Undergraduate / 'Stepping onto the campus' - UPenn supplement essay [4]

I'm unsure about how long it needs to be, because I feel like I don't really have anything else to add! :/

Considering both the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying and the unique aspects of the University of Pennsylvania, what do you hope to learn from and contribute to the Penn community? (Please answer in one page, approximately 500 words.)

Stepping onto the campus of the University of Pennsylvania for the first time, I was almost overwhelmed by the surrounding aura of nearly three hundred years' worth of knowledge and self-discovery emanating from the archaic yet beautiful buildings around me. Yet despite the rich and lengthy history of UPenn, I quickly learned that UPenn is not at all left behind in modern times. On the contrary, its top research facilities and productive alumni body was one of the motivating factors in my new desire to become a pioneer of computer science and innovation at UPenn.

Yet despite my solidified interest in the Computer Science program at UPenn, my curiosity was also aroused by UPenn's encompassing education that encourages students to learn as much as possible through the numerous joint-degree programs. While others might see a rigorous course load, I only see a buffet of knowledge that might finally satisfy my appetite for learning.

The Information Age we live in is constantly changing and adapting. Similar to UPenn's committed advancements towards research, I intend on developing and engineering new guidelines in computer security or satisfying my creative programming side by fulfilling the need for new software in any field possible. I believe that UPenn holds the tools I need to succeed in my aspirations, and while at UPenn I hope to create a few tools of my own.

Undergraduate / UVA Supplement essay "Work of art that has surprised or unsettled you" [3]

College of Arts & Sciences: What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way? (250 words)

The first note of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings is a solitary B flat, in a minor key. As the fragile note softly tip-toes across the air, the rest of the strings follow slowly behind, settling into the listener's heart with an unspeakable, almost unbearable sadness. The first time I heard this piece, I did not even listen to more than a minute. I wanted to listen to something uplifting, something more pleasurable to listen to. However, although I had listened to no more than a few notes, they dwelled heavily on my mind. I could not get the melancholy melody out of my mind, and thus returned to it the day after. Eight minutes later, I was left slumped in my chair, awestruck and emotionally drained. The uneasy, step-like melody was almost physically tangible, and had left me close to tears. Although the background context of the piece was unknown to me at the time, the piece itself left no doubts what it was about. Representing a nation struggling to recover from the wake of the Great Depression, as well as the tension of a world on the brink of World War II, Barber's simplistic masterpiece had the emotional impact of a battering ram, striking me unprepared every time I listened to it. Adagio for Strings embodied every sorrow I had experienced, yet the beauty of the piece is an unforgettable experience I cherish.

Undergraduate / UVA supp "Discuss your favorite place to get lost" [4]

I'm miles above the earth's surface, floating leisurely on my back. Above me, millions of stars twirl and twinkle as I am alone with my thoughts. But this is not reality. As my surroundings fade, I wake up and stare up at my bedroom ceiling. "Another great dream," I think. Lucid dreaming has been a hobby of mine for the past year, and allows me to lose myself within my subconscious. It has led to more self-realizations than I had ever thought possible, and I learn more about myself with every dream. While most people do not even remember their dreams, dreaming is just as important to every person in processing the day's events and memories. I have often found that my subconscious holds more answers that I didn't even know existed and is a powerful tool in overcoming fears and doubts. While lucid dreaming, anything is possible. I have conversed with my subconscious, taken advice from it, and even explored my mind as a physical landscape! Revisiting memories as if they had happened yesterdays is an exhilarating experience, and can lead to important resolutions in past conflicts. I have discovered that losing myself in my dreams is one of the most educational habits I have, and I hope to revisit my subconscious many times for years to come.