Undergraduate / Syracuse- influence, work, and experience [6]

Hi. Please take a look at these questions. Do I answer them fully and are my answers too long? There is no specified limit; the prompt says to answer in several sentences. Thanks!

1. Who or what influenced you to apply to Syracuse University?
****the first 2 sentences I copied from my BU essay
Growing up in a diverse city that is rich in opportunities has influenced me to search for colleges in similar settings. After learning that Syracuse's community mirrors Chicago's eclectic and lively scene in Princeton Review's Best 368 Colleges, I turned to its website for more information on how students thrive on the Orange campus. Besides its location in a metropolis and a diverse student body, Syracuse's vision of "Scholarship in Action" influences me to apply to the University. I prefer to apply what I've studied in the classroom to my neighborhood and to learn through experience rather than just memorizing facts. My preference for this type of learning is why I have traveled to Latin America to help improve communities and why I tutor elementary school students. I'd like to attend Syracuse to join an institution that promotes this interactive learning and development. I am also applying to Syracuse because of its well-recognized School of Education. In the school, I believe I can receive the best preparation in the Teaching and Leadership department to be an inclusive elementary school teacher.

2. If you have had paid work experience, what skills and/or knowledge did you gain?
I am currently employed at my high school's Sidewalk Café. My responsibilities entail serving students and faculty hot beverages, keeping the café area clean, encouraging students to purchase from the café, tracking the orders that students make, and working at the cash register. From working in the café, I have learned about the importance of teamwork and cleanliness in running a business, particularly one with food. In order to ensure that the customers receive their correct order, I have to divide the work between my co-worker and me: one of us works at the cash register and marks off which drinks the customers purchased, while the other handles the drinks with gloves by the coffee-maker. Not only does this prevent customers from receiving the wrong order or either of us workers losing track of what was ordered and paid for, it hinders the spread of germs. Instead of touching money as well as the drinks, only my co-worker or I is assigned to each task so that any pathogens on the money don't reach the drinks. To ensure further cleanliness, the countertop and café tables must be wiped with antibacterial wipes and garbage must be picked up. Communication is also important in running a business so that customers will know about the drink available. Sometimes we run out of the more popular drinks, so we promote other drinks by putting out enticing advertisements until the popular drinks return.

3. Our mission of Scholarship in Action extends beyond the classroom to include engagement opportunities with our campus community, the City of Syracuse, and locations across the globe. Based on your academic interests, tell us what real world experiences you might pursue during your education at Syracuse University as part of this mission.

As mentioned in the first response. I prefer to learn through experience in addition to textbooks and notes. As a student at Syracuse, I plan to continue pursuing my interests in cultures by participating in the university's extensive study abroad programs. I am interested in the program in Santiago, Chile where not only could I continue developing my Spanish and learn about another culture in Latin America, but I could also actively discuss and plan how to tackle political, sociological, and environmental issues. By making changes in another country, I could develop ideas for renovating communities back home. I also would like to participate in the short-term programs during which I could pursue an interesting subject hands-on, such as learning London's history by touring the city or studying the use of water by working on projects in China. After tutoring elementary school students and living in a city with one of the poorest quality of education, I'm interested in reforming the education system and helping those who suffer from these systems. I plan to volunteer with Syracuse's Say Yes to Education to help students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and help develop other programs for this organization. By volunteering in Say Yes, I hope to return to Chicago after graduation with ideas for reforming the Chicago Public School system.

Undergraduate / BU: how became interested? [11]

Please comment on word voice and content! Thank you.

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.

Growing up in a city bustling with foreigners and rich in attractions has influenced me to search for colleges in similar settings. After discovering that BU's community mirrors Chicago's eclectic and lively scene in Princeton Review's Best 368 Colleges, I turned to the school's website to discover how students thrive on a diverse campus situated in the busy, cultural city of Boston. Besides its metropolis location and diversity, opportunities at BU, such as improving a community during spring break and teaching children in Ecuador, entice me to attend. With the BU Advantage and enrollment in both the CAS and SED, I know that I will receive the best preparation to teach in elementary schools. I hope to join BU's community next fall.

Undergraduate / BU essay- open-minded, diligent, and curious [4]

This is my first rough draft. Is this a good approach to answering the prompt? Thank you in advance for commenting =)

In an essay of 500 words or less, select 3 words that describe who you are and how those traits/characteristics can contribute to the BU community.

