Undergraduate / Nostalgia: Whats your favorite word?-- Make up your own prompt [2]

Any feedback is appreciated. I don't really have a conclusion so any suggestions would be great!

"Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care, for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or evil."-Buddha

Words are powerful objects; they can build up and tear down. What is your favorite word?
Nostalgia, it is not euphonious; it does not roll off the tongue. The arrangement of its letters is not necessarily pleasing to the eye, yet it is my favorite word.

Nostalgia is defined as a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life. It is a powerful emotion; it can alter memories and distort facts. Nostalgia allows the sufferer to remember former times without the harsh, fluorescent light of reality. The mean-spirited words and the tedious daily routines are forgotten and only the times in which joy was felt are remembered. All the negative aspects of life vanish in the rosy glow of memories tainted by nostalgia.

Nostalgia has not always been my favorite word, for a time it was ennui and later bamboozle. I came to love nostalgia gradually, as I read the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Many of his characters suffer from bouts of nostalgia; they idealize their childhood, youth, or lovers. These characters see only the good and the glorious times of the past.

Marquez revealed to me the power of nostalgia. It holds in its grasp individuals, families, cities, and societies. Individuals wish to relive happy, carefree days, families prefer to recall their former wealth, cities desire their days of power and influence, and societies recollect their glittering culture. No one is free from nostalgic remembrances.

Memories are not static; they change over time and that is why nostalgia is potent. It dilutes the unhappy memories while strengthening the joyful ones. It creates a vision of simpler times.

Undergraduate / "Improving the Mind"-- Why U of Chicago? Supplement [4]

Any feedback on grammar and content is greatly appreciated. I will edit your essay if you edit mine. Thanks in advance :)

I walked noiselessly through the towering stacks of books; my eyes wide in bewilderment. Lights flickered on around me as I ventured further into the Regenstein library. I was surrounded by uncountable stores of knowledge, from manuscripts in every Slavic language to shelves of sheet music. I had never seen so many books in my life. My town's modest public library was no comparison for the 4.5 million volumes held in the Regenstein. Behind me, my mother implored me to hurry up; it was starting to rain and we needed to get back to the car. But I stood entranced by the books and the University of Chicago.

Ever since my visit to the University of Chicago my mind has returned to my experience in the Regenstein. It seemed to me the epitome of the university's motto "crescat scientia, vita excolatur" (let knowledge increase, let life be perfected). For those moments, when I was surrounded by the amassed knowledge of previous generations, I felt that life could not get much better. However, the more I learned about the University of Chicago the better my life got because I could easily picture myself as a student there. I saw myself spending four frantic days participating in the annual Scav Hunt. I was walking to my Self, Culture, and Society Class with my classmates and reenacting the hilarious improve skit from Off-Off Campus. I pictured myself living in the historic Hitchcock House. I was preparing to study aboard in Barcelona where I would take a required civilization course, Civilization in the Western Hemisphere. I was preparing for the impending zombie invasion with the Zombie Readiness Task Force, studying at Regenstein Library, being shocked by the track team's steak while I was trying to study for finals, and creating my own student club through the Office of the Reynolds Club and Student Activities.

I found that the University of Chicago appeals to me because it not only presents students with knowledge, but teaches them how to connect what they learn. In the Core students connect ideas across disciplines and can find unexpected solutions for problems. Students can apply their knowledge to organize the world's largest scavenger hunt or propose a theory on how the universe came into existence (like graduate Edwin Hubble). The University of Chicago is all about improving the mind so as to improve the world, and I can think of no better way to spend the next four years.

Undergraduate / "intellectually stimulating classes, study aboard programs" - Why Northwestern? [3]

In this essay I tried to be specific about why Northwestern appeals to me and what I would do as a student there. This is a rough draft so I am looking for feedback on both content and grammar. Don't be afraid to be harsh. Oh and if you edit my essay I will return the favor.

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?

