Undergraduate / My village and its customs that changed my life! [25]

Kaudena, a village located at the south of Nepal, is the place where my mother was married at the tender age of 16. It is located in a very rural area and barely has any facilities that the capital Kathmandu has. During my childhood, I had to frequently see my mother in the hospital. I would talk to her often and I remember promising her that I would become a doctor one day so I could 'fix' her. As a child, I was always curious as to what was giving my mother so much pain. One day, on asking the psychiatrist who treated my mother, I discovered that the cause of her illness cause was the shock she received on getting married at the early age.

One of my visits to Kaudena, turned out to be the most life changing. I almost became a child bride myself at the age of 13, when my grandfather insisted I must be married offer but my father thought otherwise. He wanted me to have a better future than the other girls from our village. He wanted me to have the freedom to choose my husband even though my parents were a result of an advanced marriage themselves. I remember thinking to myself how different people there were from anyone I had met in Kathmandu. I found myself in a state of mind that maybe my mother felt when she was my age. I knew I didn't want that for myself.

My father was the first generation to discontinue the tradition which was ritually passed on from one generation to the next. He wanted something more for me too. He has always tended to help the family regardless of where he was in his work. He has always been supportive of my ambitions and I feel grateful to him for the decision he took going against the society's value to educate me. When my mother frequently visited hospital because of the depression and anxiety attacks, my father would prepare meals, clean the house, wash clothes, and stich my torn school dresses so that I did not have to miss my school. He is what made me who I am today. I will make my father feel proud on me in the near future.

The day I overheard the conversation between my father and grandfather, and considering what had happened to my mother, I became determined that in the days to come, I would bring the girls of my village in the new light of educational and economic prosperity so that they would not undergo psychological disorders as my mom did, so that they would not hear about their marriage at their teenage as I did. I have an ambition to uplift the poor economy of villages such as my own and take the villagers out of the cycle of poverty in which they are bound to live in today.

I have been working for Hoste Hainse for the past two and a half years. Tutoring the poor children of the NGO gives me a sense of inner satisfaction. Last summer, the same program helped me to revisit Kaudena, but this time I went there with an intention of spreading awareness among local community about the impacts of early marriage. With the education and experiences I wish to receive I want to someday work for societies such as mine.

I like to think I have already started my journey....

Undergraduate / "What does not destroy me makes me stronger" - Princeton Supplement prompt 5 [13]

Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years as a starting point, tell
us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach
the world. Please write the quotation, title and author at the beginning of your essay.

"What does not destroy me makes me stronger" from Twilight of Idols by Friedrich Nietzsche.

Perhaps the last two years of my life clearly portrays what Nietzsche is trying to convey through this quote. At the mid of my tenth grade, my father (the single earner in my family) lost his job due to the political upheaval existing in the country. He worked in Casino Royale on a fixed income and, hence, had a very little saving in his bank account back then. We were forced to make our living possible with less than $1.5 per day. In midst of such financial crisis we were facing, another major problem hit us; my mother, a depression patient since last eighteen years, had another major attack. The little bank saving that my father had done was mostly spent in the medical expenses of my mother. By the end of my 10th grade, he had already a negative bank balance to fund for the daily expenses and my educational expenses. As per Nietzsche, these were some signs that indicated that we were in a near to die situation.

After my SLC, I had to be admitted in 11th grade. And this was the thing I feared the most because I knew my father would not be able to pay for my future tuition expenses. My high school admission became a far cry for me. However, crave for high school education within me led me to sought additional sources for financing my education. I started a scavenger hunt for scholarships in the city. On hearing about a scholarship opportunity to study A Levels Trinity International College, I thought of seeking it. After giving an entrance examination and fortunately getting the highest marks, I received a full scholarship.

Getting scholarship though reduced major financial burden of my family members, it was still difficult to pay off my daily expenditure. In order to save 10 cents, I would walk 6 miles to the college than take a public vehicle that cost 10 cents. While I would watch some of my friends spending a good time in the college canteen, I would stay in the classroom itself, telling myself and them that I had to complete my assignments. While my friends made plan to spend the weekends visiting new places, I would see them and say I didn't had enough energy to go with them.

