Undergraduate / "My very own song" Common App Essay about my life as an exchange student [6]

My very own song

Sometimes, a song is stuck in your head. You can not get it out, you sing the chorus all along, and you just cannot stop thinking about it. You always connect this one song with a special emotion or event which happened when you first heard it. In the end, you often end up not liking this song any more, switching the stations as you hear it on the radio.

The following is the story of how the idea of going abroad for one year was stuck in my head, or better said, in my heart, and how it never went out again. When my mom, who had gone abroad after graduation from high school, told me about America, about the experiences she had, the things she discovered, not just about the country, but also about herself and the way it changed her life, I could feel the enthusiasm in her voice and I immediately knew this was where my life would take me.

My parents never had a lot of money, especially after their divorce. Neither were my grandparents, Second World War refugees, rich people. Therefore, I could never be completely sure if my dreams were attainable. But I tried to help finance my dream by working as a newspaper boy from the age of 14.

As I got older, I started to order brochures about different exchange organizations and it was soon clear that the American Field Service (AFS) was the organization I would choose.

I clearly remember my first information meeting, just because the grin did not disappear from my face for the whole next week.
When I went to the AFS selection weekend, I was perfectly prepared to answer every question they would ask me, as I knew, this would be my only chance. Therefore I was really surprised when everything was a lot different from what I had expected. Nobody asked me questions about politics, presidents, or geographical issues - they wanted to get to know my character, to figure out if I would be capable of living in a foreign country where I would not know anyone.

The weeks passed by and I was waiting full of suspense, hoping from the very bottom of my heart that I got accepted. So when I got the response letter, I just tore it open and rushed through its content. It took a load off my heart when I read the congratulatory lines. My dream finally seemed about to come true.
Now sure that I was accepted, I began to look for scholarships. I applied for an AFS-Scholarship and for financial aid from the German government, called "Bafoeg". I received both, with a total value of about 4,700 $. These financial subsidies eased my family's burden of raising enough money for my year abroad.

All along I was full of curiosity to learn what kind of people I would live with during my exchange year. Finally on August 5th, just seven days before my flight and after nearly seven months of almost unbearable waiting, AFS sent me my host family information. Immediately after receiving their e-mail address, I started to establish contact with my host mother. However, time flew and I just received one answer when my flight from Frankfurt, Germany, took to the skies at five a.m. on August 12th, 2009.

I have lived in the U.S. for four months now and my life has already taken a huge shift. I am getting to know a totally new culture, a whole new society, lots of new faces and characters - all in all, I have a whole new life.

I discover more things in one day than I did in a whole year in my home country.
Nor only did my environment change a lot, I did, too. The year has already strengthened me, in particular by becoming a lot more self-sufficient, understanding who I really am, what other goals I have in life, and making clear what I think is important to me. It also taught me that not everything really is like it seems at the first moment, that you should question it if you do not understand something, that sometimes you have to argue your opinion. The most important thing that my year abroad has given me so far are many new and different perspectives I have learned from people all over the world, who came from various countries and a whole variety of different social positions. This influenced my own point of view more than I had ever dreamed of and gave me a better understanding of the world as a whole. I now have a different basis of argumentation, and the way I think about society, religion, and world economical topics has changed.

On the other side, even if I have already experienced so much, my inquisitiveness has only grown stronger with each new thing I learned, like a sponge that has been without water for far too long.

During my time in America I have had many beautiful experiences and exciting adventures worth a price you cannot measure with money.
Altogether, my year abroad has already made me a better and more understanding person, and I am completely sure that the remaining six months will teach me many more valuable lessons. I also hope that I have given people here a different perspective and perhaps touched their life in some way.

During the time I have spent here, America has become a second home, one, I could always return to, one, I learned to love and which will always have a place in my heart.

And right now, as I have already experienced much in the country of my dreams, I could sing the chorus of my dream all along with the influences I have experienced as the distinctive melody. I know this song is going to be stuck in my heart and mind forever, but there is just one difference: I will never regret it when I am reminded of it.

I hope I did not make too many mistakes. I know it's not perfect and I'm sure my English skills could be a lot better. Thank you for taking time to read and correct it. Foreigner

Undergraduate / Books, historical event, roommate - Stanford Profile Questions and Short Essays [9]

Profile Questions:

Name your favorite books, authors, films, and/or musical artists.
Bob Dylan: because of the significance of the lyrics he wrote which always had the finger on the pulse of time, in the past and today.

"The Hornet" written by Ken Follett, my favorite author. William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" was also a book which really impressed me.

What magazines, newspapers, and/or websites do you enjoy?
times.com where I always get the newest information to stay up to date on world topics. I also enjoy the German political newspaper "Die Welt", and "Kicker", a soccer magazine.

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?
The loss of family bounds and traditions which come along with the greedyness after everything new and innovative of today's society.

Historical Event:
I would have liked to share the unique feeling of solidarity, adventure, and change with the other revolutionists at the Storming of the Bastille at Paris on July 14th, 1789 which heralded the beginning of the French Revolution.

How did you spent your 2 last summers:
Except travelling to Italy in 2009 for a week, I spent my last two summers applying for going abroad and being an American High School Student for a year. When I finally arrived, it also took some time to integrate in this new culture and society.

Five Words that best describe me:
Open-minded, ambitious, disciplined, inquisitive, vivacious

What were your favorite events (e.g., performances, exhibits, sporting events, etc.) this past year?
The moment when my plane from Frankfurt to Houston, left the ground and took to the skies. In that moment I realized my dream was coming true and that my new life would start right now.

Short Essays
Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. What would you want your future roommate to know about you? Tell us something about you that will help your future roommate -- and us -- know you better.

