Undergraduate / Calculus or Bust, adding depth to my essay, and relating it back to the prompt. [3]

Option 4 - Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years as a jumping off point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world. Please write the quotation at the beginning of your essay.

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." By Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931).

Calculus or Bust

School had always been easy for me; I took classes at our local community college instead of the high school for a more challenging curriculum. Being able to consistently ace my classes was no big deal to me until I reached the second semester of Peninsula College's Calculus: Analytical Geometry.

Upon entering the course, I was hit with the sudden realization that I would have to really study for the tests that our professor, Mr. Smith gave every two weeks. I no longer felt familiar with what he was teaching and had to focus to understand each lecture, taking thorough notes each day. The homework soon became more and more challenging, and for the first time, I was no longer going to get the expected "A", in fact, I had dropped below a "B".

At first I was upset, scared, and even a little depressed, but I realized that I needed to work hard and do my best, even if my grade wasn't the top of the class. I met with the professor often and asked for additional resources to learn from. I worked harder on the homework and studied intensely for each test. And yet, I was still not mastering the material.

My first quarter grade was a 3.2; but when I received my second quarter grade it had dropped to a 2.7, my lowest GPA ever. Realizing that the third quarter would become even more difficult, I considered my options. I was developing new study habits, but I hadn't practiced them consistently. I decided to commit to learning calculus rather than just getting through the course. I decided to retake the second semester - actually I'm auditing the class due to Peninsula College's retake policies. Retaking Calculus II will give me the opportunity to better understand the material, thus giving me more of a chance to excel in the upcoming third quarter. While retaking Calculus II will add extra time to my already busy schedule, I feel strangely proud that I will persevere and succeed in this class. It was Calculus or bust, and I chose Calculus.

Undergraduate / Cornell Engineering Essay - Catapult Creation [6]

I don't really like the title, but I'm not creative enough to think of a better one :D

Let me know what you think of my essay, any suggestions would be nice!

Prompt: College of Engineering: Engineers turn ideas (technical, scientific, mathematical) into reality. Tell us about an engineering idea you have or your interest in engineering. Explain how Cornell Engineering can help you further explore this idea or interest. (500 words)

A wooden plank, two curtain rods, a protractor, a few nails, some screws, and a relatively sloppily cut plastic water bottle sat before me on the carpet. Soon these seemingly random materials would come together to build a unique and one of a kind catapult. It all started when I heard about the PUD: Power for the Future student science competition over the intercom during our school's morning announcements. My goal was to build a catapult that would launch white, lightweight wiffle balls into concentric rings of buckets. The innermost bucket was worth the most points, reminiscent of a ball toss game at an annual carnival.

Although in the beginning I was completely clueless as how I was going to create such a complex mechanism, the ideas soon began to flow. I attached the bottom third of the water bottle to the curtain rod to form a throwing arm via screw, and attached the middle of the throwing arm to the base which consisted of a perpendicular curtain rod and the board of wood. I was quickly enthralled by my newest project and spent almost all my free time working on it. I decided to make the spring out of an old rust colored bungee cord. In order to make each throw precise, I glued on a protractor to the vertical curtain rod, so that I could measure how far I pulled back the throwing arm and documented how far the ball flew.

When it came time to test my contraption for the first time, I was filled with suspense. I had put massive amounts of effort into such a small device, and I couldn't wait to see it pay off. I carefully placed the off-white wiffle ball into the cup and pulled back the throwing arm. Upon releasing it, joy washed over me as the ball sailed through the air. It was a success!

The competition was fierce, and although I didn't place in the competition, I still had fun creating my home-made catapult. Because of that experience I was able to find my true passion of engineering and believe that Cornell is the best place to pursue this career path. Besides the fact that Cornell Engineering receives numerous excellence awards every year, provides a high quality education, and is a world-class research university, it has thirteen majors that will help me find my perfect fit. I'm currently looking to major in computer science or electrical and computer engineering and recognize that Cornell's rigorous courses will provide me with the education I thrive for. By providing me with opportunities such as the Cooperative Education program and Kessler Fellows Program, I will be able to use my knowledge in a real world application and practice what I have learned. I believe that with an education from Cornell I will be able to "catapult" myself into an engineering career.

