Undergraduate / Leadership for University of Bufallo [2]

By looking at your transcript and test scores, we can evaluate how you have performed in high school. Those factors aside, if we only had one space left in UB's freshman class, tell us why we should offer that space to you. Consider, for example, how your extra-curricular activities in high school and in your community have shaped you, what you have learned from those experiences, and how you will use those experiences to contribute to UB's campus community.

Leadership is a skill that helps others to learn by example. A leader is someone who is capable of organizing a group of people to accomplish a particular task and take responsibility for their actions. As a Hispanic student coming from New York City I had many role models; people who I idolized. As I grew and developed through life, these people influenced me and my decisions through their actions and ideals. They were people of my ethnicity with whom I shared a common goal: to succeed in my passions and interests throughout life while motivating others to do so as well. Instead of limiting themselves by staying in the so called "ghetto" of New York, they reached out to make a difference and thus inspired me to accomplish great things. It is because of their actions and motivation that I have become who I am today. The incentive that these leaders engraved in me allowed me to see a purpose in life and those motivated and strong enough to guide others through it. These are the people that defined leadership for me because, through them, I have been motivated to follow in their footsteps and pass their ambitions and lessons onto others.

As I grew older I took these lessons and applied them to my own life and situations. I began to take the initiative, becoming proactive rather than reactive. When something would challenge my morals I would right it and learn from the experience. The knowledge that I obtained in the past, I utilized in the present. I began to play an active role in my school, joining the class council and becoming class representative/treasurer for our school's Respect Team. Experiences such as these enabled me to guide my peers, whether it is with an academic, athletic or even social dilemma.

Just as I took the lessons learned in the past and applied them to the present, I can take my past experiences and apply them to the University of Buffalo future. With my ethnic and diverse background in leadership, I know that I can not only help UB grow as a university, but as a community as well. I know how to reach my peers on a personal level and can connect with the many diverse cultures represented at our university. I define myself as a leader because I possess responsibility for my actions and decisions, loyalty to my morals and ethics, and a diverse background. With these qualities I can lead and teach others what great leaders have taught me and continue to teach me to this day.

With the experiences I had in life, I believe I can overcome any situation and be capable of standing out in society by being a leader. I had the chance to learn two languages throughout life being raised in a Spanish speaking household. It is important to me to be diverse because I enjoy the growth that comes from different perspectives especially on a college campus. I can contribute to the diversity of UB's community not only through my Hispanic ethnicity, but also of my life experiences as being a leader.

Undergraduate / HEOP ESSAY for PARTICIPATION... FREE MONEY. [4]

Why would you like to be considered for the Program? What benefits can the AOP/HEOP Program offer you as a student? How will the Program be enriched by your participation?

I will never forget the blissful expression on her face the day I was born. It all took place in the emergency room where my mother stared at me in exhilaration and relief. It was such a beautiful moment in her life, holding me in her arms. I will never forget that expression because my aunt was a camera man at the time. I am able to watch my birth whenever my mother gets into one of the "I am so proud of you" moods.

The AOP/HEOP program would give me an opportunity to show back love for my family by assisting me economically and academically through college. A very good university could be very pricey and coming from a low income family would make it difficult to attend one. This is where HEOP would come to assist me where I am a candidate who is eager to attend a successful college but, my SAT scores and household's finances put me as risk to do so. HEOP would assist me with counseling, tutoring and academic support where it would help me to bypass my disability in learning.

My mother faced the challenge of being a single mother and raising two daughters and one son. When daily life was rough, she was the one who advised me not to quit and always give it my best. As I grew, I began to compare her to other mothers and realize how much my mother had done for me and my sisters. Every day, my mom would tell me to make the right choices and choose the right path that would keep her proud. I learned how to be independent at an early age and I was determined to fulfill my potential.

Being a leader would give me the skills to enrich others who need support. This would allow HEOP participants to act as a family in order to assist another ones dream. I would give back by acting as a tutor, HEOP candidate, role model and a leader. This would benefit the program to keep its name.

