Undergraduate / "ingredients of my life" - Rice Perspective [2]

Many of my childhood memories take place in the kitchen, where I diligently practiced Chinese calligraphy at the worn table as my mother simultaneously kept an eye on me and worked her culinary magic. The aroma of creations that couldn't have been anything less than heavenly permeated the whole house daily while the colorfulness of the vegetables kept me surprised with every bite. Yet , I was never able to catch her using any recipes. Her practiced hand never wavered, adding a dash of salt here or a couple drops of oil there, using exactly what was needed to suit the dish. W ith a few deft chops and stirs, another delicacy was ready for the table.

Just like my mother seasons her cooking with whatever is necessary to make it delicious, I find that a little variation in my own life can sometimes provide the perfect seasoning . Of course, there are the main ingredients, like my zest for learning, which drives my academic motivation; then, there are those final touches that really make the result pop, the lemon slices and sprigs of thyme or, in my case, the extra traits that wrap up my presentation. Like the slow bubble of beef stew, the ingredients of my life have spent a lifetime simmering together in a creation of my best traits:

A two heaping cups of perseverance is always a base value, one that applies to every situation. Without it, I would never have been able to reach that highest note in the violin concerto, nor complete that last push-up in Taekwondo. The same discipline shaped through years of climbing over obstacles has carried me through many nights of impossible calculus problems and maddening writer's block.

A few dollops of pride season my determination, ensuring a tasty success. Whether I encounter a hefty exam or difficult recital, I celebrate the journey as well as the destination. My measure of success through the trials and tribulations of each passing year is not the material reward, but rather the knowledge that I have always given unwavering chase to a commitment of excellence in my pursuits .

My favorite ingredient is a couple curls of abstract thinking to spice up the way I look at things. From seeing cursive letters as the loops and hills of a roller coaster to breathing life into my paper menagerie of origami, I have never had trouble thinking outside the box. Having always been told that I have an active imagination has only bolstered by vivid dreams and a tendency to doodle, I am sure that my ability to think innovatively will guide me as I create my own paths in life.

Finally, what is life without a sprinkle of beauty? Life without music and art is like an evening without sunset; a calming warmth spreads through my body as I watch the last rays radiate through my family's west-facing windows (this part doesn't really flow with the sentence before or after, I would advise you to remove it) . Some of my favorite places in the country are art museums and concert halls, not just for their beautiful architecture, but because they're also home to the most visually and harmonically pleasing works that mankind has managed to produce.

Of course, the best recipes are the ones that you inventmake up yourself . There is never a set recipe to life; I am constantly adapting myself to new situations to form my own masterpiece, my personality. College life at Rice will be a whole step up from any previous experiences that I have had, but I'm prepared to leaf back through my recipe book, learning from the past to create a better future. Taking a moment to reflect now is merely a halfway point, a brief taste test, for there is always more to add to my masterpiece, my pièce de résistance, my life.

Wow, completely breathtaking. This is such an amazing essay! Besides some grammatical stuff and word choice, this essay is a masterpiece! Good luck!

Undergraduate / "Finding Nemo among the stars" - Cornell supplement. Why College of arts and sciences [3]

Thanks for reading mine!

Could I find a fish among the stars? My teachers would think I was delirious if I asked them this question.
My mother bought me my first encyclopedia when I was nine called The Deep Blue World (UNDERLINE, not Quotes).I loved it. It taught me so much about fishes; what they ate, where they lived and how they looked.From what they ate to where they lived to how they looked; the encyclopedia taught me so much about fish and began my passion for biology.

As I grew, I developed a deepening interest for the marine world. Watching Animal Planet and Discovery taught me a lot cultivated my repertoire of marine facts. Moreover , my fascination was not just limited to the marine world anymore. I moved beyond the water; started to become interested in the land, the mountains and the plains. My mind probed farther still. Literally. (too much) From the synchronized movements of schools of fish in the Pacific and the study of the life cycle of cicadas to the newfound knowledge about the cell structure and cellular biology, I have observed my interest in biology evolved; both in terms of length and breadth . Before I knew it, no other subject filled me with as much ardor as Biology could .

However, this wasn't the only realm that thrilled me. I had also found a place to thrive among the stars. Watching the night sky from the rustic backdrop of my father's village, I was spellbound to see the twinkling and ethereal girdlecollection (girdle is really strange word choice) of pearl-like dots in the deep blue sky. Yes,In the stars was the stories of the Milky Way galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy, the Orion and the Pegasus constellations; the of the Big Bang confirmation, the Panspermia hypothesis and the Drake Equation. Each drove my intellectual curiosity as much as the little molecules of ATP, which power cellular mechanisms.

Eventually, the sky met the ocean and my interests merged; which I probably owe credit to the innumerable sci-fi movies I watched during summers.
Could there be life on other planets? If the answer is yes, could creatures of other planets have a completely non-carbon based chemistry? Learning about scientists finding sulfur based bacteria thriving near underwater thermal vents skyrocketed my mind to a new plane. These are a few questions that pose as challenges to my mind albeit ; but, they cannot be solved without continuing my education .

Probably, this is why I wish Cornell would be the perfect platform for me to realize my passions and cultivate them while answering the questions of my unlearned mind. Cornell's departments of Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Astronomy are two portals through which I can begin my desire to learn . At Cornell, I wish to combine the two fields to the furthest extent of my capabilities .

There is nothing better than earning an education that teaches you to think on your feet, inspire creativity and demand deeper understanding. With a Liberal Arts essence to my learning, I am sure that I will be ready for any future endeavor after the College of Arts and Sciences.

At Cornell I will get closer to finding Nemo among the stars; or an insect or a bacterium, whatever it may be, and continue to dream of meeting another E.T.

Hopefully that helps! I think you might want to spend a bit more time on the essay making it flow better. It kind of seems rushed, so working on that might be a good idea! Good Luck!