Undergraduate / Michigan Supplement. Kite Runner [3]

[C] Tell us about a book you have read that you found especially challenging, stimulating, or provocative. Explain why it made an impact on you.

"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors"- Rahim Khan. This is a quote from my favorite book Kite Runner by author Khaled Hosseini. This is a story about a very wealthy man they call Baba and his son Amir, who live in Afghanistan in the early 1970's with their servants Ali and his son Hassan. This story was stimulating because it deals with themes such as social classes, love, betrayal, and redemption.

In Afghanistan there is a majority class of Sunni Muslims and a minority of Shi'a Muslims. Amir and his father are Sunni, while Hassan and his father are Shi'a. Religion was a very big topic at the time and Amir would be embarrassed to be seen with Hassan. There would be a lot of discrimination against physical features and religious beliefs. Hassan truly considered Amir one of his best friends and would do anything for him, while Amir's love for Hassan was mostly selfish. In one situation, a bully named Assef is about to violently attack Amir for socializing with a Shi'a, but Hassan stands up for Amir and threatens to shoot Assef in the eye with his slingshot.

Betrayal is one of major themes in this story. One day, Amir and Hassan win a kite tournament and as Hassan goes to run the last cut kite, Assef confronts him and says that he must give him the kite. Knowing how important this kite is to Amir in order to make his father proud, Hassan refuses to give the kite up. Amir goes in search of Hassan and as he hears Assef voice, hides. Amir witnesses Hassan get raped by Assef but is too scared to act out. Hassan stays quite about the incident. Amir feels a great amount of guilt and tries to deal with it by avoiding it. He eventually frames Hassan for stealing and Hassan and his father leave. Later on in the story, we also find out that Hassan is actually Babas son, making Amir and Hassan half brothers. This demonstrated the betrayal that Baba committed towards Ali.

Years later, Rahim Khan calls Amir telling him "There is a way to be good again." He states that Hassan has been killed and his son, Sohrab, is in an orphanage. Amir finds out that Sohrab was adopted by Assef and is made to dance in women clothe and might be being violated. Amir risks his life and saves Sohrab and after a lot of work, he adopts Sohrab and takes him to the United States with him. He has provided Sohrab with the delight and prosperity that Hassan was deprived of.

The major themes in this story truly captivated me and made me feel like I was actually in the story, seeing it like a movie. It is a timeline that starts from the kid's childhood until they are adults. It mesmerized me because it's a story about friendships and a kid who created an error and risks his life in order to redeem himself.

comments would be very useful, I dont feel very sure about this draft yet

Undergraduate / Boston University supplement - "cheering "GO Terrier!"" [4]

In five or six sentences, tell us how you first became interested in BU and what steps you have taken to learn more about us. (Character 750)

I believe that your university defines who you are and who you will become. My college counselor was the first one to advise me that Boston University might be the school for me. She talked so fondly of it, that I began to research it online and attend college fairs to learn more about it. I became aware that Boston University, as one of the nation's top schools, gives me the chance to become a truly educated individual, enables me to communicate better with a diversity of people and to prosper in the world.

BU offers me a great variety of programs, clubs and opportunities to intellectually grow as a person. It gives me the chance to learn from many esteemed educators in intensive classes that will challenge me daily. Higher education will give me the chance to obtain a better job and cooperate with the economy. One of the most important aspects BU provides is its culturally diverse environment. This is very important to me because I love to meet new people and learn new about cultures.

Boston University has 75 different studying abroad programs that will make me face the challenge of stepping out of my old comfort zone and expand my horizons. Studying abroad really captures my attention because it opens such a variety of opportunities in jobs and education. BU also has one of the greatest internship programs, making me capable of interning for some of the top companies. This really makes me learn about how life will be after college and get a sense of the real world, so I can be prepares.

Another very important aspect is the attention Boston University gives to its athletic department. If I'm not playing in a volleyball court, I am cheering on my team for victory at the top of my lungs. Sports give you a chance to express yourself and grow together as a family. This is a reason for why BU has become the only school I can truly picture myself in. I can only picture myself cheering "GO Terrier!"

any comments would be very useful, I also need to cut it down.. its currently at 1,500 characters!