Undergraduate / Describe your most interesting mistake; 'Invincible' - GWU suggestions [6]

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." - A. Einstein. Describe your most interesting mistake.

Invincible. I always used to think of myself in this way, probably because I did not know any better. My parents however, were well aware that I was not even remotely close to being invincible, and that's why they tied me down with so many rules as a child. If I had understood this justification on their behalf nine years ago, perhaps my memory of my ninth birthday would be less unpleasant.

During a lifeless weekday years ago when I was in the fifth standard, my sister and I sat on the cold brick steps of our front porch and pondered over what to do. For me, that day was what my mom referred to as a "coma day" that everyone occasionally suffers from because it was so boring you could swear it caused physical pain. Considering it was my birthday, I expected a fun day at Chuck E. Cheese or outside playing miniature golf. Instead my parents were both busy at work and I had two long hours of nothingness to kill (look forward to). As my sister ranted on about cleaning our room before my mom got a chance to scream at us, my attention was held elsewhere. I remember looking past her and staring at the monkey bars in the park across the street. Despite it being so nearby, I rarely went to the park because a busy main road was in my way. Going there by myself was always off-limits and my dad made that very clear. Well aware of the momentous trouble I would most likely end up in, I convinced my sister to go with me anyway. After all, it was only one street and the plan was to be back before anyone had a chance to find out. My sister darted off as I lagged behind her on my neon purple bicycle. In my futile attempt to keep up with her, I completely forgot to stop and look for cars before crossing the road. All of a sudden my ears filled with the deafening sound of car horns. I instinctively peddled with all my strength while looking over my right shoulder towards the vehicle that had almost flattened me. Before I even got a chance to draw my attention forward again, my bike slammed into the curb with such force that it caused me to flip over the handle bars and onto the gravel. Most likely due to the fact that I wasn't wearing a helmet, I don't even remember how I got back indoors.

As expected, my dad unleashed his fury when he came home to find me scraped up and sore. Thankfully, the worst of my injuries was a deep gash on my left elbow, but he made the situation seem much more morbid than that. He did not hide the fact that in spite of his countless warnings and safety lectures, I still made the mistake of disobeying him. What is most interesting about this mistake though, is that it never left me. The scar on my arm serves as a constant reminder of the cost of ignoring the wisdom in the many years my parents have over me. It has kept me from repeating that mistake by putting myself into another foolish situation. My memory of that lapse of judgment from my past has kept me from away from other potential dangers, and will continue to do so even after the scar fades.

Undergraduate / 'learned the wrong language' - GWU short essay [3]

I wrote up this essay but I'm already over 500 words and I can't think of a way to conclude it. Help?
PROMPT: "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." - A. Einstein. Describe your most interesting mistake.

I learned the wrong language. This is the simplest way I can describe my most interesting mistake. However, I am well aware that this answer makes minimal sense without a background. Every reaction I've had to this statement have been the same: sheer confusion. The few people I've shared this story with found it difficult to comprehend exactly how a person could "mistakenly" learn a language. Clearly, it is not the most common situation in the world, but I am living breathing proof that it can happen.

As an Indian child in America, I grew up knowing only how to speak Punjabi. This quality quickly transformed into a crisis upon starting grade school because I didn't know enough English to communicate with my classmates. My sister Kamal, who is three years my elder, faced the same dilemma and ended up with a six year sentence in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. In an attempt to avoid the same fate, my parents made the decision to stop speaking Punjabi altogether. This created an unforgettably awkward situation. Since my parents were not fluent in the English language, communicating with them became a strange expression of mixed English and Punjabi tongues. In retrospect, this was probably not the most efficient method to learn a new language, but in the end it worked; maybe even too successfully. In my struggled attempt to learn English, all memory of my native language began to fade. By middle school I had completely forgotten how to speak Punjabi at all. Though the mistake of allowing my first language to escape me was great, it was still not as disastrous as the mistake that was to come.

