Undergraduate / Intellecutal Interest: Mathematics (Cornell Essay) [5]

Cornell Essay

Prompt: Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in Cornell to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study.

I am applying to College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

I need help!!! People have told me to make this more personal, and make it more focused on where I'm applying too. Help pls...

I have always been amazed by all of the things we can create with a finite set of resources. All of the substances in the universe are composed of different combinations of the same 100 or so elements. Every song ever written is from the same basic set of musical notes. This principle also applies to math. While the quantity of numbers is theoretically infinite, the rules that govern their operation are incredibly small in number. Everything we do, from architecture to business, to astronomy, deals with a very small set of overriding math concepts.

All my life, I have been a numbers person. Math and especially physics have always had a strong appeal to me. I see real beauty and elegance in the workings of mathematical operations. I also see how very practical these subjects are: they govern virtually every other field and the universe, too.

Thinking about the next four years (and beyond), I know that I want to develop and refine my knowledge of math. Whether I ultimately pursue a career as an architect or engineer or in the field of business, I know that my interests and my talents lie in this area.

Math and all of its applications are unique in that it allows someone to be extremely creative but always conscious of very strict rules. It is a balance between what can be and what must be. Every vision must conform to the rules- rules that are fundamental to the very design of the universe.

I know that Cornell will allow me the chance to explore my interest in mathematics while giving me the freedom to see for myself what aspect of the field best suits my abilities and my desires. In essence it will enable me to balance my vision with reality, what can be with what must be.

Undergraduate / sociology undergraduate essay for Cornell CALS [4]

This is an essay for Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It is for the department of developmental sociology. Could someone help me edit this and give me some comments. Thanks.

Argentina and Sociology

When I was young I eagerly anticipated my family's annual trip to visit my maternal grandparents in Argentina. Buenos Aires was a booming beautiful city with manicured gardens, tree-lined streets, and a prosperous population. I do not need to look at photo albums to remember and see myself hand in hand with my grandfather cheering on his favorite soccer team, Huracan, at their fabulous stadium. Then the next moment visiting the beautiful zoo, walking down Avenida Libertador lined with impressive shops and restaurants, and frequent trips to an ice cream shop called Freddo for big cones of dulce de leche ice cream. I remember time spent with friends and the infectious optimism that I felt when I went down there.

As time passed, however, the trips were far less pleasant. The gardens were brown, the zoo run down and almost abandoned, and the soccer stadium full of violence by fans frustrated by unemployment and inability to provide for their families. The people were in upheaval. I would see some of my same friends that years ago used to stand in line with me at the ice cream shop, Fredo, now cleaning car windows at street stoplights for money just to eat. The lines of people, instead of outside luxurious restaurants and coffee shops, were formed at the local churches waiting to receive their only meal of the day. The optimism I knew as a boy had transformed into violence and unrest. I had heard and read about the collapse of the Argentine economy, but actually witnessing firsthand the social displacement that it caused impacted me deeply. For me the determinants and consequences of societal development are not theoretical exercises, they are a part of my life experience.

What makes Cornell's Department of Sociology so appealing is that it is devoted to understanding the causes and mitigating the adverse impacts of the type of wrenching change that I witnessed in Argentina. Population dynamics and institutional restructuring have real and profound consequences on ordinary people. Lives are changed and communities are destroyed by forces that seem beyond control or understanding.

As a student in the Department of Sociology, I hope to be able to use my background in mathematics to aid in our understanding of the factors that cause so much unrest and displacement. Moreover it is my desire to learn better ways to predict and measure these destructive phenomena so that we can prevent or at least mitigate some of the adverse impacts on the lives of everyday people.

The idea that I will spend the next four years working to alleviate social problems instead of just trying to explain them has special meaning for me. I respect the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, but I feel compelled by experiences in Argentina to do more. I simply cannot sit by and pad my resume while childhood friends worry about finding their next meal. Fortunately as a student of Cornell, I won't have to.

