Undergraduate / 'physics' - UIUC prompt 1:my academic interests [3]

I'm not sure whether my essay fits the prompt well. I welcome any suggestion both in the structure and grammar. Thank you

Prompt 1:(I haven't declared the major)Explain your academic interests and strengths or your future career goals. You may include any majors or areas of study you are currently considering. Please limit your response to approximately 300 words.

When it comes to majors, I find it difficult for me to decide. Roughly, I would like to enter the college of Liberal Arts and Science in the University of Illinois, because I enjoy gaining different knowledge. In my high school, I did well in almost every subject the school taught me. In addition to the school courses, I have taken part in many out-school activities during these years. I have listened to a report made by the former captain of Chinese Antarctic Great Wall Station, and also taken several philosophy courses given by a university professor. After all those activities, I realized that the world is full of exciting things that I can never imagine, and waiting for me to explore.

If I were forced to choose a major, the physics or psychology would be my choice.

In my opinion, physics is a subject to explain how the world operates, how the matters like energy, light compose our universe. Although physics is taught in my high school, my teacher only teaches us how to do endless exercises. What really arouses my interest in physics is the Yale's online open courses of basic physics. I watched several periods. They provided me a whole new way to understand the physics laws, which are only told but not proved in my high school. Hence, I'd like to learn more in college.

As to the psychology, I think it has a common place with the physics. It reveals the basic pattern of human behavior, just like the physics seeking basic rules of nature. I'm quite fond of finding the potential connection among things. Thanks to the book<Psychology and Life>, I knew the psychology, learned the different experiments and of course, had more questions.

Undergraduate / "Welcome to the Jincai Law Club" UIUC prompt 2: describe an experience [4]

Please feel free to comment on the content and the verbal expression. Thanks.

Tell us about one interest or experience of yours that allows us to get to know you better as an individual. Please limit your response to approximately 300 words.

'Welcome to the Jincai Law Club. In this new spring semester, we are gonna discuss some cases experience how to be a judge. I promise you will have a good time." In a confident voice, I started the first club activity after I was elected the leader of the law club, which had 12 members.

"Student club" is a feature in my high school. All these student clubs are only established and run by students. Therefore, the club leader becomes an important role, who takes charge of the club.

Honestly, after I took over the club, I felt some invisible pressure around me. As a leader, I wanted my law club to be filled with the idea and laugh. Therefore, from the discussion about cases to mock trial, from a lecture given by a teacher to enjoying a movie, I tried to be innovative and changed the content of the weekly activities. However, all those plans cost my time. I used my little leisure time to read books about judicial system, search the information and discuss with my club members and the former leader. Once, because of my heavy study pressure, I had an idea of quitting, but my promise in my first class stopped. I knew promises should obey.

The position of a club leader means burden but also more to me. The discussion with my club members brought me the pleasure of changing thoughts; my preparation for the activities stimulated me to gain more knowledge ; my constantly speaking in front of club members also leads my speaking ability into a new level. Furthermore, I regarded the club as a family, and thus nothing is more enjoyable than witnessing my own club' progress. To me, this sense of success can never be substituted by any other experience.

Undergraduate / "The scenery, academy and community" Why Madison [2]

I have no idea whether there are too many topics(the scenery, academiy, community) in this essay. I just really want to enter UWM. If you have any comment, please feel free to comment. Thank you for reading my essay.

1. Tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, share with us the academic, extracurricular, or research opportunities you would take advantage of as a student. If applicable, provide details of any circumstance that could have had an impact on your academic performance and/or extracurricular involvement.(300-500)

What first makes University of Wisconsin special and impressive to me is an aerial photo, where several boats leisurely float on lake Mendota; both the modern and tradition style buildings stand along the bank; the red sun set down slowly at the edge of horizon. Living in a crowded city provides limited chances to satisfy my love for the lovely nature. What a pity I'm thousands miles away from the one of the most beautiful campus in the U.S and can't enjoy the scenery! When facing beautiful scenery, I always feel a kind of quietness and peace, which allow my mind free wandering, and getting inspired.

