Graduate / Personal Statement for university International Relations Program [3]

Very detailed and bold, I liked how you integrate your personal achievements. However, (other than your first paragraph) the other two paragraphs lack flare. If it is a formal essay, then it is completely acceptable.

Undergraduate / My American teacher. UVA supplement essay, is this good? [5]

Merged:

UVA quirk Essay about to turn in help

Please offer advice and criticism, not just grammatical error, should I scrap this? Do you feel like it fully answers the prompt? What can I do to improve?

my pursuit of a healthy lifestyle along with my awe of nature

I was sitting still in my room when I started hearing the growing pit-pat rhythm of the rain. That was my cue to put on my blue windbreaker and start jogging outside on the stony, dampened pathway of my soi (street). As I slowly started jogging, a sense of serenity and peace washed over me as the droplets of rain gently brushed over my stale body, an experience as soothing as it was vibrant. While others prefer the comforts and warmth of blankets, I've always embraced the rain with an open heart, immersing myself in the temporary aura of comfort it provides when I silently run while listening to the soft tunes of jazz music: a magical experience that is so often offered but taken so little.

For me, it is only in those rare moments that the piles of stress from relationships, academics, and personal struggles are washed away along with the flood of the rain. However, this euphoric feeling is temporary-the sun shines again and people come out and about, tending to the barking dogs and striking up amicable conversations with their neighbors. Still, I feel most comfortable when I run in the rain. It is when I feel most vulnerable and pure.

Jogging frequently in the rain can get me scolded, however, for I sometimes drip water all over the marble floor that my mom had spent an entire afternoon mopping, but the timely transitions of seasons won't enable this too much. It marries my pursuit of a healthy lifestyle along with my awe of nature to create something I have come to truly love and take as my own. Reading the unfavorable and unpopular rain in a positive light has been rewarding, giving me a unique sense of comfort that is seldom offered by life.

Research Papers / THE FINAL STRAW - research paper (advocate role) [2]

... focused on the now, is present a better word choice?
... paying little mind to the planet

Writing Feedback / The place that I recommend in Taiwan [4]

Great hook, but make this experience for stimulating and visual for the reader, talk about how you found beauty in the little things. Your whole account of the experience is too small for someone to be fully convinced or intrigued by Jade Mountain or Mountain Jade.