Undergraduate / "Ugly Betty" (a television character) - A person who has impacted you [4]

It is difficult to associate oneself with a character that seems so much larger than life and unreal, like the high - and - mighty socialites that run the city or the daring secret agents that throw caution to the wind. However, one character that I have always found myself drawn to is Betty Suarez from the television show Ugly Betty. She throws caution to the wind in a much different way and has taught me how to live life with her carefree outlook.

From her very first day of work at Mode Magazine, Betty was seen as an outsider with her size eight figure draped in a poncho straight from Mexico. Her coworkers always poked fun at her regarding her heritage as a Mexican - American, but Betty always managed to own who she truly is and not let the world deter her from loving her background and celebrating her culture. When I was younger, I was always apprehensive about embodying who I really was as a child of Indian immigrants. I never bothered to share my culture with those around me, even though they showed interest in learning about the unique customs and traditions that were a part of who I was. Only in the last few years have I truly embraced my Indian heritage and have ceased to worry about what those around me will think. Betty Suarez's love of her culture has only cemented in my mind that it is okay to be different because diversity is what makes the world and its citizens wonderful.

Betty's love for herself has also taught me about being myself beyond just accepting my culture. Her distinct outfits featuring loud patterns and mismatched accessories alongside colorful braces and a frizzy mane sets her apart from every fashion forward member of her office, but no matter how many times she is told that her outfits are atrocious, she never changes her style or who she is. She exemplifies the importance of self confidence because even though the people around her try to tear her down, she fights off all the pressure to conform and shows others that she is completely content with who she is. Betty's self confidence inspires me to be whoever I want to be, whether that means sporting crazy outfits or simply living my life the way I see fit. She also shows me that as long as I possess a strong sense of self, I can be at ease with whoever I choose to be.

Dedication is a word that carries a lot of meaning to Betty. Even though her colleagues refuse to take her seriously upon first sight, Betty proves herself and demonstrates her capabilities time and time again though her commitment and dedication. So, even though she does not possess the ideal "look" of an assistant to the Editor - in - Chief of a fashion magazine (in fact being quite the opposite), she has every skill necessary to be successful. Betty serves as an inspiration to me in the way that she completes every task with such perseverance and zeal. She confirms that it is ultimately anyone's positive qualities that will take them farthest in not only the business world but in life as well because when one's exterior is ignored, it is only the character of a person that is left to shine through.

It seems impossible that a television character can teach people so much about their own lives and make such an impact on them, but Betty Suarez has truly taught me so much about how to live. She has taught me that at a certain point, one must realize who they are and let that take them where it may. Betty has always been so certain with whom she is and has inspired me to do the same. Ultimately, she has altered my view of myself and the world, teaching me to accept myself for who I am and see the beauty in others.

any and all input is appreciated! thank you!

Undergraduate / "Ignorance in Society" Issue of Importance - UT Essay B [4]

any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

Topic: Choose an issue of importance to you-the issue could be personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope-and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

Living in a city in the most southern part of our United States has its pros and cons. It is great living in an area that is so close - knit, friendly and spirited, but this "close - knit" atmosphere can be difficult to infiltrate when you are one of only a few that differ from the crowd. Being in this kind of environment, I am constantly judged for following a different belief system than the "norm," and based on such experiences, I believe that ignorance is nothing short of an epidemic. If children are not encouraged to embrace the differences of those around them, then America will never be able to live up to or achieve its "great melting pot" status.

As an impressionable eight - year - old, I was told by my then best friend that based on my religious beliefs, I would end up in hell, and in order to avoid such a morbid afterlife, I should convert as soon as possible. Being so young, I barely understood the meaning of religion, let alone what it personally meant to me, so this statement scared the life out of me. I decided to keep this bit of news to myself, so I dealt with the allegations on my own by ignoring them and carrying on with life as normal, practicing the same religion I always had. While I regret that it was my best friend that felt the need to share such a hateful thought, I am glad that I had that harsh taste of reality at such a young age. That incident has helped me grow into a person who embraces her culture and heritage wholeheartedly and seeks to inform others about the differences in our world and how this diversity enhances the overall life experience. At my high school, I am currently a proud leader of the Multicultural Alliance Club that strives to overcome such obstacles and highlight the positives of diversity and acceptance. Even though it is a very new organization, being barely a year old, the response to it has been incredible. It is inspiring to see so many students interested in making our school a more hospitable place, and an organization like this is a large step towards diminishing the level of ignorance in our community by providing a nonjudgmental environment in which students can openly learn about one another.

Ignorance exists on so many more levels than just religion, but clearly, much of today's generation is ready and willing to learn about the differences that make America a whole. Individual communities can have such an impact on our world by making diversity a discussed topic, and America can finally succeed in its goal of making ignorance a thing of the past.

Undergraduate / "Expressing my inner world through dance" - UNC Short Essay [4]

any and all advice is greatly appreciated! thank you!

1. People find many ways to express their inner world. Some write novels; others paint, perform, or debate; still others design elegant solutions to complex mathematical problems. How do you express your inner world, and how does the world around you respond?

Music is inherent in my soul, and this ardor for rhythm is what led me to take up Indian cultural dance, which focuses on capturing the spirit of music and translating this through movements and expressions. Indian dance focuses just as much on acting as it does on actual content, and I love that I am able to portray a different character with different emotions in each dance. Before I began dancing, I never thought that I could experience true happiness through my own actions, but I now understand that as long as I am dancing, I will be content, and I only hope to continually relay this joy to my audience. Ultimately, dance has taught me what passion truly is.

