. Nothing can describe the euphoria of seeing our robot come to life and function properly, only requiring minor optimizations.

The next competition came around and although our robot wasn’t scoring massive amounts of points, it wasn’t supposed to. I had sat the team down and helped devise a plan to work around our robots new design and its capabilities. I realized we could no longer play like we were the main point-scoring robot, we had to play as the best supportive robot possible. We made it harder for our opponents to score and freed our team to get points freely. It worked. Our team scored amongst the top 10 robots in the competition. Our robot wasn’t flashy nor complex, but the enginuity, determination, and teamwork that made it work was extreme. Of course there were times of frustration, but it only made the solutions all the more satisfying.

approximately one page, single-spaced each)

ALL APPLICANTS: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

APPLICANTS TO GEORGETOWN COLLEGE: What does it mean to you to be educated? How might Georgetown College help you achieve this aim? (Applicants to the Sciences and Mathematics or the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics should address their chosen course of study).

To follow a path requires only the will to walk. To forge a path requires the means, skills, and determination to make something new. When I first discovered Georgetown University during my search for my ideal college, I knew I had found the college that I could make my path in. Georgetown’s diverse array of academic departments, flexible classes, and global community means I can pursue my passion for medicine without compromising my goal to introduce games as a tool for research and bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology.

I realized my desire to pursue medical science during my study abroad at Oxford. I discovered I learned best when exposed to a global view and insightful experiences of doctors and students alike. They shifted the focus away from learning factoids and toward critical thinking. Georgetown’s Courses hold a similar approach of not teaching on what to think, but how to think. This teaching method combined with abroad opportunities like the DIS – Study Abroad in Denmark and hands-on, exploratory learning found in classes, would allow me to engage in multiple environments that encourage cooperation rather than competition. With the help of the Georgetown student body, I’d start a student-run organization to create artwork for conditions that can’t normally be seen, such as mental illnesses and concussions. Collaborations between this program and the Georgetown University Art Aficionados could change misconceptions surrounding these conditions.

Collaboration can be at its most potent when interdisciplinary as I learned when I tried to face psychology’s struggle to obtain data with an untapped resource, games. I started by asking my Psychology professor if the solution was viable and ended up meeting with the Entrepreneur, Law and Computer Science professors to discuss its execution. In Georgetown, I’d like to collaborate with professors like Kostadin Kushlev, with his background in human-centered computing, to bring this concept to life.

My goal to merge science and games started as a small fascination with a programming assignment, but I turned the project into a full-fledged game. This, combined with my Oxford experience showed how games can be more than recreational. Exploring multiple facets and lines of thinking regarding a subject is how I developed the concept of utilizing games for data and I am confident that Georgetown’s education will help me continue this pattern.

This task would require people from all fields, funding, and guidance to be successful. Professors and collaborate with innovative students every day, providing the kind of mentorship and guidance that would elevate this venture. Georgetown’s endorsement of innovation can help propel this project into reality with fellowships, scholarships and the world’s most brilliant minds. The open curriculum and dynamic classes would allow me to fully pursue both my calling for the medical field and tailor my classes to support my ambition to change data collection. Most importantly, I would be among like-minded individuals willing to help each other change the world.

If you could only do one of the activities you have listed in the Activities section of your Common Application, which one would you keep doing? Why? (Required for all applicants.)150

There is nothing like the satisfaction of creating something successfully with a team. When it comes to my activities, nothing quite harnesses my drive to create and solve problems like FIRST Robotics. The most rewarding aspect is bouncing back from major setbacks. It was several days after the first tournament. The mechanism that pushed the boxes out was broken and we had six hours to fix our robot for the next tournament. Although the situation seemed dire, my team and I were up for the challenge. We had all joined robotics with the intention to practice applying our engineering skills and even Murphy’s law wouldn’t stop us. My ingenious teammates were able to create a dump truck like mechanism to push the boxes out and I crafted the perfect play style to leverage it. Our robot wasn’t flashy, but the enginuity, determination, and teamwork solidified my love for engineering.

Essay #1 (Required for all applicants.)300

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

Essay #2 (Required for all applicants.)550

Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?

When I came upon University of Michigan during my search for my ideal college, I knew I had found the college that I could blaze a path in. I immediately felt empowered by the University of Michigan community’s ability to push each other and test the limits of what is possible. I would work in tandem with programs like WISE to help other woman chase their dreams like I have. University of Michigan’s diverse array of academic departments, multitude of classes, and global community means I can pursue my passion for medicine without compromising my goal to introduce games as a tool for research and bridge the gap in data for fields such as psychology and epidemiology.

