Undergraduate / Divorce, the seven letter word; Sophie Davis - Major domestic problem [3]

Briefly describe what you believe is a major domestic problem confronting the United States - socially, economically or in health care. Indicate how you think this problem should be resolved.

Divorce, a seven letter word, shatters the dreams of two married people. It is what is done to dissolute a marital relationship. One of the major social issues in our society is the increase in the divorce rate. The divorce ratio is higher today than compared to rates just fifteen years ago. Divorce is like an epidemic in our society that is spreading rapidly. If the couple have children, they are the ones that get most affected by a divorce.

It all starts off from small misunderstandings turning into larger disputes. A couple begins to have arguments and then their children also start to get involved. Children see all the arguments and the fights their parents have; this has a psychological effect on a child if he/she is very young. When the two parents separate, the children begin to wonder where the other parent is. They are always asking for the parent that they don't often get to see. The perfect family picture is ruined.

In 2012, the divorce percentage increased to about 46%. This expresses the fact that almost half of married couples were divorced by 2012. Divorce has different causes, ranging from stress to financial reasons. If the children have witnessed their parents getting divorced, they will most likely turn to the negative side; which is either by dropping out of school or even doing drugs. This is because after their parent's separation, they are not given much attention. Divorces don't only end in separation; they continue to future problems such as custody fights or kidnapping threats by a parent.

Marriage is a commitment for a lifetime. It shouldn't be taken very lightly. A couple should always think before they make the vows. They should not only consider them as words that are just uttered but also an agreement to the promises they make. Even if a couple has problems, they should not make a big deal out of certain matters, and solve it with patience. They should handle them softly and compromise with each other's decisions. There are marriage workshops and counseling that can be considered to ease the problems of a couple. To decrease or self-righteous the divorce rate, our society needs to be supportive and caring. Marriage is an ideal for life, but divorce is an unpleasant reality in our society.

Undergraduate / Diverse community/Financial benefits; BARNARD Supp; Influence by community/ HEOP Scol [2]

D. Community - educational, geographic, religious, political, ethnic, or other - can define an individual's experience and influence her journey. How has your community, as you identify it, shaped your perspective?

As I walk from my house to the train station, I smell the biryani from Shama Restaurant, the tacos from the taco cart at the corner of the street, and the fresh bread from the newly opened Russian bakery. I reside in the diverse community of Brighton Beach where despite the fact, being from different countries; people know each other and greet each other daily. I volunteered at the Islamic Center of Brighton Beach and the doctor's office. These two experiences have made me learn even more about my community. I have adapted distinct forms of essentials from different nations in my community; from saying "Hola" to a Mexican neighbor or "Asalamu Alaikum" to a Muslim sister. The diverse form of my community has made me become an open thinker and enjoy life even more when I'm around these people of distinct nations. I learned that even though we are from different countries, we belong to the same community and identify it as one.

E. Applicants for the HEOP Scholars Program: Why are you interested in the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program? What do you hope to achieve by participating in this program? (HEOP Scholars must be New York State residents and meet specific academic and financial eligibility guidelines. Please see the Barnard College HEOP website at barnard.edu/admissions/apply/higher-ed-opportunity-programs to see if you qualify and to learn more about program support services.)

HEOP Scholars Program is what will help achieve my goals easily and efficiently. Through this program, I will be able to find easier steps that I need to take to accomplish my dreams. My father has three other children who will be going to college, not only me. I wouldn't want him to pay a lot just for one child. HEOP Program will provide me with financial benefits and also ease my father's burden. Through the HEOP Program, I am looking for opportunities that will provide me with the essentials that I need to fulfill my goals. It's an innovative program that gives students a different view of education. HEOP makes college life easier for students and helps them become successful women in a very different and efficient way.

Undergraduate / Special Woman/ Benazir Bhutto;BARNARD SUPP; Good Match?/Historical Woman [NEW]

A. How did you first learn about Barnard College and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? Why do you think the College would be a good match for you?

I heard about Barnard College through my younger sister. She goes to an all-girls public school and in her school, the classes are named after different colleges; her class was named "Barnard." The name caught my attention, so I started doing my research. The fact that it focusses on women's development really caught my attention, as in my culture, there is barely any focus on women. As a woman, I want to bring out my inner strengths and strategies and Barnard seems to be the best choice for me. I attended Barnard's open house and came to realize how diverse the college is and how each, and everyone portrays their unique personalities in very different ways. Barnard will make me feel special as a woman and increase my confidence and capabilities, so that achieving my goals in life becomes easier for me in Barnard's comfortable environment.

