Undergraduate / "a great catalyst for my journey to enlightenment" - Rutgers Prompt [2]

Required Prompt: Rutgers University is a vibrant community of people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. How would you benefit from and contribute to such an environment? Consider variables such as your talents, travels, leadership activities, volunteer services, and cultural experiences. Only personal essays submitted via our website will be considered. You may enter a maximum of 3800 characters including spaces.

Each person is an individual but few are truly unique. Peer pressure from society has deprived the people of their individuality in exchange for their acceptance into a group or clan with an interest in spreading their beliefs. I live to discover myself beyond the grasp of social barriers, a motive which activated at a milestone of my childhood; I had moved to a new town, New Milford, NJ, in 6th Grade from the town of my early days, Highland Park. Eventually, my family decided to move back to Highland Park due to financial obstacles, however, the experience of entering an entirely new habitat, multiple times larger than Highland Park, caused a loss of identity which commenced my quest to define myself. Now, several years later, the effects of that time carry on and a great catalyst for my journey to enlightenment would be Rutgers' grand diversity.

Similar to Rutgers surrounding New Brunswick, the tiny one mile long Highland Park pales in comparison to the expansive town of New Milford; the large New Milford school system even utilized an alpha and beta grouping method. Growing up in China's rural village as well as the suburban town of Highland Park, I became confounded and intimidated by New Milford's size and capacity, I befriended the wrong people and chose to adapt to the social norm of my new clique. This new circle which I had entered created an almost toxic atmosphere since the members would criticize me daily (no malicious intent) and I almost never participated in their activities (I felt far too inferior to play). My shy and fearful nature insisted that I refrain from asking too many questions or making unnecessary comments to remain within the group. On the day of departure from New Milford, after enduring myriad pains as an outcast, my mind began to realize that I needed to solidify my identity, to overcome the forces of peer pressure.

The road towards discovering my unique self began with an open mind. After my epiphany, I began to get involved in extracurricular activities such as soccer, wrestling, and martial arts, activities I had ignored up till then. As a result of my kicks in soccer, my takedowns in wrestling, and my moves in martial arts, I have come to realize that my true self is still an empty notebook with unfilled pages. Yet, Rutgers represents an almost ideal solution to my problem due to its vastness and diversity, elements which will allow a seemingly limitless exploration of society and what it has to offer. The clubs, the people, and the areas of study will not overwhelm me, but rather it will be the medium through which I utilize to create my portfolio of life. Living in a small town like Highland Park limited my boundaries, but with Rutgers, the variety could make up for the past.

Epitomizing diversity, Rutgers appears as a full house with little need of any further variety. Thus, I would make it my job to emphasize the diversity already apparent within the school. My potential at Rutgers would be reflected off the personal support of the various groups and clubs, creating diversity in myself as a result of Rutgers unique composition.