I lackidasically hoisted the computer into my lap, thought for a moment and then began to type "northwestern.edu" in the the URL bar. This summer afternoon would be as good as any to research the school that had been so impressing a few weeks earlier. As the page loaded, I decided to browse through the majors and minors, and perhaps explore my intended major of International Studies. Eventually, I landed up on the International Studies Department home page where I stumbled upon some course listings. I gazed at the screen and my mouth gaped open in wonder, before me was an embarrassment of riches. Courses like Icons, Legends, and Myths in Latin America, How Not to be Good in Renaissance England, Global Inequality, and The Rise of Asia, immediately grabbed my attention. I was fascinated simply by the names of the courses. I could only imagine what it would be like to attend one of those classes, the discussions that would be had, and what I would learn about the world.

I spent the next few days researching Northwestern and daydreaming about what it would be like to be a student. I saw myself snuggled up in my purple Wildcat hoodie, while I staked my claim to paint the Rock. I was walking to my Freshmen Seminar with a couple classmates and discussing the show we had seen at the Theatre and Interpretation Center. I pictured myself living in the International Studies Residential College and cooking a meal with my suite mates from our adopted country. I was preparing to study aboard in Rio de Janeiro where I would take a course on contemporary Brazil. I was walking around campus giving out free hugs with the Happiness Club, studying at Deering Library, screaming away all my frustrations the Sunday before finals, and mentoring Chicago area students with the Chicago Area Mentorship Program. It was not hard to picture myself living, working, and playing at Northwestern. There is so much to experience and learn, and there are so many events happening on campus that I could never be bored.

I found that Northwestern, in every aspect, appeals to me. It has small, intellectually stimulating classes that facilitate discussion, a large number of study aboard programs that would allow to study anywhere in the world, and a diverse student population that is dedicated to improving not only life on campus but in the surrounding community. At Northwestern I would not only improve my mind, through the stunning variety of courses available, but I would also improve my character through my daily interactions with students and faculty. Northwestern is a whole new world with unparalleled opportunities that was opened up to me because I was bored one summer day.

Undergraduate / "the idea that students explore" - Why Columbia? supplement [3]

This is a rough draft of my why columbia supplement. When trying to think of what to write I couldn't get a clear focus so i just started to write and this is what came out. I would greatly appreciate feedback on grammar or content. Don't be afraid to be harsh!

I feel as if my whole high school education was a perpetual preparation for standardized tests filled with prep questions, example essays, and practice tests whose sole goal was to make sure I did well on tests. All this preparation stifled my curiosity and now I am sick of preparing for tests. I would like my education to give me the freedom to explore myself and the world. Fortunately at Columbia, the whole curriculum is built upon the idea that students explore, and interpret, art, music, and literature for themselves. The emphasis is not on memorizing facts or formulas; rather learning to think independently, creatively, and critically.

I want to experience the world, and while researching Columbia I got a sense that the opportunities to do this are limitless. I could study Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro, help organize a campus wide spelling bee with the Blue Key Society, or take a course on Latin American politics. I could explore my passion for Latin American culture and politics with a major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. But maybe, after I finish the Core, I decide on another course of study I know that a plethora of opportunities will await me.

Columbia has the resources to help me immerse myself in any interest I have or will have. Classes at Columbia are environments in which learning and discussion take place, and students do not simply prepare for a test, and this is why I choose Columbia.

Undergraduate / "Death of Father" significant experience essay [3]

I am not sure if I should use this essay for my common app or not. I wrote the body paragraphs from a child's perspective and I don't know if it really works. I don't know if the essay truly addresses the prompt. I would GREATLY appreciate feedback.

Some events can come to define a life. Most often, these events are sudden and unexpected and irrevocably change the framework of existence. However, it is not the event itself that defines a life but the reaction to the event.

I focused on an old TV; across the screen a strange man in a three piece suit walked the corridors of a dinosaur museum at night. I focused on the screen before me to block out the chaotic shapes. I saw hands, feet, pants rushing around me. They were blurs quickly disappearing into a mysterious hallway. I was in a bright, white room because Mommy got a call from Daddy's friends. Daddy had to go to the hospital and we had to go meet him. Mommy quickly changed my brother, sister, and I from our white footie pajamas into school clothes, jeans and t-shirts.

We walked into the hospital, the automatic doors yawning open. Mommy went to talk to a lady in a big round desk. The desk was so high I couldn't even see the lady's face. Mommy sounded worried when she talked to the receptionist. The receptionist sent us to this room with bright fluorescent lights, a white tiled floor, white walls, and a TV. I hadn't seen Mommy since we came into this room; a voice had called her into the mysterious hallway. It seemed like she had been gone hours, maybe even days, I couldn't tell. I just watched the TV with the strange man on it and clenched my jaw. I hoped Mommy would come back soon with Daddy because my head was starting to ache.

