Undergraduate / Spending two years of my life at a hilltop in rural Maharashtra changed my outlook on life [3]

Please take some time out to read this essay. A friend of mine said that I am generalizing too much, and trying to cover so many points in one essay, if that is the case, please let me know. Also, i am 9 words above the word limit, so any cut recommendation would be great.

Q) Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. (650 Words)

my life in a bubble

"We'll be there to support you! It doesn't matter if you have minimal knowledge about this issue" assured the trio of girls, as they tried to convince me to speak at an event on the occasion of Kashmir Day. My reluctance to speak on the Kashmir issue was traced to the lack of interest I always had on the issue. I never bothered to form an opinion about the Kashmir conflict or for that matter any other situation which didn't affect me or my family directly. I spent sixteen years of my life in utter ignorance. A major reason for my ignorance was the fact that I had spent sixteen years of my life in a bubble: My home. The fact that I had friends from more or less same cultural backgrounds, who, like me, were rarely opinionated, made my outlook on life unexamined. I never realized my responsibilities towards society. But reality hit me hard when I went on to attend high school abroad.

Mahindra United World College (UWC) provided me an opportunity to participate in dialogues about world issues. UWCs are widely known to bring people from diverse cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds together; the more I interacted, the more I realized that people there had an opinion on everything. Everyone had their own version of the truth, and they argued hard to defend it. Overwhelmed by the environment at my new school, the urge to go back home was not astonishing. So much so that only after two weeks I decided to pack my bags and was ready to go back to Pakistan. With the help of my kind mentor, though, I got on my feet and realized that there was only one way to battle the situation: To find what I stand for? Once a naive teenager, I had to ask myself what kind of a person I want to be? That is the beauty of an ethnically diverse place, that, it compels you to find your version of truth while not losing your unique identity.

Similarly, I didn't have to lose a sense of self to find accord with a Canadian friend, but I had to understand that unlike in Pakistan, for people to drink alcohol in Canada is not uncommon. And I can't declare them wrong because drinking alcohol is a part of their culture. The diversity at UWC not only allowed me to be tolerant toward other cultures, but it widened my horizon to see the world from a different perspective. Even though I haven't found the exact answer to the questions discussed earlier; I know I want to lead a meaningful life which should be of benefit to society and mankind. I want to interact with innumerable people-- people who are different than me, who challenge my ideas and compel me to think critically. I firmly believe that my best teachers are and will be the people who prove me wrong and make me think out of the box.

I never knew spending two years of my life at a hilltop in rural Maharashtra would change my outlook on life. From drowning in a pile of deadlines to sharing a bedroom with complete strangers, MUWCI had hit me with full force-- highs were the highest and lows were the lowest. But both extremes taught me that it is completely fine to fail at times, and allowed me to dream big. A friend once said, "you will not find yourself here, you will lose it, to rebuilt a real life--a life of purpose." I don't know whether I will be able to attain a 'purpose' in my life, but I know that this nineteen-year-old is different than that sixteen-year-old who had no motivation and grey hair to do so.

UWC education has provided me with the insight and enthusiasm to address Kashmir issue and any other issue which our world is facing today, and I am nothing but thankful to have gone through this life altering journey.

Undergraduate / Additional info that may not be easily discernible from your academic record or list of activities [7]

Hello! I am afraid if I am responding to the prompt fully. Also, please let me know if the story focuses more on Andres and less on me. Any critical feedback is truly appreciated.

Q) Please share any additional information that you would like the Earlham Admissions Committee to know about your interests, personality, aspirations, etc. that may not be easily discernible from your academic record or list of activities (500 words).

Earlham Personality, interests and aspirations essay

"I never thought Andres would turn out to be an outstanding human being." I thought on my way back from the Pune trip. As a teenager, I was highly judgemental of everyone around me; I always refrained from interacting people who had a bad reputation in the school. Ignoring the learning scope and personal growth one experiences by interacting with different people within a diverse community, I thought that if somebody is involved in illicit activities, they are bad people; thus there is nothing to learn from them. And interacting with them is nothing but futile. The judgemental behavior not only barred me from interacting with interesting people with amusing life stories, but I didn't take part in innumerable activities because I simply couldn't stand the people involved in that particular activity. But my opinion on people, their life-choices and how I will interact with them was completely changed when I got an opportunity to spend a few days with Andres, a popular brat of my high-school.

