Undergraduate / "The Patient; a Hospice volunteer" Common App Essay 1 [2]

I stood before the door, shivering, and knocked. A pause. "Is anyone home?" I bellowed at the top of my voice, the fog rising from my lips. Yet even the bleak and chilly winter afternoon could not dampen my enthusiasm, which paralleled by my distant feelings of apprehension, as this was the moment I had been waiting for, for an entire month. The air was as still as I was, in anticipation of an answer from inside the house. Today was my first birthday party as a volunteer for Hospice, an organization whose mission is to make sure everyone lives each day with meaning and purpose. The door cracked open and the wrinkled, pale hands of a woman beckoned my group in. At first, I noticed the pungent odor that hung around the house and the numerous cat hairs littered on the woolly floor. In the dimly lit room, I could slowly discern the face of an old fragile woman, wearing a floral shirt, sitting sternly in an ancient armchair. The other teens and I introduced ourselves and, we started to sing "Happy Birthday." Immediately I noticed something different-tears sprang to the woman's eyes. At the end of the party, the social worker asked me, "Would you like to help Angela regain her voice and learn English by coming to her therapy sessions once a week?"

I had shied away from many difficult thing before in my life, why couldn't I once again? Yet this felt different.

When I became a Hospice volunteer, I came in with the intention of wanting to help others; however, so far my only interaction had been with the inanimate: papers and photos, filing and scanning. These tasks were within my comfort zone, but now an opportunity to interact with a patient and to actually make a difference had presented itself. The decision was difficult, but in the end I decided to give up the comfort of before, in order to gain patient experience.

Apprehensive yet hopeful, I began the therapy sessions with Angela, slowly working through the alphabet and words like "cat" and "dog". In return, Angela shared with me stories about her youth. Angela used to be the princesses of Albania. However, she was forced to flee the country when the communists overthrew the government and her family became political prisoners.

One day during our lesson, she slowly turned to me with tears in her eyes, in a shaky voice, and said "Thank you." I realized that it wasn't my help that brought pleasure to Angela's day, but rather my presence and care. I felt empowered; my reluctance to help was replaced with genuine interest in Angela and true desire to help with the therapy. I started to become less fixated on the odor of the house or the cat hairs on the carpet, began to enjoy my visits to Angela's house, and understood the change in Angela's eyes.

College is at my doorstep now and for a while I felt well prepared for the challenges it offers, both academically and socially. Now I realize that there is a vast world that I have yet to explore and college has taken a new meaning for me. It is no longer solely an institution of education; rather it has become a place where I hope to explore life and gain valuable experience that I will continue to use. I have continued to visit Angela on a regular basis and have formed a strong connection with her akin to a grandmother and grandson. My volunteer work with Hospice has inspired me to look ahead and find ways to make my academic interests work together with my love of helping others.

Thanks in advance! Any comments would be helpful!

Undergraduate / "Activities- Cultural, Math Club" Johns Hopkins Supplement [2]

Hey guys! I feel like this essay is really rough, so any comments or suggestions will be helpful!

A Typical student at Johns Hopkins spends less than 15 hours each week in a classroom, leaving lots of time for volunteer opportunities, clubs and organizations, athletics, social events, and other on- and off-campus activities. Aside from the academic interests you've already expressed, in what activities do you plan to engage as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins?

When I enter Johns Hopkins as an undergraduate, I would like to continue exploring my passions, while also developing new passions sparked by the Johns Hopkins community. Spending time at the local Hospice will quickly become a weekly habit and to further please my old passions becoming an active member in the Math Club will be a must. In particular, I am excited to participate in the Johns Hopkins annual High School Math Competition. Every year in high school, I helped to write tests and coordinate Mighty Mu, which was a math competition for elementary students that my high school ran. It was a great experience in high school and I know that it will be a great experience in college to help train the future generation of mathematicians. Of course, college is not just an extension of high school, but rather a time to explore the curiosities of the mind. I will participate in crew, a sport unavailable at my high school, has become a passion of mine ever since my, now college friends, have talked about it incessantly. Talking with my friend from Johns Hopkins, I am particularly excited to take part in the cultural experience. At home, I feel fairly isolated from my Indian heritage, only visiting the temple once or twice a month. However, I am eager to participate in the Indian cultural activities at Johns Hopkins and visit the Baltimore temple, which houses my family God.

