Undergraduate / Stanford Supplement(s): 1- It's our duty to be intellectual 2- Roommate letter [4]

Stanford Supplement 1: Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.

As the only species thus far to have an aptitude to attain intelligence, shouldn't we as humans continuously strive towards excelling our respective individual intellects?

I've had a strange obsession with the sciences ever since I was a child. I would have strange dreams of the stars and space, gaze in wonderment at images of the macrocosm I could only fantasize about. Then after putting away the astronomy books, I would inquire about my grandfather's aliments and hop on the computer frantically searching for definitions and cures. My mother would always yell at me for the clutter of scattered around my room ranging from fantasies like Harry Potter to books from the realm of quantum physics such as The Holographic Universe.

Growing up as a Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim, I was taught to pursue knowledge for more than monetary gain. Through analysis of my own religious and cultural history, I learned about the discoveries Muslims made in fields of modern medicine and mathematics. Furthermore, I realized that their contributions of algebra, advanced optics, and many more innovations, had been fueled by curiosity, faith, and desire for the betterment of society. It's my duty to follow in my forefathers footsteps and build upon their innovations.

Without proper intellectual development, we can't advance humankind for higher standards of living. By denying oneself the pursuit of education, one not only harms the advancement of mankind, but also squanders their gift of intellect. As a person blessed with resources, it's my obligation to pursue knowledge in any way I can and contribute to society in an appropriate manner.

Stanford Supplement 2: Write a letter to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate - and us - know you better.

Dear Roommate,

I've roomed with some strangers who are now my lifelong friends. I learned the importance of compromise and respect from my past rooming experiences because a roommate relationship is more transcendent than any friendship.

There'll be times when we will agree and disagree, bond and fight, good times and bad times, but I'm prepared to get us through the inevitable. As much as drama sucks, it's a part of life. Arguments break relationships down and compromise builds them back up to be stronger than ever before. Ideally, we learn from and about each other through our disagreements.

You'll probably be annoyed of me barging in and out of the room, but I hope you join me in my midnight snack runs to In-N-Out and then some 5:00 AM meditation and workout sessions. Sleeping gets boring, wouldn't you agree? There's so much to be done that it's hard to sleep! I can't remember a time when I slept past 9 except for days when I was jetlagged from my travels to Pakistan, but that's a story for another day. The fact that I don't sleep much makes sense because after all, my name means wakeful in Arabic.

My lifestyle isn't as tiring as it sounds. When I need to relax, I sit under the sky wondering about the expansion of the universe, dreaming of traveling in space, and planning how I'll get there. The idea of space travel always fascinates me even though I'm terrified of heights. I get nervous standing even a few feet of the ground, but this one time, I jumped off my cousin's roof into his pool. It was one small step for me, one giant leap for overcoming my fear.

My friends call me a story teller because I have tons of stories like that to share, but these are more than stories, they're memories. Over the next four years I hope to make many more memories with you.

See You Soon,
Sahir Noorani

Can someone give me feed back? Please and thank you (:

Undergraduate / Common app essay-The value of education Stanford Supplement #3- What I learned matter [2]

Hello, I could use some feedback from some people about these two essays because they're super important. Please and thank you (:

Common App Main Essay

Growing up, I always wished I could skip school every so often, but my parents would never let me miss; after a conversation with my grandfather some years ago, I finally realized why our family values education so much. My grandfather was born in India, and as a boy was forced to migrate to Pakistan with his family during the Partition of 1947. Grandfather started working from the age of seven to help support his family, and so his younger brother could attend school and university, to eventually become a doctor. Although my grandfather had limited resources and time, he still managed to get a college degree.

My grandfather's story is not unique; the vast majority of people in developing countries struggle to gain education. When I taught in Kenya over the summer, I witnessed how my students experienced the same hardships my grandfather experienced to get an education. These students worked to support their families and to pay for school, a daily grind that pays dividends eventually, but is grueling the entire time. Seeing the limited educational opportunities that exist in developing countries like Pakistan and Kenya empowers me and gives me a sense of obligation to embrace the rest of my educational opportunities. This lesson is far more important than anything I learned in my classes, and drives me to challenge myself every day.

My students in Kenya went through many daily struggles outside of the classroom to attain an education, and in some cases to survive. Many were sick, physically abused, or hungry, but even with all those negative circumstances they remained focused and learned the curriculum. These brave and tough kids had unlimited potential, but few resources to help them realize it. I have just as much potential as the young Kenyans, but my resources are incredible; I just had not used them very well in the past. With my awakening came the need to put myself in their shoes, to see if I could perform very well under similar situations. I only ate one meal a day at the school, just like my students. While eating that meal each day, I taught my students basic tech skills, and by the end of the four weeks they had successfully completed that separate, extra course. While I was excited for my student successes, I was also focused on sticking with the Kenyan student diet; I lost 20 pounds and gained some muscle, and when I came home, was the healthiest emotionally and physically I had ever been. Although my adversity was artificially created, I still accomplished my goals of running successful classes.

I went into this trip blinded by stereotypical images of hunger and poverty in Africa, but returned with incredible insight about myself and the Kenyans. Despite tough obstacles, students at Mtongwe Secondary School realized education is the key to uplifting their community; they made the most of their opportunity to learn from me and let me learn from them. I owe much to my students and my grandfather for giving me a new perspective.

Stanford Supplement: What matters to you and why?

A wise man once told me "You must remember that life will have for you many disappointments. If one-fifth of one's hopes are realized, one is extremely lucky and fortunate, so do not be discouraged by disappointments. Failures should be forgotten and new efforts made". In the past however, I was easily discouraged when even the smallest things went wrong. Weather it was not getting noticed by a girl I liked or earning a bad score on an exam, I would be sent spiraling downwards, trapped in a loop of depression. The worst downward spiral occurred in the middle of my junior year; I thought "what's the point of trying in school anymore, I screwed up. It's too late to change anything". At that point, I reflected upon my life and asked myself "How did I get into this situation?"

Through self reflection, I realized my downward spirals were a motif in my life that would reoccur if I kept reacting to my problems with a defeatist attitude. Right then I made a conscious decision to reject despondency from my life; I made the most of the second semester of my junior year by learning from my shortcomings instead of complaining about them. Although I had this epiphany late in my high school career, I still have the rest of my life to apply the lesson I learned. More importantly though, I realized it's never too late to change because every day we wake up we have the opportunity to start anew which matters to me the most.