Over a span of three days, I realized what Andres or for that matter people with 'bad' reputation do doesn't define the kind of human beings they are. I understood that just because someone else's lifestyle doesn't comply with yours doesn't make them a bad person, maybe they were exposed to the circumstances which compelled them to adopt an illicit lifestyle. That three-day time span made me realize that in order to understand and foster a bond with people around me, I will have to eliminate personal judgments and accept them for who they are; I will have to try and get myself into their shoes. Those days were particularly life-changing because I realized that I might be able to extract the knowledge from books, but in order to understand it fully, I will have to discuss it with people who will give counter-arguments against it, thus the greater scope of learning about life and its complexities is embodied in human beings themselves. And understanding them is the first step to gain learning from them and their life experiences.

Although I have been trying to alter my behavior for a year now, I believe that it will come with more experience and patience only. For me, one of the biggest challenges ahead is people skills-listening to others, trying to understand them on their terms, and working together with others. I tend to get carried away with myself, which has some merit when one is alone or in a reverie but mostly detracts from collaborative learning and further personal growth. I believe that college experience will provide me an opportunity to interact and learn to work together with others, which will eventually help me to attain the people's skill. I quest for this asset as for me it is one of the most valuable asset one can attain to live a fulfilling and well-rounded life.

Undergraduate / What you might add to the Mac community, academically and personally? [3]

Macalester Supplement essay 2017

please take time to read it. Any constructive feedback is welcome :)

Q) Macalester is a community that includes people from many different backgrounds. Please write an essay about how your background, experiences, or outlook might add to the Mac community, academically and personally.

In 2015 I was selected to attend Mahindra United World College (MUWCI). With students from over 70 countries, MUWCI provided me an opportunity to connect with people from multicultural backgrounds. While every interaction I had at MUWCI was a learning experience, the most enlightening conversation I had in the span of two years was with Ahmad, an Afghan junior. Even though I knew about the war-torn situation in Afghanistan beforehand; hearing it from someone who lived the conflict for years was eye-opening. Not only did I get to know about the situation of women rights in Afghanistan, he told me about the people who were killed while fighting with Taliban in Afghanistan. Every conversation with him allowed me to see Afghanistan beyond the stereotypes. I got to know that they have musical concerts in Kabul, there are practitioners women engineers and doctor, and they get a considerable amount of tourists every year! Interactions with him were similar to talking in a mirror because like Afghanistan, Pakistan, too has been plagued by the epidemic of Terrorism. From interactions like this to sharing classes with Palestinian and Syrian refugees, I got to see a more human and less publicized version of reality of war-torn regions. It allowed me to relate to and care about the issue. And most importantly, it reminded me of the reason I decided to come to MUWCI: To fight for World peace. I went in with the aspiration of becoming a Chartered Accountant and wanted to save the world when I graduated. To continue paving the path I have chosen, I aspire to join both Political Activities and the Newspaper group at Mac. I believe I can contribute to Mac community by writing articles about social issues in Pakistan as well as around the world. In addition to this, I plan on collaborating with other students and faculty members to form a World affairs club. The club will provide a space where students can discuss important issues/events that would be taking place in their countries. These can be political, economic, social, environmental. This group will not only highlight the current issues but will provide the student body with a better understanding of issues by listening from someone who belongs to the respective region.

While I can contribute to Mac community politically, another important aspect of my personality is Theater. From studying Theater at the high school to directing and acting in various plays, I believe that Theater is an important part of an intellectually stimulating community because it presents our own ideas and beliefs in a way that make us question them. I believe that I can contribute to Mac theater season by directing plays like Hedda Gabler, Anne Frank's diary, and The Crucible, to name a few. The major reason for projecting these plays or any other will based on their political and social relevance in the world today.

To conclude, I believe that at Mac I can not only show people the need for quick action to attain World peace, but will learn from their life experiences, and diverse backgrounds as well.

Undergraduate / Macalester is a community that includes people from many different backgrounds [3]

Macalester supplement 2017

This is my answer for the Mac 2017 supplement. Please feel free to provide any constructive feedback. I may have made grammatical errors here and there; if you find any, kindly highlight. Thank you in advance!

Q) Macalester is a community that includes people from many different backgrounds. Please write an essay about how your background, experiences, or outlook might add to the Mac community, academically and personally.

"But why India!? You're a Pakistani, it's not going to be easy. Think twice." exclaimed my friend when I announced that I'm going to attend The Mahindra United World College (MUWCI). As feared by him, living in India as a Pakistani was never easy-- Banks denied me an account; retailers wouldn't give me an Indian SIM card-- Even after traveling the same route twice a year, I was greeted by hour-long interrogations from both Indian and Pakistani customs officials. For Indians, I was a hater. For Pakistanis, I was a traitor. But even after all the intimidation I had and still have to face, I believe that living the Indo-Pak conflict for two years was a daunting, yet an exhilarating experience.