Undergraduate / "Limitless Bounds" - Why Columbia [3]

Please tell us what you find most appealing about Columbia and why:

Limitless Bounds. Columbia may offer diversity and be located in one of the most history rich cities in the world: New York City. But to me, what Columbia offers the most is limitless bounds, both in the literal sense and figurative. In the literal sense, I am not confined to just New York City and Columbia. Through, Engineers without Borders, I can use what Columbia teaches me and apply it in a practical sense that will provide immediate help for those struggling around the world. Having family in India, particularly near Orissa, the India program particularly interests me. Working with Columbia and Engineers without Borders, I would like to make a healthy lifestyle, reality for those living in the Purnaguma village. Limitless Bounds. In the figurative sense this means that while at Columbia the sky is the limit for my education. With nearly 80% of the classes having 20 students or less, I will receive more individualized attention and have greater comprehension of the material. I cannot wait to work with Professor Henry Hess in the Molecular Engineering Laboratory and research and experiment with ideas that I have on biomolecular motors . The definition of limitless bounds is shown when Columbia engineering students built a playground swing for the disabled. I enjoy community service and combining that love with engineering would be a dream that could only come true at Columbia. Playground Swings. Biomolecular Motors. Purnaguma. Limitless Bounds. Columbia.

Undergraduate / "Making machines that could save and help - Why Engineering"- Columbia [5]

Please tell us what attracts you specifically to the study of engineering:

"Doctor." It was a cliché response, but it was the one I would always give when asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I even knew what specific kind I wanted to be: pediatrician. This was until the day that my dad told me that my grandmother was slowly dying from a combination of diseases, primarily diabetes. After this information set in, I immediately asked, "But what about doctors? Why can't they help?" My dad simply answered, "It's genetic." I felt as if the floor had been pulled out from under me. I thought that doctors were the superheroes of society and could fix any problem, my main allure to the profession. If doctors couldn't help my grandmother, then who could? I began to research about diabetes and the different ways to control it. There were pills of course, but my grandmother had difficulty in swallowing them, so they were of little use. I then came across research that outlined the uses of engineering, specifically biomedical, to help ameliorate the pain. It was my dream come true. My passion of science and math combined with my love of helping others. As I did more and more research, I felt more and more at home with engineering. Engineers were the true superheroes: making machines that could save my grandmother, that could help society, that could do the impossible.

Undergraduate / "The Party" National Merit/Common App Essay [6]

Describe an experience you have had and why it is meaningful to you.

"Knock, Knock", "Is anyone home", I bellowed at the top of my voice, and saw the fog rising from my lips. Even the bleak and chilly winter afternoon could not dampen my enthusiasm, as this was the moment I had been waiting for an entire month. The air was still, as if it was waiting with mirrored anticipation for an answer from inside the house. Today was my first birthday party for Hospice, and if not for the excitement, I may have realized the significance of the event. After what seemed like an entire day the door half opened and the wrinkled, pale hands of a woman beckoned my group and I in. At first I noticed the pugnacious odor that hung around the house and the numerous cat hair shedding's littered on the wooly floor. In the dimly lit room, I could now discern the face of an old fragile woman, wearing a flower patterned shirt, sitting in a stern manner in the timeless arm chair in the corner, almost in an identical pose as my own grandmother. Consulting the patient sheet, I realized that she was 99 years old. Wow! I thought, she is very active for 99, as the house, except for the occasional cat shedding on the floor, was in pristine condition. The usual pleasantries were exchanged between us and the patient and then it happened. I will never forget how she began the story that changed her life and mine.

"The Albanian throne was once mine". Angela, the patient, had once been part of the ruling family as the princess of Albania. She was forced to flee the country when the communists overthrew the government, making Angela and her family political prisoners. During the escape, Angela was separated from her family and has not seen them in over sixty years.

At the time, the story was as chilly as the weather outside and it still gives me goose bumps when I think about it. While to Angela it may have just been another retelling of the story, to me it was a cathartic experience that made me realize that there are many trivialities in life, the pugnacious odor in the house that I focus on rather than the big picture. Now instead of micro managing every small detail of my life, I changed to a macro management approach. For example, rather than writing a to do list for a specific day, I make weekly and monthly goals that have to be met. This allows me to have more fluidity in my life and still accomplish the important tasks. Macro management has also applied itself to clubs at school. In debate, when arguing a case I can now anticipate rebuttals from the opponent and plan accordingly. I can account the application of macro management to at least five victories in debate. This change in lifestyle while seeming trivial, has allowed me to reprioritize my life and reduce stress. I have continued to visit Angela on a fairly regular basis and have a formed a strong connection akin to one of a grandmother and grandson and it strengthens as she continues to tell me more life stories. I will never experience a catharsis or change in lifestyle as extreme as the first visit, but I continue to improve my life with the stories she tells me.