Undergraduate / wanted to be successful - Why Swarthmore? No word limit. [6]

Why Swarthmore?
Please write a brief statement telling us why you have decided to apply to Swarthmore in particular.

A young man wanted to be successful, so he went to a guru for advice. He told the guru, "I want to be on the same level you are." So the guru says "If you want to be on my level, meet me at the beach tomorrow morning."

The young man gets there at 4 AM, ready for whatever the guru has in store for him. The old man grabs his hand, looks into his eyes and says "How bad do you want to be successful?"

"Real bad."
"Walk into the water."
The young man goes in waist deep, but the guru doesn't stop him. Man this guru is crazy.
"I want to be successful; I don't want to swim."
"Come out a little further."
"But I'm going to drown."
"I thought you said you wanted to be successful?"
"I do."
He came and dropped his head, the guru held him down. Digging and scratching at the guru, his head was submerged under the water. Just before the young man passed out, he raised him up.

"When you want to succeed as bad as you need to breathe, then you will be successful. You don't care about anything-you just want air. Nothing matters when you're fighting to survive. When you get to the point where success matters to you as much as the air in your lungs, only then will you be successful."

Swarthmore is my air and I need to breathe. I will have the opportunity to make my dream come true. My drive is something unsurpassed, and studying at Swarthmore will provide me with the means to succeed. But anyone can say that. I can finally be the guy everyone sees active in the community and in school, NEVER seen doing nothing.

Undergraduate / improvement through research / guardianship - Why Rochester? [4]

125 word limit.
Question 1: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.

Question 2:
Meliora: 'Ever better' - The University's motto, Meliora, directs our focus toward continual improvement through research, understanding, and collaborative efforts. Offer an example from your personal experience of an obstacle you faced or a problem you identified. Describe the actions you took and the result.

Answer One:

Chris stop being so weird.
All my life I've been told to act a certain way that is pleasing to society. All the time I was told to stop being me.

I run. I read. I love math. I play piano, guitar, violin, and cello. I am a jock, nerd, geek, and a gamer. No.
Stop labeling me.
But, that's the world we live in; we just have to be strong enough to deal with others opinions of who we ought to be.

At Rochester I can be Chris Saechao. The diverse Rochester curriculum perfectly fits with my personality by having rigorous academics, sports and over 200 clubs. Rochester will allow me to manifest my true self.

Answer 2:

I remember as a child, I read from a book that, "If you can't rely on your family, you have to rely on yourself." It couldn't be truer. My "mother" let her boyfriend rule her life and because of that I was subjected to a life of loneliness, and abuse.

I grabbed my bags and left for anywhere but here. I talked to my counselor at school for help, but he didn't believe me. I called Child Protective Services and got foster parents, but that didn't work out either. So I contacted my aunt and went to court for a guardianship.

Clearly I have to work hard to get what I need for the foundation of my future, which is at the University of Rochester.

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