Undergraduate / "Fight or Flight" - Significant experience, risk Common App Personal Statement [3]

I did a few more edits after I deleted my other one. Please send in your critiques about my essay. All comments are welcomed!

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
Fight or Flight

There once was a bird. It could not fly no matter how hard it tried, but was stronger than
the rest. How does this happen? Why is it stronger than the others? Try to imagine yourself
in a situation where you are faced with a possible threat or problem in your everyday life
that has deterred your ability to move on. In order to protect yourself from harm, the human
mind naturally tells you to either to challenge the threat directly or choose the easier route:
run away.

It was the beginning of my Junior year, and the pressures of ACT, SAT exams and
academic courses were hard on everyone, including myself. Most of my family was
supportive of me in my academic choices and decisions, except for my mother. My mother
and I got into arguments about everything from my academic performance to my likelihood
of getting into college. The arguments and the academic pressures began to take a toll on me.
On a cold fall evening, my mom walked into my room, with an air of superiority,
demanding that I quit all my after school activities and focus more on my studies. I had
balanced my schedule to fit my academics and my extracurricular activities in a way that
would not affect my academic performance; however, my mother did not listen to me. As if
she had not had enough, she began to yell at my younger brother, James, for seemingly no
reason at all. My younger brother hid behind me, scared of my mother's wrath. I tried my
best to defend my younger brother until my mother furiously pointed towards the door and
told me to leave the house and never come back. I stood up and stomped out of the door,
barefoot, into the cold fall evening.

I gained a lot of insight of the world during my few hours outside of my warm and
comfortable lifestyle at home. As I walked, my mind was racing, thinking about what just
happened. Before I knew it, I found myself back at my high school's freshman campus.
Seeing that I had nowhere else to go, I walked inside with no sense of direction or reason,
while at the same time hoping that I would come to my senses. After settling down on a
bench in the gyms, I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes. As I fell deep into my
subconscious, I began to reflect upon who I am as a human being and all the hardships my
family has gone through to bring me to where I am today.

Ever heard of the saying that your life seems to "flash before your eyes" the moment you
die? A part of me died that night, but at the same time, I felt that a new me was born as well.
There is more to life than test scores and family disputes. My life is better off than a good
majority of the world who either lives in poverty without food and support, so I have no
right to call my life unfair. In the end, my parents are not scolding me because they want to.
They are scolding me because they just want the best for me. Being the first generation born
in the United States puts a lot of pressure on me to live up to family expectations; however,
it is not just those expectations that I have to uphold, but my own as well. If I were to
completely leave behind my past life, I have to learn to accept those mistakes that happened
and look towards the future in order to pave a new path for me to walk upon with my head
up high. Following my epiphany, I made up my mind to go home.

Recall the bird that could not fly. It could not fly no matter how hard it tried. However, it
never gave up. It never ran away, kept trying, knowing that someday it would be able to fly
like the rest. Motivation and determination are what made it stronger than the rest. My
experience made me realize that there is more to life than my problems at home. It is only a
small portion that makes up who I really am. The people around me, the experiences I go
through every day, even the things I learn from school make up a part of me. What I learned
about myself during those four hours of alone time was that it was not the end of the world
if something takes a turn for the worst. You have to keep moving on and live a life filled
with no regrets. College not only gives me the opportunity to strive towards my goal, but
also to fulfill the dreams and wishes that my family and friends have put inside of me. I
cannot run away from my problems. I have to embrace them, and the future, so that I can
use this experience to keep myself from falling. But, if I do fall, I will get back up to try
again and again till I become the person I want to become.

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Confucius

Undergraduate / "Find X, tarot card readings" - University of Chicago Extended Essay [6]

Critique and comment please~ XD Please and thank you!

Find X

Have you ever wondered about tarot card readings and their significance? They help
answer an important question in life, but it is up to self interpretation whether it is true or not.
Tarot cards are used to help people understand themselves more. It is not to predict one's
future, like the common belief, but more of an adventure to discover answers to the great
unknown. It all starts out with a question. The question is, how can one find "X"?
After shuffling the deck, five cards are chosen out of a deck of twenty-two cards
consisting of the "Major Arcana". The cards are placed in a cross in the order they were
chosen because the position of the card matters in the interpretation. Each card has its own
specific meaning which reveals one's character and identity through their quest to an answer.
Not only do the cards act as a guide to the future, they also tell a story. The Fool, seeker of
knowledge, taker of risks, and story teller of the Tarot, attempts to search for an answer to
life's never ending questions.

