Undergraduate / 'why is learning important?' - University of Chicago--your own question [5]

Hey everyone,

Here's my big essay for UChicago's supplement. I would really appreciate anyone who takes the time to go through and scrutinize my work. I will return the favor, don't worry. :)

The answer to my question has become very clear to me as I have gotten older. What exactly is the question, however? It is very difficult to phrase; the exact wording of it often eludes me. Only through a significant amount of thinking have I been able to come up with what I feel is a succinct, well-phrased version of my question: why is learning important, and what do I want to study the most? This difficult, philosophical question is fundamental to how I live my life. I have always had a desire to learn unparalleled by my classmates. I do care about good grades, but it seems to me that many people care about learning only because of grades. In fact, I believe one should care about learning for the sake of learning. Learning is an intrinsic good, just as happiness is. One should learn to become more knowledgeable, to become a person of the world, to become as much as one possibly can during the relatively short number of trips around the sun we all complete.

Learning is important for several obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. The clear benefits of learning are more practical: going to college and graduate school helps one obtain a job and hopefully success. That one is obvious. A second obvious benefit is social. Well-read people are able to enhance discussions with references to great works, such as Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment or Homer's The Iliad. Having taken a course on such great works, I found it invaluable to be able to understand the plethora of allusions to great works that are often made. Being knowledgeable opens up an entirely new world of thought, and that is a fact that many people overlook.

So what exactly are the most important topics of study? To me, music, philosophy, and the brain are three very different topics that all merit a lifetime of study. I find that I can express myself through music, and that it is an exceptionally powerful outlet for creativity. Philosophy provides a means for me to use all of my knowledge to contemplate various life issues. I aspire to become a neurosurgeon because it will allow me to better understand the brain while having a huge impact on people's lives.

I have been playing music since a very young age, and I have been listening to it even before I was born-my mother, a professional harpist, gave concerts even while pregnant! I credit her with sparking my intense passion for music. I started playing the cello at age 10, and then moved to the guitar at 12. I began studying jazz guitar and came to appreciate music in an ineffable way; the degree to which the guitar has opened up my eyes to many different styles of music and to music theory is tremendous. Jazz in particular appeals to me in that it requires an extraordinary amount of creativity to play, which makes playing the guitar such an exhilarating experience. Though I do not intend to turn music into a career, I do plan on keeping music an integral part of my life.

Philosophy is my most recent intellectual pursuit. Before my junior year in high school I had no idea that philosophy was so interesting. My junior year I took a philosophy course and loved it so much that I enrolled in a Harvard Extension School course in Biomedical Ethics. This way I could continue studying philosophy but at the same time combine it with my interest in medicine. Philosophy is an extremely rewarding study in that it is interesting to read and then analyze philosophers' stances on life issues. My writing and reading comprehension skills have improved immensely. Philosophy is my intended major and I believe that college provides the perfect environment for me to pursue my varied interests before I go into neurosurgery.

The brain has always been particularly intriguing to me. It is astounding to me how a few chemical reactions result in such a wide variety of creative and intellectual pursuits. At first I just wanted to be a neurologist and do research, but I later decided that it would be more fulfilling to acquire hands-on experience as a neurosurgeon first and to then do research afterwards. What is amazing to me is the effect that music has on the brain. By studying the music-brain connection I can combine two of my passions. I see the potential for discovery as well as the opportunity to make an impact on many people's lives.

To me, knowledge is what gives life meaning. The three disciplines listed here-music, philosophy, and neuroscience-are what I am truly passionate about. It is unimaginable to me how anyone could go through life without aspiring to gain as much knowledge as possible. After all, we only live one time, and I believe that we might as well learn as much as we can while we have the chance.

Thanks again!

Undergraduate / 'Literature, Science, and the Arts' - Michigan what draws me there? [2]

Hi everyone,

Here's another supplement for the University of Michigan. Again, any/all constructive criticism is appreciated!

The prompt:Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? (500 words maximum)

Any college to which I apply needs to be able to satisfy my intense desire to learn. While many colleges can do this, not many can provide the resources needed for me to study all of the subjects I wish to study. However, the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts seems to be just such a place.