In my late middle school years I began addictively watching a series of melodramatic Indian serials. Understanding took some effort at first because the shows only aired in Hindi. This language, though vaguely similar to Punjabi, was completely new to me. With the crutch of subtitles, I followed along for about a year until I realized that I didn't need them anymore. By some miracle of my questionably complex mind, I was able to not only understand Hindi within a year, but to fluently converse in it as well. Instead of proving to be an asset however, my ability to speak Hindi completely threw off my Punjabi. When my granddad recently moved in with my family, I had to learn to speak Punjabi all over again. Initially, I thought re-learning it would actually be easier because Hindi was so similar. Unfortunately, that was not the case. When I tried to speak to my granddad, what came out was nothing more than an awkward combination of the two languages squished together. It was like a train collision in my mind that I found impossible to differentiate. Here I was on my tiny pedestal reminiscing in my newly discovered talent when a slap of reality pushed me into a pit of utter confusion. My family laughed for weeks as I attempted to communicate without mixing up languages. At the time, accidently learning Hindi felt like worst mistake I had ever made. It set me up for disaster in terms of speaking with my relatives.

Undergraduate / 'pre-established connection with GWU' - Why GWU essay [3]

WHAT MOST INFLUENCED YOU TO APPLY TO GWU?
"The George Washington University Named One of the Top 25 "Best Neighbor" Colleges and Universities". During the fall of 2009, this bold headline caught my attention and spurred my curiosity. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I knew there had to be a reason why that particular headline flashed in my mind like a neon "OPEN" sign. Upon stumbling across this article during my sophomore year in high school, I began to looking into GWU more closely. This was the beginning of my link to GWU that lead me to this application today.

A strong, pre-established connection with GWU is the greatest influential factor in my decision to apply. As previously stated, the connection began with simple headline that drove me to research the university and what it had to offer. What I discovered was the university's unique ability to get people to where they want to be. Students arrive with rudimentary knowledge and depart with key success skills, internships, careers, and greater goals. More importantly, GWU offers an array of opportunities that no other college can match. The most obvious factor plays into the fact that GWU is located in the epi-center of the world's greatest superpower. The location is ideal for students craving in contact to political and governmental personalities. There is not much more an aspiring professional like myself can ask for. Access to some of the most influential people and organizations are located at students' fingertips through The White House, Department of Homeland Security, Pentagon, Capital Building, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury- just to name a few.

My connection with GWU was further strengthened by the reviews of a current student as well as childhood friend of mine, Aarti. I remember her face beaming with excitement when she received admission into the school of her dreams. On that day, I asked her the same question that I am essentially answering now: Why GWU? She described the university as the absolute ideal place to begin life's forthcoming chapter. I soon realized that entry into this university meant a great deal more than that. Attending GWU would set me onto a golden trail unlike the cobblestone paths offered by other colleges. There simply is no plausible comparison. I can work towards a degree in any of the thousands of universities nationwide, however the decision I am making is one that will set me up for a bright future even after college. I know far too many people who are solely interested in the "fun college experience" as opposed to the significance of the bigger picture. My goal is to get the absolute best post-secondary education that will bring me out on top. I know that I can offer GWU just as much as the university has to offer me by taking full advantage of the opportunities around me and meeting the highest levels of success. I want to acquire the skills and experience needed not only to establish a career for myself, but to be the best at what I do. All factors considered, GWU will undoubtedly get me to where I need to be.

Undergraduate / 'Get over it, Jump, and Hurry Up!' - W&M essay- advice? [6]

Beyond your impressive academic credentials and extracurricular accomplishments, what else makes you unique and colorful?
"Get over it." As a child, I adhered to this bittersweet piece of advice given to me by my older sister, and have followed it for nearly ten years. This became my motto in life. Any fear, self doubt, or anxiety vanished with these three words. This approach may appear to be somewhat cynical, but it is more of a motivational factor that has pushed away all hurdles in my path.

