Undergraduate / BROWN ESSAY "PARKOUR" (the edge of the precipice) [4]

hey guys
deadlines in like 5 hrs and I have a whole nother application to do

Thanks a lot in advance... be harsh

What is an academic experience, project, class or book that has influenced or inspired you?

I run towards the edge of the precipice. My hands clasp the rail on the very edge as my quad muscles exert a vertical forceon the ground. I sail over the rail, a hostage of projectile motion. The moment my center of mass passes over the rail, I enter the realm of circular motion. My biceps centripetally accelerate my body so that I land on the very edge of the drop, facing in the opposite direction. I spot the 15 foot drop and release, using my triceps to provide torque, so that I will land facing away from the wall. As the ground approaches at an alarming speed, I spot my landing. THUD! The instant my shoes make contact with the ground, my knees bend, decreasing the deceleration by increasing the distance over which it occurs, thereby reducing the force of the impact. I begin to roll, converting a portion of my linear momentum into rotational momentum, absorbing more of the impact of my fall. I squeeze tight to lessen my moment of inertia, ensuring that I complete the roll. As I come to a stop I spring up and continue running.

Physics is everywhere, especially in every motion we make, be it the complicated parkour move above or simply writing our name. I was oblivious to this until I took Honors Physics in my junior year. The physics class profoundly influenced the way I approach problems and how I view the world. I no longer view a movement as simply that, instead, I view the motion as a result of forces. For example, a projectile will travel the farthest distance if fired at a forty-five degree angle, so when I ran cross country, I would attempt to push off at that angle, rather than making long strides low to the ground. In this way, physics has altered the very way I move.

Physics introduced me to inductive reasoning because the problems are unique in that one can already see the answer. For example, if a car hits a man at high speed, he begins to move in the direction of the car, and the car slows down. This interaction is observed, so conjectures and equations can be produced based on the results of this collision. This form of thinking has served me in many other subjects including calculus, where many of the problems require it.

My enthusiasm for the subject is also a result of its ubiquitous nature. Other subjects, such as history and English, are mostly concerned with events that occurred or books that were written in the past. Higher-level math, such as calculus, is rarely used in day-to-day life, unless one makes a concerted effort to use it. Physics, however, is all around us all the time. That I can open my window at any moment and observe a law of physics in action is exciting because it constitutes one of those moments when one can link the teachings of the classroom to observations of the outside world.

Most importantly, physics intrigued me because it does not attempt to provide any answers. Instead, it describes the relationships between elementary, measurable components (such as time and velocity), to explain vast, complicated occurrences (such as planetary motion). I have always been interested in "how things work" at a deeper level than simple functionality; therefore, physics, which explains the functions of nature itself, fascinated me in a way no other class ever had.

Undergraduate / Brown Short Essay "The Brown Phenomenon" [7]

Please be harsh in your critique, grammatically, structurally, and content-wise. Thank you

Q:Tell us about the academic areas that interest you most and your reasons for applying to Brown.

A: My reasons for applying to Brown are far too numerous to list in this small space. Instead, I will relate a strange occurrence I have labeled "The Brown Phenomenon" and what it means to me. Whenever people inquired into my first choice, I responded: Brown. The phenomenon most usually occurred at this point, almost imperceptibly, a twitch of the eye, a slight jerk, a sharp intake of breath, perhaps even an exclamation. Every person had a response to the name Brown, and with each twitch, jerk, and exclamation, my interest in the college deepened. I decided the catch was the reaction-had I named any other college, the reply would be as follows: "Oh yes, that's a good university." No. That lackluster response was not for me. I want the revolutionary college that does not follow all the rules, encourages students to take initiative and design their own education, teaches them to defy conventional thinking and boldly innovate, and, most interestingly, allows them to play Tetris on their science library. When I visited Brown, several students I questioned reiterated one point, "Brown is what you make of it." This concept excited me because it was an open-ended challenge, one that gave me the responsibility of filling in the blank. Finally, my visit proved to me that Brown students possessed a simple but important quality: friendliness. A very social person myself, I am keen on attending a college where my education comes from both faculty and peers. The open curriculum, freedom of education, and the friendliness and willingness of the students in answering my questions, proved one thing: Brown was the place for me.

Undergraduate / Another penn professor short (nanotechnology) [7]

Hi,
I think ive nailed down the grammar etc. I was wondering what you guys thought of the content. Does it have enough specifics in it?

Here it is:

Nanotechnology is a fascinating topic. The ability to control how atoms arrange to create matter is an exciting concept. I wish to learn more about the subject and eventually understand it. Therefore, I would like to do research with Professor Karen Winey. Although I enjoy learning within the classroom, I find I get the most benefit out of projects and academic activities. As a result, I am intent on doing research to supplement my classroom education. My physics teacher has a poster that perfectly words my interest in conducting research, "Tell me I forget, show me I remember, involve me I understand." I selected Professor Winey because she is an authority on nanotechnology, and conducts research regularly. In addition, her research is innovative and useful, especially her manipulation of SWNT's, which could lead to the creation of material tougher than Kevlar. Finally, conducting research with Professor Winey would give me valuable exposure to chemical engineering.