Poetry / Tufts Optional essay - poem about being green [6]

Prompt: Kermit the Frog famously lamented it's not easy being green. Do you agree?

I wrote a poem for it...which I'm pretty sure is OK. I'm not sure it makes sense to anyone but me, though. Thoughts?

How hard can it be
When all are born green?
Your unseasoned mind
Has had zero face time
With life.

How hard can it be
To travel lightly?
No memories to carry
No taste of wild berries
On your tongue.

How hard can it be
To be free?
Free of experiences building up
Filling your heart like a drinking cup
Of "been there done that."

How hard can it be
To sit by idly?
Don't grasp for that open door,
Don't ask for anything more
Than existence.

Do you know how hard
It is to truly see,
No, not merely watch,
The opportunities?

Do you know how hard
It is to truly do,
No, not merely try,
Anything new?

Do you know how hard
It is to shed your green,
To dare to draw
Upon your slate so pristine?

How hard can it be
To be green?

Undergraduate / why tufts - strong psychology department [6]

Prompt: Which aspects of Tufts' curriculum or undergraduate experience prompt your application? In short: ''Why Tufts?'' (500 characters)

So, after browsing some samples from past/current students (admissions.tufts.edu/?pid=194&c=154)I decided to focus on only 1 specific aspects of Tufts that really appealed to me. After all, there's only so much a person can do with 500 characters...suggestions/comments/impressions appreciated.

"Psychology?!" My peers laugh - as if the subject that has enthralled me since the 7th grade merits no respect. My home for the next four years needs to be a place where my passions are not only understood but also nurtured. The Tufts Department of Psychology's dedication to undergraduate research and its emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and practical knowledge demonstrate its appreciation for the wealth of information the "unscience" holds. At Tufts, I can prove the skeptics wrong.

Undergraduate / Question about UVA "world" prompt [3]

So at the last minute, I realized one of my other essays could be applicable for the UVA prompt:

Describe the world you come from and how that world shaped who you are.

The only problem is that, in the other essay, I don't really talk about my family or community or the city I grew up up - only about what I DID as a kid, ie what I played, etc, and how that has shaped who I am. D'you guys think this would fit the UVA prompt? Since the prompt is pretty open ended, I thought it could work, but I'd rather not risk seeming like I can't follow simple instructions. Thanks!

Undergraduate / Tufts self identity - Ke$ha and Bushido! [8]

So...this was by far the hardest essay I had to write. Still, I'm not sure if I got it quite right. Did I answer the prompt? I know I don't have to answer it EXACTLY, and that every applicant has a different take...but I hope I'm not too far off (;

Also, it's a bit long...280 words, "suggested limit" is 200. Trying to get it down to 250.

Self-identity and personal expression take many forms. For example, music, clothing, politics, extracurricular interests, and ethnicity can each be a defining attribute. Do you surf or tinker? Are you a vegetarian poet who loves Ayn Rand? Do you prefer YouTube or test tubes? Are you preppie or Goth? Use the richness of your life to give us insight: what voice will you add to the Class of 2014?

---If one were to sit outside my office window late at night, one might glimpse a rather strange sight. In her less inhibited moments, a girl bounces around in her chair, tosses her hair, and sings, "I'm talkin bout e'erbody getting crunk crunk," to Kes$ha's "TiK ToK." Once in a while, she throws in a few verses of Bushido's "Eure Kinder;" what she lacks in German rapping skills she makes up for in enthusiasm, denoted by pronounced hand gestures and intense nodding of the head.

---Is this a case of undiagnosed musical epilepsy? No; this is my personal geek-fest.
---On the surface, my love for the genre of rap and hip-hop doesn't quite complement my love for science. A rapping biologist, after all, is not the norm. As much as I love the genre for its high-energy spontaneity that science sometimes lacks, I cannot truthfully say that it is the reason rap and hip-hop appeal to me. It is science - after all - that draws me to the world of Ke$ha and Bushido: the science of language.

---Phonetics, the study of the sound of human speech Do I need to define this? , fascinates me. Listening to rap and hip-hop is like being drenched in a phonetics thunderstorm; streams of words flood my ears, enlivened by the unique pronunciations of each artist. Music videos, then, are a phonetics monsoon; I can sit for hours and analyze the position, shape, and movement of an artist's mouth.

