Undergraduate / Calculus-- What is your favorite class? [6]

First of all, thanks for looking at this. Please give me suggestions on how to improve this.
Prompt: What is your favorite class and why? (1500 characters) My essay is 1283 characters.

If I told my Calculus teacher that Calculus was my favorite class, she would be shocked. During a typical day in Calculus, I have a puzzled look on my face and I'm more than likely ripping my hair out, but somehow, I enjoy the challenge. Compared to my previous math classes, Calculus is more technical than mathematical. This means that in Calculus, how you do the same problem changes according to the scenario. For example, the Mean Value Theorem (MVT) and Rolle's Theorem are fundamentally the same, but when it comes to solving the equation, you either set the equation equal to the slope for MVT or zero for Rolle's.

Another reason I like Calculus is because of the learning environment that my teacher provides. She, unlike other teachers, allows us to work in groups in order to help each other understand the concepts. Oftentimes, this approach allows efficient learning because it allows her to review whatever the class as a whole does not understand. Also she is very enthusiastic and eager to answer any questions. I believe that without my teacher, I wouldn't be able to solve calculus problems as well as I can now. As a matter of fact, I am grateful for having Mrs. Ruble because she taught me analytic and problem solving skills which will be necessary in college.

Undergraduate / Unique, fun, community--Why Northwestern? [6]

Prompt: What are the unique qualities of Northwestern - and of the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying - that make you want to attend the University? In what ways do you hope to take advantage of the qualities you have identified?(No real Word Limit)

As I was reading Northwestern, the book I received in the mail, I remembered an old LG TV advertisement titled Live Borderless. In it, a bird, living on the Isle of Flightless Birds, looks up to the skies, spots an airplane, then looks down at its flapping wings, and to the surprise of the other birds, jumps off a cliff and proceeds to fly. Unlike other undergraduate colleges, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences provides a unique academic environment by offering "the best of both worlds" through a liberal arts education paired with numerous research opportunities. I plan on taking advantage of this in order to not only become a well-rounded student, but also to gain valuable experiences toward my pursuit of a medical career. I believe Northwestern will allow my education to be like that bird: unrestrained and unique.

While I have not yet had a chance to visit Northwestern, I believe that I will be able to fit into the diverse community. I plan on participating in activities ranging from Dillo Day and The Marathon Dance to Intramurals and clubs. Apart from offering numerous campus activities, Northwestern also provides numerous off campus opportunities to students due to its proximity to Chicago. I want to go to Northwestern because not only does it have the type of learning environment I am looking for, but it also has the type of close-knit, diverse, fun, unique, and open-minded community I want to be a part of.

Undergraduate / Soccer taught me confidence- Extracurricular [2]

Prompt: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below.

I love playing soccer; it has always been a part of my life. I fell in love with soccer in Kenya whenever my mother's high school class invited me to kick a ball with them. Whenever my family moved to America, I started playing in various recreational and competitive leagues and over time my skills improved. Although I had always been a forward, my high school coach decided to play me as a central midfielder. I was very unconfident whenever I realized that that my responsibility was to orchestrate our entire offensive attack. How could I, a forward, do this? As I started to gain experience, my confidence also increased and I in turn became a better midfielder. Looking back at my soccer days, I realize that without soccer, I wouldn't have good communication or teamwork skill, but most importantly, I wouldn't have my confidence.

Undergraduate / I'm a nerd- Dear Future Roommate [NEW]

Prompt: Write a letter to your future roommate.

Dear Future Roommate,
I'm very excited to meet you, but before we meet, I'd like to introduce you into my world.
I was born in Kenya and lived there for six years before my family decided to move to Texas. We proceeded to live in Texas for the next seven years before moving to Kentucky where we currently live. I have two little siblings, Joseph and Shanila, who are obsessed with anything related to Thomas the Train.

My most unique trait is my ability to gain laughter by telling horrible jokes. I enjoy watching movies such as Fight Club and reading books such as Eragon. I prefer to pass my leisure time by listening to music. Although rap is my preferred genre, my iTunes contains a diverse range of music from comedy to classical. I'm sure we can find some music to agree on. While I do not regularly watch television, I do enjoy shows such as Lost and House. I am always smiling and I rarely get frustrated. I normally go out of my way to meet new people.

Whenever it comes to academics, I'm a bit of a nerd. I hope to one day become a doctor and as weird as it may sound, I like to read textbooks. On days before tests, you can expect to find me studying in the library tuning the world out, but after the tests, I'm down to have some fun and be social. I love being outside and you'll rarely find me inside my dorm except for sleep.

I'm a very friendly and outgoing person and I'm sure we'll get along. I look forward to meeting and making a new best friend.

Sincerely,
Brian

Writing Feedback / 'To improve my insight into medicine' - Why Medicine? Vanderbilt scholarship [2]

Prompt: While each student will eventually select at least one area of concentrated study, the College of Arts and Science is committed to introducing every student to a broad range of subjects. Which academic interests and/or passions might be a part of your academic journey at Vanderbilt and why?

If somebody would have told me in eighth grade to consider medicine as a career choice, I would have laughed at them. Being young, I was close-minded to anything other than computer programming, but as I matured, I realized that computer programming was not my calling so I started opening my mind towards other career paths.