Mommy came back from the hallway; she looked tired and sad. She was crying and a group of blurry shapes embraced her, they patted her back and smoothed her hair. A thought spread like wildfire in my mind, 'If Mommy is crying, you should too because something bad has happened.' But I wouldn't let the tears fall. If I cried the grown-ups would think I was a baby. 'Big girls don't cry," that is what Daddy always told me, and I was a big girl. I repeated this phrase in my head ten, fifty, a hundred times and with every repetition I laid another brick in the walls holding back my tears.

"Do you want to see Daddy one last time?" asked Mommy.
I shook my head, I couldn't walk through the hallway where at the end doctors in unsightly green scrubs would stand around a bed with Daddy in it, a Daddy who wouldn't look up if I called his name but would lay there expressionless. This reality was too horrific, too alien to face. So I pretended for a little while longer that I didn't understand what was happening. Mommy went back into the hallway without me.

When Mommy came back she was holding a plastic bag, it was made of thick white plastic so I couldn't see through it. But I wanted to see what was in the bag. So as we walked out of the hospital into the serene and silent summer night I looked into the bag. Inside were Daddy's clothes and new white basketball shoes, which hadn't even gotten scuffed. As I peered into the bag Mommy said from above me, "Rachael, Daddy died."

'He is gone forever.' I thought this not with grief or mourning but resignation. I knew that no matter how hard I prayed, how well I behaved, or how much I begged I could never bring Daddy back.

"Oh Kelly, she's too young to understand," said my Aunt Kathy.
I skipped to the car not wanting to.
I realized the consequences of that night more acutely later, as my responsibilities increased tenfold. I had to become the minder of my younger sister and brother; it was my job to keep them out of trouble. I had to help my mother make dinner, clean the house, and keep our schedules straight, as she suffered under the burden of single motherhood. Sometimes it seemed, to me, that I was the only sane one in the family and I was preventing us from spinning into chaos. I felt as if we were scrambling towards oblivion looking for what we had lost. I thought that I would crumble under these new pressures. But all these new responsibilities and obstacles made me more resilient to other hurdles life would throw in the way. Most of these hurdles involved others telling me what I could, or could not do. 'You can't go to college because your parents didn't,' or, 'If you do go to college, you can't go anywhere out of state.' But I defied their rules for me because I am an exception. And so, I began to think why not make myself a greater exception?

Undergraduate / Adopt a Grandparent-- Common App Extracirricular Activity [4]

I chose to expand on my adopt a grandparent volunteering. At the end of the essay I want to put a different word other than "appreciated" but I can't think of anything. I would like some feedback on grammar and content. Don't be afraid to be harsh.

I have always been a little frightened by nursing homes and their inhabitants; they remind me of visits to made to my grandmother as Alzheimer's ravaged her mind. So it is not hard to imagine my anxiety when it was announced that, for a class project, we would be receiving an adopted grandparent. My primary concern was whether my grandparent, Bernadette, would ever be able to remember me. But as soon as I met Bernadette my apprehensions were put to rest. At eighty-one, Bernadette is lucid, cheerful, and spunky, and nothing like I expected. We connected instantly and came to share visits full of laughter and conversation. Soon my visits were no longer an assignment because being with Bernadette was like being with an older, and wiser, friend. Bernadette helped me to see that the elderly, although their bodies are worn by time, are not to be feared but appreciated.

150 words

Undergraduate / NYU supplement- anticipated area of study, global network university, etc [3]

These are my three supplement short answers for NYU. The limit is 500 characters so please keep that in mind. But please don't be afraid to be harsh I am looking for edits in grammar and content. Thanks :)

Please tell us what led you to select both your anticipated academic area(s) of study and the NYU school / college / program or the Abu Dhabi campus. What interests you most about your intended discipline? Mention any extracurricular or non-school-related activities or experiences that demonstrate your interest.

My fascination with international relations grew out of from my love of history. As a studied history I began to recognize how the political and cultural traditions of nations influenced their current government and international actions. I became captivated by the shifting balance of power and understanding the new dynamics of the century. After attending a LeadAmerica conference on foreign policy I became most interested in studying how diplomats work together in the international arena.