---However, the fullest experience requires not only observation, but also participation. I swish my hair a la Ke$ha, throw up my hands a la Bushido, and form my tongue and lips into their words. This is my private dance party - my celebration of "geekiness."

Grammar, Usage / a disgusting sentence -wording grammar question [7]

I just remembered that I have a disgusting sentence that I need to fix in one of my college app supplements. I'd like to submit this application as soon as possible, so I would definitely appreciate some suggestions!

"That the physicians are also professors exemplifies the real-world approach to education that I value"

I know, it sounds terrible, but I can't figure out how to re-word it.

Undergraduate / yet another common app activity - persistence vs misconceptions [5]

Hi all. I'm stuck between these two short answers: "please elaborate on one of your activities (extracurricular, personal activities, or work experience)"

I originally submitted the first one for one of my schools, but afterwards I was a bit hesitant because I thought it was cliched...so I wrote another one! Yet, I feel like the 2nd isn't as personal. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. This is the one thing standing between me and submission (;

#1
When I became the communications head for Fashion for A Cause, I imagined glamorous networking in the name of St. Jude's Hospital. However, my daydreams were quickly trampled by my quest for food donations. I was faced with dead-end phone calls from every store and restaurant. I had always thrived on the idea that blood, sweat, and tears could produce dreams; all I wanted were refreshments for our charity fashion show. I was ready to trade in my motto when a last-minute meeting with a Cheesecake Factory owner yielded the desired results. That evening, as I juggled precariously stacked dessert boxes on my way to the show, I realized that the difference of a few cheesecakes had renewed my faith in the power of determination. The simple act of persistence had brought about the truly glamorous aspect of the job: confidence that I could create my own luck.

#2
As Communications Head of Fashion for A Cause, I have fought the misconception that students of a science and technology school are merely interested in science and technology. Although I consider myself a "geek" due to my passion for biology and psychology, I also harbor a deep love for the arts; to me, fashion is an outlet for innovation and imagination, just as science is. As an FAC liaison within the school, I both encourage students not previously interested in the arts to explore their artistic sides and recruit artistically minded students to use their talents to benefit others through creating garments and designing sets. My dedication to FAC not only stems from my desire to give back to others, but also from my desire to show students that a love of science and art complement each other and coexist through the same principles.

Undergraduate / Misconceptions: the best way to fight them is to prevent them from being formed in the first place. [6]

Hi everyone. Here's my essay in response to "In approximately 250 words, tell us about the most personally significant contribution you have made to a community"

It's about 100 words over right now, so I'd appreciate some advice on compacting it. Also, do you think I answered the prompt sufficiently?

---Misconceptions: the best way to fight them is to prevent them from being formed in the first place. There are misconceptions that the students of a science and technology school are only interested in science and technology. There are misconceptions that business is an egocentric industry. As Communications Head of the student-run organization Fashion for A Cause, I have tried to prevent these misconceptions from being formed.

---The goal of Fashion for A Cause is twofold: to bring a love of art to a science-oriented school and to raise funds for medical organizations through an annual fashion show. Although I consider myself a "geek" due to my passion for biology and psychology, I also harbor a deep love for the arts - especially fashion. To me, fashion is an outlet for innovation and imagination, just as science is. As an FAC liaison within school, I have both encouraged students not previously interested in the arts to explore their artistic side and recruited artistically minded students to use their talents to benefit others. Through creating garments and designing sets, students came to understand that a love of science and of art stem from the same principles, and that the two can coexist. As an FAC liaison outside my school, I have contacted business owners and news stations to raise awareness about how students are defying the "geek" stereotype while giving back to the community.

---In addition, the most profound contribution that I have made was in raising four thousand dollars with FAC for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and St. Jude Children's Hospital. As a member of the communications committee and then as head, I devoted many hours to forming partnerships with local businesses, boutiques, and restaurants to solicit donations of clothing and refreshments that were essential to the show. The support and generosity of designers like Sarah McClintock, retailers like Nordstrom, and restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory provided the wind under the wings of our small club.

---Ultimately, everyone involved with or exposed to the show recognized the benefits of inhibiting and overcoming misconceptions. The success of FAC serves as a prime example of the reciprocal relationship between the arts and the sciences.