Undergraduate / Race, Time, Competition - the common app main essay topic 1 2015 [4]

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story

I like race. I don't mean that I want to be a fast runner in 100-meter dash, although I am a sport man. What I like actually is to race with the fastest thing in this world, time, a endless and cannot-lose competition for me to run.

In 2003, my father failed in stock market. As the eldest son, my father refused to ask helps from relatives and started frequently leaving home, during next eight years, to find business opportunities for redemption. As my mother always said at that time, "things always go worse", in 2006 fall, my grandma was diagnosed with malignant lymphoma. My mom, therefore, need stay with my grandma in advanced hospitals in Guangzhou. The only thing my parents told me was that I need learn how to take care of myself, when in home alone. By occasionally, inadvertently hearing the my parents' furious conversation, however, I realized what happened. I knew that I had to be ignorant and let my parents don't worry about me.

I had to assume most the housework at that time. It is little bit exorbitant for a ten-year-old kid who had never done much housework. With lots of time occupied by housework, I started losing paces with courses in school, but I couldn't let my academic performance tell my parents that I was impacted by the current condition. The competition began, but I gave in. I abnegate my time with friends and on entertainments, in order to have extra time for academy. I succeed in academy, but fell in quagmire.

In school, I felt that I gradually lost topics to chat with my classmates. I could only sit in my seat alone. After three months, I noticed that my classmates started talking about me. In their conversations, I was mute, freak and nerd. When they were more aware of my physical features, they gave me well-known names: wild man and Bigfoot. At first, my responded to these insults with anger and violation, but what I did matched their expectation and brought me more furious insults. I wanted to but couldn't ask help from teachers, because through them my parents might know what happened on me and then worried about me. I need count on myself.

The reason for this predicament, I knew, was that I didn't try to race with time and let it freely deprive things from me. I couldn't give in any more; instead, I must race with it. I started making rigid schedule to follow and recording the time I spend doing housework and study everyday. Meanwhile, I was racking brain to figure out ways to finish things more efficiently. I created "singing memory", putting terms, poetry and formula in rhythms shaped in my mind, to enable myself to memorize things in shorter time. After learning basic physics, I used dry rag to grate broom-head in order to let it carry charge, a excellent way, I once believed， which could allow me clean dust fast. With those efforts, I allowed free time to occupy space on my schedule. Finally, I surpassed the time. I not only got back my relationship with peers, but also learned about a meaningful skill.

Now, things have been settled down, and my parents come back home, but the competition is still processing. I keep adding things in my schedule to challenge time. I am in charge of several school events and two clubs, take internship and part-time job, and have crucial position in student counsel. What I experienced in my early life allow me to be a competent rival with time and to keep the balance between all those things. This competition is continuing, and it will be continuing.

Undergraduate / I am a well-known pioneer in my high school - How you contribute to life at Rice / First learn Rice [2]

how you contribute to life at rice

As those artists, poets and reformers against church in medieval Europe, I am a well-known pioneer in my high school.

Back to the Club Carnival, an exhibition of all clubs and propaganda of activities in school toward freshmen, I visited every club's booth and looked every poster. When I finished my search, the paltry numbers of clubs and activities shocked me. With time accumulating, I increasingly felt that I was misfits with this school. I enjoy keeping adding various things to my schedule and exploring things unknown to me, whereas this school limits students to academic.

I joined the campaign for president of student council, a position which has certain power to change the school, for me and other students. In the second semester, the result came out. I have to admit that it is disappointing that I didn't become the president, but the administer of sports & activities department actually is a more specialized position for me because I can put all my focus on improving and diversifying school events and then the whole school.

The annual basketball tournament between sophomoric classes is my first step. In my plan, I replaced the previous one-match-game-loop with playoffs and added all-star games so that students could enjoy more games, and suggested school cancel the free-study-class in afternoon to have enough time for everyday games. Three months later, I submitted my plan and posted in campus. This plan, I thought, directly challenge the school's doctrines, and I was ready for hinders. The road in reform is always rough.

Those hinders, however, came from not only the church but also the people. Many students thought my plan would distract them and affect their academic. Some even directly thought they need a new administer. Unexpected criticisms from them made me start questioning whether what I pursuit was right or not; meanwhile the school dismissed my plan. After short-time frustrated, I realized that not my goal was wrong, but my way. Differences definitely exist between people as well as thoughts and minds. I viewed the tournament and other events, however, only my own business but didn't consider in others' perspectives. I simply thought that I represented all students' wish and right side. Blind in road, only could I bump into others.

I apologized to my members in department and to whole school. I collected others' views on the plan and tirelessly hold meetings with students and teachers to exchange thoughts and explain my opinions. Gradually, I got supports and understanding from others. Finally, I kept my all-star games and hold more games by using group match and one-match games in final four. Most importantly, I found appropriate way to my Renaissance.

Rice is a diverse university. Students come from every corner in the world and have different background and minds. Divergence is an inevitable thing. My work experience and leadership in high school enable me to improve the various events and introduce new ones in Rice campus while balance different opinions.[/b]