Undergraduate / "In Search of Schrodinger's Cat" Describe a creative work and its influence on you [7]

First try at writing the common app essay... hope it works out :D

Prompt: Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

(I'm assuming non-fiction still comes under creative work, yes?)

It's a rather thin book, considering what it's about... just about 300 pages, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But the influence those 300 pages have had on me? Incomparable. There have been far greater works published in the history of mankind, but "In Search of Schrodinger's Cat" by John Gribbin has special meaning for me, because it triggered my passion for physics.

Before I came across this book, I had a vague, unfocused interest in just about anything - history, anthropology, sociology, biology, chemistry, physics... but I didn't feel any connection to any one subject in particular. I would read books on all sorts of odd topics, from medieval torture techniques to sculpting bonsai trees, all of which I found interesting, but not fascinating. During the many career fairs I attended, I always felt lost, unable to really find anything that I had a passion for. Asking my parents was no use, as they told me to take up a profession "that I loved", which left me exactly where I was before.

However, when I stumbled across the book in a second hand book sale, I picked it up in the same spirit in which I picked up books on combat camouflage, or applied economics -pure, simple curiosity. As I started reading about quantum theory, however, I felt something I had never felt before. Books on combat camouflage are certainly interesting, but in no way do they really change your world view. Quantum physics, however, is a whole new ball game. Take, for example, the desk in front of you. Feel the toughness of the wood. Now imagine that someone comes along and tells you that, in fact, the table isn't made out of particles, but instead, it's just a load of waves. Like a beam of light. You might be tempted to check him into the nearest lunatic asylum, but the fact is that quantum theory proves that this is true. Particles are waves, and vice versa.

Bet you found that weird, huh? That's just scratching the surface of quantum weirdness. Schrodinger's cat (the one that is both dead and alive), the mysterious quantum property "spin" (which has no real world analogy), Bose-Einstein condensates (which crawl up the sides of their containers), superconductors (which have no resistance whatsoever), quantum tunneling (which allows particles to 'teleport' themselves), the infamous double slit experiment (in which one particle fired at two slits somehow behaves like it went throw both, but only if you aren't looking)...the fun keeps on going!

The book's style of writing was also of great help, I suspect. Searching up quantum theory on the Internet would have no effect on me, other than causing me to retire with a headache from staring at complicated math that was, and remains, well beyond my ability. Gribbin, however, wrote a book that was (practically) free of any math whatsoever which, I felt, could almost be considered light reading. It gave me tons of confidence - I knew that quantum theory existed well before I read the book, but I had always assumed that it was too hard for me. Reading this book, and being able to understand the concepts of quantum mechanics was very important to me, as it taught me two very important things. Firstly, nothing is too hard to learn. And secondly, the complicated math that I was so afraid of? It's just a tool, nothing more, and it doesn't necessarily hinder my understanding of any topic in physics.

Due to these two revelations, I have been able to greatly increase my knowledge of physics. During the summer, I was able to study at the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research in Bombay, where I was taught Special Relativity, and I continue to correspond with the professor. I have also taught myself the basic of particle physics, and am currently trying (that's the operative word) to learn General Relativity.

Lofty goals indeed, but without the interest, and most importantly, the confidence that Gribbin's book imparted to me, I would still be stuck in limbo, wandering aimlessly, not knowing what the future may hold. (And I still don't, due to the Uncertainty Principle...)

^^See what I did there? :D

Undergraduate / Am I really an Indian? - different communities and/or groups [4]

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (Approximately 250 words)

To the casual eye, there is very little doubt that I am an Indian. For one thing, I certainly look the part. Breakfast in my house is usually composed of "dosias", a South Indian dish similar to crepes. Most lunches or dinner are made up primarily of rice, along with vegetable curry and "rasam", a soup-like substance that is mixed in with the rice to give it flavor and substance. I try to celebrate as many Indian festivals as I can, with all the associated ceremonies and rituals. Every now and then, the sounds of the latest Tamil soap (usually wailing or dire pronouncements of revenge) can be heard blasting forth from the TV.

