Undergraduate / Extra curricular essay for Common app-Volunteering at a hospital [4]

After volunteering in a hospital for nearly a year, I have made so many new friends and acquired experience that I believe I would have never been able to find elsewhere. Every Saturday morning, I receive the opportunity to interact with others and help out. The time and energy I have put into volunteering has prominently shown through the time management, collaboration, and communication skills I have acquired. From working the reception desk to delivering meals, I have learned how to handle a variety of tasks from volunteering and I sincerely enjoyed every moment of it. Volunteering at the hospital is such a rewarding and enjoyable experience that I still continue to volunteer today. It feels amazing to be appreciated for something you love to do.

Undergraduate / 'my Armenian and Italian neighbors' - USC Academic Interests [5]

From an early age, I was intrigued by the connection between culture and behavior because I lived in the diverse city of Los Angeles and was born in an conservative Indian family. My family's perspectives and that of my Armenian and Italian neighbors varied significantly especially when discussing gender roles. I was always curious about this topic and from there my introduction to sociology began. Sociology allows us to question and understand social phenomena through different perspectives. Sociology has always been a field of interest for me and by studying sociology, I want to examine the social forces at work behind every action and main causes behind them. The University of Southern California's Sociology program is one of the most prestigious sociology programs in the nation and it would enable me to study sociology through a global perspective and apply my findings in the real world. I want to explore the connection between culture and behavior, how stereotypes emerge, and develop solutions to the world's most devastating social problems. Having a sociological perspective will enable me to develop expertise and prepare me for a wide variety of fields and occupations. The University of Southern California's Department of Sociology is very appealing because it is devoted to investigating causes and mitigating the changes in society. As a sociology major from the University of Southern California, I am sure I will not only be able to investigate social problems, but help alleviate them as well.