B. Pick one woman in history or fiction to converse with for an hour and explain your choice. What would you talk about?
Benazir Bhutto, a politician, served as the eleventh prime minister in Pakistan. She was assassinated on December 27, 2007 during her campaign to become the president in the elections of 2008. If I were to have a conversation with her for an hour, the first thing I would ask her would be about her struggles; how, as a woman, she struggled to get to her position. She was the first female to ever hold such a high position in Pakistan's government. I would ask her about the approaches she took to achieve her position and how hard it was for her to accomplish her goals. She wanted to become the president, but unfortunately, she didn't get a chance to. Benazir Bhutto serves as an enduring role model for me. Her story teaches me not to consider my gender as something that would stop me from achieving my goals. If she could do it, I can too. It would be a great honor to converse with such a unique and strong person who inspires me not to give up and continue dreaming big.

C. Alumna and writer Anna Quindlen says that she "majored in unafraid" at Barnard. Tell us about a time when you majored in unafraid.
Creative writing has always acted as an enemy to me. I have barely written any creative writing piece or taken it into thought. During the summer, I partook in a program, at Long Island University, which provided students with two classes; photography and creative writing. Finding out that I had to take creative writing made me want to drop out, but I decided to accept it as a challenge. As the writing assignments approached, in the beginning, I didn't write so well. As time passed by, my creative writing skills enhanced, and I actually started to write skillfully. This was the time I majored in unafraid and took a chance that I never wanted to. I wrote a vignette titled "Rockefeller Center - the usual experience" and got "perfection" as a reply from my instructor. After that, I began to realize that creative writing was not as bad as I thought it would be. It brought a different skill out of me that I would never have grasped if I didn't major in unafraid

Undergraduate / Teaching kids at Islamic Center of Brighton Beach; Common App / Extracurricular [5]

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below (1000 character maximum).

I don't even bother taking off my school uniform. I grab my bag and run to the community center thinking that I'm late. As I get there, I see twenty seven kids waiting for me and as usual, the twenty eighth one is talking. I settle in and ask them about their weekend. They all rush to respond with excitement and as usual, I repeat; "Let's not talk all at once, but raise our hands." I volunteer to teach seven to nine year olds at the Islamic Center of Brighton Beach. My students have given me something that I have never gotten before; the honor of being a teacher. This experience has made me play two roles; the role of an older sister; by giving advice to my students in need and the role of a teacher; by providing them with knowledge. I have built this certain connection with them that I don't even have with my siblings. I learned that teaching is not only about giving knowledge but also attaining knowledge. It's a double sided relationship between me and my students.

Undergraduate / Doctor's office that inspired me to take up medicine; NYU Supp/ Academic interests? [3]

NYU's global network provides students with hundreds of academic areas of interest for students to cultivate their intellectual curiosity and to help achieve their career goals. Whether you are entirely undecided about your academic plans or you have a definitive program of study in mind, what are your own academic interests? Feel free to share any thoughts on any particular programs or how you might explore those interests at NYU on any of our campuses.

I see the doctor give the little girl a sticker after giving her an injection. It seems as if the girl forgot the severe pain she just went through. The doctor brought a smile on her face and made everything ok just in a matter of seconds. I picked medicine as the career that I want to pursue and fell in love with it ever since I started volunteering at the doctor's office. This experience brought out a keen interest in medicine that I never had before. Each and every aspect of this type of subject has caught my attention. From holding the child's hand to feeding him/her medicine; each of these things have built up different kinds of emotions inside me. At NYU's College of Art and Sciences, opportunities are provided to those who are interested in studying sciences; just like me. It will be one of the most comfortable places for me because I will be surrounded by those who have the same interests and share the same dream as me. I will get to know the story of others who picked the same path as me and determined medicine as their career. Each and every one of us has a story that inspired us to make a certain decision. Experience at the doctor's office and the love for sciences inspires me to pick medicine as my career and NYU's College of Arts and Sciences is the habitat where the fulfillment of my dreams will take place.

Undergraduate / Her hands move without voice; NYU Supp/ What intrigues you? [4]

What intrigues you? Tell us about one work of art, scientific achievement, piece of literature, method of communication, or place in the world (a film, book, performance, website, event, location, etc.), and explain its significance to you.

I mostly understand what she is trying to say even though I see her hands move but don't hear her voice. The precise movement of her hands says more than what words can. Sign language is what intrigues me. My aunt who has a deficiency in hearing and speaking uses sign language to communicate with me. She has shown me a clear image of what it feels like to be in her place. It is a completely different method of communication that not everyone is able to understand. She has taught me some alphabets, months, and days of the week. She even has a specific way of saying my name. Sign language holds more significance to me than any other spoken language does. It has the most beautiful way of explaining emotions. As years have passed by, I understand my aunt more and more. I come back with a new thing every time I go to visit her. I wish to learn this method of communication completely so that I can have a clear conversation with my aunt. Sign language will always remain significant to me as it is the most precious thing I ever came across.