Undergraduate / "a repertoire of music genres" Notre Dame introduce a new course essay. [4]

Essay Question
The curriculum offered at Notre Dame varies from what you might expect (e.g. Introduction to Biological Sciences, Accountancy) to topics you might not (e.g. Theology and Engineering, Friendship: From Aristotle to Facebook). If you could introduce a new course and serve as the expert instructor, what would it be and why?

Essay
This course introduces a repertoire of music genres intended principally to examine the message as well as the cultural significance infused in the lyrics of a song. As a passionate music listener with an appreciation for the meaning behind a song, I introduce Beyond the Beats-Dissecting Lyrics from Hip Hop to Post- Hardcore Rock. This course...

After edits

Manufactured to disregard the rhythmic thrumming of the bass and the drums, to ignore the pitch, timbre, and clarity of the musician's voice, this course introduces a repertoire of music genres intended principally to examine the message as well as the cultural significance infused in the lyrics of a song. As a passionate music listener with an appreciation for the meaning behind a song, I introduce Beyond the Beats-Dissecting Lyrics from Hip Hop to Post- Hardcore Rock. This curriculum encompasses the culture and background of a music group in order to derive a new prospective on their work, to deduce whether the nurture of an artist echoes through their work. Moreover, the significance of this course is to provoke student to step outside their habitual music genre and concentrate on locution, diction, tone, and modulation of a vocalist's words. Lastly, I aspire to shatter stereotypes linked to race and music preference, to make it all about the lyrics.

Undergraduate / Times have changed Notre Dame essay [13]

The Essay Question
What is one small detail in the world that you notice and wish others did, too?

My response

We are a far cry away from the time when daughters were expected to remain home from school on Mondays to assist their mothers' in washing clothes. In fact, I was unaware of how much time had changed both culturally and technologically since the turn of the last century until I spent a week immersed in the culture-attempting to bake bread, make jelly, build stools, and knit hats. The distinction between a modern rinse cycle lasting forty minutes compared to an entire day is startling. Born during the twenty-first century, I am effortlessly granted a number of amenities that were not attainable to my ancestors. This is a fact I wish others could perceive. At the turn of the last century there were no iPods or cell phones-there was scarcely even a viable vacuum cleaner. Moreover, not many individuals acknowledge that society, decades ago, was formally more family oriented in contrast to society today.

I don't much like the ending
Any help would be great

This is a second attempt that I could expand on.
Upon entering this world, each person is gifted with an abundant number of taste buds. Nonetheless, some individuals are better suited at distinguishing irregularities in the taste of a food product. This is the detail I wish others could perceive. The fact that a banana has a propensity to dominate the flavor of all other items packaged alongside it irks me and yet this alteration of taste is undetectable by others.

Undergraduate / "My cozy blue chair" my Notre Dame Essay and my Rochester essay [6]

The Essay Question
The Grotto is a cherished destination on Notre Dame's campus, a space that invites students and visitors to pray and take time for reflection. Do you have a place that you seek out, and what do you contemplate there?

My Essay
The sun has yet to rise and I am stationed in the cozy school library, clandestinely hidden among the maze of bookshelves. Two chairs sit idle beside each other, one a haggard looking blue bean bag chair and the other a mildly uncomfortable blue gaming chair. My nook, rooted against the emergency exit, the one that continuously blows in cold winter air, is where my thoughts consume me. I was victorious in my last tennis match, success. I have yet to paint all of my bedroom walls, failure. Can I every truly accomplish my goals? I don't know. I suppose an overall completion would depend upon whether I continuously instigate new goals. this part is a little unclear and out of place in my opinion Subsequently, gazing upward, I appraise the novels shelved above me in the young adult fiction domain-then, however, another shiver coerces me to question why I consistently forget to wear a coat.

The prompt
Meliora: 'Ever better' - The University's motto, Meliora, directs our focus toward continual improvement through research, understanding, and collaborative efforts. Offer and example from your personal experience of an obstacle you faced or a problem you identified. Describe the actions you took and the result.

