Undergraduate / "undecided"Cornell supplement (interests essay) [6]

Cornell-College of Arts and Sciences
Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will use the academic programs ...

I am an early grad and this is me jumping head first into the college application process. I know that I need help, so PLEASE any one, much appreciated.

A Paper on the Word: "Undecided"

The word "undecided" arouses in me the image of a person who is lukewarm about many subjects. For fear of this generalization I have been discouraged from taking this path into college. However, I am exactly the opposite- someone with very strong convictions but in such distinct directions that the idea of triangulating on a single major that can encompass my goal is impossible.

When I came to the high school I used the flexibility of the curriculum to explore my interests; I intended to narrow myself into one definable category. With each class I found that quite the opposite was happening. Mechanical/Architectural Drafting made me realize how exciting a future in architecture could be and, Advanced Placement Physics far from dampened my passion for science; it introduced me to a classroom full of people who share a passion for the application of math and science similar to mine. At first it seemed that I was getting farther from a focused decision, but luckily I have found a future that can incorporate all of my passions.

I cannot exactly pinpoint when my childish incomprehension of people who stand on the corners with distended signs was replaced by genuine concern. I do however recall the first "plan" I made to improve their situation. My family and I were in San Francisco on one of our bi-yearly school shopping trips when we passed through one of the worst parts of the downtown. I remember ridding home in the back seat with my sister discussing our plans. We would collect each piece of change that we got in a bag until next time we came to San Francisco, then we would give it out. We did an excellent job collecting our dimes and quarters and the good feeling that helping other people generates began to grow in me.

Since then I have discovered a better way to help. "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day"- I believe that by creating an innovative center that provides psychological, medical, and jobs skills training under one roof, the disenfranchised people of America can provide for themselves a way to reincorporate into society. The challenge and the beauty is once again that I see so many ways to approach this center. Since Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences has the availability of esteemed professors who are actively involved in outreach programs, the prospect of studying abroad and learning from other country's advances, and the ample research opportunities that are unique to a Cornell University education is what I would need to be successful in creating a center that caters to those who are in need and to discover my path.

It is not that my future is a giant question mark; rather, the possibilities to arrive at my dream seem endless. So, at the moment, undecided best describes me.

another question. do they need titiles?

Undergraduate / "integrity"; This is the idea that I would like to convey, does it make sense and read well? [3]

Hi I could really use some help/ ideas

This is the idea that I would like to convey, does it make sense and read well?
My biggest problem is that the word limit is 150!

During our Mid-State Fair, you could find me down at the fairgrounds at 7:30 in the morning cranking open the Dip-N-Dots booth, balancing the receipts, and donning my fluorescent green hat to serve flash frozen ice creams. But my independence was worth it. I couldn't however pass up the opportunity when two upstanding vendors offered me jobs.At 1:15 I would go running through the crowd of fair goers pulling on a Pizzeria apron.

I applied myself diligently to both jobs: coming in early and cleaning up my co-worker's messes. At Dip-N-Dots I was soon rewarded, I was promoted to Manager, the pay was the same, but I had more responsibility and often had personal conversations with the boss about how to manage a business. At the Pizzeria however all of my effort was ignored- I would go to other booths and translate and offer to stay and close, but none of this seemed valuable to the owner. As the fair came to a close I saw the owner having a conversation with the cooks; he was offering to pay them by the day instead of by the hour. It was no business of mine, but when I calculated the two wages I saw that he was cheating them out of their money. That day the boss came up to me and was complaining about how annoying the summer work season was, I just nodded and went back to work. The next time I spoke to him was when I came to pick up my pay check; I was content with what I had earned during those weeks and was proud of my effort regardless of his recognition. While I waited the owner pulled me aside and offered me a job at his restaurant in town. My first thought was victory; he did value my work. But, I respectfully declined his offer. I had learned perseverance, but I had had experience with that lesson before. Mostly I learned that the motivation behind your actions is important.

Undergraduate / really last minute common app-("choir members) [NEW]

sorry, this is my last essay I have to write. Please help me. I used a modified UC application essay, is that ok? Does it sound like it has a direction?

please help THANK YOU!

It's the second long essay for the Common app. I choose my own topic
Each member in a choir has a beautiful voice when singing alone. But, it is when all of these individuals join together in harmony that we experience their full ability. Similarly, my town has three main, yet distinct accents reflected by three popular radio stations: CAT Country, Wild 106, and Hip-hop y más! By birth, by association and by learning a language I have become a part of each of these parts of my community. I have found that when everyone works together harmoniously, contributing their unique perspectives, that is when we are closest to advancing together through our diversity.

I can still remember Sunday mornings from my early childhood. The rhythmic sing-song voice of the pastor bellowing down over the congregation, the soft southern drawl of Georgia and the Carolinas singing in the choir, and the sharp Texas twang of a wizened woman handing out candy; these voices still influence my perceptions. In this group of African-American men and women who met at Second Baptist to worship there were so many ways to praise and sing. It was an expression deeper than the words. On January of 2000 I was baptized into that church. It would set the stage for my immersion into other cultures and their traditions.

When I started elementary school I became a part of yet another culture. I learned Spanish: how to speak it and write it. But, through my friendship with Blanca Ruiz, a native Spanish speaker, I realized that Spanish is a bridge between people. I didn't leave the language at school where we danced Baile Folklórico, but went to Blanca's house where I learned to sing along to the mariachi songs her parents listened to and the Regatón that she likes. My Spanish blossomed as I translated for my mom and Blanca's and I became an emissary. My Spanish grew as did my understanding of the importance of experiencing other worlds.

In high school I could have been defined by the different cliques: the cowboys, the techies, the emos, the jocks... But these labels create another type of boundary and I refuse to singularly categorize myself by any of these. I challenge myself to make connections among them, learning to speak the language of each. As different as we first appear to be, I remember that once those boundaries are crossed we will recognize that we are not as foreign as we first imagined. Each person is a valuable and complicated addition to our community, and we are worth the time it takes to be understood.

I'm not advocating that everyone learns the 39, 491 plus dialects that are in existence today. Rather, we must recognize that we are all human; we each have a voice that needs to be heard. Because my world has been primarily influenced and so drastically expanded by language-in both the literal and metaphorical sense-these experiences will assist me with my goal to advocate for those who find themselves disenfranchised to find their voice. By improving upon the benefits that the Department of Social Services already extends, I intend to create an innovative way to help people back into society where their voice can help create a more equal nation. A center that is not only dedicated to providing medical cares and connections to job skills training, but also houses these individuals until they are employed and have a stable plans is what I envision. Because when everyone's voice is able to be heard and understood we are able to approach the Greek philosophy of sophrosyne-meaning moderation or balance. On one extreme we could cubicalize ourselves in our differences, yet the solution isn't for us all to be exactly the same. America should no longer be considered a melting pot, rather a harmony where every voice can stand out but the collective is far more beautiful.