Undergraduate / (harry potter, newspapers, no hope, volunteering, Beatles) Stanford Responses [6]

Name your favorite books, authors, films and/or musical artists:

The Harry Potter series will forever be one of the classics. It is a symbol of both my childhood and a generation as a whole, and it will always be among my favorite movies and books. I can't wait to read them to my kids. Lately however, the Hunger Games have replaced my Harry Potter addiction.

What newspapers, magazines, and/or websites do you enjoy?

The Times, CNN.com, People Magazine, What White People Like, Texts from Last Night, Twitter, Pinterest, Yahoo Answers because it has every known answer to every known question, Amazon for my book addiction.

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?

The biggest issue facing society today is the lack of hope. People used to think they could actually do something good and affect change to better the world. Now, as we hide behind the Internet, no one takes the time nor energy to truly and whole heartedly believe in anything anymore.

How did you spend your last two summers?

D.C. and Teen Volunteering at Athens Regional. Through both I have honed my skills as a leader and piqued my interest in health professions. I taught violin lessons, volunteered at the animal shelter, and successfully refined my baking skills.

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?
The last Beatles performance on the roof of Apple Corps in London. Enough said.

What five words best describe you?
Motivated, Sarcastic, Odd, Adventurous, Passionate

***I want to be a little bit more sarcastic and witty but I'm not sure how far I can/should go with it.. I'm not really liking my biggest issue response either. Any suggestions/advice? Thanks!

Undergraduate / 'lived in the South' + 'We did it, roommate' + 'dumb' - Stanford [5]

What Matters To you and Why:

I've lived in the South for all of my life. I find it odd when guys don't have jacked-up trucks, Zaxby's chicken is 25% of my diet, and I bleed red and black for my Georgia Bulldawgs. Like any other teenager bound to a small town, leaving is all I look forward to. During the summer, my friends and I went up to Chicago for Lollapalooza. I was so excited to get away and experience the big city. That's when I realized my complete and unwavering love for the South. I found myself missing the pungent stench of chicken manure driving down highway 441 and that moment of pure road rage when the tractor in front is going 15 in a 45. I realized how much my beginnings and where I come from really mean to me. I, as well as my typical Asian parents, have high expectations for my future. Having a small town origin has even sometimes acted as a motivator for me to excel academically to break away from the small town stigma. However, the place where I came from, the people I've known for all my life, and the friends I've grown up with will forever be a part of my life. My roots matter to me because they remind me of who I really am and who I, no matter where I go and what I do, will always be.

Note to Future Roommate:

Dear Roomie, WE DID IT! We're in! I'm gonna go ahead and throw it out there, be super cliche and say the next 4 years are going to be some of the best of our lives. And you have the opportunity to start your journey with me. Congratulations, you lucky dog. Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Hannah Kim. Not Kim Hannah. Don't get that confused, my 10th math teacher still calls me Kim. I'm originally from South Korea and I moved to Texas when I was 5. I'm a walking contradiction (Starburst commercial reference); I'm the whitest Asian girl alive. Sure, rice is a staple food in my diet and my report card is like a Bible to me, but I've also lived in the South all my life (Southern Belle for life) and if you don't like the Georgia Bulldogs, fried chicken, and sweet tea, we're going to have major issues. Now, I may fool you, I may seem super awesome and all around perfect, but I, like all, have my flaws. I'm super messy sometimes and it's a proven fact I have the attention span of a goldfish (writing this letter is taking me forever, I keep getting on Pinterest and finding cute puppies). I can get moody and my sarcastic insults have been known to offend. Another thing I should warn you about it football. Mania doesn't even put a chip on the iceberg of my love, no my obsession. I'm going to apologize ahead of time for any future sports related screaming and yelling. All around, I'm fun friend, a great listener, an even better advice giver, an awesome cook (get ready for some home cooked meals), and I can't wait to get to know you better!

PS. You better love Harry Potter.

Intellectual Vitality:

"Jeez, have you always been this dumb?." As the new girl on her first day of middle school, these words cut, and they cut deep. Those awkward 3 years in which you have that odd sense of style and don't quite understand all your body parts that all normal human beings try fruitlessly to block from their memory, a.k.a. middle school, were bad enough. No, I had to begin them with those words, uttered by some girl in my math class I didn't even know. I'm not confirming or denying anything, but I may have run away to the girl's bathroom and cried my eyes out that day. It wasn't the bluntness nor her tone that got to me, it was the threat, my potential to be that stupid for the rest of my life. Looking back, it wasn't that harsh of an insult but for a preteen girl with an already dangerously low self esteem, it hit home. Later on that day, as I sniffled and cried myself dry into my mother's arms, I realized something. Her remark didn't have to shape my future. I used her words as a catalyst to excel. I let my haters be my motivators. I wanted her to eat her words and remorse the error of her ways. Yes, I am a drama queen; yes, she isn't the sole reason for the drive and self motivation I posses today. Yes, my experience of intellectual development wasn't an epiphany and profound moment of intellectual truth and self discovery. But I can honestly say her words have always been that fire behind my academic endeavors and achievements. They've always encouraged me to not only do, but do with excellence and have truly propelled me to be the student and person I am today.