My Essay
I have encountered many obstacles that have caused me to stumble, however, I have never faced such a challenge as facial recognition quizzes in my Comparative Government class. Such quizzes consisted of multiple smudged black and white photographs of representatives past and present jammed together on a page with the only instruction being to identify each blob correctly. This task might not have seemed so taxing if the only representative's I was required to know was the President and Vice President, however that was not the case. I was also required to know supplementary representatives and presidential candidates. Ultimately, to overcome my profiling challenges I not only created a powerpoint of pictures and a list of identifying features for each leader but I also consulted my teacher on my photograph choices.

Undergraduate / My journey to Northwestern (Psychology and Law and Psychology and Health) [4]

My response

Coasting down the highway, it was mid-February and school was out for a six day break. Eager to reach my destination, I began my excursion from Atlanta to Evanston, relishing in every mile gained along the boundless highway. 734 miles separated me from Northwestern University's beautiful snow covered, suburban campus. On the second day of my journey, I reached Chicago's metropolitan area and upon spotting the famous museums and attractions I was jolted from my haze of worn cement and white lines. "Yes," I exclaimed, fishing through the depth of my bag to find directions to navigate the unfamiliar streets of Chicago.

Eventually, I reached Evanston-Wildcat territory. As a high school junior, one individual among a mass of prospective students, I hoped to obtain information about the curriculum offered at Northwestern. However, I acquired so much more. During the information session, as an admissions representative described the schools that make up Northwestern, I resolved to spend my next four years wearing Northwestern purple and exploring my passions for Political Science and Psychology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. Subsequently, I became captivated by the benefits of the quarter system, an unheard of approach to the academic calendar to me. Nevertheless, the quarter system, granting the ability to focus on courses in quarters rather than having to juggle five to six classes a semester, quickly became an asset in my college search. Moreover, I perceived the quarter system to be a medium for autonomy as well as a benefit to students interested in double majoring.

At the session's close, my curiosity drew me towards a mass of purple and white information sheets. Among these pages two headings caught my attention: Psychology and Law and Psychology and Health Professions. Contemplating both law and medicine as future professions, I became curious to learn how Northwestern linked these academic disciplines, so to quell my inquiring mind I collected a copy of both sheets and joined the campus tour. The tour guide's reverence when elaborating on the campus traditions of painting the rock, "Dillo Day" and NUDM compelled me to want to take part in tradition, or even initiate one of my own. Therefore, as my feet crunched against the snow, I imagined myself as a Northwestern undergraduate achieving academic success, engaging in revolutionary research, studying abroad, living in themed housing, and attending football games. I imagined myself as a Wildcat.

Please Help, I know some of it is awkward. Rip it apart if need be. Also I promise to read your essay

Undergraduate / "March to the Beat of your own drum" -Wake Forest short essay [4]

The Prompt
As a part of 2010 Wake Forest orientation, the freshman class examined The Andes of Ecuador, a painting by Frederic Church. Next year what work of visual or performing art should the incoming class analyze? Why?

My response

Undeterred by spartan surroundings, an elderly man exudes warmth as he instructs a young boy in playing the banjo. Portraying African-American culture in an unprecedented perspective, Henry Tanner's painting; The Banjo Lesson was revolutionary for shattering the stereotypes surrounding a culture. As an innovative dreamer, Tanner, despite adversity evoked compassion by capturing the innocence of a child, portraying their innate determination to learn.

This painting warrants acknowledgement as there is something to be learned from a banjo player. Reaching beyond the canvas, students can discover that motivation drives creativity. Tanner desired to augment society's perception of a culture and he succeeded. Moreover, one can discover that it is acceptable to "march to the beat of your own drum," to be innovative.

Any more advice on why the next class should analyze it? Any suggestions are helpful as I feel like I have not expressed enough reasons. Thank you

Also I will read your essay

Undergraduate / Hunger occurs all over, volunteering -Wake Forest short essay [2]

The prompt
What outrages you? What are you doing about it?

