Undergraduate / 'people from different cultures' - Duke Supplement Essay - International Person [4]

(For Arts and Sciences Applicants Only) If you are applying to Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something in particular at Duke that attracts you? Please limit your response to one or two paragraphs.

As an international student, I could not visit Duke and experience it first-hand so I could only rely on the websites and forums when deciding my colleges. Duke stood out to me not only because of its attractive homepage and strong academics, but also because of its broad ethnical diversity as it draws students from all over the world. This attracts me as Duke will provide me with the opportunity to learn about different cultures and values. With my exposure to people from different cultures and backgrounds, I believe I am also able to contribute much to Duke's diversity as I am eager to participate in programmes that involve exploring and helping out in places all around the world. DukeEngage not only gives me the chance to explore different cultures, but it also allows me to provide service and help with the communities' issues.

The Trinity College of Arts and Sciences also offers liberal arts education which will provide me with a well-rounded academic development that will be beneficial to my future career. At the same time, I can also pursue my interests in finance in the Duke Economics Program, Duke in New York: Financial Markets and Institutions, which is a perfect opportunity for me to gain understanding of financial services industry. I truly feel that this will be the place where my efforts will be significant and worthwhile, and I sincerely hope to be a part of it.

Any suggestions or feedback is welcomed! Thanks

Undergraduate / 'significant and worthwhile' +'my interest in finance' + 'Singapore' - NYU [4]

Why NYU?
As an international student, I could not visit NYU and experience it first-hand so I could only rely on the websites and forums when deciding my colleges. NYU appeals to me because of its strong academics as well as its broad diversity of students from all over the world. With my exposure to people from different cultures and backgrounds, I believe that I am able to contribute much to NYU's commitment in increasing the diversity of its campus environment. Besides offering many opportunities for students to study abroad, NYU also has a global network which focuses on educating global students. This really appeals to me as it will provide me with even more experiences of different cultures. I was drawn to this, as I find that it will enable me to interact with people from different cultures and walks of life, which I have found to be intriguing through my experience in the international school that I am currently studying at. This would also further my experience as an international person.

New York City is an international center of finance, commerce, culture and law, as well as home to countless major industries and corporations, which will provide me with many opportunities in developing my interests in finance. In addition, all students in NYU receive a firm foundation in liberal arts, which enhances my ability to think more critically and communicate effectively. I truly feel that this will be the place where my efforts will be significant and worthwhile, and I sincerely hope to be a part of it.

Regardless of whether or not you have an intended major or concentration, please elaborate on an academic area of interest and how you wish to explore it at NYU's campuses in New York or Abu Dhabi or at one of our global academic centers around the world. Please share any activities or experiences you have had that have cultivated your intellectual interests leading you to choose to study at the NYU campus of your choice.

I am eager to develop my interest in finance in Leonard N. Stern School of Business. The Business Program in NYU Stern really appeals to me as it not only focuses on business coursework, but we also complete liberal arts courses which will provide me with a well-rounded academic development that will be beneficial to my future career. With an international background, I am extremely interested to develop my interest in finance globally and hope that I would be able to apply it to different areas in the future. NYU Stern suits my interests perfectly as it allows me to explore global business first-hand through a wide variety of international immersion opportunities.

As the treasurer of my school's student council, I have gained much valuable experience in managing the financial funds of the council. We initiated numerous activities that included bake sales, ice-cream sales and Halloween Fright Night and made much profit from these activities. Despite our successes however, we were met with many challenges too. For example, in all of these activities we have organised, there were endless complains about how expensive the items were. Nevertheless, most of them still bought the items we were selling. This happened not only for the first sale, but for all of the sales, which led me thinking about the value of how much something counts for and intrigued me into the complex relationship between the customer and the value of goods.

What intrigues you? Tell us about one work of art, scientific achievement, piece of literature, method of communication, or place in the world (a film, book, performance, website, event, location, etc.), and explain its significance to you.

Spending almost 13 years in Singapore, I am greatly impacted by the rich multi-cultural environment as it has given me the exposure to the different perspectives of people of various ethnicities. The contrast in cultures and traditions between Chinese, Malays, Indians and Caucasians weaves up the vibrant fabric of Singapore, which amazes me every time I think of how the intensity of these cultures can all harmoniously fit into the 'little red dot'. Here, I learnt to cooperate well with people that have different backgrounds from me and it also contributed to my development as an international and diversified person. Due to the multi-racial society, we also celebrate many different festivals in Singapore, which leads to the fascinating city lights that illuminate the night skies especially in the month of Christmas. As my family and I walk down Orchard Road during the annual Christmas sales, I would always stare in awe at the beautiful lights that are draped from one side of the road to the other as it gives me a sense of calmness and warmth.

Other than the diverse culture of Singapore, I also experienced the tremendous amount of workload when studying in local schools from Grade 1 to Grade 10. The high requirements for my academics as well as extra-curricular activities have allowed me to set higher expectations for myself to fully reach my potential. It also increased my ability in coping well with demanding courses and large amounts of assignments as well as committing to my after school activities. Singapore has definitely shaped me into the diversified and well-rounded person I am today.