Undergraduate / Why its a good fit + Different points of view - Rochester Supplement [3]

#1: What makes Rochester a good fit for you?
An unquenchable curiosity and a desire for individuality separate my personality from the personalities of others. The University of Rochester's unique idea of an open curriculum is what caught my attention when my guidance counselor and I were discussing colleges that were compatible with me. The school's curricular flexibility allows me to focus on my intended major, while allowing me to explore other fields of interest with ease. I intend to pursue in the biochemistry major and University of Rochester's diverse research curriculum will not only give me the ability to study biochemistry but will also grant me access to the field of psychology, another subject that sparks my interests. UR offers endless exploration opportunities, thus allowing me to become a well-rounded pediatrician.

#2: Rochester students represent many different points of view. Each student constructs an independent study and research plan. Describe what you will contribute to Rochester's diversity of ideas, experiences, and identities. If you can, incorporate a positive past experience where you chose your own learning path, or a negative experience where you wanted to exercise more independence.

I don't have any ideas for the second question yet and I also dont quite understand what they are really asking for.

Karen Lam

Undergraduate / "Time is ticking." - Johns Hopkins Supplement ---- [5]

Johns Hopkins offers 50 majors across the schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. On this supplement, we ask you to identify one or two that you might like to pursue here. Why did you choose the way you did? If you are undecided, why didn't you choose? (If any past courses or academic experiences influenced your decision, you may include them in your essay.)

Time is ticking.

Impatiently twirling my pencil between my fingers, I constantly sneak quick glances at the clock. There are a few minutes left before the bell rings, signaling the start of the class period. Today, these short minutes feels like long hours. Our physiology class is performing a brain dissection, a lab that I have been looking forward to since the beginning of the semester. Finally, the bell rings and the class separates into nine groups of four and the sheep brains are distributed to each group. The first thing we need to do is divide the left and right hemispheres of the brain. As we are performing the lab, our teacher, Mrs. Dhala, is walking around, making sure that we are following the procedures correctly and giving us trivial information about the three-pound chunk of tissue in front of us. However, the piece of information she told me was far from trivial. She told me that biology and psychology, especially behavior, influence each other; like a puzzle, one is not complete without the other. What I learned in that fifty-five minute class period changed my perception of not only biology but also psychology. Something that I initially though were two fields that can never be intertwined actually go together, hand in hand.

I am fascinated by how the mind affects our daily lives and at the same time, I am enthralled by how the body adapts to maintain homeostasis. I plan to major in behavioral biology because it applies psychology principles to the biological context. This blended major gives me the opportunity to explore the different fields without worry. My dream is to study medicine and become a pediatrician. The behavioral biology major aids me by not only containing all the coursework needed to fulfill the pre-medicine requirements but also granting me the chance to try something new and gain from this experience. John Hopkins University's Krieger School of Art and Sciences is the only colleges, out of all the colleges that I have researched so far, that offers this unique major. With its help, I will be able to deepen my knowledge in the medical field and psychological field, thus allowing me to be well-rounded and different. The knowledge that I will gain from the university will help me better the lives of children who suffer and live in fear of illnesses.

Please proofread and critique my essay as harshly as you'd like.
Thank you!