Undergraduate / "Picture perfect" kid - Common Application Prompt Number Two [3]

struggles have made me who I am today

It was the night of the freshman winter concert. Hundreds of young boys and girls were shuffled upon the risers dressed from head to toe in black. The audience was full to the brim with smiling parents and video cameras. Excitedly, I scanned the audience for a face I recognized; I could not find one. I was crushed. I made my way through the entirety of the concert with little regard for the harmony I should have been signing during Silent Night or the how I should have been "smiling with my eyes", during Jingle Bells. After, I watched as my friends were showered with hugs and flowers. I waited nearly an hour for my aunt to take me home, while my classmates left on celebratory ice cream runs. When I finally returned home, I sobbed tirelessly, wishing that my parents, or anyone for that matter, had come to watch me perform. I desperately wanted someone to care.

This was not my first or last experience with disappointment. Growing up in Beverly Hills, one of the wealthiest communities in California, I was constantly surrounded by "picture-perfect" kids, with overly supportive families, and elaborate lives. I, on the other hand, ate cereal three meals a day, rarely went to the doctor, and never made it anywhere on time. So as a young girl, I envied my peers. Even inconvenient things, like when my friends were grounded, filled me with jealousy because my parents would never care enough to ground me. I craved the stability, the structure, these kids inherently had.

As time progressed, my circumstances didn't change, but I did.
I could not rely on my family for transportation, so I learned to be resourceful. I rode my bike to and from school each day, rain or shine, despite living several miles away. The school nurse still continues to joke about how I rode my bike to after school physicals. And now, as a licensed driver, not only am I extremely punctual, I always get my younger brother where he needs to be.

Nothing was handed to me. If I needed new shoes, I had to buy them. I joined the workforce at a young age, working desk jobs in tennis pro shops. When what I earned from my desk jobs didn't cover my car payments, I took teaching courses and became a certified tennis instructor through the professional tennis registry to increase my salary to a whopping twenty dollars an hour. While my friends are working on there tans, I'm working six days a week

The lack of attention I received, taught me not to seek out acknowledgment. I no longer scan the audience at my school concerts. My accomplishments are based solely on self-motivation. I study to further my education, not for my parents' appraisal of my report card. I practice tennis for hours on end, because I want to win a county championship, not to impress my peers.

While this essay reflects on the shortcomings of my family, they do what they can. Everyone has a different skill set; responsibility did not fit within theirs. I have learned to love my parents for the fun, forgetful people they are.

My outlook on life has become extremely positive. I no longer wish I was another one of the "picture perfect" kids. I do not pity myself anymore, nor do I envy my peers.

I am sincerely grateful for the struggles I've endured because they have made me who I am today. I have grown into a more resourceful, independent, appreciative and hardworking individual than I ever thought possible.

Undergraduate / Cornell Arts and Sciences Supp - the ability to combine my interests in biology and research [2]

Cornell Arts and Sciences Supp

Just a few months ago, I waited anxiously as a vial of Drosophila Melanogaster was delivered to the steps of my high school. To an outsider, a fruit fly delivery may not seem too exciting, but for an aspiring biological researcher, it was quite thrilling. After hours of reading the Drosophila Care Manual, I knew exactly what to do to maintain their survival. But it seemed the more I prepared, the more nervous I became.

Throughout high school, I have taken nearly every science course in the building. Never in my time during countless biology, chemistry or physics courses had I ever been nervous, not even before grade-defining midterms or AP tests. I was always prepared; I knew my memory and study skills were enough to ace any test. But it dawned on me that I had not been nervous because there was never anything life-altering at stake. It seemed like if I could not keep the fruit flies healthy, I would never be equipped to perform biological research.

But as time progressed, my worries faded. I became exceedingly comfortable in the lab. I had no problem keeping the flies alive; it was merely a first step to the exciting work I am doing.

My career goals include only biological research. I have an undeniable passion for biology and an unwavering desire to discover. Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences gives me the ability to combine my interests in biology and research!

I would be grateful to study from all of Cornell's professors, but to study those who share my passion for biological research is the driving force behind my interest in Cornell. I want to meet professors such as Linda Nicholson, to pick her brain about protein dynamics and their implications on Alzheimer's disease, and Daniel Barbash, to discuss how animals develop, evolve and form new species, and Carl Batt, to ask about the role of therapeutic agents in combating cancer. Learning my role models would be an honor and a privilege, that I could only experience at Cornell.

If I am lucky enough to receive admission, I plan to major in biological sciences with a concentration on biochemistry. I will take courses focused on understand the inner workings of cells, such as BIOMG 4450 "Stem Cells and Regeneration", CHEM 7880 "Structural Methods in Biochemistry", and BIOMG 4880, "Cancer Genetics." In addition to understanding complex ideas, the courses will also teach me skills necessary for my future in biological research, like x-ray crystallography and electron microscopy.

I would also love take BIOMG 1320 "Orientation Lectures in Molecular Biology and Genetics," a course where six Cornell professors simply discuss their research. The way Cornell integrates research into a formal teaching setting is truly amazing. This course would not only pique my curiosity but also allow me to gain insight on what my future career field entails.

In addition to the incomparable academic and career opportunities at Cornell, I also love the campus. From the breathtaking waterfalls and historic architecture to the welcoming students and acclaimed faculty, I couldn't imagine a better place to spend the next four years.