Undergraduate / It's Not All About the Sticks - extracurricular essay [3]

Choose one extracurricular activity, work experience, or community service project from the list you provided on the application.

It's Not All About the Sticks

I didn't change much, but here's the first revision. thanks in advance!

When I walked into band class during the first day of middle school, I didn't know what to expect. I signed up for band in fourth grade because I thought learning an instrument would be fun. Going into my third year, my new director introduced us to marching band. At first, I was a little skeptical due to the physical demand, but my interest started to grow after each note we played. It's something about seeing twenty drummers playing and moving in sync; it just sounded and looked so enticing. Just thinking about it made me want to do it forever.

The first day of high school band felt like the first day of kindergarten. I didn't know anybody at all; everyone was a stranger to me. I didn't care, however. All that mattered to me was having a solid audition and making a spot on the drumline. I worked all summer preparing for this day. There was no way I was going to blow this audition.

Now as a senior in high school and going into my ninth year in band, I look back and realize that band isn't all about the music, or the marching; but also about the relationships you build. While we all shared the passion for music, we each had our differences. Eventually, we were able to brush off the diversity and the thirty seniors in band grew to become my second family. For the past four years, we have endured through the rigors of band camp together, even the twenty four hour bus ride to Disney World. We were all educated by the same director, and we all essentially grew up in high school together. And in one week, we will all march off of the football field together in our last football game. Word Count: 300

Undergraduate / high school stereotypes - U of Michigan short answer [3]

Share an experience through which you have gained respect for intellectual, social, or cultural differences. Comment on how your personal experiences and achievements would contribute to the diversity of the University of Michigan. (250 words)

Entering my freshman year of high school, I believed in high school stereotypes. Sometimes I judged people at first sight. Jocks, goths, nerds, stoners; you name it. Being on the football team, I tried to fit in with the "jock" stereotype; always trying to act cool and tough.

Strangely enough, I was also in band. Unfortunately, band and football do not mix well. Afraid that I'll fall into the "band geek" stereotype, I tried to dissociate myself with them. While there are a few on the drumline I occasionally talked to, I kept the same attitude towards most of the band kids throughout the first half semester. Fortunately, that changed on our twenty-four hour bus ride to Disney World.

Twenty-four hours on a bus full of band geeks? I seriously thought I wouldn't be able to survive that. I was scared that I would become like them, and I'd be a new person when we returned to school. But as each hour passed, I grew fonder of every kid on the bus. I started to develop new friendships and I grew to appreciate each unique personality.

After that trip, I stopped judging people. I realized that no two people are the same. I've also helped some of my friends on the football team see that. At the University of Michigan, I hope to help more people realize that if we all came to overcome differences, we would be a much better society.

Word Count: 242

thanks in advance

Undergraduate / I love music and sports; A High-Tech Forte - U of I essay [9]

In an essay of 300 words or less, write about how your personal or academic interests relate to your intellectual or professional goals.

A High-Tech Forte
If my friends or relatives were asked to describe my interests and hobbies, most of them would say that I love music and sports. That's probably what most people would perceive from me. However, one thing that not many people know about me is that I love building and repairing computers. Ever since I learned how to build my own computer back in eighth grade, I've since then grown interest in computers. I've never taken a computer class of any kind, but the internet taught me everything I know about computers. As my computer knowledge grew, I became my household's computer tech, and everyone would always come to me for computer assistance.

Now as I think about what I want to do with my life, I have decided that I wanted computers to be a part of it. While I'm aiming for a career as an IT, the opportunities with computers are endless. Since technology advances everyday, our society's dependence on computers grows everyday, and it's foolish to think that the future of our nation alone will not live alongside computer technology. Even after college, I'll be learning about new technology every day, but at the same time be helping other people.

Whether it's playing games, editing movies, or surfing the net; computers are a big part of my hobbies. Consequently, I will be able to wake up every morning knowing that I will have a solid day ahead of me. I really feel like this is the field I belong in. Despite the fact that it's something I have been able to naturally develop, studying computers in college will definitely broaden my horizons.

Thanks in advance!

Undergraduate / 'no longer felt like a foreigner' - a setback you have faced - UMich and Purdue [NEW]

Describe a setback that you have faced. How did you resolve it? How did the outcome affect you? If something similar happened in the future, how would you react? (500 words)

Coming into the first day of fourth grade as a foreigner from the Philippines, I had no idea what to expect. Even though all the students and teachers were very friendly and accommodating, I had a difficult time assimilating into a new culture and society. Kids talked about things such as football and rap, while teachers referred to common American knowledge like Martin Luther King Jr. and Bill Clinton. I would only look at them as if I came from another planet.

School started to get boring because it was hard for me to socialize. Most of my days consisted of school, sleep, food, and video games. I felt like I should put myself out there more. Teachers suggested that I get involved in after school activities. I took their advice and showed up to basketball intramurals after school. Basketball is a big thing in the Philippines, and is the only sport that I had any knowledge on. I was happy with my decision, because I met a lot of new people, and I was able to talk to them about something we both understood.

When springtime came and basketball season came to an end, I decided to join an unfamiliar sport. I had a choice between softball and ultimate Frisbee, but chose softball in the end. The word "ultimate" in ultimate Frisbee sounded a little too intimidating, while softball sounded like a more laid back activity. This appeared to be true as I soon learned that all I had to do was hit the ball with a bat. I thought it would be a piece of cake at first, but I struggled to even swing the bat properly. Fortunately, the coach and the other players were nice enough to help me out. By the end of the season, I was able to hit the ball left and right.

By the end of the school year, not only did I make a lot of friends, but I learned a great deal about American culture. I developed a huge interest in sports and music, and I became accustomed with big names in pop culture.

Fifth grade flew by smoothly after overcoming this setback. I felt a lot more comfortable talking to students and teachers now that I no longer felt like a foreigner. My grades rose considerably, while I continued to join more after school activities.

I left elementary school ecstatic to work through a big setback as I did. If I encountered a similar setback in the future, I would face it with more confidence and poise, and work through it right away. Overcoming this setback is one of my biggest accomplishments, and only throughout this phase have I realized my true potential.

Word Count: 453

Undergraduate / UMich - Engineering short answer [2]

College of Engineering Please describe your interests and aspirations in engineering. What experiences have influenced you?

Ever since I was a toddler, I have always wondered how things work. I had a habit of dismantling random objects and attempting to reassemble it.

I started with little things: keyboards, TV remotes, and the like. Eventually, I progressed to bigger things like VCR's and my PlayStation.
While I had many successful attempts at reassembling, I had bad experiences with a toaster and a watch. It really upset me when I could not figure out why my toaster would not heat up my pop tarts anymore.

As seventh grade came around, I started to get bored with home appliances and I started looking for something else to tinker with. I finally realized that I had not messed around with my computer yet. It baffled me that I spend hours on a computer each day, yet not until now have I wondered what makes a hard drive go round.

I immediately grabbed a screwdriver and went straight to work.
I will never forget my first glance inside a computer when that lid popped off. It was like love at first sight. I was intrigued by all the colorful parts inside, and it fascinates me how these parts when put together can perform countless functions.

Soon after putting the lid back on, I booted the computer right back up and spent the next few hours on the net studying each component of a computer.

Two years later, I regularly get asked for computer assistance, not to mention I can build a computer to boot in under a half hour.

Thanks!