I realized my desire to pursue medical science during my study abroad at Oxford. I discovered I learned best when exposed to a global view and insightful experiences of doctors and students alike. They shifted the focus away from learning factoids and toward critical thinking. University of Michigan’s College of Engineering holds a similar approach of not teaching on what to think, but how to think. This teaching method combined with abroad opportunities like the Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Copenhagen, Denmark and hands-on, exploratory learning found in classes like Biomedical Undergraduate Laboratory (BIOMEDE 241), would allow me to engage in multiple environments that encourage cooperation rather than competition. With the help of the University of Michigan student body, I’d start a student-run organization to create artwork for conditions that can’t normally be seen, such as mental illnesses and concussions. Collaborations between this program and Active Minds could change misconceptions surrounding these conditions.

Collaboration can be at its most potent when interdisciplinary as I learned when I tried to face psychology’s struggle to obtain data with an untapped resource, games. I started by asking my Psychology professor if the solution was viable and ended up meeting with the Entrepreneur, Law and Computer Science professors to discuss its execution. In University of Michigan, I’d like to collaborate with professors like Joshua Ackerman, with his experience in studying behavioral analysis and the social aspects of infectious diseases, to bring this concept to life.

My goal to merge psychology and computer science started as a small fascination with a programming assignment, but I turned the project into a full-fledged game. This, combined with my Oxford experience showed how games can be more than recreation. Exploring multiple facets and lines of thinking regarding a subject is how I developed the concept of utilizing games for data and I am confident that a University of Michigan education will help me continue this pattern.

By utilizing people’s natural inclination to play, we can make experiments more immersive by embedding real-life issues into games to collect nominal data on human behavior. In fields that have limited data to work with, such as psychology and epidemiology, dangerous and unethical tests in real life may be much more realistic to conduct using games. This task would require people from all fields, funding, and resources like the Center for Entrepreneurship to be successful. University of Michigan’s global network, experienced professors and flexible education can make this a reality.

Write an that explains a time period or scenario related to parental divorce or family circumstance which was particularly difficult, but which you were able to overcome in order to reach a greater goal.

It had been a month since my grandmother had gotten a ruptured section of her intestines removed, and she was finally out of the hospital and recovering in a nursing home that specialized in rehabilitation. I had grown accustomed to my mother coming home late, or not at all at this time. I could see the bags beneath her eyes darken and her whiplike mind dull with each sleepless night. She had always faced problems on her own after the divorce, but this time I was determined to change that.

I started by going every weekend afternoon with my mother to take care of my grandmother. We would walk to a nearby Chinese restaurant and order some food to go, which included a tub of soup. The semi-translucent soup was slightly viscous, filed with egg whites and small bits of meat. The solid bits were soft enough to be swallowed without being chewed, and the pleasant yet mild taste made it palatable. Once at the hospital, we would sit my grandmother up, bring over her overbed table, and pull the nearby chairs closer so we could eat as a family.

My grandmother’s nightstand always had the untouched remnants of the lunch provided by the facility. I would ponder, “Why don’t they realize she’s not eating?” If it were not for my mother and me, my grandmother may have starved because of her dementia, despite having food just inches away from her. Every extended spoonful was met with a furrowed brow and a mumbled, “I’m not hungry” even if she hadn’t eaten for half the day. On occasion, I could hear the frustration growing within my weary mother’s voice as she tried to get my grandmother to eat. “Eat!” she would plead, “If you do not eat, you won’t get better.”

I would gently take the soup from my mother’s hands and she would sit back with a sigh, knowing she was not getting anywhere. I would smile at my grandparent, humming a little ditty and dancing to get her to smile before asking her eat. Sometimes it would work, sometimes she would push away the spoon, but eventually we would finish the tub of soup. By that time, it would be dark and my mother would often be catching up on work or sleep.

My visits became more frequent and my mother eventually hired an aid to take her place when she could no longer keep up. I became a regular at the nursing home, coming almost daily with a tub of soup to help feed my grandmother. The more I visited, the more I noticed how few other people came to care for the elderly. The sign in sheet was always sparse, rarely ever exceeding a page, and the rooms were similarly devoid of visitors. Instead, I often saw the handful of nursing staff going from room to room, barely able to keep up with their patients. As people’s shifts drew to a close, I saw the same exhaustion in their eyes as I had seen in my mother’s and it finally clicked. These caretakers were working tirelessly to meet the needs of as many people as possible, but it wasn’t enough. Many patients were not given the same attention my grandmother had. It was my first glimpse at how the surge of senior citizens in America has put a pressure on the medical care system that it simply cannot cope with. I looked to the tub of soup in my hands. There was no one willing to take the problems from these nurses’ hands. I may have helped my family recover, but I realized there was a larger problem. I could not physically take their place like I had for my mother, but I could take part in finding a solution. As I fed my grandmother another spoonful of soup, I smiled at thought of my future geriatrics.