However, if one were to look closer, one would find evidence of outside influences. For one thing, over 90% of the dosais that I now eat are "cheese dosais", which are folded dosais with a load of cheddar stuffed in between. Lunches are accompanied by Coke, potato chips and the TV, where we watch the latest episode of Stargate, or reruns of Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica. Every festival ritual is now carried out with a laptop, on which the Sanskrit is transliterated into English, so that I can read it. Due to the fact that I am in an international school, I am bombarded by even more foreign influences, resulting in my family celebrating Christmas and the Mid-Autumn Festival, among others.

So in fact, although I would still say that I am an Indian, the fact of the matter is that through my experiences, I have acquired a mix of experiences that have placed my partway between Indian and foreign cultures.

Just slightly unsure about the ending... any help will be appreciated.

Thanks!

Undergraduate / "theoretical and practical aspects of science" - Michigan: "Why I want to attend" [2]

Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? (500 words maximum)

For quite some time, I have been very interested in research. Passive learning has never really appealed to me, and I constantly try to do some extra work outside the class. That is why I will that the University of Michigan is the perfect place for me - the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program really allows me to pursue my passion for scientific research, especially in fields such as nanotechnology or cosmology. In addition to the UROP, the EECS department has other qualities which attract me to the Computer Engineering/Science program at the University of Michigan. EECS 449, which gives me the opportunity to conduct independent research, and therefore will give me the skills I will need to conduct such research in the future.

One course in particular that really interests me is EECS 470. This course, as far as I can determine, has no equivalent anywhere else, and just so happens to be one of main interests in Computer Engineering: Computer Architecture. The availability of this course at the University of Michigan is yet another reason for my applying to the University, since most other universities only offer this course at the graduate level.

There is one more thing that the University of Michigan offers that I have not found to be abundant in the United States - An opportunity to obtain a B.A. as well as a B.S.E. This is especially important to me since I value both the theoretical and practical aspects of science, and studying at the University of Michigan will allow me to pursue both degrees simultaneously.

Thats it so far... my concern is that it feels really short D:
I've been working on it for a while, and this type of essay really gets me... I find it quite hard to write a "Why this college" essay, even if I have good reasons for wanting to attend

Help?

Undergraduate / taking one course at a time - "Why I want to apply to Colorado College" [3]

REQUIRED: How did you learn about Colorado College and why do you wish to attend?

(Early candidates: Please include a statement indicating why you are applying early.)

A few months ago, when I was starting to research potential universities, I came across Colorado College. A number of the other colleges faded away from my mind, but Colorado College remained, mostly because of its unique academic policies. I am, of course, referring to the Block Plan. To someone like me, who has had to juggle over ten courses in high school, along with various extra-curricular activities, the Block Plan was simply amazing. The concept of taking one course at a time with no other distractions, and not having to study for ten exams in one go was fresh, new concept that I really liked, and identified with, which is one of the reasons I am applying early to Colorado College.

The liberal arts education offered at Colorado College is another aspect of the College that really appealed to me. I especially value the attention and personal interactions between me and my professors, since this will help me grow as a student, and also opens many research possibilities. In addition, the 3-2 engineering program will allow me to have the liberal arts experience at Colorado College, without compromising my career aspirations.

Undergraduate / "Natural Disasters 101" Colorado College Supplement [3]

The Block Plan at Colorado College has a tradition of innovation and flexibility. Please design your own three-and-a-half week intellectual adventure and describe what you would do.

Natural disasters are one the major problems in today's society. They claim hundreds of thousands of lives, and billions of dollars annually and often hold back developing nations from advancing further, as in Haiti or Bangladesh. This block will be focused on brainstorming, building, and testing solutions to a certain natural disaster, in order to minimize the loss of life and damage to infrastructure, before and after the disaster. The disaster can change every time the block is offered, in order to give some variety. Potential disasters can include volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc. For my own block, I would choose a mudslide, and so the rest of this plan focuses on mudslides.

