Undergraduate / "ecstasy with smells" - Lafayette Supplement: describe a creative interest [2]

This is a lafayette supplement that want us to describe an intellectual or creative interest or accomplishment. i wrote it about my passion for scents and fragrances.

this is the first draft, So i am very open to any critiques, be as harsh as you will, but also constructive.

There hasn't been a day that I haven't been frustrated or angry about body odor, not to mention bad breath. They are the foulest smells, extracts of what you have eaten, drunken, smoked and all the unwanted compounds that your body exhales from your skin. All of them warmly welcome bacteria to worsen them. At times I feel quite disgusted of myself and others. On the other side, once I sense that a female is wearing perfume, has applied fragranced hair conditioner or has a fruity breath, I cannot be distracted from their presence. Even with good smelling men, I feel unoriginally attracted to them. One of my hobbies is to try to follow distant people by their trail of perfume.

My olfactory sense has been my sharpest sense. I can pick up the smallest trail of scent and match it with my good memory of smells. I can almost detect some people by their body odors. At times, no matter how focused I might be, a scent can still take me to another dimension. Although foul scents irritate me, I appreciate all smells I sense. I believe scents can reveal a lot about a person or a thing and can also be very helpful; I smell the food I cook to know which spices to add and how much.

I enjoy smelling. I have a big collection of incense sticks, scented candles, fragranced oils, perfumes and deodorants. Not only do I use them, I mostly enjoy playing with and combining them. I have picked out different combinations of perfumes and deodorants for different days and moods. My roommates appreciate a cozy atmosphere with candles and different scents; Amber, Sandalwood, Eucalyptus, Lavender, saffron, and so much more. My favorite scent is the scent of rain in the Norwegian nature. I experienced an ecstasy (sadly only once) while walking along a road on a rainy day; I had simply lost my mind.

My dream is to learn the rare art of perfumery; the education is hard to find and my family will not be very glad to hear it. Despite the difficult path ahead of me, I see myself as a skilled perfumer.

yea i got stuck on the last part. any suggestions?

Please Please comment. I will not hesitate to comment on your essays, jsut leave me a link. Thanks!

Undergraduate / 1.Why physics? 2. name 3 qualities you possess --Bucknell Supplements - - [6]

these are the bucknell supplements:
it asks why i chose my major (which is physics) and also "what makes you uncommon and uniquely you"

Why Physics?
Physics hasn't been my best subject. I have been better at mathematics. Wouldn't it make sense to take Mathematics then? No, I do not believe in mathematics the way I believe in physics. Mathematics plays an important role in sciences, however does not feed my hunger for discovery. Physics, consisting of uncertainties, attempts to discover the truth about the universe, in a way that I have always been interested in. I have always tried to imagine and develop my own theory of how things work, specifically how the universe came to be. In Iran I was taught a good deal of theory. Here at UWC I learned a different, more practical approach at physics which I truly enjoyed. I want to major in physics to further explore my interest, and I see my future development only under Bucknell.

People have always told me that I am a caring person. Quite often I would ask how they were and try my best to help them if I felt it's needed. Sometimes I was unsuccessful, but mostly I managed to help people, in one way or the other. I remember my grandfather's mentality suddenly just changed after he retired; he couldn't do many things. For many weeks I took care of him, helping him eat, walk, ask what he wanted and in general tried my best to make sure he is at least alright. We never spent time together and barely knew each other. In UWC, we always help each other out as students tend to get depressed because of the remoteness and darkness. I've put a lot of effort and time to listen to people and help them out. I have also joined the First Aid team on campus, and I have been able to help people out, medically or mentally.

I have always been very nosy when it comes to technical issues, whether a device malfunctions, the electricity goes out or even if the pipe is clogged. I have usually figured out a way out of most of my problems, unless it is too severe, of course. I am mainly interested in electronic devices; I have always open devices and take a look at the structure, trying to figure out how it works. I even use electronic scrap material in my Visual Arts class to make sculptures or decorate my investigation book. Since I was a kid I have made electronic kits, where I assembled transistors, chips, etc. on a board and in the end it would turn out as a functional device. I have also had experience with electrical circuits; in junior high school we were assigned to many projects. I have always dreamed of making my own devices and designing my own electronic boards.