My response
Advertisements yank at the heartstrings of America's public by portraying the angelic face of a malnourished child abroad. Donate money to stop the war in Darfur, help stop hunger in Africa! Multiple compassionate individuals are willing to hand out money to these worthy causes, and yet they have no problem walking past the man on the corner asking "can you spare a dollar?" Also, what becomes of the undernourished family forced to consume McDonald's everyday because it is the most economical option? These are the things that outrage me. How can a humanitarian society turn a blind eye to the suffering around them while helping another with the same needs? Why are people willing to attend a benefit concert rather than volunteer at the local homeless shelter? Can we not solve problems occurring at home and overseas? Nonetheless, what am I going to do about the issues? Well, I'm going to volunteer at the local shelter and try to stop hunger one peanut butter and jelly sandwich at a time.

Comments?

Undergraduate / I wish I knew -Wake Forest short essay [2]

The prompt
I wish I knew...

My Essay

Dressed in my Sunday's best I padded down the aisle, mindlessly walking toward my customary seat. Sitting among the mass of Sunday regulars all I heard was booming silence. Looking around, I noticed the steadily moving mouths of the choir and the clapping of the congregation, but I was stagnant. Stationed in my pew, I wrinkled my brow. After countless sermons spanned across seventeen years, I had my first religious question. Not wanting to disturb anyone else, I opened the red leather bound book in front of me in an attempt to quell my inquiring mind. However, after scouring the pages my question was still left unanswered. I was confused. I sat, contemplating this uncertainty until my mother tapped my shoulder, an indication that it was time to leave. Gazing upward to acknowledge her, the words spewed from my mouth, "what is Satan's middle name?"

Undergraduate / Fight for the cure- Wake Forest short essay [2]

What idea most challenges you

Wandering through the crowded mall corridors I heard a disembodied voice roar, "The iPhone 5 is set to launch this July." Turing my head to identify the shouting culprit, I watched other bystanders do the same. Nonetheless, unable to uncover who released the excited squeal, I allowed my feet to guide my path once again. However, I had only traveled a few paces before a woman scoffed, "technology" as she turned to leave. Gazing at this stranger, I wondered why she expressed such contempt for technology. This unknown woman compelled me to question the very life force for society's teenagers, technology, by uttering one word and the wearing a Fight for the Cure t-shirt. I began to question how advancements in technology can constantly be achieved but there still be no cure for cancer.

I really need help on this as I don't like it much and ideas on how to make it better?

Undergraduate / My childhood innocence- Wake Forest short essay [3]

The prompt
Describe the culture in which you grew up. What are its strengths and weaknesses?

My childhood was a time when all of my artwork was beautiful enough to be displayed in a gallery-the refrigerator. My biggest concerns were making sure my tooth was stationed perfectly beneath my pillow, learning to ride a bike without training wheels, falling asleep before Santa arrived, and organizing my beanie baby collection by name and birthday.

My innocence cultivated me and taught me morals; however, it was also the source of a later feeling of dejection. Moreover, I learned perseverance from riding my bike, continuously hoping back on after every fall, and I laid the ground work for organization while trifling with my plush toy animals. However, my childhood innocence never prepared me for the discovery that reindeer could not fly or the fact that my mother was played the role of both Santa and the Tooth Fairy.

please help, I hate it.

Undergraduate / Two types of people in the world UChicago Essay [7]

The Prompt
Essay Option 2. Dog and Cat. Coffee and Tea. Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye. Everyone knows there are two types of people in the world. What are they?

My response

The holidays are rapidly approaching, causing mass hysteria to sweep the nation. Christmas shoppers trample through stores, rummaging for last minute presents, and families prepare for the annual excursion to see grandma and grandpa.

Rushing through the congested terminals, a bag of presents secured perilously under one arm, parents drag their children through the masses. Approaching the seemingly limitless line of the security check point, people find themselves wondering, "How in the world did I believe that arriving two hours early would give me enough time to reach concourse E." After waiting to transcend through the checkpoint, your turn approaches and you pray not to be among the unlucky individuals asked to step aside for further inspection. As luck would have it-you are chosen.