The pressure of maintaining scholarship itself acted as a catalyst for me to give my best at academics. In trying to accomplish the scholarship criteria, I found myself refining my abilities. Scoring the highest marks and securing top positions in my college became important to me because on one hand, I had to retain my scholarship and on the other, I wanted to contribute something to the society in future.

When I joined my college, I was a quiet, shy, and an introvert girl. I feared asking questions with my teachers then. But in order to score well, I needed to discuss additional questions with my subject teachers. Thus, as days passed I found myself in a situation I had never imagined to be. I started taking parts in presentation and speeches in front of the class that developed leadership skills within me. I could enhance my communication skills and grow my self-confidence.

Two years back, I feared that I won't be able to achieve the high school education but the hardships taught me to tackle with them effectively and to support myself and my family. The hardships certainly didn't killed me but brought newer qualities in me that I previously lacked.

Undergraduate / Extracurricular activities, work - need guidance on improvement in language and grammar! [5]

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences that was particularly meaningful to you. (About 150 words)

For the last two and a half year ,I am working at Hoste Hainse .I have always wanted to contribute something back to my society and something to kids who are economically and emotionally deprived and thus tutoring the orphans and the abandoned ones gives me a sense of satisfaction.I have formed strong bonds with the children and instructing them provides me an opportunity to make them realize their true potential.Organising debate competition and story writing competition once in a week has been a weekly task for me which I enjoy very much because teaching such skills to them allows me to broaden the scope of my knowledge too.

Undergraduate / Busy two years in Nepal - spending free time on previous vacations [3]

Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or vacations between school years), including any jobs you have held. (About 150 words)

The summer of AS level, I continued my work as a tutor at Hoste Hainse Project(Nepal), teaching Maths,Computer, Science and English to underprivileged children.I also participated in People's Climate March as one of the volunteer. For the remaining 8 days of the summer, I relaxed, revised my summer assignments, and travelled with my friends on an educational tour to Pokhara.The summer of my A2 level, I volunteered at earthquake rehabilitation program at Nepal India Women Friendship Society.Through this program, I was able to serve some extremely affected districts of Nepal including Gorkha, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Sindhupalchok.I helped in the distribution of relief packages in the villages, tents set up, and the provision of emergency supplies like blankets, cooking utensils, and towels. At the society's youth club, I with the help of some peers organized an entertainment program to lessen the impact the quake had on our society.

Undergraduate / Comment and explanation section of pffa Princeton [12]

Use the area below to provide additional information you think is relevant to your application for financial aid. For example, you might give more detail about family income or other items from the application, or describe a special circumstance that affects your family's finances. International students should use this section to list the rate used to convert to US dollars.

The rate used in the conversion of Nepali rupee to US dollars is:
$1=Rs.107

My father is the single earner in my family .He was unemployed from October 2013 to May 2015; however, last year he got his job back and contributes around $5600 per annum to the family. He owns a house which yields an annual around $1200 as rent. The amount owed on our home is $20000 on which $300 has to be paid as an annual interest. Additionally, my father owns an agricultural land worth $20000 that raises $1200 per annum.

Since my mother is a depression patient, around $1500 per year is spent in in her regular medical expenses. However, when she gets major attacks we have to admit her in the hospital for months and the cost raises as much as $2500. In 2015, since my father lacked the ability to pay for the tuition, boarding, and plane tickets expenses of my elder brother which required $10000, he had to sell a part of the land we owned. Additionally, each year my parents contribute $2600 annually to pay off the tuition cost of the university in which my brother studies. We maintain our living with the remaining income .Since I had been studying on scholarship for the last two years, my parents were relieved from paying any tuition fee, but now since I have to get an admission in a four year college degree, they are prepared to contribute around $2000 per annum towards my education.

Am I supposed to write this in answer???

Undergraduate / My recommendations (ACCOUNTING AND BUSINESS) [2]

Accounting:

It is with great pleasure that I write this recommendation for Shivani Chaudhary to support her admission at Princeton. In my two years of working with her, she has demonstrated a deep passion for financial and management accounting and developed the qualities required to be a successful role model for other students.