In summer 06 I attended a two month international leadership summer camp as a first year, and was invited back as a second year in 07. My life in those summers was completely on my own shoulders, for the first time. I was also in charge of leading many group activities such as cleaning groups, sport events, projects and etc. I felt it was very tough since I had no such experience before but the friendly environment of the campus kept me confident. Over time I strengthened my leadership and collaborative skills. I had become more confident, decisive, fair and responsible. My toughest and best experience was to lead the entire campus for one day. Each camper has an opportunity to be in the power of the director of the camp for one day, where they would fix a schedule, have meetings and get tasks done. My other experiences outside campus involve being the chair of the student council in my high school back home and giving leadership workshops in my current high school.

'leadership' essay
In summer 06 I attended a two month international leadership summer camp as a first year, and was invited back as a second year in 07. My life in those summers was completely on my own shoulders, for the first time. I was also in charge of leading many group activities such as cleaning groups, sport events, projects and etc. I felt it was very tough since I had no such experience before but the friendly environment of the campus kept me confident. Over time I strengthened my leadership and collaborative skills. I had become more confident, decisive, fair, responsible and most importantly learned to place myself as a leader at the same level as my companions. A big part of my learning was to learn from and observe other campers and counselors. My toughest and best experience was to be the leader of the entire camp for one day, where I was actually in complete charge of a big group. Each camper has this opportunity, where they would fix a schedule, assign tasks and watch over them.

Thank you! please tell me if they sound too boring and if anything needs to be secluded / included. I will defintely look back at your essays if u tell me to. please comment

Undergraduate / Northwestern Supplement - The 'Why us' question [6]

This is my first draft for a northwestern supplement. I want to know whether i am involving enough aspects, and whether i have gone in depth. Any comments on anything are more than welcome.

Question: 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?

It still amazes me that an experience at a summer camp could have switched my life to a better direction. As soon as I stepped on the assembly circle, about to start the camp season, I was not granted one chance to judge the community. It was just so different; it was too good to be true.

The Camp Rising Sun community, CRS, taught me the most important lesson of my life. I learned to accept people for who they are. Diversity at CRS meant so much more than just 'an international community'. In fact, it was quite the opposite; a community where ethnicity, skin color, accent or culture does not make the difference, but the individuals do. I feel that NU promises the same and true meaning of diversity. NU accepts students for who they are, a main reason that I am drawn to that conclusion is the influence of the equal opportunity and access office in admissions. The other is the famous 'rock', where students are allowed to freely express themselves. When I got to know that NU has a branch in Doha, it was made so clear that another step is taken to promote its diversity. For all these reasons, I admire the administration for their efforts to strengthen the community.

During the past months of research, I have no doubt that NU stands honest for its reputation. I believe that NU offers an academic curriculum that is perfect for me; a vast number of majors and an unbelievable student to faculty ratio of 7:1. I have long looked forward to double majoring in physics and computer engineering, and NU offers me the option to do so, along with highly competent faculty and a big range of modern facilities.

I am proud of the fact that the Greek life does not dominate the social life; the atmosphere at NU allows students to live as they want. Being close to a big city like Chicago can be one of the best values a university can have for me, after my experience at an extremely remote school. When I look back at all the values that NU possesses, I honestly cannot ask for more. I am absolutely certain that I will strive to my fullest potential at NU and live the best years of my lives with many intellectual people.

Thanks!

Undergraduate / The 'why us' kind of question, Lehigh Essay # 1 [8]

Hi,
This is the first essay Lehigh requires, the 'why us' kind of question. I am, of course, open to any comments, and my english is definitely not as good as a native, so any help would be appreciated.

and I am about 1500 characters, so I would need to cut it down a it as well.. yes an i am a UWC student, its a totally international place studying the IB diploma.

When trying to vision my undergraduate years, I realize how the experience will be the foundation to my growth and future, academically and non-academically. After doing research among many universities, I found Lehigh a place I could comfortably pursue my goals.

I am astounded by the student to faculty ratio of 9:1, giving a great opportunity for a close relationship with professors and students inside classrooms; personally I am not comfortable or focused in large classes. The fact that my courses do to have to be devoted to only one department it reassuring, I would definitely want to continue my studies in economics after high school. Lab work was not taken very seriously back home in Iran, which I disapprove. In UWC, my IB physics teacher really encouraged me to take a practical approach at physics and since then I have understood physics much better. I believe the wide research activity range at Lehigh increases the potential for a deeper understanding by a great extent.

I am satisfied with the student population and diversity and I believe that my experience with international students in UWC and a previously attended international summer camp will help me to interact with students. The size and beauty of the campus is more than I ask for, and I would prefer to live in a local atmosphere of Philadelphia and New York than anywhere else, since I have lived in New York for some months.

Overall I believe I will gain very good knowledge and experiences at Lehigh and will try my best to contribute as much back to the community.