NYU is 'In and of the City' and 'In and of the World.' What does the concept of a global network university mean to you? How do you think studying in New York City, Abu Dhabi, or one of NYU's global sites would change you as a person and equip you to build cross-cultural relationships at NYU and beyond?

A global network university urges students to go experience the world for themselves, either by studying aboard for a semester or taking an internship. Students learn to embrace the diversity of humanity and use it as a tool to solve global problems. If I had the opportunity to study in NYC or NYU's global sites I would encounter a range of people and personalities. In my interactions with these people I would learn to find the commonalities of experience that form the basis of relationships.

If you had the opportunity to bring any person - - past or present, fictional or nonfictional - - to a place that is special to you, who would you bring and why? What would you share with that person?

I would like to take Gabriel Garcia Marquez to the hill that my house sits upon and that overlooks the valley in which my hometown lies. Here I would ask him to help me find the beauty in the town and its inhabitants. At times I feel I can never appreciate the place that I come from like Marquez appreciates his native country of Colombia. I would like to ask Marquez how he came to feel such affection for his country, but I feel he would reply, "Through memories tainted with nostalgia."

Undergraduate / "Efficient water management in the world" - global issue, georgetown sfs esssay [2]

This is a very rough draft for the Georgetown SFS essay. Any comments are greatly appreciated :)
Briefly discuss a current global issue, indicating why you consider it important and what you suggest should be done to deal with it.

It is said that in the next century water will become the new oil. Water is the most essential resource for humankind, yet access is becoming more limited as water consumption increases. Water related conflicts between nations with shared river basins, like India and Pakistan and Jordan and Syria, will become more prevalent as countries look to sustain burgeoning populations and economies. The efficient management of water supply will be increasingly important for nations that wish to maintain stable economies and governments. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have encouraged the privatization of the water supply as efficient, reliable, and affordable water management. But will private companies be able to provide efficient water management so as to maintain growing economies and stable governments?

Many nations lack the financial reserves to pay for infrastructure to support water delivery, so they turn to private companies, like Bechtel, Suez, and United Water, to shoulder the costs of construction. After privatization, these companies have a monopoly on water management and often ignore affordability to focus on profitability. For example, in Bolivia, Bechtel increased the amount of piped water by 22%, but water prices soared to 20% of a family's monthly income. Although increases in the availability of water encourage businesses to invest in the country, lower class workers will never be able to rise above poverty into the middle class because they are burdened by exorbitant water rates. This creates a social turmoil as lower classes struggle to pay for water, while wealthier citizens and businesses remain unaffected. This clash of classes leads to riots and strikes protesting water prices which can result in the company withdrawing from water management and can discourage further investment in the country. Although for a short time economic productivity was increased due to the availability of water, protests by lower classes over privatization and excessive water rates discourage investment.

When nations privatize the water supply, they can take the money that would have been spent on management and infrastructure and invest it elsewhere. The government would seek to improve the lives of its citizens by spending money building roads, attracting investors, or providing for the welfare of citizens. However, as soon as private company raises water prices the stability of the government would suffer. The social unrest caused by an increase in water prices could force a government to take military action, as in Bolivia where martial law had to be declared after a string of violent protests over water rates. If the complaints of the protesters are not addressed then they could turn to militaristic groups or a radical leader so that their voices are heard. This would destabilize a government as it sought to control these threats and complaints instead of focusing on the well-being of the state. Perhaps if these militaristic groups or a radical leader would come to power it could threaten the security of a region and result in larger conflicts over water management.

Private companies concerned with profits would cause too much social unrest to be efficient, but as any global issue the solution is not so easy as to let the government control water management. Often governments are corrupt or the spoils system prevents a knowledgeable official from leading water management. I believe that no private company should completely control a water supply because water is not a commodity it is an essential resource. Instead of encouraging privatization the World Bank and IMF should supply loans to help improve water infrastructure. Also national governments should take a more active role in managing and regulating the water supply if there is a private company controlling the water supply. If the government is in charge of water management there should be a promotion of efficiency. Or perhaps a set of international standards on water management that guarantees access to all and provides for efficient management.