Undergraduate / I will fit right into Mudd's tightly knit community [3]

What influenced you to apply to Harvey Mudd College? What about the HMC curriculum and community appeals to you? (500 word limit)

Harvey Mudd College has many qualities of a great school. After perusing the website for a while, I discovered that Harvey Mudd was a relatively small school, which allows students to get to know each other well. Because I grew up in a small town that many people have never heard of, let alone know how to pronounce, I believe that I will fit right into Mudd's tightly knit community. With a small student body to faculty ratio of nine to one, students can learn to work collaboratively and receive individual attention from each professor. Having a close relationship with my professors and teachers is an important factor for me. I also noticed that Harvey Mudd College relied on the Honor Code system, which makes for a unique atmosphere of trust within the community. I value the Honor Code with high regard, partially because I attended a Christian based school for two years. They taught me the values of honesty and integrity in everyday life. As one of the nation's top liberal arts college of engineering, science and mathematics, Harvey Mudd appears to be the perfect college for students like myself who enjoy mathematics, the sciences and technology. Talk about how you have always had an interest in this.

Let me know what you think

Undergraduate / Caltech Humor Prompt [4]

I can't think of a good way to conclude this and I feel like I just kinda drop it. Any suggestions/improvements are greatly appreciated.

Caltech students have long been known for their quirky sense of humor and creative pranks and for finding unusual ways to have fun. What is something that you find fun or humorous?

We sit in one of the quiet rooms on the right side of the library. Two guys, Niki and Cary on one side, and two girls, Marley and I sit on the other side of the table which is littered with electronics. Four laptops, three iPod touches, an iPod 5th generation, four cell phones, and countless cords run wild. Although we are each working on something different, browsing Facebook, writing an essay, looking at Stumble Upon, and playing World of War Craft, we all share a similar theme: a love for technology. The silence ensues for minutes until finally Cary stands up and announces that he'll "be right back." As soon as the door shuts, we all jump up and gather around his computer. Niki quickly creates a batch file on his laptop that continually starts Notepad.exe, while I create a phone alarm event. Marley quickly grabs Cary's iPod, changes the background, and creates a new song playlist from only Pokémon songs. Once accomplished, we all sit back down in our respective seats before he returns. As if in perfect harmony, he walks in, sits down, and puts on his headphones. After approximately ten seconds of confusion as to what he's listening to, his phone rings to alert him that today is "National Hat Day". He finally starts to catch on when he discovers his computer has roughly fifty instances of Notepad open. We all return awkward glances before bursting into laughter.

Undergraduate / Caltech Engineering/Math/Science Essay [9]

Prompt: Interest in math, science, or engineering manifests itself in many forms. Caltech professor and Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman(1918-1988) explained, 'I'd make a motor, I'd make a gadget that would go off when something passed a photocell, I'd play around with selenium'; he was exploring his interest in science, as he put it, by 'piddling around all the time.' In a page, more or less, tell the Admissions Committee how you express your interest, curiosity, or excitement about math, science or engineering.

Each and every time I open up my laptop, I receive a feeling of pure joy. As an only child in my family, I grew up having to find ways to entertain myself while my parents were busy working. I usually found consolation in technology, whether it be on my parents' old Windows DOS machine, or playing games on my GameBoy color. For this reason, I found that working with technology, more specifically computers, is like a second nature. Everything, from installing a new operating system to using one of the many Microsoft Office programs, makes sense to me.

I learned how to code simple batch files and basic HTML websites over school breaks, typing up each project that strayed into my mind. Last year I discovered Linux and the endless opportunities it provided me. I began to incorporate the knowledge I gained through taking calculus, chemistry and physics at my town's local community college into my side projects and ideas. I soon decided that I want to build programs that can graph complex equations, solve kinematics equations, and balance chemical equations.

I want to use my classroom knowledge to modify and build software that families will use on a daily basis. I'd like to create a program that combines the properties of Wolfram's Mathematica and other software into one program, but with a more intuitive and easy-to-use language. Coding, whether for software, a website, or a simple batch file, is both a tedious and rewarding task. The feeling of completion when everything works perfectly, or the perseverance and struggle when you discover an error, are what makes this job rewarding.

I realize that I still have a lot to learn. To delve deeper into the world of coding and how applications work is to truly understand. With this in mind I hope to one day become a successful software engineer.

