Undergraduate / "To change the world; starving African babies" UPenn supplement [10]

Just a thought, you might want to fine-tune the attitude of your language a little, especially because you are dealing with such delicate subject matter as starving children. I've counted the word "sadly" at least three times: "...sadly, some people are less fortunate..." "Sadly, I am not able to see blood..." "Sadly, after I returned from..." These things are sad without you pointing it out. It's your job to actually sell yourself as someone motivated, who can see the positive in unusual places and use it for the greater good, and the only way you can convey this is through your language.

Along those lines, you probably don't want to say you "secretly" want to play on the tennis team; you love tennis and want to play. It shows a lack of confidence when you feel you have to hide that which makes you happy.

Finally, the phrase, "I am not able to see blood" is awkward. It implies some sort of actual blindness (though I do think it was a good move to remove the word "vomiting" from an admissions essay). You may want to exclude the part about not becoming a doctor overall. You don't want to point out any perceived weaknesses, and it's just not necessary to your essay.

I like your addition regarding Wharton as it helps tie in your statement with the topic. Overall I think you have an excellent start that just needs tweaking. I enjoyed reading your essay and getting to know you a little in the process. Good luck to you, and have a healthy and happy holiday season.

Undergraduate / My Cornell school of arts and science Supplement essay Math Like Kindergarten [3]

I think you have some great stuff here, though it's rough. One thing stood out to me at first read:

"Surveying the directory of the Cornell website, my eyes were stagnated by the brief excerpt on the School of Arts and Sciences."

I wouldn't use the word "stagnate" in this context, as it implies standing still, a lack of growth. Stagnation is a precursor to rot. It's probably the opposite of the image you want to convey. You might want to say that your eyes "grabbed" the excerpt, or maybe that you "devoured" it or "became immersed" in it or something. You could emphasize your theme, perhaps, by saying your eyes "played over" it.

One more thing, maybe:

"I enjoyed using constructive thinking in all the attributes of my 'imagination'..."

You enjoy it still, right? Make it present tense. Also, lose the quotation marks around "imagination". The way you use them appears to belittle the concept.

Ugh, I keep rereading and coming back with things I think might help you. (There's so much potential here!) One last thing:

Since this is an admissions essay, you are trying to sell yourself. I am not sure there is a benefit to you to put the emphasis you do on isolation and being a reclusive, even if it was one of the deciding factors in your immersion in mathematics. It would make an interesting point to explore should it be a memoir, for example, but in this forum it might count against you. I would probably clear-cut those references out and concentrate on the joy you derive from math as a selling point.

I hope these criticisms help you. I can see by reading your essay that you have a fascinating mind. Good luck!

Undergraduate / "Theater Experience of a French Girl", Common App Short Answer [6]

"Complacency" is indeed a negative word. You might want to choose "compassion," or maybe "tolerance."

Undergraduate / "To change the world; starving African babies" UPenn supplement [10]

I personally don't think it's too much. It's poignant, and helps give some insight into your motivations.