As The Fool travels to seek where he currently stands in life, he encounters The
Magician laying out all the possibilities of life in front of him. This card signifies how one
feels a sense of purpose and also the ability to get things done in life. Self-confidence is a
key factor to success. Self confidence is the knowledge learned from experience and able to
use it in everyday society. The Magician allows for one to think on the go when faced with
opposition and challenges. What is most important about this card is how much you believe
in yourself. Everything requires effort to achieve, and the skills that are gained through
experience help people reach high for the goals in their life.

After The Fool's encounter with The Magician, The Fool comes across The Tower that
has been struck by lightning in the past but is slowly being rebuilt in the present. The Tower
card acts by using the element of surprise. Expect the unexpected. That way, one can
become a wiser and stronger person. The Tower's personality reflects the hardships in one's
life and allows them to realize the truth of what is happening. It is the opposite of
conformity and allows for self correcting. Since this card is the second card to be chosen,
the past of this individual has probably faced situations that were not in their favor and
failed many times before achieving success. However, the keyword to this card is
persistence. It is like learning how to walk, no matter how many times you fall; you get up
and try again.

The Fool leaves The Tower and looks up to the sky to see The Star shining a bright path
on the dark path ahead leading towards the future. The Star card acts as the embodiment of
the future. One is filled with optimism as well as inspiration and motivation to do well in the
future no matter what the endeavors are. With a broad and creative mind set, one is able to
see the many possibilities of the future and bring forth various changes in their life. The
future consists of many different roads leading to different outcomes. Everything walks on a
different road and is guided by a star towards the answer they seek in life.

As The Fool continues to go down the brightly lit path, he comes across a tree where he
sits to think. No matter how he sits, he could not think of a reason for his quest, so he
climbed the tree and dangled upside down and saw The Hanged Man. The Hanged Man
reveals itself in this position, but reversed. As it stands up instead of hanging downward, the
reason behind the question is revealed. Change is inevitable and is something that happens
naturally in reality. However, one can limit change to a certain degree and potentially harm
the mind and the soul. The inability to accept one for who they are is a fatal flaw to this card
position. By trusting the abilities and knowledge one already has allows for one to use their
intuition and be able to perceive the world around them from a different perspective.
At the end of the starlit path, The Fool came to realize that the answer has been in front
of him all this time. The choices that are made will depend on what is making the final
decision. The Fool brings forth new beginnings; a journey into unknown territory that brings
forth trials and hardships that needs to be endured. This journey brings experience and
wisdom to those that attempt to tap into their inner potential self. The final decision shall
impact everything that has led up to this moment in time. Their experiences, life, and future
hang on the balance of this important decision. The Fool takes the leap of faith and trusts his
instincts to be the best decision.

What does this story all mean? Who or what is "X"? There are many answers to this
question, but to The Fool, it is simple. "X" is I, The Fool. Each card from the reading
consisted as a part of my subconscious and conscience. The Magician and The Star cards
show the potential for a bright future and ability to think outside the box. Also, by bringing
my dreams to reality, The Star guides the way to and becomes part of the motivating factor
to keep going. The Tower shows the drive that moves my educational lust for knowledge.
No matter what the hardship, learning the mysteries of life will always pull through. I may
fall down, but I get back up to try and try again. The Reversed Hanged Man shows a
weakness that may deter my path to becoming who I want to be. The best solution to
remedy this in my life is to just be myself and be who I am instead of being someone I am
not. Finally, by choosing The Fool, I sign a lifelong contract where I agree to take
responsibility for my actions and decisions that I make in my life. Doing so, shall bring new
adventures and challenges to my life, to your life, and to the life of the community in the
future. I live for the present, remember the past, and look toward the future. This is the real
me you see. The "X" filled with potential and infinite possibilities.