The first 2 days of the block will be spent listing the various causes and consequences of a mudslide, with each person tackling one aspect of the disaster. Since I am more of a physics person, I will focus on the problems which are physical in nature, such as the collapse of buildings under the force of the mudslide.

The next 2 days will be spent brainstorming possible solutions to the various problems. In my case, I would try to redesign the shape of a building to allow the mudslide to flow around it with little or no resistance. I will also have to determine if there are already any feasible solutions to any of the problems, perhaps in other fields. For example, submarine is designed to pass through water with little resistance, and so the shape of a submarine can be adapted to fit my design. However, I also have to take into account the fact that a mudslide can come from various directions, and my design will have to be adapted for that.

There will be two weeks allocated to build and test my design. Obviously, building an entire house will be quite difficult, so a scale model should be built. In order to test the structural integrity of the building, a simulated mudslide will be shot at the model from every direction. If the model survives the first round, a second round will be held, with a faster or heavier mudslide, until the structure fails. The failure point can be compared to mudslides in the past, and if it is higher than most mudslides, than the design can be judged a success. If not, then depending on how much time is left a second design can be tested.

The remainder of the block will be spent evaluating the design, and how successful it was. Even if my design is successful, I would use the remainder of the time to suggest potential improvements, or extensions of the design to be used in other disasters, such as floods or tsunamis.

Undergraduate / "Nanobots and Mobile Supercomputers" Brown Engineering Supplement [3]

1. Many applicants to college are unsure about eventual majors. What factors led you to an interest in the field of Engineering?

My interest in engineering stems mostly from my interest in physics. Whenever I would explain concepts such as quantum theory to my friends, the most common response I would get was "Well, that all sounds great, but what does it do?" It was these comments that made me realise that, while the theory is still very important, and can exist merely to satisfy our curiosity, there should also be people who look at the theory, and find novel ways to use it to solve problems. Not to mention that a giant orbital space laser would be the most awesome thing in existence.

2. What experiences beyond school work have broadened your interest in Engineering?

For starters, I haven't had any official school work relevant to engineering, since the physics syllabus is very much theory based. However, I have always had a fascination for the way things worked. When I first boarded an airplane, I did not worry about it crashing; rather, I wondered how it was able to get up and stay up, given its weight. Computers are especially fascinating, since everything I have learnt about them has been self-taught; I did not have the opportunity to take any courses in computing. Thus, when I built my first computer by myself, I had to teach myself a great deal about computer hardware, and found that I quite enjoyed the technical aspect of computer hardware. Finally, my only real hands-on experience with engineering has been in the new activity launched in our school known as the Renewable Energy Club, in which participants build, test, and write reports on various forms of renewable energy. I was in charge of hydrogen fuel cells, and had to build them up from components, as well as building voltmeters and motors to show that power could be generated and used.

3. Brown offers programs in Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Materials, and Mechanical Engineering. Because there is a common core curriculum within Engineering, students need not select a specific area until their junior year. We are curious to know, however, if any particular program within Engineering presently appeals to you. If so, please discuss that choice.

As I mentioned earlier, computer engineering is what appeals to me the most. I think that computer engineering has great potential to change the future of human society. Indeed, many of today's advancements in countless fields would not have been possible without the computer revolution - How long would it have taken to sequence the human genome by hand? Even the most mundane activities have been changed by advances in computing technology - where once it would have taken weeks to get a message to your friend in Kazakhstan, now you can talk to him face to face, from the comfort of your living room. And this barely scrapes the surface of the full potential of computers. Imagine a world where disease was non-existent, because nanorobots with atom-sized processors are able to eliminate any foreign agents. Or a world where a microchip the size of your fingernail can work faster than today's fastest super-computer, yet be placed inside a phone. This is the potential of computer engineering, and is the reason why it appeals to me.

