Undergraduate / Common App Essay: A Dream with all my Dreams [8]

Topic: The different things I aspire to achieve one day.

I am lying on my bed, exhausted after completing my homework and am glad to finally have a chance to relax. I'm thinking about whether doing all this work will actually serve any purpose or am I just doing it for no real reason. Suddenly certain images appear in my head and I become more comfortable by the second. Maybe it's phase one of sleep setting in, I don't know, but whatever it is I allow it to progress.

Suddenly I am wearing a simple but presentable suit and am standing in front of a board full of symbols, letters and alphabets. I am explaining what these symbols represent to the eager minds before me. I am a professor at a top university teaching students and researching what I feel passionate about, and doing so is highly satisfying me. I know that I am helping young individuals secure their futures and pursue their ambitions. I know that I am spreading knowledge. I know that I am spreading something which enriches and enlightens human beings and doing so is allowing me to lead a fulfilling life of my own.

Everything disappears for a while but then another series of images starts to appear. I am now a man being interviewed about a book which I have recently written. I am explaining to the man interviewing me about how I always wanted to preserve my thoughts and emotions in the form of words and how the book I've written does exactly that. I am telling him about how as a young man I was not always articulate and how much of a long way I've come from that. I am telling him about the intellectual satisfaction I gain by writing and how I am happy about the success and positive feedback towards the book. I am a successful writer, writing meaningful and expressive books. This image starts to fade out again and a new and a much more grandiose one starts to appear.

I am now standing on a stage, before a huge audience who is applauding me. I have won a prestigious prize for bringing about an innovation in an academic field. I see my mother shedding tears of joy along with the thrilled faces of my sisters and my close friends. I give an inspirational speech, trying to control my own emotions and get off the stage with something truly valuable in my hands. My mother hugs me and tells me how I have fulfilled her dreams. I am incredibly happy for two reasons. First one is that I have made my mother, someone I dearly love, a happy and proud woman. Second reason is that I have overcome one of my largest fears: Not being able to reach what I am truly capable of.

I finally see myself among a crowd, wearing corpsepaint on my face and a black shirt with the grim reaper on it. I am at a concert of my favorite metal band, banging my head and enjoying every second of it. I still know how to have fun and enjoy life in simple and non-cerebral ways.

I wake up, look at the clock and start thinking about all the different people I had seen myself as. At first I think it is just a dream and it is only in a magical fantasy-land would I be able to achieve what I had dreamed about. However, I then remember that only people who one day had dreams, achieved greatness.

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This is pretty much a rough draft and I need your help to edit it and make it better. Comment on it as well.

I'll also happily read yours.

Undergraduate / BU Supplement, three words: "Determined, ambitious and convivial" [4]

In an essay of no more than 500 words, please select three words that describe you best and tell us how you will use these qualities/characteristics to contribute fully to the BU community.

I feel that describing yourself is not a very easy task, or one which can be done with much accuracy or precision. An event and an observer are non-superimposable in all ways. However I will make an attempt at doing so.

The first thing which people normally notice about me is that I am determined. I do not give up while doing anything easily because when I complete a difficult task, I feel accomplished. I am not afraid of a challenge and feel that life would not be exciting if one didn't come about once in a while. I like tasks which push you to your limit and show your determination. While my peers are dropping classes which they feel are too difficult, I am taking up subjects for which I have not even completed the pre-requisites for. While my peers are glad to not have to study certain subjects anymore, I am studying certain subjects on my own, since I regret not taking them up in high school.

Another word I would use to describe myself is "ambitious". I have certain dreams which an average person might refer to as unrealistic, but my ambitions are not moved by that. I believe that a person knows what he is capable of and that he should set his goals accordingly. I dream to one day become a highly acclaimed professor, a writer, a philanthropist and maybe win a prestigious academic award along the way. Fading into oblivion after death is one of my greatest fears and I am prepared to do anything which would help me to avoid that fear.

Finally, the third word I would use to describe myself is "convivial". I love to go out, enjoy myself and have a good time. I believe that forgetting about all the complications of life and viewing things in a simple manner once in a while is healthy. I love to mindlessly move to the music I enjoy, watch comedy films, fool around with my friends and do anything else which gives me pleasure and causes no harm to others.

Boston University would be an ideal place to fully benefit from the qualities mentioned above. I would contribute fully to the academic life by using my sheer determination and ambition for achieving great things. I would bring along with me a great set of ideas, goals and passions which would help me make a positive difference at the Boston University community. My love for simple fun and pleasures would contribute to the social life at BU and so would BU help this side of me. BU and myself would both enjoy each other to the fullest, both academically and socially.

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I am not so sure whether the first paragraph should be left there or removed. Any suggestions/criticisms are welcome.