Undergraduate / (culture, language) Tufts Essay: Consider the World Within [4]

Consider the world within. Taste in music, food, and clothing can make a statement while politics, sports, religion, and ethnicity are often defining attributes. Are you a vegetarian? A poet? Do you prefer YouTube or test tubes, Mac or PC? Use the richness of your identity to frame your personal outlook.

Culture- one of the most important things in my life. I have experienced a massive culture shock within weeks after moving to America. Suddenly seeing the sophisticated and luxurious lifestyle in America after witnessing the impecunious lifestyle of Bangladesh for twelve years was a bewildering experience in my life. The mostly liberal views of modern Americans differ drastically from the mostly conservative views of Bangladeshis. It was ironic how I struggled to adjust to the American culture initially, but after adjusting, I had to practice my native culture frequently to ensure it does not get diminished by its' American counterpart. Finding an ideal balance between the two disparate cultures was once distressing to me; however, I realized that I certainly did not have to choose one over the other. I could freely practice two equally delightful cultures at once. I am an American and I am a Bangladeshi.

Language- one of the most enriching things in my life. As a child, I learned Bengali, Arabic, and English alphabets. Learning to read and write three languages concurrently can be overwhelming, especially for someone who did not speak two of the three. I was learning to read 104 letters simultaneously (50 in Bengali, 28 in Arabic, and 26 in English). I was drawn to the scripts of not only my native language Bengali, but also to that of Arabic and English. On my way to America through Dubai and Amsterdam, I precisely realized the importance of language. In Dubai, I was able to communicate vaguely in Arabic; however, in Amsterdam, I was baffled as I spoke no Dutch and my heavily accented English was intolerably incoherent. After realizing the importance of language in an increasing diverse world, I aspired to learn even more languages. I taught myself Hindi by watching Bollywood movies and I took a course in Hebrew this summer. Also, I completed two years of French at school even when it was not required. আমি সত্যিই ভাষা ভালোবাসি. (I really love languages.)

Thanks in advance :-)

Undergraduate / Research and Language-Notre Dame [2]

1.If you were given a $5,000 grant to study a topic, what would you choose to research and why?

Growing up, I never realized that I was being deprived of a spectacular conception. My family, like millions of other families in Bangladesh, was lacking one of the necessities of life: technology. (Is it safe to say technology is a necessity?) We stepped on the soil of America five years ago, eager to take advantage of the phenomenal possibilities. Within days after arriving here, I was astonished by the impact of technology on the American lifestyle. It seemed to me technology accomplished everything expeditiously.

At Notre Dame, I would want to research the obstacles that impede growth of technology in third-world nations. The unfortunate truth is that the impoverished people in the third-world nations have the skills but they lack the resources. I want to scrutinize and analyze the causes of a lack of technology or this phenomenon(Which one should I pick?) such as poverty and political corruption. (How can I phrase this sentence better?) My ambition is to ensure that the people in third-world nations can easily have access to the marvelous idea we call technology.

2.You have 150 words. Take a risk.
Language is one of the most enriching aspects of my life. As a child, I learned the Bengali, Arabic, and English alphabets - 104 letters in all. Learning to read and write three languages concurrently was overwhelming, especially for someone who did not speak two of the three. I was not only drawn to the scripts of my native language Bengali, but to those of Arabic and English as well. On my way to America through Dubai and Amsterdam, I realized the true importance of language in an increasingly diverse world. In Dubai, I was able to communicate vaguely in Arabic, but in Amsterdam, I was baffled as I spoke no Dutch and my heavily accented English was completely incoherent. After this experience, I aspired to learn more languages. I taught myself Hindi by watching Bollywood movies. I took a course on Hebrew this summer. And, I completed two years of French at school. আমি সত্যিই ভাষা ভালোবাসি - I really love languages.

(Do you think the Bengali script will show up on the common app? I think it only recognize the plain text. If that's the case, can you suggest an alternative ending?)

Also, I somehow want to say why I like learning languages. Because it allows me to communicate with a whole new set of people and also enjoy new films or music. But, I need to take some off, what can I take off?

^Does this essay really fit this prompt or does it raise an eyebrow? It was written for another topic. I really don't have the time to write a completely new essay. What do you think? Can it make it through?

Thank you so much in advance!

Undergraduate / 'advancing and enhancing technology / Bangladesh' - Gates Essay: Subject Excelled [5]

THANKS SO MUCH! :-)

19. Discuss the subjects in which you excel or have excelled. To what factors do you attribute your success? Use specific examples to illustrate how you succeeded.

My family stepped on the soil of this great nation five years ago, eager to take advantage of the phenomenal possibilities. I am thankful to be a part of two distinct worlds because it has allowed me to experience diverse situations in life. The difference between my native land, Bangladesh, and America has instilled passions in my life: technology and political science.

Being raised in a middle-class family in a third-world nation, I encountered a society with little to no technology. After being exposed to the advanced technology of America, I was significantly drawn toward its implications. I decided to attend an out-of-zone high school to enroll in the Center for Engineering and Applied Technology magnet program. Throughout the four years of high school, I have had engineering and technology classes. Not only did I excel in these technology classes, but I also became involved in Technology Students Association by competing in state conferences, and becoming the Vice-President.

I found the contents of the courses truly engaging as I loved learning about 3-D drafting, C++, circuits, thermodynamics, algorithms, etc.The courses were very enlightening as they introduced me to the broad idea of not only engineering, but also to that of physics and computer science. These classes had a great impact on my learning career because I gained an exposure to the implications of technology while becoming a step closer to my aspiration.