Undergraduate / Brown Short Answer (Anticipated Degree and Academic Interest) [3]

Why are you drawn to the academic fields you indicated in the Anticipated Degree and Academic Interest questions above?

(I put undecided for both Anticipated Degree and Academic Interest.
I am very interested in science, but not quite sure what exact field I will follow)

Heres my short answer:

I was first drawn to science after watching a movie called The Elegant Universe in my freshman year physics class. This movie taught me that through science, humankind is capable of unraveling some of the many mysteries of the universe. Science is intriguing to me because it is a source of discovery and imagination with infinite potential. After realizing how much I enjoyed physics and science, I decided to take engineering and partook in a project called Project Lead the Way. In this project I helped design and construct a solar powered water purifier which was sent to sanitize water in Haiti. This class and especially this project showed me how applicable and essential science is to the real world. After taking physics, engineering, biology, and chemistry my passion for scientific discovery grew. Although I am unsure what specific discipline I will follow within the realm of science, I am certain that my passions lie in this area. I am confident that the variety of programs and open curriculum at Brown will help me refine and locate my anticipated degree and academic interest.

This short answer is supposed to be 1000 characters max and this is 1096. Could someone tell me what they think and help me make it under 1000. Thanks

Undergraduate / Main Common App Essay--An Experience that Impacted You [2]

Okay so this is my main common app essay and is going to 6 different schools. The prompt is: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

Life experience
When I was a child, I eagerly anticipated my family's annual trip to visit my maternal grandparents in Argentina. Buenos Aires was a booming, beautiful city with manicured gardens, tree-lined streets, and a prosperous population. I do not need to look at old photo albums to remember and see myself hand in hand with my grandfather cheering on his favorite soccer team, Huracan, at their magnificent stadium. Then the next moment I would be visiting the beautiful zoo, walking down Avenida Libertador lined with impressive shops and restaurants, and making frequent trips to an ice cream shop called Freddo for big cones of dulce de leche ice cream. Most vividly I remember time spent with friends and family, and the infectious optimism and pride that I felt when I went down there.

As time passed, however, the trips were far less pleasant. The gardens were brown, the zoo run down and almost abandoned, and the soccer stadium full of violence by fans frustrated by unemployment and inability to provide for their families. The people were in upheaval. I would see some of my same friends that years ago use to stand in line with me at the ice cream shop, Freddo, now cleaning car windows at street stoplights for money just to eat. The lines of people, instead of outside luxurious restaurants and coffee shops, were now formed at the local churches waiting to receive their only meal of the day. Even the daily walks with my grandfather changed; we now walked to the local neighborhood church to help the priest prepare and serve food to the poor and homeless, victims of the crisis.

The optimism in Argentina that I had once known as a boy had transformed into violence and unrest. Images of people taking the streets with pots and pans, the smell of tire burning, and the sounds of women screaming as policemen on horses threatened them with fire hoses have forever engraved my memory. I had heard about the collapse of the Argentine economy, but actually witnessing firsthand the social displacement that it caused impacted me deeply. For me, the causes and effects of societal development were no longer theoretical exercises; they were now a part of my life experience.

Returning to Greensboro, North Carolina that year was bitter-sweet. I was returning to the feeling of safety and financial security in America, but at the same time, I could not ignore the feelings of guilt for leaving my family and friends behind in a country that was falling apart. It was those feelings that influenced me to start a fundraiser in my church and school for the impoverished people in Argentina at such a young age. With no experience or skills in fundraising, I managed to raise awareness and a small amount of money to send back to my church in Argentina to help fund some of the meals they were providing to the homeless.

Being in Argentina amid one of the worst economic crisis of its history has truly been a life-changing experience for me. The exposure to poverty, sadness, and insecurity in a former first world country has given me a deep appreciation for what I have, while at the same time has kept me grounded to the reality that life does not come with guarantees. This experience overall has given me a new perspective and has made me learn more about myself than any other experience I have had in my 17 years.

Honestly I think this is pretty good but the end is killing me. I wanted to write in my conclusion how this experience impacted me. Could someone come up with or help me with the conclusion. Thnks