As I started high school, I became more social and in turn made new friends. Some of my new friends had parents who were in medicine so whenever I visited them, I would get a preview into a doctor's world. What I saw was very unappealing, long odd hours, and not enough family time. I did not want to be a doctor. Although I did not realize that what I was seeing was just one side of a doctor's life, I soon understood the other side, the practice side, at the beginning of my junior year when one of my mother's friends introduced me to a local ENT doctor who later became my mentor. I remember one time when I visited his house and he told me that he enjoys practicing medicine because of the feeling after a successful procedure when he sees a patient's smile. He then later told me that studying medicine takes a lot of hard work.

I began my journey of self-improvement in school by signing up for AP classes such as Biology, Chemistry, English, Calculus, and Statistics. While these classes as a whole helped me improve my study and time-management skills, they also had their individual benefits. For instance Biology and Chemistry helped improve my insight into medicine while English helped improve my writing skills and Statistics and Calculus helped improve my problem solving and analytic skills. I also started to participate in activities such as community service. Not only did I have the opportunity to help people of different ages by singing to the elderly or helping elementary kids with their reading and math skills, but I also had the opportunity to learn how to manage interactions with people of various ages which is an important quality for a doctor. By the end of my junior year, I took a chance to improve my leadership skills by serving as one of two student representatives on a School Board Committee and I later was awarded a Work Ethic Seal. Whenever I arrive in college, my goal is to become fluent in Spanish so that I may be able to communicate with a wider range of patients.

I am a hard working determined individual and I look forward to the academic challenges of a college campus. I am also aware that a medical career is very demanding and although I lack clinical exposure, I believe that my commitment for self-improvement and my determination will help in my pursuit of a medical career.

Undergraduate / 'Live Borderless' - Why UChicago? [4]

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 UChicago.

Whenever I think of UChicago, I remember an old LG TV advertisement titled Live Borderless. In it, a bird, living on the Isle of Flightless Birds, looks up to the skies, spots an airplane, then looks down at his flapping wings, and to the surprise of the other birds, jumps off a cliff and proceeds to fly. This is how I want my education to be, unique. Whenever I received The Life of the Mind in the mail, I realized that UChicago's "common core" created the type of learning environment that I am looking for. Instead of listening to a professor lecture about biology, UChicago offers a discussion based learning environment that not only answers what, but also why and how. At UChicago, I plan on utilizing clinical experience and internships and the quarterly system not only to gain valuable experiences, but to also develop time management, analytic, discussion, and good study habit skills which will allow me to achieve my goal of a double major in biological sciences and biological chemistry towards a medical profession.

The first time I learned about UChicago was at an information session with representatives from Columbia, Cornell, Rice, Brown, and UChicago. The UChicago representative, unlike the others, drew the audience in by her fiery passion. She spoke about campus activities ranging from the Scav Hunt and Summer Breeze to student government and athletics. At the end of her speech, I realized that not only did UChicago have the type of learning environment that I was looking for, but it also had the type of close-knit, diverse, fun, unique, and open-minded community that I want to be a part of.

Undergraduate / 'A college campus = a melting pot' - common app essay on diversity [6]

A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you. 498/500 word limit.

A college campus is analogous to a melting pot. Every student is a different "element" with different "properties", but when you put them together on a campus, they start to "melt together" and become one. This is what diversity means to me. Imagine the world as if everybody was a clone trooper, what a boring place it would be.

So what kind of "element" am I? What are my "properties?" How would I fit into the melting pot? If I were indeed an element, I would have been discovered in Kenya by George and Jacqueline Isanda and my name would be BrianusObinous, my atomic height would be 6 foot 2 inches, and my atomic mass would be 153 lbs. or approximately 69400 grams. If I were to attempt to describe how I would fit into the melting pot according to atoms, it would be absurd. For example, I would be a member of group 1 or 17 because I am very reactive and tend to bond easily and therefore if I were found in my natural state, I would be a diatomic molecule. Doesn't that sound absurd? In normal terms, I would fit into the melting pot because I am very socially outgoing and tend to make friends easily wherever I go because I try not to judge others, but instead recognize them as their own individual.

I am looking forward to college life because I will be able to share my Kenyan heritage in a positive multi-cultural environment which will also allow me to learn about other cultures and possibly adopt some of their culture. While I will be learning from others, I will also contribute my Kenyan culture through cooking food and participating in activities such as a Multi-Cultural Week or a Cultural Festival. I will also get a chance to speak my broken "Swahinglish" (Swahili and English) and Spanglish to other individuals from around the world.

If I were only allowed to bring three items with me to college, I would bring my soccer cleats, my calculator, and my baby brother's Thomas the Train Engine. I would bring my soccer cleats because soccer has been a big part of my life and I have been playing the sport for as long as I can remember and college life without soccer just doesn't seem right. My calculator would definitely accompany me to college because I can't remember the last time I didn't have a chemistry problem that didn't need some bulky number-crunching. Although bringing my baby brother's Thomas the Train Engine would raise a few puzzled looks, it would be guaranteeing at least one visit from my little brother to come and retrieve it.

I believe that I will contribute towards diversity in a college community because I am my own "element" with my own "properties" which set me apart from others. While some "elements" are introverts and prefer to keep to themselves, I am willing to be reactive and bond with other "elements."