Undergraduate / 'progression into the real world' - Rutgers Admission [3]

Essay Prompt: Rutgers University is a vibrant community of people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. How would you benefit from and contribute to such an environment? Consider variables such as your talents, travels, leadership activities, volunteer services, and cultural experiences.(3800 characters).

It was the day of October 28, 2006, as my faint memory depicts me boarding a plane on Pakistani International Airlines to journey across the ocean and into another country. I was fourteen hours away from Pakistan at that point, and I was overjoyed with anxiety and elation, mostly anxiety considering my weak stomach for airplane rides. It was as though everyone became insects the instant I looked out the window. The food on the airplane was not all that inviting, and my pillow needed fluffing every ten minutes. I was on my way to Pakistan, the pride of my ancestral roots. I did not know what to expect, confused like any other child would be, however I came to realize that the quintessence of my lifestyle was derived from my heritage. This was something I could apprise to others with the same amount of pride my parents exhibited. We are all defined by one ambition of representing the pinnacle of our origination and ideologies, separated by cultural commodities and rituals; that ambition is sewed into my being and I bring with me the quilt of my cultural diversity to Rutgers University.

I made my way through the gates of the Jinnah Airport in Karachi, almost was everyone dressed in traditional long shirts and tunics, the shalwar kameez. We arrived at our house, which looked like castle with an elongated Portuguese influenced verandah, in Sialkot. I spent most of my time playing with cousins, frolicking in the gallery when I heard the sound of azan, the Islamic call to prayer from the mosque. It was time to ready ourselves for the sacred month of Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims around the globe. A time of forgive and forget as we fast from sun up to sundown, fortifying us with patience and abstention. Our eyes tell us the stories of impoverished men, women, and children all around the world who cannot eat three meals a day, have clean water at the flip of a faucet, or have clothing to shelter their skins. The month of Ramadan allowed me to realize that my empty and groaning stomach is only one aspect to the hardships faced by the less fortunate. Patience became a virtue as I exposed myself to the conditions of life that were unknown to me, in hopes of making a difference for those less fortunate. I saw my parents giving zakah, donating money, and going to the shelters and community homes in order to give aid while on a fasting stomach. From that day on, I believed that the mindset of constituting change upon society by viewing life through an array of lenses is an essential ingredient for ethical prosperity. I joined the efforts of my local mosque after my return to the United States. The Islamic Center of Morris County allowed me to coordinate youth programs and utilize my knowledge to enlighten the younger generations on moral obligations. This manifestation of ideas is an indispensable inclusion to the Rutgers community.

The process of my progression into the real world is dependent on the exposure to the different types of cultures. With me, I bring the keys to unlocking my own identity by sharing my experiences, while acquiring erudition of other cultural traditions through social output and the extracurricular involvements provided by Rutgers' institution. An embodiment of students glimmering with cultural diversity will inevitably revamp social advancement. I have come to realize, through experience, that my family is essential towards the pursuit of happiness and success upon my endeavors. My involvement within their presence and my religion is what sets me apart from other people. This is imperative on the ascendency towards academic and social prosperity, exemplified by the mission at Rutgers University to allows students to "thrive in an increasingly diverse and global society."

Undergraduate / Common App Essay (topic of choice: influence of basketball game) [2]

The symphony of the polished hardwood floor rubbing up against the soles of my basketball shoes is music to my ears; every step composes the harmonic rhythmic squeaks which leaves me defenseless against its hypnotic effects. The smell of the rubber basketball intoxicates me and transforms me into an uncontainable threat on the court, or at least I thought it did. The flashing of photography in the crowd makes me realize how important of a moment this was. It was moments like these which allowed me to let go, unlock myself from the shackles of the stresses of life and do something I loved doing, playing the game of basketball.

The Amateur Athletic Union basketball season was something I would never get used to. Every night was a new beginning; however it was a specific night which encompasses my thought bubbles to this day, January 6, 2011. The shot-clock was winding down when Coach Miles began to wave his arms with a hurried look on his face, demanding a timeout. It felt as though the shriek of the referee's whistle stopped time as I started to roam in my own thoughts, reminiscing how it all began.

I saw myself trying to walk in the shoes of someone whom did not exist, myself playing basketball as a profession. I would go to the local recreational field after school and as I looked around, I saw ongoing games all of the time. There were excessive yells and grunts, intimidation was what they strived for. I never thought of myself as an authoritative figure to factor in intimidation with my game. Even professional basketball player Derrick Rose finds it difficult to spew words saying sometimes, "I just can't do it." Basketball was a process I was uncomfortable with, even though it was something I always wanted to pursue.

The night of January 6th of the AAU division finals game, I was in a race with the clock. Coach Miles took out his clipboard and went to work on the game plan when all of a sudden his eyes became fixed upon me. Coach emphatically gave me my orders. We were down by two points. My heart pounded and my stomach twisted, my palms sweating. I was directing traffic with my hands and yelling to my teammates at the top of my lungs, telling them to get into their positions. After receiving the ball, I let go of it, flicking my wrist towards the basket. The ball rolled around on the ring and out it went. I missed the shot. This was my time to shine, my magnum opus would be revealed entitling me the hero. Instead, failure engulfed me and I realized that confronting what I had been afraid of illuminated the road ahead of me.

It should be obvious that I had not been honored with any award, however I did receive something I never would have without failing. I gained a new perspective, a new lens for the projection of academic, athletic, or any other hardships. This helped me better understand myself and it allowed me to bloom into a leader. I became a general, leading an army against a combative pursual. Even though I failed, I realized I had endured a slip, but not a fall.