I could feel my heart pounding with excitement as I disembarked the crowded bus near an old firehouse in Parita, Panama. The driver handed me my over-packed orange suitcase from the top of the bus overflowing with other baggage as two adults and a young girl with bright blue curlers in her hair approached me with warm smiles and arms extended for handshakes - my familia for the next five weeks. As a diligent, curious and open-minded teenager, I looked forward to spending my summer in a foreign country.

At first I struggled to communicate with my new neighbors and family as a result of my limited Spanish. This impediment hindered me from satisfying my curiosity about my host family- I wanted to learn about their traditions and family history and understand the jokes they shared with each other. I decided to take action to improve my Spanish; while watching novelas with my family, strumming Spanish songs on a host cousin's guitar, or reading the newspaper, I asked for the meaning of words I did not know or looked them up in my pocket dictionary. With my host family's support, my "No entiendo" as responses was replaced by structured sentences that expressed my ideas.

By being diligent in the steps to improving my Spanish and curious about my community, I not only augmented my vocabulary, but also discovered interesting facts about my host family and Panama that I probably would not have learned from a textbook or country guide- when conversing with a neighbor one evening, I listened to her stories about working in the hospital, discussed the imbalance of the quality of teaching English in public school versus private schools, and learned that Governor Schwarzenegger has land in Panama.

In Parita, I was exposed to a lifestyle more laid-back and open from my own way of life. Community members often organized parties and fundraisers down at the plaza, during which the pariteńos united to watch masked dancers perform and a community leader crown a reina, and dance and drink afterwards. As I strolled down the streets with my American counterparts, older men hissed and called out "gringa", the slang term for white foreigner. Even though I felt uncomfortable about some traditions and behaviors, I did not criticize my community; I reminded myself my study abroad guide's advice, "It's not right, it's not wrong: it's different.", and attended the fiestas with my family to learn more about Parita's traditions.

These traits that helped me in Panama will allow me to succeed in the BU community: my curiosity will drive me to participate in research and internships to learn more about my major in the field; my diligence will allow me to work hard in and outside the classroom and approach professors with questions on new material; my open-mindedness will allow me to interact and accept my peers from the diverse student body. I hope to combine these traits to learn more about our diverse world alongside BU students next year.

Undergraduate / Why Northwestern (is it personal enough?) [3]

What are the unique qualities of Northwestern-and of the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying-that make you want to attend the University? In what ways do you hope to take advantage of the qualities you have identified?

Initially I believed that I'd be a third wheel on the Northwestern campus among students majoring in business, journalism, or engineering; I expected the school's activities and events to revolve solely around those three disciplines and that interests in other concentrations were a significant minority. When I came to visit in early September, I was surprised to discover the school's diverse mix of majors, student organizations, and traditions. As I found out more about opportunities at Northwestern, I realized that it was the best place for me to pursue my passion for learning about other cultures and to continue my involvement in the community.

After growing up in a diverse city and traveling to Latin America for community service projects, I have developed an interest in exploring other cultures' traditions and beliefs. As I cheered for my community's soccer team in Costa Rica while sipping dark, sweet coffee and watched the masked dancers snap their noisemakers and bob around the plaza in Panama, I was astounded by how my foreign friends' traditions differed from my own. In my communities, I preferred that the driving force of one's daily life was the devotion for friends and family instead of consumerism and a lack of time as in the US. After both my trips to Latin America, I wondered about the origins of a people's traditions and the differences between people's interactions and values.

I hope to discover the answers to my questions by studying in the Weinberg's College of Arts and Sciences' Anthropology program. Not only will I gain an understanding of Anthropology through my small classes directed by professors experienced in the discipline, but I will also have the support I need to competently develop the skills I need to pursue a career in the field. The Northwestern Undergraduate Anthropology Society's mentorship program and information on career and internship opportunities will allow me to become more involved in the field and develop relationships that will benefit me in the future. What makes the College's Anthropology department an even better fit for me is its connections with the Latin American and Caribbean Studies program since I want to find out more about the cultures and history of Latin American countries. By minoring in this field, I will learn more about the diverse continent I have fallen in love with after being immersed in two of its many cultures.

I am the type of student who prefers to learn through experience rather than memorize facts from textbooks. As I explained arithmetic to young, perplexed students and controlled their rowdiness when baking an afternoon treat at a tutoring program, I learned about child psychology and developed more efficient ways for communicating ideas. Working on service projects in Latin America, I developed my Spanish comprehension and expanded my knowledge on the Hispanic culture.

I hope to continue learning through first-hand experiences by taking advantage of Northwestern's Ethnographic Field School and its connections with the Field Museum to go out and apply in the field the anthropologic theories I learned in the classroom. Besides developing my knowledge and appropriate skills for my major, I hope to acquire other skills by participating in extracurricular activities. I plan to participate in the OASIS and the Peer Health Exchange with other Northwestern students interested in working with younger students and helping them reach their potential.