Undergraduate / "Quantum Physics and Relativity" Brown Science Supplement [6]

1. Many applicants to college are unsure about eventual majors. What factors led you to an interest in the field of science you have selected?

My interest in science came from my exposure to it from a very young age, as I would often read children's science books such as "Young Scientist", and was a great fan of the Discovery Channel. Even into my freshman year, I still had (and still have) and very general interest in "science", whether it be biology, chemistry or physics. However, at the end of my freshman year, I picked up a popular science book on quantum physics at a second hand book sale, and found that, for the first time in my life, I had come across a topic that I was really, really, interested in. This sparked my interest in physics, and has led to my choosing physics as my intended major

2. What experiences beyond school work have broadened your interest in this field?

As the editor and co-founder of the school's science magazine, I have had to do research into areas of physics that I knew very little about at that time, such as exotic astronomical events or the application of Fourier series in physics. As a result of my duties, I was able to teach myself a lot of new topic in physics, which I would otherwise have never been aware of.

In addition, during my summer vacation, I studied Special Relativity with Professor Sreerup Rayachaudri at the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research in Mumbai. The aim of the [insert word here... summer school? Internship?] was to firstly get an excellent opportunity to study yet another advanced topic in physics, but also to get a feel for how studying physics at the university level would be like. My experience at TIFR was eye-opening, as I really enjoyed studying relativity (and as a result am trying to understand the basics of General Relativity), but I also enjoyed the university style of education.

3. What concept in your anticipated major were you most proud of mastering?

Without a doubt, I would say quantum mechanics. Of course, when I say "mastered", I mean that I now understand the basic theory of quantum mechanics, though not all the intricacies and certainly not all of the mathematics! I would say this, because unlike any of the other concepts that I have previously studied, such as relativity, atomic physics or particle physics, I studied quantum theory purely by myself, with no outside help (unless you count watching Feynman's lectures as outside help). The fact that I have been able to grasp a subject such as quantum physics, which is purported to be insanely hard, by myself is a source of great pride to me, since it showed me that I can teach myself anything, no matter how hard, and that I can cope with the increasingly difficult concepts that will be introduced to me at the college level.

4. Briefly describe the course(s) you have taken relating to your chosen field of science.

I took CIM Mathematics and Coordinated Science for the IGCSE board exams, and am taking HL Mathematics and HL Physics for the IB exams. I also chose physics as the topic for my Extended Essay, with the topic of 'antibubbles'.

Undergraduate / "This freedom to choose whatever I want" Why Brown Supplement [4]

Please tell us more about your interest in Brown: Why does Brown appeal to you as a college option? Who or what has influenced your decision to apply?

One question I have always found hard to answer is "What subjects do you find interesting?", because it seems that "everything" is apparently not an acceptable response. This lead to one of my main concerns about my degree choices, since taking a double major typically does not leave much room for exploration, due to distribution requirements. However, thanks to the New Curriculum, I can double major in physics and engineering, and still have time to explore subjects which I have never had a chance to study before, like Sanskrit or neuroscience, with a choice of S/NC, so that I don't need to worry about the courses I take for fun affecting my final grades. This freedom to choose whatever I want is one of the largest factors in my applying to Brown.

I get this feeling that the first line doesn't match up properly with the rest of the mini-essay, any suggestions?

Undergraduate / "Even the most resolute physicist; What don't you know" Brown Main Supplement [5]

French novelist Anatole France wrote: "An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." What don't you know?

Well, for a start, I don't know where I am or how fast I'm going (But then again, who does?). I don't know whether the statement 'this statement is false' is true or not. I don't know whether the cake is a lie. I don't know how to integrate e to the x squared (An annoying problem if there was ever one). I don't know what my brain looks like, or why I need Vitamin D to survive. I don't know whether this is the Matrix. I don't know what existed before the Big Bang, or what is outside the Universe. I don't know how a microprocessor is designed, or how it is made. I don't know how trains can turn on their tracks, given that they don't have a flexible axle...