I quickly combed over my belongings to make sure I had everything: books, calculator, homework, wallet, and enough money to buy my grandmother the only thing she would eat: soup. Confident that I had what I needed, I quietly left my apartment as to not wake my exhausted mother. It had been a month since my grandmother had gotten a ruptured section of her intestines removed, and she was finally out of the hospital. I had grown accustomed to my mother coming home late, or not at all. I could see the bags beneath her eyes darken and her whip-like mind dull with each sleepless night. She had always faced problems on her own after the divorce, but this time I was determined to change that.
I started by going every weekend afternoon with my mother to take care of my grandmother. We would walk to a nearby Chinese restaurant and order some food to go, which included the tub of soup. The semi-translucent soup was slightly viscous, filed with egg whites and small bits of meat. The solid bits were soft enough to be swallowed without being chewed, and the pleasant yet mild taste made it palatable. Once at the hospital, we would sit my grandmother up, bring over her overbed table, and pull the nearby chairs closer so we could eat as a family.
My grandmother’s nightstand always had the untouched remnants of the lunch provided by the facility. I would ponder, “Why don’t they realize she’s not eating?” If it were not for my mother and me, my grandmother may have starved because of her dementia, despite having food just inches away from her. Every extended spoonful was met with a furrowed brow and a mumbled, “I’m not hungry” even if she hadn’t eaten for half the day. On occasion, I could hear the frustration growing within my weary mother’s voice as she tried to get my grandmother to eat. “Eat!” she would plead, “If you do not eat, you won’t get better.”
I would gently take the soup from my mother’s hands and she would sit back with a sigh, knowing she was not getting anywhere. I would smile at my grandparent, humming a little ditty and dancing to get her to smile before asking her eat. Sometimes it would work, sometimes she would push away the spoon, but eventually we would finish the tub of soup; it would be dark and my mother would often try to catch up on work or sleep.
My visits became more frequent and my mother eventually hired an aid to take her place when she could no longer keep up. I became a regular at the nursing home, coming almost daily with the tub of soup to help feed my grandmother. The more I visited, the more I noticed how few other people came to care for the elderly. The sign in sheet was always sparse, rarely ever exceeding a page, and the rooms were similarly devoid of visitors. Instead, I often saw the handful of nursing staff going from room to room, barely able to keep up with their patients. As people’s shifts drew to a close, I saw the same exhaustion in their eyes as I had seen in my mother’s and it finally clicked. These caretakers were working tirelessly to meet the needs of as many people as possible, but it wasn’t enough. Many patients were not given the same attention my grandmother had. It was my first glimpse at how the surge of senior citizens in America has put a pressure on the medical care system that it simply cannot cope with. I looked to the tub of soup in my hands. There was no one willing to take the problems from these nurses’ hands. I may have helped my family recover, but I realized there was a larger problem. I could not physically take their place like I had for my mother, but I could take part in finding a solution. As I fed my grandmother another spoonful of soup, I smiled at thought of my future in geriatrics.

My goal in educations is to inspire people to do more than I can = make a bigger change by reaching more minds. I’ve helped by providing children in honduras.

You teach more than a subject, you teach people how to problem solve, how to have courage in themselves.

Despite being nearly 2000 miles away from Connecticut, I never felt so at home. There was an undeniable comradery that transcended language in a village in rural Teupasenti Honduras. I volunteered at the Community Center where we watched over the village’s elderly and cared for the young by providing healthy meals, education and a chance to be children. What this small, tight-knit community lacked financially, they made up in warmth and fascination. It was there, I realized that the job of an educator was more than just to teach a subject; educators had an obligation to nurture their students to be considerate of others. I remember the time when the children made images of themselves with papers that had different eye colors, mouths, hair, glitter and words. Those who were literate were passed words to read aloud for others. Some children passed the words to us. My Spanish, at the time, was not comprehensible but I wasn’t asked to translate the word but to keep them. I still have those words on my own picture and every time I see them, it reminds me that a community is defined by the people and that if the bonds are strong enough, a community becomes a home.

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What factors influenced your decision to apply to Barnard College and why do you think the College would be a good match for you?

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