Northwestern provides a home for many individuals passionate for their fields of study and interests. As a member of this family of driven students, I anticipate releasing my stress before finals in the infamous Primal Scream, dancing until the early morning in the philanthropic Dance Marathon, and socializing with my professors during "Coffee with a Professor". I look forward to growing personally and intellectually among other Wildcats as I volunteer in the adjacent neighborhoods of Chicago and Evanston and discover the mysteries of cultures in the Anthropology program.

Undergraduate / Northwestern- my kind of soup [2]

This is a very rough draft. Please comment. I definitely want to shorten it.
What are the unique qualities of Northwestern-and of the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying-that make you want to attend the University? In what ways do you hope to take advantage of the qualities you have identified?

Most of the schools I have researched contain the same underlying ingredients for the college experience "soup": multiple major opportunities, a safe campus in a beautiful location, and a variety of study abroad and internship programs. When I stepped onto Northwestern's campus for a visit and perused its informative website, I discovered the school's spices that flavored the Wildcats broth: a rigorous liberal arts curriculum with a strong Anthropology program; distinctive student-run traditions; and an exceptionally involved student body. These additional flavors satisfy my taste preferences for the full college experience and are the qualities that will foster my intellectual and personal growth.

After growing up in a diverse city and traveling to Latin America for community service projects, I have developed in interest in cultural anthropology. The Weinberg's College of Arts and Sciences' will nurture this interest with its Anthropology program. Not only will I gain an understanding in the four subfields of Anthropology through my small classes directed by dedicated professors, but I will also have many resources available that will help me develop the skills I need to pursue a career in the field. In addition, the College's freshman seminars will broaden my critical thinking skills that I will be able to apply to the Anthropology concentration.

During my Northwestern visit, I noticed the multiple banners hanging on the trees and the colorful messages scribbled on the sidewalk. I was pleased to hear from my tour guide that Northwestern students are not just academically-driven, but also passionate about their interests as well as philanthropic work. To me community service is education outside of the classroom; it teaches about social issues and human interaction more effectively than any course on these matters. I know that at Northwestern I will be able to work alongside students who are also driven by the interest to gain from this type of learning. As a Northwestern student I hope to continue working with younger students in need of encouragement to reach their potential by participating in OASIS and the Peer Health Exchange.

The final spices that complete the Wildcat broth are the various traditions at Northwestern. The Rock, a quartzite boulder adorned with announcements and students' attempts at art, is a symbol of the Northwestern community. Its every-changing face represents the diversity of the students' interests and unites the student body. The infamous Primal Scream and activity-filed Dillo Day allow students to release anxieties and get to know students in a healthy and fun way.

Northwester's qualities are the ingredients that complete my preferences for the college soup. I hope to taste the University's unique broth next year and to flavor it with my own spices.

Undergraduate / Why UChicago: Hogwarts in the Muggle world [4]

This is my first attempt for the UChicago prompt: How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to Chicago.

During my childhood, I devotedly perused the seven volumes of Harry Potter. As I immersed myself in the black print that disclosed the adventures of the wizard boy, I imagined myself walking down the warm halls of Hogwarts and dining in the Great Hall with other gifted minds. Instead of lying tucked under my covers, accompanied by a single light, I cast spells and followed the three friends on their antics. I dreamed of attending a school that was not just an educational institution for broadening the knowledge of its students, but also a home that united the students as a family. When I stepped onto the UChicago campus for a visit, I knew I had found my Hogwarts.

The gothic architecture cast a spell on me as I followed other prospective students around campus. I soon discovered that the buildings were not the only aspects of the campus that mirrored Hogwart's structure. The idea of a "pre-packaged" group of friends, just like the Houses in the institution from the magical world, made me feel welcome. As I befriended several students, I discovered how much I enjoyed their queer, witty personalities, which stood out from students I had encountered during my quest at other colleges. Their stories about the "Math Pirate" and disagreements about the myth that "fun comes to die" at UChicago cast a greater spell on me. The exemplary Department of Anthropology and the infamous Core attracted me to the school even more. I cannot break out of this spell; I know that my place next year is among the driven, passionate students of Hogwarts' replica in the Muggle world.

Undergraduate / Emory- how will it help me grow? [8]

This is my answer to the Emory prompt why I want to go to the college. The limit is 250 words

Emory's combination of community service opportunities and a diverse student body comprise a suitable environment for fostering my interests in other cultures and involvement in the community.