In short, I don't know a lot of stuff, and knowing that I barely know anything often makes my day. Because knowing very little means that every single thing that happens to me teaches me something, whether it is as mundane as finding out how Google ranks its search results, or as important as finding out why you don't fall off the South Pole (This was something that always bugged me when I was a kid - if the Earth was round, why didn't people fall off the bottom?). Barely knowing anything also means that I can satisfy my raging curiosity, usually by 'link-surfing' on Wikipedia for hours on end, jumping from one topic to another with no purpose but to learn all sort of interesting facts that I would never learn in the classroom. I don't know why any objects with mass attract each other, and nor does anyone else (A physicist may angrily rebut this statement saying, "Of course I know why! It's because the mass of the object curves space-time, and any other objects would follow the geodesic and hence shift towards each other!" and he would be right. But if I were to ask the 'why?' question too many times, even the most resolute physicist would have to finally reply that he has no clue as to why masses attract)

I don't even know whether I'm going to use this essay. But what I do know, or at least I think I know, is that there is a universe full of things which I don't know about out there waiting to be explored.

Your thoughts?

Undergraduate / "How to survive a Zombie Apocalypse" HMC Supplement [9]

In a world where technology continually adapts and progresses, Harvey Mudd College expects that our students will be aware of the impact of their work on society. How would you use new advances to improve your life and/or the lives of those around you? Describe your idea and its potential impact. Feel free to be as creative or as practical as you like.

I'm really abusing the "feel free to be as creative as you like" bit of the prompt... what do you guys think? Its not completed yet, but the rest of the essay will be in a similar style to what is here. I just figured I should post this to see if I should continue this!

As a die-hard science fiction buff, the word 'practical' doesn't exist in my vocabulary. True, it does get me strange looks on occasion, but there is no denying that an orbital space laser would be very, very cool. However, I can't think up of too many peaceful and world-improving applications of a space laser, so instead I present my Zombie Apocalypse Survival Plan. The focus of my idea is not to maximise the number of zombies killed (After all, nobody is keeping count), but instead to help the survivors rebuild civilization. The impact of this solution is obvious - the survival of mankind in the (admittedly unlikely) event of a zombie apocalypse, which in this case is assumed to have been caused by an unknown pathogen.

The first concern is, obviously, security. Zombies have the annoying habit of sneaking through air conditioning vents and chimneys, and then hiding in dark corners until their unsuspecting prey walks too close by. Therefore, the first step in the Survival Guide is to construct a floating city. There are obvious pitfalls, but first, the advantages. The most notable advantage is that zombies cannot swim. As they are constructed of decaying flesh, a swarm of zombies swimming out to sea would quickly be decomposed by the various aqueous bacteria, assuming that the sharks didn't get them first. Since zombies cannot reproduce, except by infecting humans, a two month period during which every individual on the city is accounted for will be sufficient to ensure that any zombies who may have sneaked on board die of natural causes, thus creating a zombie-free zone. After such a free zone is created, all that is needed for civilization to be reinstated is a twenty year period in which all terrestrial zombies die off, at which point the floating city can be grounded on a river delta, and the last vestiges of humanity can begin repopulating the planet.

However, there are still several obstacles to implementing this plan, the most glaring of which are the availability of food, energy, fresh water and other miscellaneous resources. Energy needs can be met simply, through the use of atomic and solar energy, with a minimal use of fossil fuels, which would remain reserved for the manufacture of plastics. Food can be harvested from the sea or grown in hydroponic gardens which would not take up as much space as traditional farming methods. Easily grown food sources, such as algae, can also be used to provide much of the nutrition needed for the city's population. Fresh water would be perhaps the most difficult resource to obtain, since distillation or reverse osmosis of sea water will consume a great deal of energy. One potential method of collecting fresh water would be to have catchment basins in the city, which would collect rainwater. Other resources, such as metals, can simply be recycled or rationed, as the city only needs to remain floating for two decades. Should any additional resources be required, the city can manoeuvre itself near to a supply of the required resources, at which point the resource may be harvested.