From living and befriending with Indians to exploring a few cities in India, I realized that Indians and Pakistanis are twin siblings who can't stand each other-- they speak the same language, they look alike, they both eat Dal and Chapati for supper, and most eminently, they are both governed by the leaders who exploit the Indo-Pak conflict to get elected-- I believe that living in India for two years allowed me to see the Indo-Pak conflict from a different lens; It is not a territory which I am destined to abhor, rather it is a home away from home. And experiencing the true essence of Indian society has compelled me to delve deeper and care about the issue. It has provided me with an ideology and enthusiasm to try and find a solution for the political tensions between the two neighbors. I believe I can contribute academically to Mac community by organizing the discussions on Indo-Pak conflict. I will invite other Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri students at Mac to participate in the dialogues. This will not only put all perspectives' on the table but it will provide audiences' with a deeper understanding of the conflict by listening to first-hand experiences. Another way of informing the student body about first-hand experiences of the conflict as well as contributing to Mac Theater Season is directing skits on Indo-Pak conflict, where I may show the cultural and socio-economic loss which both countries had and still have to face as a consequence of partition.

I believe that I have experienced the Indo-Pak conflict in a way that very few people from both sides of the border have; that is why I have a very idealistic perspective on the issue. And that is a major reason why I aspire to major in International Studies with a focus on Asian Studies because I believe my unique background will help me to bring in a refreshing perspective on Indo-Pak relations both in and out of the classes. Lastly, I believe that my experience of living in India will allow me to bring a new dimension to the diversity and internationalism on campus because I am standing between the Wagah border-- accused of being a hater and a traitor-- who is a minority in both India and Pakistan.

Undergraduate / Something that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. [4]

Q)Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

This is my main essay. Kindly let me know what you think. I would really appreciate the constructive feedback. Thanks in advance for the help!

My only perspective

"What! Niger wasn't colonized by the British?" I was taken aback when my friend exclaimed that her country was colonized by French, and not British. Since my countrymen, and my neighbours, Indians, have always blamed British for looting the resources of our lands, I developed the habit of associating the word colonizer with British only. The idea of teaching World History was never entertained by my school, and thus no longer asked for. Looking back at this particular incident, I ponder what was it which made me believe that the British are the only invaders in the world. After thinking carefully, I realized that the lack of exposure to different ideas and generic views made my outlook on life naive. The fact that I had friends from more or less same cultural backgrounds, who had almost same opinions as that of mine, made me look at things from one perspective only: My perspective. My perspective was mainly defined by my own experiences. I had no talent for approaching a problem with different perspectives. If a friend would complain about his uncooperative siblings', I would always defend the accused. I couldn't accept the possibility of envy among siblings, mainly because I don't have one.

But living for two years at a UWC and from interacting at meal times, to sharing a cookie and often a flood of tears, I have found friends in people from cultural, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds completely opposite to that of mine. Every conversation made me realize that there are as many opinions as stars in the sky. Everyone has their own version of truth, and they argue hard to defend it. That is the beauty of an ethnically diverse place, that, it compels you to find your version of truth while not losing a sense of your unique identity. This is same as changing the lenses of a camera - where photographer blends their skills with different lenses- to create a magical picture. Similarly, I didn't have to lose sense of self to correlate with a Canadian friend, but I had to understand that unlike in Pakistan, for people to drink beer in Canada is no big deal. And I can't declare them wrong because drinking beer is a part of the society they come from. I had to teach myself that my opinion of someone or something isn't always correct and I have to put myself into someone else's shoes to understand their position. The ability to equate different perspectives has provided me with a superpower- people's power. And because of this ability, I can or at least I try to understand people around me. The more I interact with new people, the more I realize that, most of the human beings irrespective of their social or cultural affiliations are the same- White people can also face racism, similarly a wealthy kid may lack the social skill to harbour friendships- thus we all have problems and coming from a privileged background makes no one an exception.

Spending two years at a boarding school on a rather lonely hilltop transformed me from a naive, judgmental teenager to an understanding woman.the college life will help me to add on to what I have learned in UWC. I hope that I get to meet innumerable people, who are different than me, who challenge my ideas and compel me to think critically. I firmly believe that my best teachers are and will be the people who prove me wrong and compel me to think out of the box. Because that makes me see the world from a different perspective, which makes life interesting and worthwhile.

As I think about the interesting times at UWC, I glance at my friend's photograph. We ate butterfly pasta under the orange fairy lights, now draped around her picture in my room. She's smiling at me, probably trying to say, she wasn't colonized by the British.