Undergraduate / Costume for a year (Brandeis Supplement) [3]

I wrote this about an hour ago (the deadline is today and I forgot about it because of the Jan. 15 deadline) so feel free to heavily criticize.

3. Imagine you have to wear a costume for a year of your life. What would you pick and why? (250 words or fewer)

Picking a costume to wear for a year was no easy task for me. Immediately, a list of my Halloween costumes from the past came to mind: dinosaur, skeleton, pirate, etc. The problem was I couldn't bear settling for one of these typical choices, as it seemed pointless to wear any one for more than a single day. The costume of worthy significance, I later decided, was the hanbok (한복), which is traditional Korean dress.

A version of me from only a few years ago would be disgusted with my choice, not out of embarrassment, but out of the dread of hearing the petty question my costume would inevitably invite: "Are you Chinese?" Indeed, growing up, I was frustrated by my peers' assumptions about my race. Some didn't even know the difference between the terms "Chinese" and "Asian." Why, then, would I deliberately wear such an instigative costume? I realize now that I can't blame anyone for not knowing Eastern culture. In fact, the only way some people become aware is by talking to people like me. It's an opportunity to share my heritage, as well as meet new people. And who knows? Over the course of a year I could be the one learning from others more than I bargained for.

Word count: 213

By the way, I'm specifcally not sure about this sentence: Indeed, growing up, I was frustrated by my peers' assumptions about my race.
Is the comma after "growing up" necessary?

Undergraduate / Cornell ILR supplement: passion for efficiency [3]

School of Industrial and Labor Relations: Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. In your essay please address how the ILR curriculum will help you fulfill these interests and your long-term goals.

In retrospect, the idea of efficiency fascinated me from an early age. Mundane, yet essential tasks such as washing up in the morning and completing household chores were always mental assignments as much as they were physical ones. I realized that the order and manner of execution were the keys to minimizing the time and effort required for work.

This mentality of efficiency became subconscious as I involved it into everything I did. When my burgeoning desire for pocket money was obstructed by age restrictions, I would beg my parents for a ride to the video store where I could buy discounted games, only to resell them at another store. As a result, I would walk away doubling my otherwise stagnant wallet. After doing this a few times, I was startled when I realized I enjoyed the process of reselling games as much as I did playing them. The proposition of maximizing my productivity within my constraints was exhilarating, and more importantly, fulfilling. There was an immediate sense of cause and effect, wherein my reward was the result of my efficiency.

As I aged and my school workload inevitably swelled, this concept proved to be invaluable. During some of my high school years in particular, a well-orchestrated course of action granted an extra hour of sleep. In addition to shaping my time management skills, high school provided the academic exposure that cemented my interest in efficiency. When I optimized the cost of containers using calculus, I saw the real-world applications behind the work more explicitly than anything I had done before. I would think to myself, "As I solve this problem, somewhere in the world a corporate employee could be doing the same thing." Furthermore, my interest in optimizing cost was extended to the prospect of optimizing work performance within social relations.

As one of my strengths, efficiency is something I know I must exercise in my career to its fullest extent. At the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, I would be learning how to do just that. My passion would enable me to fulfill essential components of the ILR curriculum, such as analyzing data in order to make well-informed decisions that reap the most benefit. More specifically, it would help me to excel in courses concerning economics and resource management. Through it all, there is no other place better suited to nurture my growth. The intellectual and comprehensive environment would provide to me all the resources and motivation to strive.

Undergraduate / How a correct stance on a controversial topic could exist/ ethical dilemma [3]

Option #1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

I saw it everywhere: peers, parents, and politicians alike engaging in hopelessly ineffective debates on any and all social issues. "These are the reasons why I am right," one party would declare. "No, your thinking is completely wrong," the other would fire back. I often wondered how a correct stance on a controversial topic could exist. In my formative confusion, I decided I needed to establish my own views. Despite having generally liberal predispositions, one exception was my stance on welfare. Perhaps it was the fact that I felt entitled to all of what little pocket money I had, that led me to believe that individuals shouldn't be mandated to provide for others. Still, as I determined my values, I knew it was not as simple as picking sides. It seemed wrong to settle for one solution that rejected the valid points of the other. As it turns out, the only way I could understand this dilemma was through a deeply personal experience with my cousin, Tom.

During winter break of my freshman year, I visited my aunt's house as per tradition. Tom, whom I was very close with, had recently turned eighteen and yet was just as restricted as he had always been; Tom was a paraplegic by birth. Gratefully, his parents were hard-working and fully-supportive, providing him an otherwise privileged upbringing. As I caught up with Tom during this visit, I noticed he had acquired a multitude of gadgets. A flat screen television loomed overhead, a powerful computer stood grandly on the desk, a smartphone rested on its dock; Tom had all but bought an electronics store. His wealth struck me as peculiar, considering he was unemployed and attending college. When I asked how he could afford such commodities, he revealed that he received a monthly check from the government.

At that moment, I fell silent as a flurry of thoughts went through my head: "Aren't I against this?" "Does my own disabled cousin not deserve some spending money?" Most disturbingly, "Am I a bad person?" The implications forced me to reexamine the nature of controversy. My experience gave me a new perspective on the issue, one that not everybody shares or even has the chance to have. I realized that despite of all our commonalities, our unique experiences are what define us.

To this day, I do not know my own stance on the issue, nor many other social issues, for that matter. What I realized from that winter trip, however, was much more valuable than the correct answer; I had learned there is no correct answer. I cringe when I hear a crude rejection of a belief, and I see how narrow-mindedness arrests compromise, and thus, progression. I vow that no matter what community I find myself in, I will stay receptive to contrasting perspectives.

Undergraduate / 'always enjoyed working alone' - Rochester Supplement [4]

Why Rochester? - Rochester students live on campus together but commit to self-direction and self-determination through our curriculum. Independent, confident thinkers who ''play well with others'' thrive here. Show us how this uncommon intersection of traits describes you, and tell us why you would excel at Rochester (125 words).

As someone who appreciates the clarity of having sole responsibility, I have always enjoyed working alone. I value independence as the bedrock of productivity, for one must have an internal will to work in order to survive and contribute to society. However, I realize that collaboration is a way to enhance ideas to their highest potential. For instance, a collective Psychology survey provides data that helps us better understand human nature, while a unique interpretation of poetry reveals its unseen intricacies. As someone who understands the importance of striking a balance between independence and collaboration, I would excel at Rochester University. The intellectual and comprehensive student body would motivate me to do my best while simultaneously providing an environment I can learn from.