So, I haven't gotten very far mostly because I keep hitting blocks. I know that I want to talk about my love for math (I've even taken courses like Calculus I and II at my town's local community college) and for science (I took AP Biology at the HS, and Chem I, II and III, and planning to take Physics I, II and II at the community college).

I really kinda suck with transitions which is mainly why I can't move on from my first paragraph on computers.

Any help would be appreciated! I'll review your essay if you review mine :D

Undergraduate / "the quick pace of life" University of Washington, Diverse Community Short Essay [4]

Prompt: The University of Washington seeks to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. How would you contribute to this community? (Recommended length 250-500 words)

At first glance, I may appear to be just another everyday applicant looking at applying to the University of Washington, but upon closer inspection, you will find that this is not the case. Underneath my average appearance, I have a world of experiences from which I have grown and learned.

Growing up in Everett, I was accustomed to the quick pace of life. My parents appeared to work constantly, stating that they were in the prime of their career. Because of this, and as I was an only child, I was forced to learn and grow on my own.

At the age of eight, my parents realized that they wanted to spend more time with me, and decided to move to a small town about two hours away from Everett. Sequim, Washington, also known as the retirement community, had a population of five thousand. There are no "big box stores" within a thirty mile radius, and the nearest mall is fifty miles away. Here I was able to discover the adventures of a more rural living. I also found how life existed without freeways, Starbucks, and WalMart. Although at first it was a difficult transition, I soon became accustomed to this lifestyle and was able to respect its differences from larger, fast paced cities.

At the University of Washington I will be able to share the experience of knowing both a small town community, and an energetic town that thrives each day. I will find others who share the life of an only child, and will discover new friendships. With this in mind, I believe I will add a new viewpoint of the world to the diverse community at University of Washington.

Feel free to be harsh! All comments welcomed. I'm specifically worried as to if I actually answered the prompt. Thanks everyone!

Undergraduate / Raised in front of a computer monitor - Engineering app for UW [3]

Describe how you could bring a broad perspective to the engineering classroom. Factors to discuss include, but are not limited to: multi-cultural awareness, activities, or accomplishments; educational background and goals; living experiences, such as growing up in a disadvantaged or unusual environment; and special interests or talents. (Limit to 1500 characters, approx. 250 words).

So, first off, I'm way over the word limit :/ There's so much to say! Could you guys help me cut my essay down? Also, I have absolutely no idea where to begin for a conclusion, so I just ended it, which I feel like is really bad style. Can someone help give me ideas for a conclusion? Thanks :]

The massive eggshell white monitor with its forbidding black glass loomed in front of me. At the time, I was about three years old, waiting as patiently as any three-year-old child could for my "Mickey's ABC's: A Day at the Zoo" game to load onto the old family Windows DOS machine. This now antique game, which used pixilated images with unnaturally bright colors, was by far my favorite. At least three times a week I would pester my mom to help me load up the game, which required typing in a long and arduous code into the command line, in order to "help Mickey Mouse and Goofy recover the zoo animals that were accidentally let out of their cages".

Computer technology for the three-year old version of myself was all about playing games. But with my parents working in the technology hub of Seattle, I also discovered the business side of technology. As soon as I knew about typing on home row, I was running basic business programs. I have many memories of being in the car with my mom, while she spoke on her cell phone with brokers, and I would run the quotes for her on her laptop. Little did I know that what I thought was fun, following directions, pushing buttons, reading results, was fueling the passion I now have to pursue a career in the computer science industry.

Later, when I was eight, my family moved to the small town of Sequim Washington, a small retirement community for the elderly. Here I discovered a different side of technology. The computer tasks that I found simple had to be explained from various points of view. Not everyone "grew up" in front of a computer monitor. I was a volunteer at many events, helping the elderly with various computer problems. This showed me a whole new perspective of technology than I had become accustomed to. I learned how to break down the steps that I took almost automatically in to smaller steps that were easy and intuitive to follow. Accompanied with reasoning and descriptions, I was able to explain topics to those who needed help.

Undergraduate / My Addiction - Computer Science Application [2]

Prompt: Computer science and engineering requires creativity, teamwork, and strong academic ability. We value breadth of interest, leadership, and diversity. Tell us about your academic and personal interests, goals, and what you will bring to the CSE community.