Jump! Hurry up! Come down! This was the first time I heeded my sister's advice. As my neighbors shouted at me to jump off the tree I miraculously climbed, I froze. My knees locked up and my vision blurred behind tears. My nine year old body would surely be dismantled if I fell, but I knew I had to get down one way or the other. My grip tightened around the branch so hard the pine needles broke off. After a short mental debate with my sense of reasoning, I decided to simply get over it. Fear of falling had cornered me into this predicament and I figured it wasn't worth being feared. So I jumped. After that incident, a couple of bruised knees and scraped palms could not hold me back. My fear of heights was gone and that mentality transferred into every aspect of my life. In 2003, I was troubled when my family moved and I had to leave everything behind to start over. After an awful first day as the new kid in the fourth grade, I held on to my motto and got over it. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and made the best out of my new life. Five years later, I anxiously waited for the first day of high school. Receiving my acceptance letter into the specialty center at Cosby was the proudest moment of my eighteen years, as well as the most nerve-wrecking. My mind was clouded with negativity about not going to my home school and starting over in a place where I knew no one. Again, my motto helped me make the decision to accept submission into that school, a decision that set in motion the domino effect that led me to where I am today. My personal uniqueness is centered around my positive mindset. This characteristic is not necessarily difficult to attain, yet many people lack it. I do not make the mistake of underestimating the value of a positive outlook. There is a tremendous different between those who cry over a sprained wrist and those who shrug and move along. I could have spent the last four years ignoring piles of homework and sleeping in class, but I didn't. Yes, being in the specialty center and taking advanced classes entailed a great amount of extra effort but, just like everything else, I got over it. I knew all along that if I wanted to be the best of the best, then I would do what it took to get me there. There is no need to trouble the mind with thoughts of how, when, or why. I learned to go through each day with my goal in sight, and each day I move a bit closer. Plain and simple.

Undergraduate / I was slightly discouraged; UVA - what has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you [7]

PROMPT: What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?
"There are three things you need to remember this year: You have seventy-two seconds per question, you will not master every topic, and you will most likely fail this course." These were the words of a former AP Chemistry student given as advice to rising seniors. It would be a severe understatement to say that upon hearing this I was slightly discouraged. I spent time over the summer reviewing chemistry information that I had learned two years ago, but it did not prepare me for what was to come. My AP teacher hit the class hard with truck loads of new topics and assignments. I did everything possible to learn the material at a quick pace, including spending countless hours in study sessions and even longer hours online learning thermodynamics and electrochemistry from youtube videos. In addition to my other six classes plus a Saturday class at ECPI College, I was beyond overwhelmed. After taking my first test in the class, I knew that the rest of the year would be a tremendous challenge. However, when my counselor encouraged me to drop the class, I flatly refused. AP Chemistry may be a killer course with a low exam passing rate, but that didn't mean it was impossible. I decided to start from scratch and build on from topics that I already mastered. After a few weeks of seriously hard core studying, the class no longer seemed so difficult. Between the first and second nine week periods, I managed to bring my grade up from a D+ to a B+! AP Chemistry will continue to be a challenge for me up until the national exam, but I know it is nothing I can't handle.

Undergraduate / Coffee or chai tea? Cookies or biscuits? Chicken sandwich or chicken curry?; UVA [4]

UVA: Describe the world you come from and how that world shaped who you are.
Hi! Shake hands. Satsriakal! Fold hands. Coffee or chai tea? Cookies or biscuits? Chicken sandwich or chicken curry? I've become accustomed to the consequences of the culture clash that is my life. However, I consider my experience with different cultures to be a great advantage over my peers. The foundation of my miniscule universe is my parents and their story. I come from a long line of poor famers that finally ended with my dad when he came to the U.S. and started a small business. He has stressed for years that education is the world's master key. The meaning behind these words is the reason I have the confidence to even submit an application to one of the nation's top universities. I am amongst the few who relentlessly love to work hard because I know that ushers the sweetest success. Throughout my high school career, I cannot even begin to count the number of "all-nighters" I've had, or the hours I stayed after school for extra practice. My home family and school family create the world that has taught me the value of a positive mindset. Watching my seventy year old granddad read my younger brothers' school books in an attempt to become literate in English inspired me to become literate in my native language, Punjabi. With over forty complicated letters and symbols, I had given up on trying to read years ago. However, I figured that if my granddad could teach himself English than I could learn to write in Punjabi too, and by some miracle I learned in just four days. My world and my background has inspired me to dream great dreams but accomplish greater.