Undergraduate / Honesty is the best policy (or not) - U Chicago essay # 4 [5]

MODERATORS is there a way I can delete this and repost it under undergraduate admissions, I didn't realize it was on graduate admissions. Thanks.

"Honesty is the best policy, but honesty won't get your friend free birthday cake at the diner." - Overheard in the city of Chicago

Does society require constant honesty? Why is it (or why is it not) problematic to shift the truth in one's favor, even if the lie is seemingly harmless to others? If we can be "conveniently honest," what other virtues might we take more lightly?

Inspired by Eleanor Easton, a second-year in the College

Growing up, I never disputed the importance of being honest, after all I liked my nose and didn't want to end up like poor Pinocchio, but in recent years, I realized that lying is just as important as telling the truth.

Over Thanksgiving break, I became a little too exuberant while playing Wii boxing and punched myself in the face. I can be a bit wild with my swings, but don't worry, I won. For days after I returned to school, I got questions like "Dude what happened to your jaw," "Are you okay," "Should we talk about your life at home," and "Did you get into some kind of outsiders brawl over the break." While all of these questions were valid proposals and a swollen jaw typically means something more than a Wii match gone wrong, who would ever admit to such an unfortunate outcome from a game and not a real sport? Naturally, I saved myself from extreme embarrassment by making up stories of ninjas abducting me in the middle of the night and an overzealous Black Friday shopper who fought me over a pair of $19.99 boots.

My convenient lie proved to have no adverse affects and helped save me from having to repeatedly explain what really happened to me. Imagine my having to grudgingly retell my boxing match, complete with hand motions and the anticipated final blow not to the other player but into my own jaw- no thanks. If I had to do it over again would I still lie about how I got my injury? If I'm being honest, yes I would lie in a heartbeat, but maybe this time I would come up with a more colorful story.

Does society require constant honesty? Absolutely not. If people only told the truth there would never be another person elected for any position in government, lawyers would be out of a job, and teachers wouldn't know what to say about some children's' behavior. Like Dave Van Ronk once said, "honesty is the cruelest game of all, because not only can you hurt someone - and hurt them to the bone - you can feel self-righteous about it at the same time." If people only told the truth more men would really tell their girlfriend about that new dress and moms would hear the truth about how that new recipe really taste.

My boxing match, while a travesty itself, taught me it is truly okay to shift the truth in ones favor if its impact is harmless for others or me. While a society completely devoid of honesty could make all morals disappear and become something from a dream, sometimes lying can make life a bit more interesting. After all who needs honesty when I can get free cake from lying?

Tear it apart I only have a few hours to make this perfect. Thanks.

Undergraduate / "the start of something new, exhilarating, and not experienced" - Why U Chicago essay [14]

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to Chicago.

'In preparation for the upcoming cold and flu season, Jesus asks you to use hand sanitizer to help prevent the spread of germs. Thank you.' This sign, posted outside of the 57th Street Seminary bookstore was one of many memories surrounding my visit to the University of Chicago.

After two days of driving and three attempts at finding a hotel, I arrived on campus. I was immediately struck by the beauty of the buildings and the hospitality of the student body. On the way to the information session alone, I was approached by multiple students willing to risk being late for class to help direct me towards the admissions building. I was engaged by the tour guide's enthusiasm as he led us through the black box and spoke highly of his newly changed majors. From the Hogwarts like buildings to the core curriculum, I knew that this was the school for me. UChicago appealed to me both academically and creatively. I wanted to be the new quirky addition to the student body, but I had nearly two years until college. I wanted to jump in head first and use my autonomy to take advantage of the unique classes offered in the Division of the Social Science and explore my love for knowledge with over forty nine areas of study to choose from. I also wanted to benefit from Chicago's small class sizes and the community that the house system creates. I wanted the personal learning experience the university is known for, with the flexibility the quarter system provides. I wanted to get involved in one of dozens of renowned research projects, club activities, and internships. I wanted UChicago.

I have already had memorable moments at the University of Chicago. University police gave me my first and hopefully only ride in a cop car back to my car across campus. I toured the Regenstein Library and spoke to many students about their classes and the houses they lived in. I got to experience eating in the South Campus dining hall and I discovered how it feels to have the city of Chicago right at my fingertips. No matter where my U Chicago journey takes me, I will be constantly learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Whether I spend the day studying for a huge psychology test, or rummaging the campus for Scav hunt, four years at the University of Chicago will help shape me into a successful adult. I look forward to rushing to finish my homework, so I can make it to Thursday night soccer and standing in line every Wednesday for a dollar milkshake. I look forward to a late night snack from TANSTAAFL, house Olympics and elections, writing an interesting story for the University of Chicago Press, and freshman orientation.

For me, the University Chicago is the start of something new, something exhilarating, something that cannot be experienced elsewhere. That cold February day of junior year, with snow up to my knees, I fell in love with everything UChicago had to offer. Now when someone asks me why I want to go to the University of Chicago I say, "why not"? Crescat scientia; vita excolatu: let knowledge grow from more to more; and so be human life enriched.

Undergraduate / am shorter than the average female; Wake Forest - What challenges you? [2]

What idea most challenges you?

