Undergraduate / Letter to Roomate for my Stanford Essay [2]

It shows my personal side. I hope you like it. :) Please suggest improvements.
Dear Roommate,
I am really excited to meet you and form a new friendship. My name is Aabhas Singh, which you have the chance to mangle and edit. Otherwise, you can always call me by my nickname: Boss. I was born in India, but have lived in the U.S since the age of five. Nonetheless, I still retain a lot of the cultural values of India, so do not be surprised if you see an Indian song on my iPod. You are welcome to share the Indian goodies that my mom will send me, though they might burn your tongue. She is sweet and I love her, but she may sometimes drop in uninvited with Indian snacks. I just cannot escape my love of Indian food.

Believe me when I say, I am clean and I use deodorant and cologne. I also tend to be pretty organized. You may find papers lying around here or there but you will always come into a clean(ish) room. I hate throwing clothes on the floor and creating a mess, mainly because my single mother would leave the cleaning of the house to me. While cleaning and doing most activities I listen to music, but no need to worry; I have headphones so you don't have to listen to Indian and Pop music while doing homework.

Don't be surprised when you see Frisbees or volleyballs underneath my bed. I am a rather active person and love outdoor games like Ultimate Frisbee, Tennis and Volleyball. I played on my school volleyball team all four years of high school and on the Ultimate Frisbee team for two years. There is not a day where I do not toss a Frisbee or throw a ball, whether that is on the field or in my room. I also play chess for fun and for state competitions; if you ever want to play chess against me, it's on. I play all sorts of card games and videogames too such as Euchre and Texas Hold 'em. I may seem only interested in sports and fun activities, but there is a secret side of me. I am a math nerd. I try to solve math logic puzzles in my free time. When I am not playing outside, you may find me in the lobby with a set of controls for Super Smash Bros or in our room with the latest copy of Popular Science and a Sudoku. Other than bringing my puzzles, I will bring a mountain of books by authors such as Alexandre Dumas, Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, and of course JK Rowling.

I am a very adaptable person and make friends easily. I would love to meet your friends and partake in your favorite activities as well. Though college may be tough, I am excited to form new bonds and excel in our education while still enjoying our time.

Excited to be best roomies,
Aabhas Singh

Undergraduate / Why Northwestern? My first impression [6]

Hey guys, could you please look over this essay? :) I would be much obliged.

My first impression of Northwestern University came from the excellent architecture and greenery. I took a Center for Talent Development Calculus I class which required me to walk everyday from Elder Hall to Fisk Hall. Walking underneath the arch and through the green gardens, I felt a sense of serenity. On the way towards the class, I could see children playing on the beach of Lake Michigan. As soon as the bell rang after class, I would run across and play in the sand with my friends. The school provides various activities for the students to participate, as well as open grounds to explore. From my experience at Northwestern, I knew that it would be the perfect college for a student yearning for exploration.

Through my three weeks there, I saw that the faculty at Northwestern is extremely benevolent towards its students and non-university members. During a rainstorm, my friends and I foolishly decided to run to our class. We entered the Tech Building after running from Elder Hall. The janitor not only cleaned up our wet mess, but also brought us towels and escorted us to a small cafeteria. We waited in the building for 45 minutes and none of the faculty and students complained of our intrusion. To this day, I can remember the kindness of the Northwestern faculty.

Walking through the Tech Building, I was inspired to attend classes there. Since I was a child, I tinkered with toys because I wanted to become an engineer. I saw the mechanical equipment in the basement and was given a tour from a graduate student, further piquing my interest and motivation towards my goal of becoming an engineer. The up-to-date facilities at the McCormick School of Engineering have created amazing engineers. These facilities do not solely focus on lectures and tests, but also on practical applications which are immensely useful to budding engineers. Employing the technologies in the facilities, I hope to improve the poor condition of the Skokie River and beaches. The river was polluted by the chemical factory incident earlier this decade, and the beaches have been affected by high levels of algae pollution. Together with the university and the Engineers for a Sustainable World Program (ESW), I can work to decrease the pollution with the introduction of clean energy resources. I have been a long advocate of wind power and by attending Northwestern University, I can research on how to improve the technology and use it for clean power around the world.

I would love to continue exploring the campus of Northwestern University. Through the innovative school of engineering, I plan to learn the benefits of clean energy and apply it to the Skokie River and around the world. Attending Northwestern University and meeting the kind and caring faculty will be a welcoming experience. The university can be my new home where I can fulfill my goal of becoming a knowledgeable and successful engineer.

Thanks again. :)