Here lies the massive compilation of all essays written this college season in reverse chronological order. Each is pretty distinct, and I figure if you're bored enough to be reading my blog anyway, you can't be too bored to thoroughly enjoy these. A brief review precedes each, followed by the question in bold.
NYU
Writing this was like running the last five miles of a fucking marathon, and I believe it shows. I was counting down to word 500 like it was my birthday. A bit pessimistic to start with, but ending on a lighter note. Tells the story of how Reading, hellhole that it is, has made me a better person through its incessant gayness.
New York is a city full of people from other places. Everyone brings with them a story of where they are from. Tell us something about where you're from and what single facet of your hometown experience has shaped you into the person you are today.
I am the product of typical 1990's American suburbia. While you may be compelled to stop reading there (and I wouldn't blame you if you were), first allow me to expound. I am, indeed, a product of typical suburbia. I am not, however, a typical product. Herein lies the key to how my hometown has, in a paradoxical way, made massive contributions to my personality as it is today.
Reading Pennsylvania is, frankly, plastered with mundanity. The city itself has been overridden with poverty and crime for decades. Outside of it, the suburbs form a smooth and predictable gradient from city-side ghetto to rich outskirt developments. I've spent the entirety of my life smack-dab in the middle of this gradient, as the child of two low/medium income townhouse-inhabiting lower middle class citizens. I attended the local small Catholic grade school and went, along with twelve of my fourteen graduating classmates, on to the local Catholic high. Incidentally, I have since transferred to public school, but that's a whole other story for another essay. Growing up, I was surrounded by morose stories of how utterly inescapable this town is, not the least impacting of which being those of my own two parents. As a teen, my friends were rather keen on how little there was to do in Reading, and not unjustifiably so. As a child, my best friends were my video games and the television, mostly due to a shortage of kids in my own neighborhood and lack of like-minded individuals in any others.
It was this kind of blasé existence that drove one to either settle for mediocrity, or retreat to their dreams. Without question, I was among the latter. The dull outer world inspired a rich inner one. I was fortunate enough to be growing up at the same time as the internet, so my mind wasn't limited by the same excruciating boundaries as my body. The information superhighway sated my boredom with life in the 'burbs. Cable cords and phone lines were the vehicles of my youthful interests and the issuers of my teenage hobbies. It is in this way that Reading had made of me a dreamer. By the same token, it had also made of me a recluse. As much as I look back on the circumstances of my youth with disdain for the latter, I am at the same time immeasurably indebted for the former. The inner focus forced upon me (or afforded to me, depending on how optimistic about the whole thing you want to be) and the introspection that resulted has made me into a serious philosopher and a stringent truth seeker. It has made me, while in some ways pessimistic about my childhood (though not nearly as much as I may have indicated), incredibly optimistic about my future. I will not settle. I will not accept a future weighted down by my hometown. I will not pursue a life of idle fantasy. I will make something of my dreams and put to good use what I gained from my experiences in the stagnant suburbs of Reading, PA.
Princeton
These three are among the most well and academically written. Nothing much else to say of them.
Write on any other topic of your choice or design.
I've been having somewhat of a dilemma recently. Throughout history, mankind has confronted the problems of existence, has asked the questions of existence, and has sought the answers to said questions and problems. Normally, he has done so by appealing to a higher power, be it a parent, a teacher, a sage, or a god. Humans often assume that those with more experience and knowledge than they have all the answers, and many are perfectly comfortable with seeking solace in whatever wisdom may be supplied. Humans endlessly seek security, and are almost always frightened by the unknown. This is why having a stable concept of oneself and one's environment is so vital to preserving peace of mind. For the majority of my life, I followed this same pattern of thought. However, while my own wisdom and understanding have grown, my childlike trust in the powers that be has not. In my unending quest for knowledge, I have become quite the skeptic towards traditional human wisdom. In my mind, the large majority of human society and culture has been forged by the blind eye of human nature and, as such, is not necessarily a reliable source of truth. In that way, I've found my faith in conventional knowledge waning, and I've found myself somewhat stranded as a truth-seeker without senior. That's not too say I'm so conceited as to see myself as the highest beacon of truth – obviously, far from it. What I mean is simply that I cannot honestly say to myself, “Hey, no need for concern, X has it all figured out.” I've come to realize, in the course of my maturation, that none of us really have it “all figured out”. Those who profess to, and those who are able to demonstrate so reliably, have become the revered ones of history, those whose teaching the common man turns to in order to satisfy his own insecurity on the matter.
For some time, I endured a profound loneliness as a result of this realization. I felt lost in the sea of existence, with no one to guide me. It was then that I realized something amazing. If I could not look to anyone else to supply me with the answers, I simply must answer myself. Rather than relying on the greatest physicists of the day to discover the nature of the universe for me, rather than relying on the most renown biologists to show me the truth behind my struggle for existence, rather than relying on psychologists and sociologists to tell me how myself and society should behave, these were all things I must pioneer myself.