Sitting in the operating room listening to the patient's heart beat, I ponder what it is like to be a doctor. How taxing it must be to know that even after years of college, medical school, and residency they will not be able to save every patient. I was simply immersed in life in the OR for two days and I all ready witnessed that while medicine is constantly changing, so are the diseases affecting the population. It is a alarming thought that as the doctor, the patient's livelihood lies in my hands, and they trust me to keep them safe. It is hard to grasp that even if I work my hardest to remove the entire tumor I may still have to leave some behind because it is too intertwined with an organ. Why is it that I can treat a condition to the best of my ability, but in the end, have to tell a patient there is nothing more I can do, but there is ongoing research on a treatment? Why is it that medical treatments will always be one step behind a new disease?

What should we know about you that we haven't yet learned?

I am shorter than the average female. Some of my best work has been produced while under an immense amount of stress. I hate procrastination, but I admit that I at times I fall victim to her charms. My backpack will probably always be an organized mess. I will probably spend my first day on campus in the library, scoping out the perfect nook. By the end of my four years, everyone will know exactly where to find me when I'm studying. I can be a complete kid at heart, but I know when it is time to be serious. I am more of a night person, but mornings are fine just the same. However, most of all, you should know that I want to be a Demon Deacon.

Undergraduate / There are many things I wish I knew, but most of all I wish I knew the future. [8]

I Need Help deciding which short essay is better- Wake Forest

Which essay is better? They both need more added to them but I don't know which one I should continue and I am kinda stuck on what more I should say.

7. I wish I knew...

I wish I knew you. Right now you are reading my file with everything from my birthday to my social security number. You know my name, my address, my phone number and every class I have ever taken in high school. You know what extracurricular activities I took part in, and what I aspire to be. You know my GPA and my SAT score. You know everything about the last four years of my life, and I don't even know your name. You know so much about me, but I wish I knew you.

I don't know what else to add to this so if you have any ideas please let me know.

There are many things I wish I knew, but most of all I wish I knew the future. If I knew the future, I could warn a country before a famine strikes and kills millions of people. I could forsee an upcoming war and stop it years before the proposal makes it to congress. I could have prevented our current economic crisis and saved many famlies from foreclosure. I could warn people about the damages todays pollution will cause. I could know the cure for cancer before more people have to suffer. I could stop future pandemics and catastrophies from occurring. If I could tell the future, I would take everyones pain and suddering away.

Undergraduate / Shared Paradise - Wake Forest essay [2]

3. As a part of 2010 Wake Forest orientation, the freshman class examined The Andes of Ecuador, a painting by Frederic Church. Next year what work of visual or performing art should the incoming class analyze? Why?

New beginnings, life, and new possibilities are the first thoughts that come to mind when visualizing Wolfgang -Adam Topffer's Swiss landscape painting. The wisdom of the old trees reflects the wisdom of the student body and the new life they bring to the university. Rippling water flowing through a beautiful river creates a paradise in the mist of the trees, but one can only guess what is around the corner of the river. Similarly, each incoming freshman can only ponder their four year journey as they begin their Wake Forest education. The Swiss mountains off in the distance symbolize that one particularly challenging class each student will inevitably take, but shows promises of serenity once you make it through the storm. Each student will envision something different when glancing at this painting, but together they can discover their shared paradise: Wake Forest University.

Undergraduate / Groggily walking towards the kitchen, I begin my daily routine - Wake Forest [5]

2. What outrages you? What are you doing about it? (less than 200 words)

Groggily walking towards the kitchen, I begin my daily routine: get a bowl, get a spoon, grab the milk and grab my box of cereal. Everything situated, I settle down at the breakfast bar to enjoy my Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The first thing I do is pour some cereals into the bowl then go to add in the milk. Oh no, I whisper only to hear my sister chuckling beside me. Almost all of the milk is gone, and I can either choose to use the rest and eat half dry cereal, or give it up and just enjoy my cereal completely dry. Only problem is, I hate dry cereal. Pondering the situation, I try not to get mad over the prospect of a lost breakfast, but I can't help but notice my sister enjoying her bowl of Golden Grams absolutely floating in excess milk. From that day forward, I promised to keep a hidden milk carton in the back of the fridge. No longer will I be subjected to mornings of dry cereal, as my secret milk carton is there to say the day.

Undergraduate / My Disney Childhood in 180 words - Wake Forest [9]

1. Describe the culture in which you grew up. What are its strengths and weaknesses?

I grew up in a culture of Disney princesses, Sesame Street, Barney and Blues Clues. During a time when the only television before ten A.M. was cartoons, and before cartoon network cut out shows like Dexter's Laboratory and Code Name Kids Next Door. Where the first Harry Potter book became known, just in time to receive my letter to Hogwarts and the most important thing on my mind was being sorted into Gryffindor and staying as far away from Slytherin as possible. Throughout my upbringing, the movie and tv industry were the people behind some of my first words. At age two, I learned the word mine right before Barney taught me how to share. Harry Potter taught me to read long novels, to fake a British accent, and to never say bloody hell around my parents. T.V. taught me how to properly spell laboratory, and that if I wanted to be like Princess Ariel, I would have to learn how to swim first. T.V. shows taught me to just be a kid. While this culture may not be as immediately visible as my African American heritage, it played just as large a part in my upbringing.

I am 79 characters over the limit please help me cut this down. Do I answer the entire prompt?

6. What final Jeopardy category would ensure your victory? (200 characters)
- I can't think of an interesting Jeopardy category that has not all ready been done.