Undergraduate / "Blood Donation" - Extracurricular Activity [2]

Being a part of the organizing team for a blood donation camp has by far been the most valuable experience for me. This noble deed took place at my school premises on a Friday of October. Blood collection monitors, scales, syringes, stretchers and all such equipments were brought in from a nearby hospital and properly assembled. However, the day before the camp did not see much of registrations. Approaching from person to person did not really seem to work. Just the evening before the camp, we all decided to put up banners in our own respective housing societies. We distributed certain self-made batches with a sign of a red drop on each one, to those residing around us and greeted them with "Donate blood, Donate life! Cost: Just a little love!" the result of which was the overwhelming response on the day of the camp. The total collection was donated for enriching the lives of those brave men who have been toiling over the mountains to keep the nation safeguarded, i.e., the Indian Army. This experience has helped me to see the highest law which is the love of man to man with my own eyes and to realize the real secret for being rich: compassion towards humanity!

the character limit is 1000...and this one is coming to 1177! I need help in shortening it up along with some genuine feedback. Thank you!

Undergraduate / "Nigella Lawson, the kitchen goddess" - If you had the opportunity to bring someone [4]

If you had the opportunity to bring any person -- past or present, fictional or nonfictional -- to a place that is special to you (your hometown or country, a favorite location, etc), who would you bring and why? Tell us what you would share with that person.

Nigella Lawson, the kitchen goddess and the real inspiration behind my love for cooking is whom I would love to bring to my kitchen: the heavenly part of my abode! Had I not watched the show "Nigella Bites", the term kitchen would have remained alien for me, forever. I would treat her with a combination of some self-made delicacies and derivatives from her own famous recipes such as the aromatic Lamb Stew or perhaps, the sultry Thai Pumpkin Curry! Sharing some kitchen wisdom and tips on the hypnotic business of baking would be the highlight of this rendezvous.

The character limit is 500 and the current count is coming to 567. Kindly provide some genuine feedback along with some help to shorten the answer to the required character count.

Undergraduate / Computing: what led you to select both your anticipated academic area of study [6]

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.

Computing is part of everything we do! It is not just confined to a particular set of subjects but also draws upon ideas from other disciplines. What caught my eye to a greater extent was how naturally it fits into the enchanting world of liberal arts to an extent that it is now considered as the ultimate of the liberal arts disciplines. The research that I have performed in various aspects of this discipline has led me into believing that this field is not just about numbers, but insight. NYUAD, I believe, would be the perfect place to help me in my quest of attaining knowledge of both: the algorithmic world as well as life, the supreme of all.

The character limit is 500...and I've gone way beyond the limit- 654! Kindly provide some feedback and help me in reducing the number of characters or the size of the answer. Thank you!