Then, as my exploration to the University of Wisconsin continues, the beautiful scenery turns out to not be the only part of why I like Madison.

In term of academy, raised as a world class research university, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a huge fountain of knowledge. The libraries with abundant books, the labs with advanced equipment and programs which encourage innovation like D2P, widen my view of what I can utilize in a research university for academic research. I'm interested in the writing center, which helps me improve my academic writing.

Besides the academy, it's a special community which I cannot find at other universities that appeals to me as well. I'm living in a boarding school now, where I have a good time living with my peers and friends. Sharing the daily life, doing some pranks, and handling life difficulties together are all highlights in my dormitory life. However, due to the students' number and heavy study burden, seldom do I prepare for meeting the challenge in the independent future. But the community in the University of Wisconsin-Madison gives me a chance.

Two features of the community interest me: "Learning community", a fresh concept to me, and its diversity. The community, I think, embodies the "Wisconsin experience" very well. It's not a traditional classroom, but it's also a good outside-classroom-study resources. I'm looking forward to living in a place with such a both academic and multicultural environment. I believe that life is a big laboratory, filled with invisible experiment instrument. To better meet the challenge in the world, I'd like to try, to research, and to conclude how others and my life can be shaped by my effort. The collaboration with friends or strangers is a required skill, and owning a global vision helps me in many ways. Equipped with the Chinese culture, value and personalities, I'm glad to improve the community's diversity and introduce another perspective of learning into the community.

I really hope that one day I would walk along the Lake Mendota, discussing the psychology class with a friend with different nationality, heading to the first home of my independent life.

Undergraduate / A story about how my international student title shapes me. "Thing unnoticed" UWM [2]

I want more advice on my content than the grammar one. I'm looking to getting your reply. Thank you.

1. Consider something in your life you think goes unnoticed and write about why it's important to you.

When you achieve your dreams, it's not so much what you get, as who you have become in achieving them.
------Henry David Thoreau
It's a story that can be easily unnoticed. It's a story about how a boy tries to enter a big world and pursue an independent life. It's a story about how my "international student" title leads my transition to the mature.

Not until the second of semester of my first year in senior high school, which is always regarded late to an international student, did I decide to study abroad in my undergraduate. What causes my sudden decision is hard to tell. Maybe the typical trait of teenager ignited my desire to challenge, maybe my global vision gained from my activities, especially from my Model UN experience, drived me to explore the world; maybe I just wanted to resist a so-called Chinese students' destiny that only the scores can decide him; maybe my father's story about how he worked hard to enter a great university in Shanghai from the rural place inspired me, or my decision is the result of the combination of all these factors.

But what I'm sure is that decision commenced a new stage in my growth, in which no one except me, can stop and even confine my future. For the first time, I was willing to get extra courses to improve my English and sacrifice my leisure time to memorize a huge number of new words. On weekdays, it seemed that I was always fighting against the nature. At school, because I needed to deal with school courses, and took care of a law club, only after my assignment, I could usually squeezed about one hour to prepare for my TOEFL and SAT test. Sometimes it was exhausted, but no pain, no gains. I have chosen my own road thus, needing to commit the responsibility.

In fact, the one-year preparation also shows me another aspect of independence. Independence doesn't mean facing all kinds of troubles alone, but finding a way to handle them. There are always some troubles and burdens that are beyond my capacity, so help from others is vital. For instance, without my friend's encouragement and understanding, much of sorrow, and my uncertainty would keep me from moving towards; without my beloved family's support, I will fight vulnerably like a soldier without armor. During this one year, my attitude to my family has been changed silently. I no longer obey my parents' words blindly, which however, helps me realize my parents' deep love and support better.

Now this story comes to an end. However, silently, this decision has led me into a more independent life. I know I have become a helmsman, controlling how the ship voyages in the sea of life.