Undergraduate / Nepalese Folk Stories; Lehigh supp/Values & Priorities [NEW]

This is my supplement essay for lehigh, The prompt is below. I am exceeding word limit so if anyone could me make it more concise. Also, feel free to criticize harshly,

If you founded your own college or university, what topic of study would you make mandatory for all students to study and why? What would the values and priorities of your institution and why?

The folk stories of my great grandfather's survival in the treacherous mountains of Nepal have always fascinated me. The stories of how he used his skills and knowledge to create a farm and than lead a small tribe of people a successful life in altitudes of over five thousand feet have always made me envisage him as a remarkable person. My father tells me that my great grandfather was such a successful person because he had the deep understanding of how everything worked around him. Ever since I heard his stories, I aspired to become like him. Humanities would be the ideal subject to guide me to follow the footsteps of my great grandfather. The very thought of studying about the advent of society, religion and morality has fascinated me; in other words understanding the basics of human life would foster my ability to survive and lead a successful social life like my great grandfather. Therefore, if I were to found my own college or university, I would make humanities a mandatory subject for all students to study. Humanities would help students to adopt a holistic approach to deal with the world's problems by helping them to get an insight into the root causes of the problem. As for the priorities, my college would prioritize well-rounded education for all students. Their versatility and knowledge would act as the backbone of their confidence and help them achieve their dreams.

Undergraduate / ''Kaley'' , being dark in complexion - Personal Statement for Bucknell [6]

Hello, This is my personal statement for Bucknell. I am not sure if this essay makes any sense or not? Also I am applying to other non liberal arts institution and need your suggestions to change the conclusion. Please feel free to criticize harshly. Thank you in advance

Growing up in Nepal has not always been easy. I remember being judged for many things from the color of my skin to the grades that I received in my report cards. Being called 'kaley' (someone with dark complexion) probably has not left much of an emotional scar on me and neither have few harsh comments I received over my grades. However, as I started writing this essay, I could not help but reflect back on these trivial yet important experiences that have helped define me as an individual and accept myself for who I am.

One such incident happened not so long ago. My teacher and I, along with some of my classmates were casting for the upcoming school play. The casting was going smoothly until the word 'devil' came on our casting list. Without a word, the teacher gave a shrill laugh. Oblivious of what he was laughing about we joined him. He then pointed a finger at me and said, "Prasesh is perfect for the job. We don't need to put makeup on him since he disappears in the dark and the appearance of only his teeth will make him look even scarier". My friends laughed harder. All of them gave taunting looks at me, poking me with their fingers while I sat there red faced.

This particular incident made me realize how normal it is in my society for someone to openly make snarky comments on someone else's looks. Given how the society is rigidly structured around the caste system in Nepal (besides other socio-economic set ups), I could not help but wonder about how a fellow kaley from a lower caste would have felt about this same incident. Would he have been considered to be more devilish by my teacher because of his lower caste in addition to his dark complexion? I still wonder.

I also often wonder why people are so quick to judge me as a carefree unconventional person only because I love playing guitar. For me guitar is liberating- It allows me to go to a whole different world where I can explore an exciting form of art. However, the society is quick to judge me as the guy who picked up the guitar probably because I struggle with the conventional form of education, even though the truth is far away from this opinion.

These unfair outlooks and stereotyping of the society made me decide early on in my high school that I wanted to study engineering- the major of math and science where there are fair concrete rules. Rules that do not distinguish whether one is kaley or fair skinned; rules that do not discriminate based on caste, gender, ethnicity or religion. I found the world fascinating where four atoms of aluminum mixed with three molecules of oxygen gas would produce two molecule of aluminum oxide no matter who did it.

However, as my high school education progressed on, and the more immersed I became in math and science I realized how the conclusion drawn in mathematics totally depended on the baseline reference. Early on, as little kids, I was taught that 2+2 is 4, but now I learnt some sneaky ways on how one could prove 2+2 =5 based on different assumptions and reference points, even if it made little sense. Suddenly I did not feel so great about being a math major because, like the society, in this subject too, people could try to make their own assumptions and prove whatever they wanted, even if it escaped logic!

Which is why today, I want to apply to Bucknell University. I do not just want a conventional education that will allow me to learn more about mathematical assumptions but also challenge me to be a critical thinker about my surrounding. A liberal arts education at your institution will help me to confront unexpected challenges that society throws in our path so often. More importantly, it will help me be critical in analyzing those baseline references so that in the future when I make my own assumptions I realize that 2+2 need not only be 4 but it also needs to be fair.