She has worked consistently hard throughout the course and earned an A* in the GCE A Levels Accounting, and A*s throughout her high school career. She has not only excelled academically -securing top position in Nepal (AS Level Accounting)-but also explained concepts to confused classmates. She never has any hesitation to ask questions and ensures that she has a firm understanding of concepts thereby contributing positively in class. As a young learner, she always sought additional sources for problem solving exercises. She often stopped by my room to discuss numerous concepts and problems that were new to her. She is a very even-tempered and levelheaded young girl, always courteous and respectful.

Shivani exhibits the qualities of a future leader by demonstrating cooperation and communication skills in the regular group discussions. She spent an extensive amount of time on working for the assignments and studying independently. She is excellent at meeting deadlines and always does her best. In addition, her sound I.T skills is remarkable.

Outside of the classroom, she has actively participated in Sci-tech management expo and shown her competency in leadership .Throughout the year, she was also able to tutor young children at Hoste Hainse club .She also contributed to the nation aftermath of the devastating earthquake (2015) by volunteering in an NGO. Meanwhile, she astonishes me as a student who made 100 percent attendance throughout the course.

She is clearly an active member of society who balances her personal interests and academics. She has always challenged herself by actively seeking new opportunities and experiences. Her calm, cheerful and industrious nature inspires respect from others. Her mature attitude, determination, and interest towards her subject matter will certainly be valuable in her career. She is much committed to her education and will work hard to achieve her ambition.

Shivani Chaudhary would indeed be an exceptional addition to the Princeton University.

Business:

It is with great pleasure that I recommend Shivani Chaudhary for admission to Princeton University. Shivani is one of the few exceptionally talented student that I have ever encountered. During my involvement in her class, she possessed maturity in her knowledge and willingness to grow as an excellent student.

Shivani is a self-motivated, self-confident, enthusiastic, and dedicated student right from the beginning. She was the top excelling student who always stood out from the crowd by posing a deep questions about business concepts. She is an extremely hard worker who has always earned an A in business whether it be in the internal exams or in the GCE A Levels. Throughout the course, she covered the topics that the class did not yet study .She is the girl who frequently missed her lunch in order to have a deeper discussion about the applications of the business concepts, latest business news including the concepts of stock market exchange. As a teacher of business, I have always found Shivani to be intelligent, passionate, and responsible student who always searched on supplementary sources in order to have in depth understanding of business concepts. She studies not only for good scores but to become a complete human being.

I often gave her chances to do class presentations in which she demonstrated her outstanding leadership capacity. She always took a lead position in her class. In one of the lectures she gave to the class on operation management, she astonished me with her logics to interrelate course related knowledge with daily life activities. She participated actively during class discussions and completed her assignments in a detailed way, abiding by the deadlines that showed her competence in handling the rigor of competitive college environment. She has set an extremely high standard for her classmates and exhibits the qualities of a future leader and a successful entrepreneur.

The quality that sets her apart from numerous students I have taught till now is her independence of thought and her willingness to express those thoughts in the class that reflects her passion for the subject. She often sparked the class in heated period of argument by taking debatable positions. As a teacher, I enjoyed her presence in my classes because of her wittiness, brilliance, and intelligence to persuade. She is also quite attentive to the needs of her friends.

Shivani is a 'thinker' by nature who has proven herself equally capable outside of the classroom. She not only actively participated during the Earthquake rehabilitation program but also surveyed about the economic losses that took place. The useful data she brought into the class was carefully analyzed in a group discussion. I am optimistic about her voracious appetite for Knowledge. As much as I have known her in the past two years, she will never back off from getting engaged with the world of learning.

Evaluating her up and close, I would like to recommend Shivani Chaudhary as a strongly worthy candidate for admission at Princeton. It has been a dream for me to see Shivani into a country and institution where she should belong. Given the opportunity, she will bring new challenges and great diversity in terms of education and involvement.

Teachers have told me to search for errors (if any)
HELP!