Undergraduate / basketball court / crunching numbers to advising [6]

Tell us about an activity that is important to you, and why.
In elementary school, I spent every recess on the basketball court. While I did not have enough strength to actually throw the ball up to the basket, all my bigger friends did. At a young age, I learned that there would always be people better than me. Then, in high school, I joined the varsity basketball team and dedicated myself to practicing inside and outside of school. The more I practiced, the better I became as a player. I realized that through hard work and dedication, I could become better than anyone. Now, as the captain of the varsity basketball team, I have taken the responsibility of keeping my team united and bringing the best out of them, and in the process, have learned to become a responsible leader. Since first grade, my experiences with basketball have shaped me into who I am today.

Describe your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at USC.
Before my mother allowed me to stay home alone, I would always follow her to work on holidays or vacations. She was an accountant, and everything she did, from crunching numbers to advising, seemed strangely natural to me. Since then, I have become attached to that profession. When I discovered that USC had one of the nation's best business programs, I could not help but feel a sense of belonging here. By attending USC, I aspire to become a successful CPA and do what always felt natural to me.

Do I answer the prompts?

Undergraduate / [Supplements] NYU Short Answers - Is the content GREAT? What can I add/remove? [2]

Is the content GREAT? What can I add/remove?
In addition, please check for grammar and colloquialism.

There is a lot, I know. Sorry, but I really need help with them all!

In addition to any work experience that you listed on your application, please tell us how you spent your most recent summer vacation.

Many students lose over two months of knowledge over summer vacation; they fool around and find themselves ill-prepared for the upcoming school year. For this reason, my school offers summer schooling. I have attended every year so that I can retain all that I have learned thus far, get a head start for the following year to come, and remain disciplined in studying.

Describe a trait or characteristic that has been passed along to you by your family. Tell us why you like or dislike this aspect of yourself.

My family is insecure. We never take risks, and we only make decisions after extensive research so that we can make sure that what we are doing is correct. While insecurity is often seen as a negative trait, it is a key to my success. Because I am always unsure of myself, I am predisposed to double-checking and triple-checking my answers when taking tests, editing my essays an immeasurable number of times, etc. Due to my insecurity, I often find myself with the best outcome possible.

New York City is an essential element of academic and cultural life at NYU. If you could engage in an activity or start a club or service organization at NYU, what would it be and how would you envision it impacting the larger community?

I would like to engage in an organization that raises awareness about syphilis. There are tens of thousands of people with syphilis in New York alone, and many of them do not know they have it. The various symptoms and signs are nearly indistinguishable from those of a common flu, and are, therefore, easily dismissed and spread. By raising awareness about this sexually transmitted disease, i hope that there will be less people suffering and/or dying.

You have been selected to sing in a talent show. What song would you choose? Why?

I would sing "don't worry; be happy" by Bobby McFerrin. When I first heard this song, I could not help but relax and smile. Whenever my friends or I am stressed, I play this song to smile and laugh, because I know that things will ultimately become better. So, I would sing this song to bring smiles upon faces.

Please tell us what led you to select your anticipated academic program and/or NYU school/college, and what interests you most about your intended discipline.

Ever since I was young, I was advanced in mathematics. I found myself being able to solve problems swiftly and at ease, and it seemed natural to me that my future profession be involved with numbers. Although accounting is beyond simply numbers, I have become attached to this major because my mother is an accountant. By going to one of the nation's top business schools, I aspire to become a successful accountant and earn the title of a CPA.

Happy New Years by the way. :)

Undergraduate / Claremont College Essay (Leadership, ANALYTICAL ESSAY) [2]

ANALYTICAL ESSAY

I asked a seven-year-old girl, who does not have any religious affinity, to name the most prominent men and women in history. She said Hannah Montana, Barack Obama, and Jesus Christ. Today, it is hard to find an individual who does not know the name of Jesus. He is the central figure in the world's largest religion that has been the impetus for an incalculable number of events throughout the past two thousand years. However, when people hear the name "Jesus," many of them immediately disregard everything that follows as religious fanaticism. Although Jesus is closely tied to Christianity, he was also a great leader who helped shape culture and thought.

Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in his most well-known work, The Prince, that "it is better to be feared than loved." Many of the great leaders recognized today led by fear: Adolf Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Alexander the Great, etc. However, Jesus sought to create a new model for leadership. He tried to lead the world with love and embraced people instead of instilling fear and intimidating others to follow him. In this way, people were attracted to him and followed him.

Then, Jesus led people to be more compassionate. Many know of the "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" concept-it is an idea that is believed to be fair in our culture, and ever since the Code of Hammurabi had been created, people have been putting it to practice. However, nothing productive comes forth from that "fairness." As Mahatma Gandhi said, "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Therefore, Jesus, in his famous sermon on Mount Sinai, led others to "turn the other cheek"-to love your enemies and their wrongdoings, and do to them as you would have them do to you. This is the Golden Rule that Jesus preached, and there is no doubt that people who have truly followed Jesus' teachings and have become compassionate have made the world a better place.

To shape culture and thought and create a fellowship of millions requires something extraordinary. Jesus was extraordinary. He was a great leader who led by example; he said to his followers "let's go" instead of just "go." As a leader in the making, I seek to emulate the leadership Jesus has shown. Instead of ordering others on what to do, I want to be an example that may influence others to follow me.

Undergraduate / UC Prompt #1 - If you were an admission counselor, what would you think? [19]

Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.I do not know my father very well. We live under the same roof and enjoy the same television and couch, but we never get a chance to talk. When I leave my home for school, my father is still sleeping in bed, exhausted from working the night before. Many times when I go to sleep, my father is still not home from work. I do not have many memories of my father during childhood, and for the last ten years, my father has been working almost every day and night. Some may describe my father as negligent or irresponsible for not parenting me or guiding me through my adolescence; but I describe my father as dedicated.

The word "dedication" birthed a new meaning in me since my freshmen year when my school was having an open house. Many students came with their mothers and fathers, whereas I came with only my mother. I watched a father ask teachers about his child and how he could help. After that, I wondered why my father was not as involved in my life as other fathers. Then, I had an epiphany: my father was not relaxing everyday; he was working hard to support our family because he understood the importance of the needs of our family and was dedicated in upholding that. And through him, I have learned a new meaning for "dedication": persevering any difficulties for something that is necessary.

From then on, I began to notice my father's dedication more: soon after the open house, my father had to visit the hospital because his back was aching and he could not handle the pain; the next day, even though the doctor advised against it, my father went to work again. Even though he was hurting, he did not give up. That incident inspired me to become dedicated as well and I sought to emulate the dedicated my father showed that day. Now, I find myself staying awake longer to finish school work and to study for upcoming tests and not yielding to sleepiness or my lethargy.

I know that the dedication I learned from my father will help me endure and overcome any obstacles or adversities in life. He taught me that giving up should never be an option, that even when situations seem hopeless, I should still give my best effort. By simply being an example, my father taught me these things and changed me into who I am today. And as I am getting ready for college, I will keep this quality close to me and strive to be an example that may even impart it on others, for this is the greatest quality that I have learned from my irresponsible and negligent, yet "dedicated" father.