Book Reports / AP Literature and Composition Paper: "Thoughtful Laughter", Pride and Prejudice [2]

Role of Comedy in Marriage
W.L Courtney, a distinguished editor, stated that "thoughtful laughter is an inner experience-a sort of internal chuckle-which does not display external manifestations. It is the enjoyment of the intellect when situations or characters or sometimes, phrases strike one as happy exhibitions of humor." Jane Austen emphasizes the idea of "thoughtful laugher" in her novel, Pride and Prejudice, through the relationship of Elizabeth and Darcy. "Thoughtful laughter" is notable in Austen's use of the misunderstandings between the characters. These drive the two further apart until the two realize their mistakes were based on pride and prejudice.

The initial conflicted relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy begins at the Netherfield ball. After Mr. Bingley introduces Elizabeth to Mr. Darcy, he later coldly states to Bingley how Elizabeth is only "tolerable... but not enough to tempt me" (Austen, 8). Elizabeth overhears his comment and is not surprisingly angered. Elizabeth concludes that Mr. Darcy is "only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere" (18). She further assumes that Mr. Darcy is a cold person while in fact he is shy and uncomfortable around others. After the ball in Netherfield, Miss Bingley begins a conversation with Mr. Darcy and asks Elizabeth to join in a playful game to find a defect in Mr. Darcy's character. Elizabeth concludes that Mr. Darcy's "defect is a propensity to hate everyone" (49). Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, rebuts her comment stating that she "is willfully to misunderstand" who he really is (49). Elizabeth bases her faulty conclusion on her experience with Mr. Darcy at Netherfield when he showed no interest to talk to her. Her comment leads Mr. Darcy to conclude that Elizabeth misunderstood his actions. Both characters make incorrect judgments about the other because they believe their pride and prejudice blind them to each other's true character. This brings forth "thoughtful laughter" on the part of the readers because they know the characters are making mistaken judgments.

After the events at Netherfield, Mr. Wickham misleads Elizabeth to believe that Mr. Darcy and his family ruined Mr. Wickham's social standing. Mr. Wickham made false claims about Mr. Darcy's father not leaving part of the Pemberley estate or monetary benefits for his gambling habits. Therefore, Elizabeth believes Mr. Wickham and accuses Mr. Darcy of false charges. Mr. Darcy defends himself in a letter about how Mr. Wickham sprouted the rumors. After Elizabeth receives Mr. Darcy's letter does she begin to understand that she has erred. Consequently, Elizabeth and the Gardiners arrived in Pemberley, Mr. Darcy's home estate. Elizabeth told the Gardiners that she has no reason to go to Pemberley, but Elizabeth comments about her new feelings toward Mr. Darcy when she sees the estate: "I might have been mistress!" (212). Elizabeth comes to realize that if she did not misjudge Mr. Darcy's character, then she could have lived a happy life in Pemberley. Elizabeth begins to see her mistake on Mr. Darcy's character. She contemplates about her mistake during a walk with the Gardiners: "Elizabeth felt that they had entirely mistaken his character, but said nothing" (219). Elizabeth surmises that Mr. Darcy is nowhere close to disagreeable as described by Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth understands that she has wronged Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Darcy realizes that he misjudged Elizabeth. As a result, the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy begins to foster from the misunderstandings. The meeting at Pemberley and Mr. Darcy's letter show a contrast to their first encounter in Netherfield. This contrast allows the reader to connect "thoughtful laughter" to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy as they discern and understand each other's errs.

The true meaning of "thoughtful laughter" is different because it does not come from an "external manifestation" but rather a way to express idea through humor. Jane Austen puts Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in a situation where one makes a faulty judgment about the other. The reader "laughs" as Jane Austen describes the how Elizabeth and Darcy faced challenges that came about from these misunderstandings. However, they came to a conclusion that resulted in a happy relationship when realizing the errors in their decisions. Austen's use of "thoughtful laughter" helped convey the idea that humor through misunderstandings can allow for happiness to be achieved in a relationship.

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I just need some advice on how to fix this essay up... The prompt is "thoughtful laughter" and I don't think my argument is solid at all... This is an overdue essay that I need to turn in soon, but I really am struggling in the class and need some more advice from other people. Please let me know anything! Thank you in advance!