Undergraduate / 'hope you have a relaxing year ahead' - Stanford- Future Roommate [13]

Dear Future Roomie,

I would like to offer my congratulations and express my excitement for getting to know you. Now, I could tell you about my academic endeavors, such as why I chose my major or what jobs I'm interested in, or I could tell you about my avid fascination for everything Brown.

If you haven't already guessed from my name, I'm from southern India. My friends have many nicknames for me but I'm usually known as Nishu, or Desi Ladki (Indian girl). Though I was born in Los Angeles, I have a deep connection to my heritage and find as many ways as possible to keep it alive, whether it be learning an additional Indian language, dancing my heart out to either Bollywood tunes or traditional Carnatic music, or lighting the deepams (oil lamps) in the evening.

In my happiness, I often catch myself fantasizing of snow-capped mountains, singing and dancing, swathed in a maroon chiffon sari. You'll understand what I mean when we have our late night, Bollywood movie sessions--after completing our homework, of course--when I'll tell you all about celebrities such as Shahid Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.

Though I have a slight obsessive-compulsive disorder when it comes to cleanliness, and perfectionism sometimes seems to be my middle name, I'm very compliant and open-minded. I must warn you, however, not to be alarmed if you come across chai brewing in a beaker on a hot plate or a half finished, mini robot with a program yet to be written. I like to identify myself as an "enginerd," but in addition to my quirky self, I'm very social and enjoy interacting with others. I hope you enjoy Brown jokes in my Indian accent-because you may be hearing a lot of it!

Let me conclude with my favorite Bollywood song, Kal Ho Na Ho: Har ghadi badal rahi hai roop zindagi. Chaav hai kahhi. Kabhi hai dhoop zidnagi. Har pal yahan jee bhar jiyo. (Life is changing every moment. Life is now shade. Life is now sunshine. Every moment on Earth, live life to the fullest).

Looking forward to meeting you, but in the meantime, I hope you have a relaxing year ahead, knowing that our lives as future scholars of Stanford are imminent.

Sincerely,
Nishu

Undergraduate / 'relationships between science and art' - USC Supplement [6]

Describe your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at USC. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections.

My life has been built upon the relationships between science and art. USC encourages this perception and fosters students to think creatively, specifically through the Renaissance scholars program. Looking at science with an artistic and creative lens, while addressing dance with a scientific and mathematical viewpoint, I hope to pursue biochemical engineering and Indian cultural dance, bringing both intellectual passion and diversity to USC. My interest in biology hadn't begun until I began training for my arangetram, a two and a half hour solo debut in the Indian classical dance, bharatanatyam. During my training, I looked at dance geometrically and analyzed the biochemical processes of movement based on certain food and drink consumed. I began practicing alternative treatments such as acupressure and Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET). I became attuned to the human body, researching how to strengthen muscles and enhance my stamina through yoga. My experiences have inspired me to revolutionize medical practices by bridging the gap between Eastern and Western treatments. It took art and science, creativity and structure, to truly enhance my understanding of the world. USC values nontraditional links, a quality that has strengthened the engineering department tremendously. "Fight on." The motto itself encourages students to not only pursue their endeavors, but also overcome obstacles and struggle for what they are passionate about, emerging victorious in the end.

Undergraduate / 'UCLA's renowned Feigon Lab' - Common App. Work Experience Essay [NEW]

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.

In order to further my passion for scientific research, I became the first high school intern at UCLA's renowned Feigon Lab, working under the guidance of Dr. Feigon, National Academy of Sciences member, Dr. Miracco, and Anooj Patel. In addition to performing standard lab duties, I focused on the labeling and purification of Telomerase, an enzyme that, when involved in certain cancers, facilitates unregulated cell division. Having never taken higher-level biology before, I experienced some frustration as I hunched over my laptop for hours, making sense of an exorbitant number of research papers. With practice, however, I became fluent in the previously unintelligible language of science. Tuesday group meetings were something to look forward to, both to hear the latest findings of a colleague and to present my own work. After my colleagues observed me conducting my own projects, reading scientific journals, and participating in group meetings, they were able to entrust me with setting up their experiments. I have always known science as theoretical, filled with rules and equations. During my time in the lab, however, I discovered a new outlook. Initially starting out as a place to work, the lab became my second home--filled with comfort, satisfaction, and companionship.

Undergraduate / 'The Nerds' - USC Engineering Supplement [5]

The nerd stumbled from one class to the next, head buried in a physics textbook, glasses balanced at the brim of his nose, and face plagued with acne. Awkward, shy, unattractive: these tend to be adjectives used to describe the nerd. Calculus, electricity, DNA: initially controversial and gradually revolutionary, yet each was discovered by a nerd who fit none of the modern stereotypes. Labeled an "enginerd" by my classmates, I have always embraced my title not for its stereotypical definitions, but for its indication of curiosity, intellect, and focus. A nerd is nothing but someone who is dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. An "enginerd" is someone who solves problems through scientific innovation. My success is attributed to taking criticisms positively, not allowing them to discourage me. Though previously connoting social ineptitude, "nerdiness" is considered desirable, suggesting less social ostracism and more academic enthusiasm. For where would the world be if we weren't proud to be nerds?