Undergraduate / Stanford: Mortgage loans intellectually engaging?! [2]

STANFORD STUDENTS ARE WIDELY KNOWN TO POSSESS A SENSE OF INTELLECTUAL VITALITY.TELL US ABOUT AN IDEA OR AN EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE HAD THAT YOU FIND INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGING.

Stubbornly, I jabbed the enter button on my TI-84 calculator for the 18th time, and the 18th "583,095.6" appeared on the screen, taunting and teasing me. Did I calculate incorrectly or was I hallucinating? Mathematical reasoning and simple logic told me that this number was too large and lumpy to swallow. I had to be wrong, but I flipped to the solution guide and saw $583,095.60 appear on the page.

For once, I wish I had the incorrect answer. I wish any number smaller than 583,095.6 appeared on my calculator screen because I refused to believe that anyone would pay $583,095.60 for a $250,000 home. One simple formula- the mortgage formula- that I learned in Trig/Math Analysis changed my perspective on finance and numbers.

But why? Why did a $250,000 home paid over 30 years at 7.8 percent interest cost $583,095.60? A simple mortgage formula, a set of innocuous looking variables, produced the cold truth.

Loans, as friendly as they may seem, causes millions of Americans to continue on a cycle of debt. A set of innocent-looking numbers that say "you only pay 7.8 percent a year" actually adds up over the span of 30 years. Through 30 years of monthly payments, a home costs more than twice the sticker tag price.

As someone who enjoys doing math, I finally viewed math abstractly. Numbers can be twisted, and from learning the mortgage formula, I've observed that playing with numbers is a dangerous game- one that can result in debt, rampant foreclosures, and ruined credit.

Hi, this prompt would work well for sciences, but i'm not a science fanatic haha. Anyways, please feel free to critique! Thanks in advance~

Undergraduate / UVA: In my Mom's arms/ favorite place to get lost [3]

Prompt: Discuss your favorite place to get lost. (This question was written by U.Va. students who live in one of our residential colleges, Brown College at Monroe Hill.)

When I'm in my mom's arms, time stops, cruelty ends, and life slows down like rich chocolate rippling down a fountain. The world consists of the present- the now. In my mom's arms, I am lost in a world of safety. Her velvety skin serves as a shield and her herbal scent a reminder that she will always be there.

I used to visit her arms as often as I could. When my hamster died, when my dad left for work, or when the mornings were too harsh to confront, I'd scramble to her and let a few minutes-or were they hours- slip by.

In my mom's arms, I wanted to hold on and fit in even forever. However, nothing lasts forever. Shortly after I began high school, Mom suffered from severe depression. Of course, by then, I was too big to fit within her two, skinny arms. Her arms had fallen to the side. Though my mom has recovered from depression in the past year, I know there is no way I can ever recover the same gesture of love.

I will settle for less. I am satisfied though, because today, I cut myself with a razor. My blood oozed out of the deep but narrow cut, and I called for Mom when the blood trickled out the stream. Mom came with a band-aid. Wrapping my finger gently, she hugged it tightly. I secretly imagined being the finger, lost in her protection one last time.

Please critique! Thanksssssssssssss!

Undergraduate / "when I think of the Low Memorial Library.." - columbia supplement [2]

When I caught a glimpse of the Low Memorial Library for the first time, my eyes set on the beautiful architecture of the building, its inspiring marble white, and its aura of revolutionary thinking. Appeal begins at the surface, and for me, I found Columbia appealing to that very sense. However, since understanding more about Columbia, I've discovered more to the emblem of white- I've learned to love Columbia's passion towards understanding human nature. From my experiences thus far, I've found that understanding human nature is vital in every subject, especially in the English language. Struggling from a young age to grasp the meaning of words, spending hours deciphering vocabulary words, and over-interpreting texts, I've learned that "it all comes down to life and love." Grasping this concept and finally being able to view English more than just words, I know that Columbia is where I can take my learning to a whole new level. I find Columbia appealing because it holds all its studies: literature, politics, and the arts as things only human. While universities across the U.S. strive to advance in these very subjects by examining the world, listening for current events, and scrutinizing miscellaneous numbers, students from Columbia stride further by just scrutinizing themselves. So now, when I think of the Low Memorial Library, I find it appealing because it reveals more about-me.

Prompt: please tell us what you find appealing about Columbia and why:
limit: 1500 characters

Hi, any feedback and criticism is much appreciated! Thanks!