Undergraduate / Syracuse Supplement (aspirations + work experience) [9]

1. What are your career and academic aspirations?

2. What paid work experience have you had and what skills and/or knowledge did you gain

I remember opening my first computer with my uncle at the age of 10. I was so astonished to see all these little chips that connected to each other in order to make the computer work. My uncle, who is only five years older than me was always into hands on with computers in order to have them operate. My uncle gave me the opportunity to learn about computers by watching everything he did. Even though I did not know much about computers, our bond has allowed me to look at him as a role model and this made me want to study computers more. I have always wanted to build my own computer and as I got older around the age of 15, my goal of building my computer was complete. My passion for computers allowed me to assist anyone who needed help repairing, updating or building a computer at no cost. This is where I realized I wanted to become a computer engineer or a computer administrator.

My eyes opened when an engineer came to my job to fix computers from I.B.M. As we discussed his profession he then started to name many known universities/colleges throughout the country. Syracuse was one that stood out to me and this eager me to get more information on its wonderful engineering academics. The college of Engineering and Computer Sciences at Syracuse has many wonderful aspects that would allow my future as a computer engineer to be successful giving me the ability to discover.

Early March of 2008 when I had turned 18, I was ready to become independent. It was my duty as man of the house to help out. I applied to Abercrombie & Fitch, and this job made me responsible, independent and mature. I worked five-hour shifts, four days per week while completing my senior year. This job gave me the opportunity to look at the world as college students. I was ready to apply for credit cards, get my driver's license and become independent so that I would have an experience of what was ahead of me. Very few students around me had the opportunity to experience this; their parents spoiled most of them. My job gave me the mentality to be around a diverse community to work together and also made me independent.

Scholarship / HEOP ESSAY SCHOLARSHIP [6]

You must include information about you and your family that will enhance our understanding of your
historic disadvantage, i.e. unusual family circumstances, household circumstances that may have influenced your
academic performance, information about your neighborhood, special support services needed, etc.

My name is Felix Santana and I am eighteen years old. I am currently a senior at East Side Community High School. I am interested in becoming a computer engineer. At my school, we communicate through a diverse community. This has taught me to be around many people and by this advantage; I have shown leadership throughout my school. At my school I am known for being the right hand calendar man, who always is on top of everyone due dates. I try to motivate others to become closer to college events and to change the world. Many of us come from low-income families, and I try to thrive them to being a successful person. I find myself a good person because I motivate others to make a good character. I find this a good characteristic in me so when I enter college I could express my ideas with other identities.

I was born on the Lower East Side in Manhattan NY. Today, it is a wonderful place to live but the previous 17 years it was not. My community was always surrounded with red, blue and white lights. Police officers would stand patrolling making sure to keep everyone safe but that did not work a lot.

Our community would do everything together for example: everyone would stand on the same corner, play in the same park, go to the same local elementary school and even high school. We were all considered to be "one". By being "one", it made it very difficult for me to explore. I had no opportunities to see what we could not see. By being "one", got me into the wrong problems because I was so indoctrinated to believe that where I was living the perfect place until I realized it wasn't.

Undergraduate / Marist Supplent (1000 characterS) [2]

I chose to apply to Marist for several reasons, including: remarkable academics, wonderful campus and Marist's new major that combines the best of Information Systems and Information Technology. When I am finish with college my goal is to work for a big corporate company such as IBM, Dell or any other computer related corporations and when I saw that Marist has a joint program with IBM which motivated me. This combination of academics continues to characterize Marist role among the top New York State liberal arts colleges. Marist has academic outreach services that provide students with tutoring sessions and assistance in every field to reach satisfaction. Another important characteristic of a college for me is being able to relate and connect to fellow colleagues in a given environment. Marist has hundreds of clubs that bring people who share common interests together. I am a responsible student, a leader, and I would do my part to keep the standards of Marist College.

any words here are mine. do not copy

Undergraduate / 'Better cooking' - Lafayette Supplement [4]

In an effort to learn more about you, we ask that you describe an intellectual or creative interest or accomplishment.