Finally, upon reaching a wasteland of occupied chairs you collapse into the first vacant seat. After settling your raging heart, you peer out the wall length windows and watch as airport employees carelessly toss luggage into the belly of the plane. You find yourself wondering if the bag that missed and went tumbling toward to the Earth was yours. Then, dampening the Christmas cheer, a disembodied voice crackles through the intercom saying, "Ho Ho Ho, Happy Holidays Christmas travelers it is with genuine regret that I must announce that due to temperamental weather conditions all flights are grounded until further notice." A disgruntled groan escapes the lips of every individual before they race to claim a hard backed chair as if the music had just stopped in a game of musical chairs. Two hours later, hunger grips your stomach and you resign to relinquishing your seat to purchase the overpriced fast food the airport offers.

An hour passes and flights are set to take off once again. Entering the compact space of the plane, you walk towards your aisle seat and drift through the air for the next two hours, with your ears continuously popping. The pilot's voice reverberates through the plane, "Folks, we have begun our decent into White Plains and the current temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, so will passengers fasten in their seatbelts, turn off their electronic devices, and lift up their tray tables." Ultimately, you arrive at your destination jet lagged and late.

Comparatively, there are the individuals who choose to drive to their Christmas destination. Calling the every Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, and U-haul in a 20 mile radius and they discover that a vacant car is non-existent. Therefore, a thousand miles must be put on the family vehicle. Departing during rush hour, they are trapped, inching their way toward their destination. A 16 hour drive just became that much longer and every mile gained is as exciting as winning the lottery. All but stagnant, they hope to get stuck behind a minivan in order to entertain themselves with the movie playing in the backseat.

Around the third time hitting traffic, driving no longer seems like the economical choice for large families or people who developed aviophobia after September 11, 2001. Stops are only allowed in large towns and then only for gas, coffee, and bathroom breaks, therefore, rest stops become novelties and a place to stretch your legs before riding between the white lines once again. After 18 hours, six stops, an empty cooler, and a tired driver you have reached your destination.

There are two types of people in the world: people who prefer to travel by car and people who prefer to travel by plane.

Any comments are helpful. Rip it apart if need be. Also I will read your essays.
Do you think I need to include a paragraph about which type of person I am? Also can someone please help me get rid of the word you in this essay. Thanks

Undergraduate / Achieving academic success, revolutionary research, studying in Paris - Why UChicago? [10]

The prompt
How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to Chicago.

My response

Coasting down the highway, eager to reach my destination, I began my excursion from Atlanta to Hyde Park. 710 miles separated me from University of Chicago's beautiful snow covered, suburban campus. At last, on the second day of my journey, I arrived in Chicago's metropolitan area and upon spotting the famous museums and attractions I was jolted from my haze of worn cement and white lines. "Yes!" I exclaimed, while fishing through my bag for directions to navigate the unfamiliar streets of Chicago. Eventually, I reached Hyde Park-Maroon territory. As a high school junior, one individual among a mass of prospective students, I only hoped to learn about the curriculum offered at University of Chicago; however, I found so much more. By the end of my visit, I resolved to spend my next four years wearing maroon while exploring my passion for Political Science and Psychology in the Social Sciences division of The College.

During the information session, I discovered that UChicago operates under a ten week calendar system-the quarter system. A medium for autonomy, the quarter system, not only solidified my interest in pursuing a double major, but also set University of Chicago apart during my college search. I loved everything about University of Chicago-from the core curriculum, small class sizes, theological seminary, and Regenstein Library to the house system with resident masters. Moreover, with the flexibility offered at UChicago, I knew I could flourish, be innovative, and fuel my creativity.

Whereas the tour seized my attention, the campus traditions such as scav hunt, summer breeze, estroand testo fest, Super Secular Secret Santa, and dance marathon, compelled me to want to participate, or even initiate my own tradition. As I browsed the shelves of co-op bookstore, I pictured myself as a UChicago undergraduate achieving academic success, engaging in revolutionary research, studying abroad in Paris with the social sciences program, living in Max P, avoiding the seal in the Reynolds Club like the plague, joining the Society for Creative Anachronism, and ice skating for the first time. I imagined myself following the progression of the Cobb Gate Gargoyles; I imagined myself as a Maroon.

I don't really like this essay so any comments with be great. This is due in a few hours so please feel free to be harsh and tell me if I need to add or take something away. As always I will read your essay in return. Thank you