***Any advice and suggestions? Please help! Thanks so much!

Undergraduate / "Bobble Head Britney" Common App Essay [6]

I know it's a little long but any advice would be awesome!
I want to fix the intro (more hook maybe) a little bit and also I feel like the analysis/comparison between me and Britney is a little off.. I'm not sure just need second opinions! THANKS!

It's incredible the lengths that some will go to procure and possess material goods. A man once paid $14,000 dollars for the bra Marilyn Monroe wore in Some Like it Hot and there is an iPhone out that's encrusted with diamonds and gold priced at around $3.2 million dollars. There is even a teddy bear worth more than $50,000 dollars that has fur made from real gold. Unfortunately, I've been super busy and completely neglected my money tree in the backyard (I think used the wrong fertilizer) so I don't have a couple grand laying around to use on undergarments and teddy bears. I do, however, own an object of extreme and near inconceivable importance that will most likely change the world as we know it. I have a bobble head Britney Spears.

Okay, that may have been a slight exaggeration. True, Bobble Britney isn't effecting lives and impacting people around the world but you've got to understand Britney is more than just a simple bobble head. When I was 7 years old, I, like any other preteen girl in the U.S., was a Britney Spears fan. Fan is an understatement really. I suppose maniac or super fan is more fitting, and even that doesn't even put a chip in the Britney iceberg. I (now I'm baring my soul here, revealing one of my most embarrassing and intimate of secrets) actually threw a Britney Spears Fan Club Party on her actual birthday when I was that age. It was solely for the purpose of celebrating this legendary pop artist and her artistic genius to the dulcet tones of her classic hits. Who knew she'd fall off the wagon and disappoint young tween girls everywhere? I certainly didn't and I can honestly say it had just about the same heart-wrenching impact as finding out Santa isn't real. Although I have tried to destroy all evidence of said party, my mother has pictures and videos of me belting out "Hit Me Baby One More Time" and sporting a blonde wig (a cruel reminiscence of my childhood). My biggest regret of my Britney years would have to be the fact that I never made it to a concert. My mother, knowing my pain and unhappiness, got me a bobble head Britney, and thus a friendship was born.

Bobble Britney is a one of a kind. There are only 6 of her in the whole world; at least that's what the saleslady claimed. Her flawlessly painted blonde locks and dazzling hazel eyes are perfectly captured by this mini plastic version; she even has the perfect concert/party outfit on, always ready for a show. Nowadays, Bobble Britney doesn't see much action and with faded paint and dusty hair, she now sits on my shelf between books of Jane Austen and Dr. Seuss.

Bobble Britney is misunderstood. Sure, she's a 90's pop icon but there's more to her than just fame and fortune. One shouldn't just judge a book by the cover with her. Throughout my years of singing and bobbing with her, we have become great friends. She became a childhood pal; someone who understood me, stuck with me through thick and thin, and loved me enough to endure years of tone-deaf karaoke sessions. We've drifted a bit over the years, yes; but we are still there for each other. She confides in me and even occasionally asks for some advice (plus, I've heard the teddy bear a couple of books down is quite aloof). She shares with me how she's never been able to live her life. She's always been forced into a stereotype, a box, stuck in the thesaurus under the same adjectives. She yearns for the freedom to make her own decisions, her own mistakes, and her own life. I cannot tell you how many times I have caught Britney in the middle of a escape attempt, and I've got to hand it to her, she is a regular Houdini. I can't blame her though; Britney doesn't understand why she can't pave her own path, fight her own battles, and discover her own discoveries. She doesn't understand why she is trapped. She needs the chance to pursue her true, inhibited dreams and not just the dreams that are dreamed for her by others. Living on a shelf can get pretty tedious I suppose, and I know for a fact she's been reading recently to pass the time. The other day, I found this highlighted in one of Dr. Seuss's classics. It read:

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."

And so as I go to bed each night, I look over at Bobble Britney, and I realize something. She speaks of freedom to live her own life, the pursuit of her own dreams, and she speaks to me of myself. Who could've guessed such nuggets of wisdom were worth only $2 at the local flea market?