My fervor for technology developed throughout high school, but it was last summer when it amplified. In the summer of 2011, I was invited to participate in the Governor's Honors Program (GHP) for exceptional students in the state of Georgia. The program accepts 700 of Georgia's best and brightest sophomores and juniors for enrichment in areas for which they are nominated. I was selected to participate as a technology major with a chosen minor in science. My personal experiences with a world deprived of technology and my profound interests in the uses of technology for growth of societies are the leading factors for my success. My aspiration is to work toward advancing and enhancing technology in third-world nations.

Another subject in which I have excelled is AP US History. AP US History was my most favorite course throughout high school as the content of the course was engaging and the instructor was phenomenal. AP US History was the first advanced placement class that I took in high school. By the time of graduation, I would have taken every AP classes offered at my school. The rigorous coursework and the daunting workload was an interesting challenge for me. I enjoyed learning about containment, manifest destiny, Monroe Doctrine, the Alien and Sedition Acts, and many more topics both similar and different than these. My interest in the politics aspect of US History led me to earn the highest grade in the class at the end of both first and second semesters. In November, my teacher gave us the option to complete a social science project to compete at the school level fair. The idea that instantly ignited in my mind was to do something on corruption and internal displacement. After discussing this with my instructor, I shaped my topic to be the precise question that follows: Does Corruption Impact the Internal Displacement of Nations in Conflict?

The topics of corruption and internal displacement occupy a vital place in my heart because I had once witnessed myself the atrocities of both of these occurrences. In Bangladesh, I was three years behind in my education because my parents refused to bribe corrupt school officials for my admission, which lead me to repeat two grades. I completed third grade in Bangladesh and enrolled in the seventh grade in the United States. The political corruption has wounded my education as a child. I fostered an acute hatred toward corruption following my experience. I have also experienced the devastation of internal displacement when my family members had to relocate from ancestral home land to an unidentified place in which they held no value.

I decided to focus on three nations in southern Africa: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and Sudan. These countries were the key witnesses of the grotesque impact of internal displacement. During the course of collecting data, I read several books and articles on the refugee situation in Africa. I conducted interviews with two African natives, who have had an extensive experience with corruption there. My conclusion was that corruption in Africa does manipulate the people to relocate because of the governments' failure to protect the citizens from violence. My strong dedication to enlighten others about corruption and internal displacement drove me to thoroughly examine and intently analyze my gathered data daily until my heart was fully satisfied with my gathered product.

This project has provided me with a memorable experience and much recognition. I won first place in my school, city, and regional competitions. Then, I proceeded to the 2011 Georgia State Social Studies Fair, and won the Best in Class award; my project was declared the best project in the State of Georgia. The concept of solving the crisis of internal displacement and corruption continues to intellectually excite me. My experiences served to make me realize that learning for the sake of learning provides us exposure, tolerance, and passion in life.

Undergraduate / Gates Essay - Community Involvement Nonviolence [2]

Hello! Thank you so much for opening up my Gates essay. I would appreciate any feedback; anything at all to improve my story.
Thanks so much once again!

"Now, who can tell me how Jason could've handled the situation better without physically harming Jasmine?" I asked to the crowded gymnasium in a loud voice. Only two of the eighth graders raised their hands; I called on one of them, "You in the orange sweater. Go ahead." He hesitantly answered, "Um. Maybe, he could've cursed her out or just walk out on the situation." After hearing his response, I proceeded to explain to the crowd why they should never abuse others, whether it is done physically or verbally. Then, I continued to discuss other strategies Jason could have used to show Jasmine, his girlfriend, how her unfaithfulness made him feel.

Jason and Jasmine are fictional characters in a play called There is No Excuse for Dating Abuse. The play demonstrates an abusive relationship between teenagers. Jason frequently abuses Jasmine, his girlfriend; they have been dating for more than a year. In the play, I am Phil, a friend of Jason who advises him to improve the situation in his relationship. Phil has a significant part in the play, because he is the one to explain to Jason that his actions are resentful. The play is performed by the Start Strong Atlanta teens around the city of Atlanta.

Start Strong Atlanta is an organization aiming to reduce dating violence and to promote healthy relationships. As a peer educator of the Start Strong Atlanta, I am dedicated to promote practices to end teen dating violence and abuse. The peer educators teach youths how to foster healthy relationships and end dating violence by performing plays, teaching interactive lessons, and spreading the message of healthy relationships. Start Strong Atlanta is a collaboration of Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta Public Schools, and the Jane Fonda Center at Emory University School of Medicine. I chose to be a part of Start Strong because I was shocked by the violence occurring to and by teenagers in my community. I remember an instance when one of my friends was absent from school because she was badly wounded by her boyfriend. Witnessing the devastation caused by dating violence in my school and community influenced me to take part in an organization aiming to end the atrocious violence.

My interest in the principle of nonviolence was fostered in a rather unusual way. A few years ago, I was watching a Bollywood film called Lage Raho Munna Bhai. The film captures a Mumbai underworld don practicing nonviolence after seeing the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi. The film serves as a criticism of the violence and malice in our daily lives. It captures the true power of humanism and how it can benefit us all in a modern society. This film was hugely inspirational as it showed a man who lived with violence and crime all his life change and submit to nonviolence and truth. After watching the movie, I began to research the morals of Gandhi, and soon encountered the service of Dr. King. Two years later, I was performing a play advocating nonviolence at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center and was spreading the nonviolence ideals around my community on his birthday.

Through my service at Start Strong, I learned the power of nonviolence. I realized that nonviolence is one of the essential tactics we should all implement in our lives. I believe that all forms of violence are unacceptable. Educating my younger peers on how to avoid dating abuse and how to end it if it starts has given me an inner satisfaction. I realize that I am rendering a service that is both needed and appreciated. In the future, I hope to continue spreading ideas of nonviolence in my community and beyond.

Is the conclusion strong enough? Is it memorable?