The final concern would be maintaining the cultural and intellectual aspects of civilization. This is perhaps the most important aspect of the Plan, as these three aspects differentiate mere survival from a preservation of the current level of progress. The first logical step would be to download the entirety of the Internet, which contains close to the sum total of all the assimilated human knowledge. In order to preserve the relative diversity of the human population as it exists now, an effort should be made to have the population of the city reflect the world's population, although realistically the city's population would simply be made up of whoever made it to the loading bay. The population of the city will need to number in the tens of millions, so that there is no major loss of knowledge, as occurs in isolated communities with small populations such as on Easter Island. Most importantly, highly technical professions, such as specialist manufacturing, will have to be represented in force, as these professions are the basis of modern society. An increase in automation, in order to reduce the amount of non-technical jobs, such as waste disposal or sanitary workers, will also reduce the population needed to maintain the level of human progress.

When the two decade period is over, the city can be grounded permanently onto a beach or river delta. Care should be taken in landing the city, as the location should be easily defended (in the event that not all the zombies have died), and should be located in proximity to plentiful supplies of natural resources. The surviving human population can then start to slowly expand outwards, but should stay within a 200 mile radius of the landing site in the event of a resurgence of the zombie plague for the next century. If no further events occur, then human civilization can be allowed to expand freely, eventually reaching pre-plague levels of population and progress.

One final eventuality, though. In the unlikely event that the zombies do not die naturally, tactical nuclear warheads may have to be deployed. In order to prevent long-term environmental damage, enhanced radiation warheads, which cause severe short-term damage to organic matter, but have little to no fallout, can be used to euthanize an area surrounding the landing zone. Expansion of human society will then proceed in a similar manner as above, except that a significant portion of the population will need to remain devoted to eradicating any remaining zombies. Eventually, however, human society will reach pre-plague levels, and can continue to grow, explore and, most importantly, survive, thanks to the Zombie Apocalypse Survival Plan.

Undergraduate / "Satellite Swarm" Cornell Engineering Essay [3]

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.

Energy is everything. The one thing holding civilization back is the lack of energy - with sufficient energy, we could colonize Antarctica, the bottom of the ocean, and even the solar system. Closer to the present, the lack of a stable energy source is proving to be detrimental to human progress, as we are threatened by global warming and decreased output of oil. One of my ideas, therefore, is to harness the largest source of energy available to us: the Sun. Now, you might be wondering where I am going with this, as solar cell technology has been around for some time. Indeed, solar cells have been deployed on the planet's surface previously, but this form of deployment suffers from several flaws, most notably the limited space available and the fact that the Sun remains obscured either by cloud cover, or the planet itself for well over 50% of the time. Therefore, I propose to create a sphere of solar cell-bearing satellites with the Sun at its centre, which will effectively harness much of the Sun's total energy output. The total energy collected by this network will be several orders of magnitude greater than the energy requirements of the entire planet, which will provide for humanity's energy needs for the foreseeable future.

If this idea can ever be implemented, it will require all forms of engineering - materials engineering to improve the design of solar cells, aerospace engineering to design guidance systems for the satellites, nano-engineering to construct the various components, and possibly even to nano-assembly plants on asteroids, computer engineering to design the control systems for the satellite swarm... and Cornell is the ideal place for me to gain the necessary training in at least one of these fields. The opportunity to gain experience working on research projects such as CUSat will be invaluable in not only giving me experience in the real world, but will also allow me to design technologies which could have potential applications in making my idea a reality.

I'm a bit unsure about the second paragraph... does it really put my point forward?

Thanks :D