Dear Roomie,
As a German exchange student in the States, I have discovered that life is colorful, that it has many different sides and aspects. Whenever you are bored with it, you may find a new exciting thing in the next moment. As colored and diversive as life is, so am I.

I am a normal teenager, more outgoing and friendly than shy or introverted. I am not the person who is always in the spotlight, entertaining other people with his jokes but I am a good listener; a person you can easily hang out with yet still have a meaningful conversation with. Given a choice, I would always prefer a little group of friends to who I am close than a big crowd of people.

School and sports are the biggest parts of my life. To be active in sports gives me the balance I need. I enjoy the feeling of standing on the field with my ten teammates, playing and thinking as a unit. On the Soccer Field, everybody is equal, not depending on their personal backgrounds. When players sprint to the ball or straddle on the goal line to avoid the deciding point, I am in my glory. I also enjoy writing which allows me to express myself in ways that I hope everyone can relate to and understand, and the freedom it grants me is incomparable to anything else.

I love long conversations and am a very open-minded person, who likes to try and get to know new things. On quiet days, I like to enjoy the peace and lay on the couch reading a good book.

Because of the multicultural experiences I have had, I am sure that we will be able to learn and share our cultures and differences, and I hope that in time, we will be not just roommates, but close friends.

Tell us what makes Stanford a good place for you.

Kofi Annan once tellingly noticed: "To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there."

I have not completely figured out my personality or what I represent. However, I know myself well enough to determine my goals and decide well.

As soon as I knew I had fulfilled all the requirements for going to an American college, I started to list the features the university of my choice should have: A multiplicity of different students and characters, a plurality of first-class courses in the areas of Political Science and Biochemistry, balmy weather, and a place which not only supports my academic, but also my athletic and social goals. I can faithfully say that Stanford University was the only place which complied every single one of my wishes.

I am looking forward to talking with people from all over the world, to listen to different opinions, to learn and understand. One day, I would like to cross "the farm", enjoying the Californian sun on my back and knowing that the gates of Meyer Library stand open for many nights of biochemistral homework. I am looking forward to going for a visit of San Francisco Bay with some friends, and one day meeting some of the nation's best soccer players on the field of Stanford Stadium. I would be glad to participate in the Stanford Solar Car Project which combines not just my enjoyment for alternative energy resources, but also my interest in engineering. I am looking forward to getting a group of friends together to study for the annual international relations' final or to jump into a new political-related research project with such distinguished faculty members as Stephen Krasner as my mentors.

All in all, Stanford is the place where my love for people, science, and society meet and which will grant me a well-rounded, globally enriching education.

Since "Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great" (Niccolo Machiavelli), I am sure that Stanford and I will end up in an happily-ever-after.

Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.

"Hey stupid Nazi!," the guy shouted. I turned around. "Yeah, you," he continued, "Blond haired, blue-eyed, I bet Hitler would had loved you."

Encouraged by extensive media coverage, xenophobia has become one of the biggest problems in today's society. It is, in fact, an issue where people would be foolish to wear blinders and remain ignorant of any longer.

Being different, even if it is only the culture and not the skin color, is one of the biggest challenges a human can be confronted with. By living in the States, I have experienced prejudice firsthand as noted in my opening sentence, and therefore I finally understand and can share what millions of immigrants feel in dealing with life everyday in countries which are supposed to be open minded and offer equal opportunity for everyone.

At first I felt like an outsider in this unfamiliar culture until I awakened to the importance of solidarity among each other, I noticed that materialism is diespensable and that charity and humanity are thoroughly invaluable characteristics everywhere. I recognized that an overall straightforwardness and cosmopolitanism would be the biggest improvement our society could experience and solve many problems which seemed to be insoluble for a long time. But as long as prejudice and stereotypes determine our thoughts, xenophobia will always be a problem humanity has to deal with. As Martin Luther King Jr. once tellingly noticed, it is also one of my biggest hopes that "the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and that in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty".

I am not sure if I answered the questions, I especially worry about my last essay.

Every critic greatly improvement. Since I am an International, I know that my English is not perfect at all. Thanks

Undergraduate / Additional Essay for Harvard, Topic Love. Too weird?? [4]

Love

I fell in love at first sight. Your entry way, a lot smaller than I had imagined, still more beautiful than a woman's body. Your famous "Harvard Hall", significant and old, incomparable to other places of teaching, and yet new and full of unconsumed knowledge.

Fascinated, I caress over the even surface of your ebony tables, our intimacy is tantamount to an old married couple. The seven letters on your banner, truth is their meaning and truly seductive they adulate every applicant.

The way into the stadium, excitement, tension. The players enter the field, the crowd cheers, but it is your look which causes butterflies in my stomach. I only have eyes for you, your gaze captivates mine and like two stars lost in the night sky, we drown in the crowd.

I imagine the two of us sharing unique experiences as I study for the annual International Relations' final or evaluate the influence of the renaissance on today's society. I know you will always outshine me, however, being together with you is more than I have dared to dream of.

I discuss a new political-related research project with my professor Roberto Unger. I can hardly concentrate on the topic. My eyes are fascinated from your new side wing I just discovered. One day, I imagine, I will introduce you to my parents. I am sure, they will be in awe. But these are dreams of the future, hopes of a romantic teenager.

I look upon myself. I appear as an appendage, unfitting to your exceptionality and perfection. I feel like one among many, nothing special. I hate these thoughts buzzing in my head. A nobody. Will you reject me? But why should you? I am unique! Well, many others with the same belief came before me and were refused. I know you are a heartbreaker, thousands fail to meet your criteria every year and the fear of disappointment is huge. On the other hand, why should you not grant me access? Maybe I am the lucky one, the missing part of your puzzle. I am hoping for a happy ending, but you have to meet me halfway. Accept me and I will give you all I have to give.