Being the only male at home has made it difficult to become independent because, everyone would do everything for me. Up until the point that I needed to learn and I decided to become an intellectual person. One afternoon when no one was home, I saw that it was the time to learn how to cook. I wanted to surprise my family with a nice dinner on the table before they arrived home. I fear that I would burn the house down but I went onto youtube.com and looked up how to make rice with chicken. I switch the stove on and the flames surprised me as I placed the pot on top to heat. I wanted to invent something that nobody has eaten before. I opened the cabinet and saw many seasonings. I was a bit confused but I had no doubt in me. In matters of seconds I had opened about 6 different seasoning and put a little of each into my chicken. After the food was done, I was already licking my finger on how good it tasted. As the food was on the stove heating, I decided to fix the dinnerware on the table to make my family proud. Once it looked very organized, I prepared the food onto the table. Knock Knock ... It was my family at the door. When I went to open the door, the first thing that came out my mother's mouth was "that stove better not be on". I giggled inside not revealing anything just yet. As they walked towards the kitchen, everyone froze in sudden steps. The house became silent for about 10 seconds and then they couldn't believe what they just had seen. As I told them to sit around the table to eat, I explained how I really wanted to surprise them. After the meal was done, everyone complimented me on how delicious the food was. From that day on, I was happy to accomplish something that I would not picture me ever doing; cooking. By cooking, I learned how to cook much better and this showed my family I was responsible enough to use the stove. This accomplishment is something I talk about till this day. Being creative has allowed me to do this.

please help me with powerful sentences or critiques!

Undergraduate / Abercrombie Experience- Job Experience for College App. [5]

When I turned 18, I noticed that I was not a young teenager anymore. Early March of 2008 when I had turned 18, I was ready to become independent. It was my duty as man of the house to help out. I applied to Abercrombie & Fitch and this job made me responsible, independent and mature. I only worked about four days a week for about five hour shifts. This job gave me the opportunity to look at the world as college students. I was ready to apply for credit cards, get my drivers license and become independent so that I would have experience for what was ahead of me. Very few students I was surrounded by had the opportunity to experience this; their parents spoiled most of them. My job gave me the mentality to be around a diverse community to work together and also made me independent.

Undergraduate / Lehigh University Supplements; why did you decide for Lehigh? It suits my needs. [5]

What values do you believe are important in fostering a cohesive, successful, and supportive campus community? Please provide us with details from an experience that you had that has shaped these values.

A successful university campus is one that leads its student's to new experience. One with a diverse campus community that allows students an opportunity to seek differences and similarities where identity is exchanged. The optimum cohesive environment would be able to achieve goals and recover from failure while allowing students to be as one, creating a system of support. Though we are derived from different backgrounds this is what enables the community to work together in pursuit of different goals. Lehigh's small community campus allows students to confront the correct path by working as one; which calls for success.

Abercrombie & Fitch is a prime example of a cohesive, successful, and supportive atmosphere. The company allows for its team members to act in unison as well as contribute to diverse comprehensive business decisions. I am so very proud that I am able to collaborate as a part of this team. Being in a diverse workplace has allowed me to learn many new things from different people. This experience has allowed me to become successful by learning from others and converting this into a supportive community. Those who need assistance can turn to a fellow team member, and the members who are well informed are glad to extend a helping hand. These values resemble what a prestigious university contains .

As you researched and visited colleges and universities, why did you decide to apply to Lehigh? Please give specific reasons. What contributions will you make during your time at Lehigh?

