Undergraduate / 'lying on the bed and reading a book' - MIT pleasure essay [6]

We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do for the pleasure of it. (*)(100 words or fewer)

I wrote this! Please tell me what you think and give me suggestions!

After twelve stressful school hours, I can think of nothing but lying on the bed and reading a book. It transports me to a different world entirely where I can put my thought processes to work, different from the usual math or physics solving ones. It offers me the peace I seek after a long day, occasionally offering me solutions to problems and making me wiser with every sentence I read. The delight of reading books, to me, is incomparable to the one obtain from any other activity. The insight that books offer, the motivation that they provide and the serenity I obtain while reading are what make reading my most pleasurable activity.

It's 113 words and the limit is 100. Which part of the essay can I cut/ edit?

Undergraduate / Common App- a creative work (The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost) [6]

I wrote an essay on the Road not taken by Robert Frost. I initially thought of writing about Hermione from Harry Potter but decided on this towards the end.

Essay on the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Although I must admit that I am not a huge poetry fan, most of the poems by Robert Frost appeal to me and this would have to be the one that appeals the most. When I first read this poem, I liked it because of its free verse style and its apparent simplicity. The obvious basic meaning is that the poem is about a person's choices in life. The poet describes coming to a problem with the fork in the road. He must go down on one but feels he will not be able to amend his decision.

This poem provides an outlook at the choices one has in life. How one comes to decide which choices are better and what are their consequences. We are often forced to make a decision between the two paths and must decide which path to take though each path may appeal to us equally. No matter how small a decision is, it will affect a person's life forever. The diverging roads in the poem are symbolic of the choices we are faced with everyday of life. Choosing one course will lead us in one direction, while the other will likely move away towards a completely different journey. This poem is a journey of self-discovery and a gathering of wider meanings and interpretations. Often, we regret the choices that we make and wonder what course our life would have taken if we'd chosen otherwise.

Life is never a straight path. Decisions always have to be made between the paths we choose to travel by and when the decision is made and the road is followed, there is no turning back. It will alter our life. From this poem, I learnt that I need to choose my own path and make my own decisions and take responsibility for my mistakes, learn from them and move forward accordingly. I learnt some decisions are major, life altering choices. They are not to be taken lightly and we must live with the choices we make; whether to follow the path set by others and take the path more traveled by or to be a leader and create one of our own.

Before reading this poem, I had a pretty ordinary view of the world. I held the common paradigms. This poem taught me to be different, to take risks, to pursue something totally uncommon and make a celebration out of it. After reading this piece of work, I have chosen to be adventurous. We do not know what life has in store for us. Each choice sets the future off to a completely different course and I have decided to explore every element of life. I choose to step out of my comfort zone and try something new throughout my journey of life. I choose to "travel the road less travelled by" and I know it will make all the difference.

Please tell me what you think. More ideas will be appreciated! :)

Thanks!

Undergraduate / "The bank officials." - MIT personal essay [8]

Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations?(*) (200-250 words)

Does it answer the prompt?

"Whose call was that mom?" I asked tensed looking at my mother's blank expression.
"The bank officials. They're auctioning the house." She said emotionlessly.
The notice was sent for the third time this year. Every time we received a notice, my parents took a loan and cleared the dues. But the debts just kept piling up. Growing up in a financially unstable environment can be difficult, especially when the monthly dues exceed the salary the household earns. Things are a lot worse when you're a child abuse victim.

I never had the same exposure in school as an average high school student would. Our teachers rarely approached education out of the usual academic sense. There were barely any extracurricular activities and those conducted were merely due to our repeated pleas.

Growing up in dire conditions like these had the opposite effect of what someone would've expected. As a child, sure I had issues and emotional outbursts but as time passed I only grew into a stronger person.

I never swallowed myself in self pity. I chose to rise above my abuse, learn from my parents' mistakes and tackle problems pragmatically. I saw no need to complain of lack of finance or inadequate resources. I am determined about the goals that I've set for myself and I know the journey is not going to be a walk in the park. But if there's one thing that I've learnt through these years it's that nothing in life ever comes easy and I will do everything possible to reach my destination.

What do you think? It's 258 words. PLease edit it ASAP 'cause there's no time!

Undergraduate / 'passionate about the School Government' Something didn't go according to the plan [4]

Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?

"And the Head Girl for the academic year 2009-2010 is," the Headmistress announced, " Shruti Adidamu!"

The crowd broke into applause but I could not hear anything. My world came crashing down. Every cell of my body ached in pain; Pain that evolved from disappointment. Five years of devoted effort: Futile. I wasn't chosen as the Prime Minister of the School Parliament by the Board. They had other plans for me.

"The Opposition leader is S.A. Kruthi Mohan." I scoffed at the term in my head as she announced, simultaneously trying to conceal the disbelief and disappointment etched upon my face.

I was passionate about the School Government since fifth grade. I worked on attaining the ideal profile ever since, surpassing in Academics and Extracurricular activities. My teachers' remarks only added to my conviction.

But the investiture ceremony altered everything. I could either whine about not being appointed at the Prime Minister or do a spectacular job being the Opposition Leader. I chose the latter. I involved myself in every activity irrespective of it being under the Opposition or otherwise. I performed my duties punctiliously and flawlessly. During the cabinet sessions, I raised the issues causing discomfort to the student fraternity making sure that they would be resolved.

My efforts paid off. The Head of our educational society appreciated my commitment and determination . As I retrospect, I think of the situation as a blessing in disguise because it only made me work harder, as an individual and a team.

Does it answer the prompt? Please give your feedback! The deadline is just a couple of days away so please be brutally honest!

Undergraduate / 'the Quark Model' - MIT rec [6]

Since I'm an international student and my teacher has never written a rec before, he asked me to take a look at it to see if it's fine.

The most striking feature of Kruthi Mohan's character is her perseverance and promise. Her passion for Physics, especially Astrophysics, is enthralling. Her thirst for knowledge and obsession to arrive at a solution for every problem is something that I look for in every student.

Two years ago, when she first arrived at my lecture, she managed to create an excellent impression the very first day. Right from her doubts to her unwavering attention in the classroom, she possesses all qualities required of devoted student. Her concentration while solving problems is as strong as it is when she is researching on a topic outside the classroom. She never hesitates to clear concepts that she does not comprehend instantly; be it Superconducting Levitation or the Quark Model.

Despite a twelve-hour school schedule from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. which can be very tiresome, she manages to hunt for more problems and explore deeper topics after school hours despite an existing heavy workload. That being said, she also tries her best to participate in every extracurricular activity that she possibly can.

I am very curious to see the mark she makes in her career especially because I have never come across a student in our school who has thought outside the realm of IIT that most students in India are obsessed with. Instead she chose to pursue her education in the U.S. which I think would suit her well considering the fact that she prefers exposure in every field as opposed to just academics. Accomplishing that balance between academics and extracurricular activities is where most students fail but Kruthi has managed to attain it quite well and that is exactly why I am certain that she would make a fine addition to your student fraternity.

Is it a good rec?