It has taken a lot for me to share my passion with the world, but I am thoroughly glad I have. In the sixth grade, I performed an Indian dance for our school talent show, but before doing so, I worried that my dance would be considered "weird" and that I would be labeled the same. At that time, Indian culture was not as popular in the media as it is today, so exposing children to something so foreign was a big risk. However, the risk completely paid off! My classmates loved the movements, expressions, and music and developed a greater appreciation and respect for me and my culture. This experience has inspired me to continue sharing my passion and to introduce others to a beautiful world outside of their own.

Undergraduate / "The pharmacy program: what Attracts You to this College?" UMichigan essay [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)

Our experiences can either push us in one direction or send us running the other way. Somehow, developing junior rheumatoid arthritis at age eleven and seeing what a difference my specific medications have made in treating my ailment has instilled in me the desire to help others in the same way that I have been helped - through the wonders of medication and through a career as a pharmacist, and the University of Michigan and its top-ranked pharmacy school is the ideal place for me to fulfill my goals.

What attracts me to the pharmacy program at the University of Michigan is the amount of clinical and patient-care experience this major offers because observation paired with classroom learning make a successful pair. I have always been drawn to the fast-paced environment of hospitals and I love to interact with people, so I think that a career as a pharmacist in a hospital would completely combine my interests. Having the opportunity to get hospital and patient-care experience in my first year of college itself would help to either solidify my interests in this field of pharmacy or direct them elsewhere. The chance to explore my options as a pharmacist before my career even begins is a great advantage and makes this curriculum even more appealing. Also, the ability to experience and understand the career as a pharmacist and it entails in my early years of study is a great preparation for the future.

The opportunity to have a guaranteed spot in pharmacy school through the Preferred Admission program is one of the best things that could happen to me. As I enter college, I have one major goal - to become a pharmacists - and I hope to leave college with at least that accomplished. At this point in my life, as I am paving the path for my future, I know that I must pursue anything that brings me closer to my overall career and life goals, and because becoming a pharmacist is my top priority for the next six years, the Preferred Admission plan would parallel my interests and ambitions perfectly. In addition, this program would provide me with the perfect environment in which to make the most of my studies and my college experience. The University of Michigan and the Preferred Admission program look for and attract dedicated pharmacy students who want to impact the world of health in a big way, and by surrounding myself with motivated individuals like these, I will only bring myself closer to achieving my goals and becoming an upstanding pharmacist.

The hopes and aspirations I have for myself involve more than just getting into college; they involve a continual commitment to the pharmacy program and the work that comes with it. But this passion for and dedication to my future exist within me and will help me to succeed at the University of Michigan.

Undergraduate / Johns Hopkins - What type of engineering and why? [4]

Johns Hopkins offers 50 majors across the schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. On this application, 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 experience influenced your decision, you may include them in your essay.)

Our experiences often dictate our future. However, my experience with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and having spent countless hours in hospitals for examinations had quite an adverse affect on me. One would think that all of this exposure to the medical field for such a negative reason would drive me far from such a profession, but somehow, seeing how the advancements in medical technology were helping me only made me want to impact this field in any way possible. But while my experiences pushed me to one career, my interest drove me elsewhere. Ever since junior high, I had taken many diverse engineering classes ranging from engineering design to the principles of engineering to digital electronics. These courses helped me discover that I did indeed have an interest in and an aptitude for engineering and made me feel more confident in my desire to pursue this as a career. Rather than being faced with the difficult decision of choosing between these two fields that I was drawn to, I instead discovered biomedical engineering - a career that would perfectly merge my two interests and give me the opportunity to explore these two vastly different worlds. My desire to discover and learn is what continually motivates me. As a result, I believe that biomedical engineering is the ultimate career with which I can enrich my life with knowledge, and the education I can receive at Johns Hopkins, a leader in engineering and research, parallels my ambitions for a life filled with exploration.

NOTE - I added in the info about JHU being a leader in research because I was browsing through other JHU essays on this website and others had said that this question was secretly a "Why Johns Hopkins" question, so please let me know if you agree or disagree. Also, if you agree, should I say more about JHU? Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

Undergraduate / "My passion for dance" activities you will pursue at Johns Hopkins [3]

any and all advice is greatly appreciated! thank you

A Typical student at Johns Hopkins spends less than 15 hours each week in a classroom, leaving lots of time for volunteer opportunities, clubs and organizations, athletics, social events, and other on- and off-campus activities. Aside from the academic interests you've already expressed, in what activities do you plan to engage as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins?

An ardor for rhythm is what led me to take up Indian cultural dance, which focuses on translating the spirit of music through movements and expressions. My passion for dance is one of my driving forces, and therefore, I will definitely be dancing while at Johns Hopkins. I hope to join one of the college-based dance teams and compete alongside a team, but I have also always aspired to teach dance, so I would like to act upon my dream and teach children in the area to love dance like I do. Dance will always be an integral part of my life, and I would never let something I love so much slip away because of life in a new place.

Throughout high school, my leadership roles in various organizations have taught me valuable life lessons. I have taken on leadership roles in such school organizations as the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, and the Multicultural Alliance Club because I enjoy taking on extra responsibility. With these positions has come a greater understanding of the importance of dependability, so while at Johns Hopkins, I want to continue honing the life skill of leadership. I would like to attend conferences and workshops that would help me plan for my future and give me an edge in the competitive job market.

My extracurricular activities have elevated my life to new heights, and I know they will assist me in making the most of my experience at Johns Hopkins.

*QUESTION - Would discussing volunteer work instead of leadership be better?