Lehigh offers a first rate education, but it also drives students to seek their goals. I chose to apply to Lehigh for several reasons; some of them being: remarkable academics, professor to student ratio, and Lehigh's renowned engineering program . From my experience in researching universities, I have found that these attributes make Lehigh's characteristics unique amongst other colleges. Lehigh has academic outreach services that provide students with tutoring sessions, textbooks, and assistance in every field to reach optimum satisfaction. Lehigh's community is one very different from other colleges I have visited. When I visited Lehigh University I felt a part of the family. In addition, I found the small class size and student to faculty ratio to be impressive. This intimate setting is the ideal learning atmosphere for me. The communication between students and professors has made it easy to understand and access one another. Visiting Lehigh has taught me that Lehigh professors really care about their students' education by having flexible office hours where students can speak one on one or in a group setting with their professors for additional help or further discussion on any topic. Another important characteristic of a university for me is being able to relate and connect to fellow colleagues in a given environment. Lehigh has hundreds of clubs that bring people who share common interests together. Lehigh also gives opportunity for minorities to have high confidence in their university. The perfect example is SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers). Since this program allows Hispanic students to pursue undergraduate degrees in its engineering field, I would be able to choose classes that best accommodate my goals and interests. I feel that I am a well-rounded candidate for this engineering program. These values allow students to become successful and supportive which make the environment easier to contribute to. I am a responsible student, a leader, and I would do my part to keep up the name and standards of Lehigh University. I would love to contribute everything possible to create an excellent campus community environment. After much research, I choose to apply to Lehigh because it suits my needs.

Undergraduate / Changing Religions for College Admission Essay; 'my grandmother said' [4]

"Carajo Pendejo! Uno no se puedes bautizar dos vecs! Porque le haces caso al pendejo de tu tio? Tu no sabes nada sobre la religion Aventista del septimo dia (Damn Fool! One may not baptist themselves twice! Why pay attention to a fool like your uncle? You don't know anything about the Seventh Day Adventist Religion) said my grandmother, loud enough so that one could see the saliva travel from her mouth to the side of the bed where she was sitting. After these words came out, I felt powerless to respond. Here I was wondering why my family was making such a big fuss about this religion business when in other areas they leave me free to do whatever I want. At this time I feel targeted for making my own choices. I either had two choices to listen to my grandmother's will or to follow my path.

"Wake up, it's time to go to church." said my grandmother. It was an early Sunday morning and my eyes were barely opened yet. Today was the day the Catholic religion worships God in their way through a priest. I remember not responding at all so I could fake the sleepiness I had, but the truth was I didn't want to get into an argument since I didn't want to waste time going to church. Today wasn't my day of worship. I worshiped on Saturday and only Saturday, but my grandmother didn't accept me for what I believed in. I couldn't take it anymore. I felt pressured by my choice and felt wrong inside. I didn't want to make her feel badly but I wanted her to understand that people think differently and this wasn't clear to her. Every Sunday I experienced this morning drama to get me to go to church. It would always lead into an argument on religions. Still I hadn't gotten baptized as a Seventh Day Adventist, but the process was almost complete. I was challenged by choice.

"Why go to church and believe in something you've never seen before, just come on and play football?" The crisis of switching religions also affected my friends. We used to wake up every Saturday morning to play football but that changed and this is what

caused a gap between me and my friends. I knew I wasn't going to lose a good friendship, but the thought of having them feel let down ran through my head. I would not stop something I was very committed to which made me realize how I became successful and independent by making correct decisions.

The third Wednesday of February, known as Ash Wednesday, is the day I'm viewed in different ways by my family who follows the Catholic religion. Looking at my grandmother, mom and sister on this day makes me look back and wonder how I was one of them just as anyone else in the community. The ashes spread against their foreheads was an outward sign of our different beliefs. What I really wanted to do was ask them "What's the point of the ashes?" because that's what I always wondered when I was younger when I used to wear them. This day is the day I become a minority in my community, because I am the only one out of every ten people not to have an ash across their head. By not going to get my ashes as my family was custom to made me happy since I felt for choosing the correct path.

"En el nombre de el padre, el hijo, y espirutu santo, Amen." (In the name of the Father, the son and Holy Spirit, Amen.) said Pastor Antonio De Jesus Vargas. As my head came out the water rapidly, I saw daylight and couldn't believe it. I had just gotten baptized as an Adventist. I looked up and my grandmother's voice went through my mind. As my uncle came to me he whispered in my ear, "That 's a real man, follow what you want. Don't let anything block the path that wants to create your life." My fears on how I struggled to get here were still keeping me worried. Nothing stopped me though, and being independent made me realize who I really was and what was the purpose of being on earth. From this day on, my life was in my hands. I was proud and proud to be accepted.