I prefer to learn through experience in the community rather than through textbooks. From explaining arithmetic to young, perplexed students and controlling their rowdiness when baking a treat, I learned how to communicate ideas efficiently. Working on service projects in Latin America helped me develop my Spanish comprehension and expand my knowledge on floor tiling and tree planting as I joked with native speakers and copied their work with my gloved hands. By attending a school noted for its students' dedication to community service, I will be able to continue this type of learning. Involvement in Volunteer Emory's regional trips and service days will allow me to continue developing through experience as I reach out to those in need and interact with people who share my passion for service.

Growing up in a diverse city and traveling abroad stimulated my appreciation for diversity and interest in cultural anthropology. The Office of Multicultural Programs and Services contains the resources for cultivating my curiosity in other cultures. Participating in the Office's retreats and seminars will nurture my growth into a global citizen as I learn more about racial issues and bond with Emory students with values and traditions different from mine.

I hope to continue utilizing my battered gloves and unraveling the secrets of cultural issues as a member of Emory's class of 2014.

Undergraduate / Common App- background I grew up in [4]

Hello. i was considering submitting this to common app. i think i may be focusing too much on my parents tho. at the end i discuss what i've learned from them. what do u think?

"Ready?" my father looks at me solemnly, then breaks into a childish grin. I squeal as he lifts me up effortlessly with his feet, his strong fingers laced between mine to secure my position above him. "You can fly, you can fly, you can FLY!" he sings the familiar song in his deep voice graced with a foreign accent. I spread out my arms and legs and imagine soaring over my dad and around our home. The support my dad's legs provide allows this fantasy to flourish, just as my parents' support has permitted the pioneer in me to explore the horizons that were inaccessible to them during their youth.

My parents were born in the rural part of Poland during the communist reign. During their childhood, their days were filled with multiple chores on the farm and limited necessities. Education was not a priority in their families since books and homework did not provide the food on the table or the clothes on their backs. My parents immigrated to the United States at the prime of their life, when most young adults now strive for a higher education and frantically compete for high-paying jobs. With no degrees in hand and a lack of English proficiency, it was difficult for my parents to find well-paying jobs. By coincidence, they both ended up working in the same deli, slicing meat and mopping floors. Their greatest challenge arose after their marriage when they were delegated with the responsibility of raising two children in a country that my parents were still becoming familiar with. They accepted that their children wanted to assimilate into American culture, and strived to ensure that my brother and I would not forget our Polish background by sharing their language and customs and sending us to Polish school, where we learned about Poland's rich literature and a history dominated by dramatic victories, treachery, and struggles for liberation. In addition to these extra classes, my parents fulfilled their intentions for my younger brother and me to be well-rounded by providing us with other enrichment. My dad often came home with computer games and books that entertained and developed our young minds. My mom bombarded me with extracurricular options ranging from gymnastics to painting classes. The exposure to these activities introduced me to my love of music, art, and math; they were the keys that unlocked new interests, friendships, and opportunities in my life.

My father's presence resides in very few of my childhood memories as a result of his long hours at work; every day he would leave before my alarm sounded and return just when I was brushing my teeth to go to bed. My mom worked as a cleaning lady several mornings during the week and spent the rest of the time juggling housework, errands, and her two children. My dad's absence at home due to his work hours caused tension between my parents. My mom would constantly list the "what if's" of his missed opportunity for a higher education; she had seen potential in him when they married, and he ignored her requests for him to pursue a college degree. Whenever my parents turn down a dream and make sacrifices to pay the flow of bills, my mother turns to me and advises, "You have a lot of opportunities here. Study hard, and get a job that will allow you to spend time with your family and live a life easier than your dad and me." My mom has ingrained these words into my mind, and they motivate me to dedicate all my effort and time to studying and to pursuing my interests in music and other cultures.

I admire my parents' determination to overcome obstacles in a new country in order to provide my brother and me with the resources for pursuing our interests. I have inherited their perseverance, which motivates me to overcome challenges and seize opportunities: I took initiative in mastering the English language during my first few years in elementary school so I could eliminate the language barrier; I studied vigorously to be admitted to an elite Chicago high school; I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to travel abroad. Most importantly, my background and determination motivate me to pursue a goal never reached by other family members in America: applying to a prestigious college. The process is rewarding and exciting for both me and my parents. As I slowly unlace my fingers from my parents' grasp, I hold on to my Polish background that has shaped me into the person I am. In college I hope to pursue my interests in art and music that my parents evoked in me as well as to share stories of my parents' life that have stimulated me into reaching for higher goals and trying new things.