I suppose it is only when one is not satisfied with the answers given to him that he excels and becomes one to supply others with that very security that he could not find himself. In this realization itself, I believe I have found a new template by which to live. In that realization, I have found and will continue to find the solace and the knowledge that I seek. It is in that spirit that I will pursue the answers for the good of all. After all, man will do anything for some security.
What talent, accomplishment, or pursuit has given you the greatest joy or satisfaction?
Ironic as it seems, the pursuit that I have aspired in the most is not necessarily the one that has rewarded me with the most joy. In my life, the equality of ignorance and bliss has proven itself beyond a reasonable doubt. Regardless of this, I still value truth above all. It is largely this, the pursuit of truth, which has had the greatest influence on me and inspired me the most significantly. While not always the most joyful pursuit, the case can be made that it is a rather satisfying one. No doubt, there is something innately rewarding about knowledge and understanding. Not only that, but while it may often be that “the truth hurts,” it is also true that reason and logic can be two of man's greatest allies. When emotions fail us, the unfaltering path of truth can act as a guiding light. Not subject to uncontrollable external influence and constant change in the way that emotions tend to be, reason offers a much more stable basis on which to pattern one's life. Because of this, while the search for truth may not be as romantic as idle quixotic ventures, it can be much more rewarding in the end. It is in this spirit that I have committed myself to truth-seeking. Not to give the impression that I'm some sort of jaded, emotionless drone – quite the opposite. I simply find that the best way to live one's life is in continual pursuit against ignorance; for while ignorance is bliss, it is also the path to pain.
Tell us about yourself in such a way that we will have a good sense of who you are.
There are three primary traits that, I've found, can succinctly define my personality. This is no trivial accomplishment on the part of said traits, as personality is something that is extraordinarily multifaceted and surprisingly versatile. The three tendencies that have persisted throughout my life thus far are these: my inquisitiveness, my analytical nature, and my strong dedication. No matter the life situation, mindset, belief system, or environment, these are three aspects of myself that have never ceased their presence. Other than these abstract and basic qualities, I cannot so much as hope to offer, with any certainty, an assessment of my personality (and much less so within 250 words). This is simply because, in my experience, the large majority of personality is dependent and transient. Human existence is an exercise in metamorphosis – we are constantly reforming, adapting, and evolving our mental landscape around a bombardment of new circumstances. To assume that at any given moment one's personality is composed of a fixed set of traits, rather than an ever-changing conglomeration, is, I believe, a fallacy of perspective. The cascade of traits that make up the self is so compounded and complex that, while it may appear on the surface to be a uniform set, it takes but a quick peek beneath the surface to realize that nothing could be further from the truth.
Rather than spending time with imprecise descriptions and broad generalizations of my personality, I'd rather spend it explaining the injustices of doing so. In that, I hope more of myself could be revealed than is possible in any face-value expose.
U Penn
Unintended brown-nosing abound. I was able to get across some viewpoints that I find essential, but overall, these weren't extremely well-written.
Describe the courses of study and the unique characteristics of the University of Pennsylvania that most interest you. Why do these interests make you a good match for Penn?
One of the most outstanding qualities of Penn is its genuine interest in students who are passionate about their work. This interest has, no doubt, assisted in making Penn the prominent and prestigious establishment that it is today. Penn recognizes the significance of enthusiasm and dedication in its graduates, and rightfully so – it is those devoted pioneers who will achieve greatness. As one who has always been extremely dedicated to what I do, I have very understandably strong convictions about this. One of the key differences between college and high school, and perhaps the difference that I am most enthused about, is the focus on individual interests rather than broad, general, and indiscriminate education. While I am no dissenter of the teaching of a wide range of subjects, I have found that secondary schooling in general tends to be less of an exercise in learning and more an exercise in following instructions. Rather than allowing students to truly explore the depths of academia, most schools are disparagingly restrictive in their course of studies. Personally, I believe that I have gained more through my own extracurricular studies over the last four years than I have in the class room. The simple reason for this is interest, and the vehicle for interest is dedication. College is where this distinction becomes no more. College is where harmony between the individual's pursuit and the individual's education can be found. If Penn is especially attentive to this, then Penn truly understands the desires of the rising professional.
How is it that one can excel in an AP-level elective course, yet achieve mediocre grades in a mere academic class? Surely the reason for poor performance is not ability, nor is it necessarily laziness. The principal factor is interest. Unfortunately, such specialization is discriminated against in our modern grading system. This difference in score is eliminated outright in our prevalent forms of performance assessment, which are primarily based on simple averages. While the average is one of the most powerful tools in the statistician's arsenal, it can also be one of the most misleading. For the student who enthusiastically works at an outstanding level in his favorite subject, yet fails to achieve the same level of work in an area to which he is indifferent, the grade point average offers no remorse. I do not believe such a student should be discriminated against. In fact, perhaps, quite the opposite. It is this student who will go on to become an outstanding major, and this student who will eventually become an outstanding contribution to his field. Rather than rewarding students for their ability to mechanically follow directions in any given area, we should be rewarding students for their ability to categorize and pursue the area that is most inspiring to them. I believe that Penn understands this all-too oft overlooked truth, making Penn by far one of the most perceptive academic establishments of the day. It is this insight that entices me most about Penn, and it is because of this that I look forward to furthering my education and exploring my interests at Penn.