In addition, address any of the following topics if they apply to you (do not discuss if they do not apply):
If you have applied to CSE before, tell us specifically how you have improved as an applicant since your previous application.
If you will pursue more than one major, explain why both majors are important to you.
The UW's satisfactory progress policy requires graduation by the time you earn 210 credits. If you will earn more than 210 credits, explain why and discuss your plan for graduating efficiently. If admitted, you will need to discuss your plan with an adviser.

Studying Informatics and Human Centered Design and Engineering has provided me with a broad perspective on the process of creating technical products outside of coding them. I've learned about the design process, beginning with project charters, and mission statements. I've discussed incorporating users you're your design through interviews and focus groups. I've explored how to take the results of those interactions and create personas to base your product on. I've practiced implementing those personas into use cases and building basic prototypes. I've also spent time learning about color theory and visual communication, and what goes into a product that is considered "well designed" . I've also learned about what happens after a product is coded and near completion - user research, testing your new product on a targeted group of people, and modifying it based on the results. I've taken classes in all of these great things, but what I want to be able to do the most is to create any product I've designed. The perspective I would bring to the Computer Science Department would incorporate my knowledge from both Informatics and Human Centered Design and Engineering. I would like to be "the bridge" between the designers and the developers. I hope not only to be able to draft up an idea and incorporate good design aspects, but to also be able to implement that idea, and to make it a reality.

 
"Curious"? Yes, I am curious computer science, but the words just don't carry the right weight. Maybe "interested in"? My friends jokingly call it "an addiction". Finding the right words to convey how much computer science means to me is never an easy task. My friends and family pester me, "Why do you want to study computer science? You've got two perfectly good majors in a similar field." I'm fascinated by computer science. The idea of being able to make something so intricate and complex out of thin air has always captivated me. Programming has become almost a bad habit. I push all of my other work out of the way, in order spend time immersed into a program. Whether it's building a maze generator, or a new website, the excitement of problem solving, keeps me up late into the night, perfecting a project. I knew the moment I played with my first chunk of HTML code, attempting to memorize all of the unruly tags, I had gotten swept into something big. Ever since then, I haven't been able to stop.

Learning to create programs in Java and Python was only the beginning. I've recently discovered applications that allow you to program your cell phone - one of my most treasured pieces of technology. My phone is a sort of home base - I can check emails, see the weather, communicate with friends, and play games. Being able to program my phone has brought me so much more insight into the benefits of computer science. You can program your phone to remember your parking space when you stop driving, and begin walking. You can program your phone to text your friend when the battery gets low. The opportunities are endless.

In order to spend more time with computer science, and to share my excitement with others, I became a teaching assistant for the computer science department. Becoming a teaching assistant has become a large influence in my life. It has provided me with an outlet to further pursue my interests and discover new things. Teaching has also shown me the amazement of students who are genuinely interested and want to learn. Of course, teaching has also helped me overcome smaller hurdles, such as public speaking, and being able to look at and explain a topic from multiple perspectives. Becoming a teaching assistant has also provided me with a sense of community. The TA community has helped me to make many great friends that I hope to keep long past college. I'm extremely glad that I've been presented with such an amazing opportunity.

My goal after UW is to become a front-end software developer. I want to be able to point at something on the screen, and say "I made that, it looks cool, and it works". As mentioned in my short response, I'm currently a double major with Human Centered Design and Engineering as well as Informatics. These majors have provided me with the opportunity to stay well rounded, and provide me with many skills outside of coding and developing products. The coursework in these majors focuses less on actually creating a finished project, and more on how the project could be designed in a clean and intuitive fashion.

I've applied to the CSE department twice before. After my most recent application, I discussed with the advisors ways to improve my odds. Although both my science and math grades needed improvement, I was only able to take math courses due to schedule restrictions with Informatics and HCDE. In the past two quarters, I've taken the non-majors Data Structures and Algorithms course (CSE 373) as well as Introduction to Differential Equations (Math 307). Had time permitted, I would have liked to taken the Introductory Biology class (BIO 180). I've also upheld the Dean's List every quarter starting from Winter 2011.

Running start, combined with double majoring has already brought me close to the 210 credit limit. I'm currently standing on 206 credits, and still have at least one more year until I am able to complete my current degrees. I've only spent two years at the UW, and would like to be here for another two years, in order to have the full college experience and learn as much as I can.

Please let me know if there is anything I can improve upon. Thanks for your time ;]