Undergraduate / common application essay (agreed to follow my father to the United States) [2]

I faced my biggest challenge so far in my life when I agreed to follow my father to the United States for three years when he was sent here from his work. Not many people get a chance to live outside of their native country, and to a certain extent, I was lucky enough to have given a chance to learn and experience new things outside of my boundaries. Yet, I was about to turn 15, and was very vulnerable and sensitive, so the decision was very hard to make; I said yes because I felt that my father wanted me to, but in the back of my mind I had doubts, and I was hesitant to tell my friends about it because I wasn't sure if going to the United States was such a good thing. I always perceived America to be another world with completely different people with big noses and tall figures. All my life I've been moving to new places and been forced to make new friends and cope with new environment, but the excitement I felt when I was younger was incomparable to the nervousness and fear I was feeling then. At the age of 15, I knew the difference between being 'different' and being 'special.'

I kept a couple of air refreshers and deodorants in my locker and sprayed them all over my body during breaks in school for I was fearful that the strong fragrance of Korean food of garlic and spices would alienate people from me. Because of this stress that I might smell and discomfort others, I always kept at least a foot of distance with other people; when someone approached me, I automatically took a step back to create that distance. Making eye contact was the hardest. I didn't know where to rest my eyes during conversations; Every time I tried to keep the eye contact, I ended up looking at the ground or the ceiling. My lack of confidence didn't allow me to be very free with hand gestures, so I always shoved my hands deep inside my pockets during conversations.

Lectures were really hard to follow and understand, but I was reluctant to raise my hand and ask questions because I was afraid my questions may sound stupid to other classmates. Instead, I stayed after school to ask questions that would've taken only a couple of seconds in class for the teacher to answer. Whenever we had discussions in class I couldn't participate fully. By the time I thought and organized in my head the comments I would make, we were already discussing a new topic. Also I was hesitant to make comments for the same reason why I didn't ask questions in class-I thought I may sound stupid in front of others. I avoided eye contact with teachers for I was afraid they would ask me questions; instead, I pretended to take notes even when I had no idea what the teacher was talking about.

I could not find a true home in this country, and in only a couple of months, I found myself awfully stressed. My hair was actually falling out from the center of the top of my head due to stress. I always kept a beanie hat in my backpack to wear it as soon as school ended. Nonetheless, I did not avoid the challenge as I believed I could survive and blend in once more. I tried to make more American friends by sitting with them during lunch and tried to distance myself from friends who only spoke Korean by avoiding their circles. In my laptop, I downloaded every episode of Family Guy, Friends, House, as well as other T.V. shows and watched them every night after finishing homework to be able to participate in conversations during lunch. My iPod that only had Korean songs was now being filled with American songs of various genres.

Slowly but surely, as I kept trying, I was 'blending in.' I was successful in making new friends easily, I started to care less about the smell of Korean food, I was able to ask questions and make comments in class, and I stopped losing hair and stopped using air refreshers.

When I started to feel less insecure, and adjusting to the new life became easier, I realized that being different isn't a bad thing. My diversity could enlighten others, and my difference could help them as well as myself. I survived through stressful experiences and found that valuable lesson. I am now fearless to stand up and accept and cherish that I'm different.

thanks :)

Undergraduate / reason for your major - interest in economics [3]

the topic is basically what do you want to study in college and why.
my essay goes

My interest in economics originated when the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis hit South Korea. Better known as the IMF Crisis, this economic depression was engendered by wasteful spending of the Korean people, excess of import compared to export, and inability to pay back loans from the International Monetary Fund. The effects of the IMF Crisis lingered until 2000, when the president of South Korea formally declared the end of the depression.

I was only 6 years old when the depression took place, and I had no idea why it happened but I experienced the severity and seriousness of it.

My close friends moved as their fathers lost their jobs and could not afford to live in the city anymore. Almost every other week, one student would either leave my class, or come from somewhere else as a new student. Walking to and from school I could observe many stores being closed, and several just left vacant for months.

All of my uncles lost their jobs; two of which were entrepreneurs of small businesses which failed completely. I also remember that my family didn't celebrate most of the holidays during those years except maybe the New Year's Day, which my uncles didn't come to celebrate anyways.

From 1997 to 2000 was probably one of the most depressing years for Korea, but for me, it was also a time when I felt very proud to be a Korean. United as a whole, Koreans overcame the economic depression that seemed to tarnish our dignity and deprive of our confidence.

Interestingly, just like how the auto-industry is troubled in today's economic depression, Kia Motors of Korea was also very hurt. The government stepped in to bail out Kia Motors, one of the largest car makers in 1997. Companies went through numerous studies to develop the quality of their products. In the time of depression, the employers and the employees tried harder to compromise and cooperate with each other. Most importantly, the Korean people campaigned for using domestic goods rather than imported products, and against wasteful spending in general.

One of the most successful campaign Korean people ran was collecting gold. Koreans gave up their gold wedding rings, necklaces, watches, and even medals and trophies to support their troubled economy. This campaign collected more than 200 tons of gold and consequently helped Korean government to repay its debt from the IMF.

Through this experience I learned the importance of economy. I saw with my eyes the discouragement and depression it can bring, but I also saw that it can bring people together for a common goal of winning over that depression. Economy not only affects the country, but it also changes how individuals think and behave. With the adequate knowledge of economics, I learned that, just like how Koreans during the IMF Crisis unified and sacrificed for their country, I can also make a difference, and help others and my country; to maximize the capacity of my support, I want to study more about the economy to help more people, especially those who can't do much to help themselves during the economic crisis like my uncles.

thank you so much:)