Recall an occasion when you took a risk that you now know was the right thing to do.
At times, one finds himself a cruel victim of fate. Occasionally, one must rise up against situations that were placed upon him at a time when he had no control over his environment. In June of 2002, I found myself in that position. For the last nine years of my life, I had been quietly and obediently attending private catholic school in a relatively low-class suburb of the city of Reading. I grew up in a school with one class per grade, and no more than thirty in my class at a time. I graduated from eighth grade with a class of fourteen, only one of which had spent the entire nine years (kindergarten through eighth grade) along with me. My best friend had left in seventh grade to pursue an education at the local public junior/senior high school, Wyomissing. Knowing nothing of this school, other than that some of its students came to mine every Tuesday night and wreaked havoc on the desks and classrooms (part of a religious supplemental education program), I never considered it as an option. The Wyomissing kids had always appeared to me as frightening, elitist bullies, and I wanted no part in that. Obviously, these were delusions brought about by my secluded private-school social life. The reality of the situation, far beyond my naïve grasp, was that Wyomissing offered a much richer program for its high school students and many of my classmates were transferring out for that reason. That said, come time to choose a high school, I unwittingly chose the local private high. A social outcast in my tiny grade school, I expected the much larger high school to offer me a chance to find my place among the people. I was wrong. It would not be until that spring that I would find some semblance of a group and earn my first true friends since the seventh grade. These friends would not be found at my private high-school. Ironically, these friends hailed from the same place as those elitist bullies of my youth.
By that May, I was convinced. With no incentive whatsoever to continue my private education, I made the leap that I had found unthinkable but a year before. By September of 2002, I had joined the ranks of the “elitist bullies”. Since then, I have never looked back. In the two and a half short years I've spent at Wyomissing, I have come to realize how damaging and limited my private schooling truly was. I have also come ridiculously far in that time, socially, intellectually, and emotionally. In a way, I owe some to my old school, if only for allowing me to appreciate what I have now all that much more. At Wyomissing, I was finally able to find people who shared my interests, able to pursue new interests through much more advanced and expansive academic programs, and, as a result of these, able to mature much further than I ever could have had I stuck to the beaten path. Of all the decisions I have made, among those few which have significantly affected my life as a whole, I can confidently say this was the greatest.
Temple/Drexel/Pitt
This sucks, but nobody cares about these colleges.
Please relate one or more experiences or circumstances that have contributed significantly to your personal and/or academic development.
Ironically, perhaps the most meaningful contribution to my academic career has come as a result of that career itself. I entered 11th grade with a comparatively bleak outlook for my scholastic future, and left it with a firmly established goal. Why such a turnaround? My conversion can be traced back to what was, essentially, a fluke.
This odd turn of events began in 10th grade, when I haphazardly registered for AP Psychology on my 11th grade course selection sheet. Come summer, I was already under the mistaken impression that I had not been admitted to the class. Upon receiving my schedule for the upcoming year, I was shocked to see that, in fact, I had been accepted. The unfortunate twist to this, as I would learn just a week before break's end, was that a summer project had been assigned to the students taking the class. On school's return, I was faced with the difficult choice of asking for an extension and completing the project, or opting out and taking a less intensive class. Scheduling pressures, however, prompted me to skip my alternate choice, mutlimedia, and stick with psychology.
Now, at that time, my main career plans involved primarily one thing: mutlimedia production. My college plans were merely to attend a technical or private school focused around media, and graduate with an associate's degree in that field. Psychology class, however, piqued my interest. An armchair philosopher by nature, and one who has always been fascinated by the self and its surroundings, I found a class devoted to the mind and the mind's interactions with the environment absolutely fascinating.
As the year went on, I was disappointed to find that, while a brilliant and beautiful field, modern psychology was terribly fragmented. I learned that the field rather, the several fields within lacked focus, uniformity, consensus, and harmony. Convinced that this was unacceptable for a field intending to be considered a serious science, and that this was largely the result of a convoluted history, I became determined to right this wrong. By the end of that year, psychology had interested me so deeply that I had revoked all prior plans and decided on it as my likely major. Instead of an associate's degree, I would strive for a master's, if not a doctorate. Instead of a technical school, I would attend a university. Rather than subscribing to indifference and pursuing a niche field I was already accustomed to, I would work towards something new. I would strive for change and great contribution to a field that I believed sorely needed it.
In this way, that single class did more to spur my academic and personal life than anything prior. Since then my interest in and desire to influence the sciences has only grown, and some day I've no doubt I will accomplish this goal.