The main topic I wish to study is philosophy. I enjoy philosophical discourse and I am extremely excited to begin a more thorough study of philosophy than what was possible in high school. I am most interested in the ancient Greek philosophers as well as morality and ethics, and the fact that the philosophy department covers such topics and at the same time encourages interdisciplinary study makes it seem like a perfect match. I believe I can excel and really expand my understanding of philosophy in the program, which consistently ranks highly among universities in the nation. However much I may want to study philosophy, there is absolutely no way I could possibly abandon music and my passion for jazz.

How convenient then that the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts also has exactly the major I intend to pursue alongside philosophy: Jazz and improvisational studies. Ever since I began listening to the beautiful jazz guitar of Wes Montgomery I have been dedicated to learning jazz. I can not imagine leaving that behind, and if obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Jazz and Contemplative Studies entails me taking on an increased course load, I am all for it.

The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts also requires students to participate in intensive language training, which is something I seek to participate in regardless of whether or not it is required. I already speak English, Portuguese, and Spanish, and I plan on adding (at the very least) French and German to that throughout my lifetime. I also have a strong desire to learn a language with a different alphabet, so Russian or Japanese are distinct possibilities.

Finally, I do not want to overload the right hemisphere of my brain with the humanities-I plan on using the left hemisphere of my brain as I pursue a career in Neurosurgery. The University of Michigan is perfect in that I can pursue my other interests while at the same time studying to go to medical school. I want to be a well-rounded individual, and it often is apparent to me that I am becoming a "humanities guy." I aspire to balance out my interests-the logical with the creative-and the University of Michigan is clearly more than capable of providing me with a grounds to not only achieve all that I aspire to achieve but also to open up my horizons and help me find even more topics I am passionate about.

Undergraduate / 'Bilingual, Brazil, United States' -What community do I belong to? [4]

Hey everyone,

Here's my essay for the University of Michigan supplement. Any constructive criticism is appreciated!

The prompt: Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (Approximately 250 words)

My very first word was bilingual. The word was either "mais," meaning more in Portuguese, or "mice"-both are pronounced the same way. Since I was born, I have belonged not only to the culture of the United States, but also to the culture of Brazil. My father always speaks to me in Portuguese and my mother always speaks to me in English; as a result, I am fluent in both. I have been to Brazil twice, and both times I absolutely adored being there. We do not have family close to home, and being in Brazil around the large extended family makes me wish that I could have gone to Brazil more times. However, I would not change anything about my upbringing. I believe that the cultural mix in which I was brought up provided for me a completely unique worldview that has led to my extremely varied interests-one day I will be listening to Brazilian music or watching the soccer club Flamengo and the next day I will be talking about politics in the United States or about America's greatest contribution to music: jazz. Each culture gave me something. My place in this mixed cultural community is to provide the "bridge" between them. My parents each identify with their own culture, and as I am an only child I am the one person in the family who identifies with both, I feel that I have a very special role in our community as a "connector" of cultures.

Undergraduate / 'Beethoven's piano sonatas' - University of Chicago Supplement [5]

Hey Everyone,

I just found this site, and it seems likea great place where I can be helped and help others. So here I go. This essay is one of my UChicago supplements. I'm thinking of adding more to it, but I wanted to know what you guys thought. The question asks for you to tell about your favorite interests (i.e. music, performers, authors, etc.)

When I am not busy worshipping His Noodliness, The Flying Spaghetti Monster (from Bobby Henderson's Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster), I can be found transcribing one of Wes Montgomery's solos from "Full House" or behind my piano learning Beethoven's 14th piano sonata. I grew up listening to classical music-my mom is a professional harpist, and I vividly remember waking up to Mozart or Debussy or Beethoven. My musical interests are very eclectic; my all-time favorite musicians would have to be The Beatles, but I go through the phases in my musical tastes. One week it will be John Coltrane's "Giant Steps," then next week Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," and then the following week Brazilian group MPB4's "Roda Viva." However, Wes Montgomery's luscious, virtuoso jazz guitar playing and Beethoven's unbelievably beautiful compositions are very close contenders. Of all of Beethoven's piano sonatas, the first movement of his 23rd one may be my favorite piece of music. The raw emotion it captures is stunning to me, and every time I listen to it chills run down my spine. The same goes for Wes Montgomery's solo guitar piece "Mi Cosa," which is unbelievably beautiful composition.