Undergraduate / Whenever someone asks me why I want to pursue medicine, I always reply that it's part of who I am [5]

I've been told it's complete crap and that I need to rewrite the whole thing from scratch, but I there must be something I can use to start with. Please give me ideas, and tell me what you din't like about it. Thank you.

There is a Quaker saying: "Let your life speak." Describe the environment in which you were raised-your family, home, neighborhood or community-and how it influenced the person you are today. 200-250

Whenever someone asks me why I want to pursue medicine, I always tell them that it's part of who I am. I feel like my entire life consisted of experiences and conditions that have been preparing me to face the two most basic qualities every doctor should have: The ability to care, and work hard.

[...]

Undergraduate / I failed... but at least next year's team will get the chance to succeed where I haven't. [4]

Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?

My school has always placed academics over creativity, and around the time I began high school, student activity came to a near standstill. Ever since I could remember I really wanted to take part in the school musical, but to my dismay, the theatre program had been shut down. When I approached my administration inquiring on starting it up again, they explained to me that all the teachers were simply too busy to take up any extra assignments. It was then that I proposed the idea of creating the first student-run musical, and, to my surprise, they loved it! However, theatre and the arts were usually unpopular in conservative Saudi Arabia, and they insisted that I be the one to run the musical and to ensure it be appropriate and respectful towards our culture and country's beliefs.

I knew this would be a huge responsibility and that I needed help, so I wrote an article in the school newspaper publicizing the production hoping to find a co-director and a team of hardworking individuals willing to share the work. The news spread like wildfire! The announcement received an incredibly positive reaction, leaving no shortage in volunteers. Our shared passion for the arts cultivated cooperation and determination in the team. Even school faculty showed their support by offering help and advice whenever they could. It began to look like the project was going to outdo my expectations.

Several weeks into rehearsals, however, things started going downhill when my co-director quit for medical reasons. My concern was quickly overcome by anxiety as I realized that there wasn't anybody capable of filling her position this late in the production. I felt pressured knowing that everybody was counting on me to not let all their hard work go to waste, so I decided to push through, and take on sole responsibility of directing it.

After that, running the production was much more difficult and our progress slowed down radically. Our situation only worsened once midterms came along; that was when we began losing crucial crewmembers and countless volunteers. Eventually, the severe lack of members became crippling to our progress. I desperately tried gathering students willing to help, but nobody was willing to join halfway through. Afraid of losing the student body's and the administration's trust, I made the foolish choice to distribute the extra spots to the reaming members instead of postponing the musical.

It was getting closer to the performance day, but by that time, my decisions became reckless. Props were left unpainted, costumes weren't the right sizes, and equipment started going missing. Handling all the additional duties became mind-numbingly difficult for everyone. I even resorted to leaving the group for several rehearsals to complete other tasks. As hard as we tried, our efforts still weren't enough, making what happened next even more tragic. Things got so out of hand that the administration thought it would be best to pull the plug on project altogether. We were all crushed, but they made it clear that their decision was final.

Once I had time to think, I realized how avoidable my mistakes were. I refused to see how dire our situation had become. My ego got the best of me, leading me to denying my limits and taking up more than I could handle. I gambled the fate of everyone's efforts when I resorted to desperate measures, and I lost. I was mostly distraught, however, by the lost efforts of those who stayed onboard the entire time, even as the production sank. I decided I couldn't my incompetence destroy their chances for future performances. I pleaded with the administration to not let the crew's hard work go to waste. Despite what happened, I felt content that at least next year's team will get the chance to succeed where I haven't.

Undergraduate / Let your life speak! Living in Saudi Arabia I became accustomed to acting with stoic reservation [2]

There is a Quaker saying: "Let your life speak." Describe the environment in which you were raised-your family, home, neighborhood or community-and how it influenced the person you are today. 200-250

Living in Saudi Arabia most of my life, I became accustomed to acting with stoic reservation. Being raised in a collectivist society meant that Manners and courtesy were what each family raised their children to strive for. I was taught to put my family before myself, and that who I am affects our family's reputation. Feeling like I was always just part of the background made attaining social skills difficult for me. Eventually, I was forced to search for friendship in places other than people. It was then that I began reading as a hobby, after noticing a broad collection of books upon my sister's shelves. I couldn't flip through the pages fast enough to satisfy my growing curiosity. Within stories, I was able to find more than just company, but also a thirst for the unknown. That love for stories eventually transcended into a love for knowledge. It's the reason I became interested in becoming a doctor: There was so much left undiscovered, and I wanted to be the one to discover it. My eyes were opened to see beyond the limitations of the society I was raised in. My restrictive background became the fuel that drove me to search for, and work towards my passion.

Tell me if this contains what colleges are looking for. Also, how can I end this?

Undergraduate / "Let your life speak" - Tufts University supplement [3]

There is a Quaker saying: "Let your life speak." Describe the environment in which you were raised-your family, home, neighborhood or community-and how it influenced the person you are today. Limit: 200-250 words. Mine is 249 words exactly.

In Saudi Arabia, people have a habit of being reserved. Unlike I have experienced in the US, it was never customary to greet a stranger coming into the elevator you're on, or to start small-talk with a store clerk as you're checking out. This, along with the fact that I went to a fairly small private school, severely limited my social skills, and prevented me from meeting others that would share my interests and invest me in issues and topics that appeal to my curiosity. Aside from being taught manners and proper etiquette, the environment I was raised in expanded my sense of wonder. I noticed that my interests began resembling those of a child's. Rather than spending time mingling via social networks, I preferred building forts in the sun, telling haunted tales beneath the moon, and sitting on rooftops watching the sunset. Despite any company, I always faced a communication barrier with others. To most, the stars shining brightly in the sky were the equivalent of decorative pieces highlighting a tranquil evening, but to me they were the tools of inspiration. Every night, I would look at the brightest star and marvel at the uncertainty of its existence. I sometimes felt as though the isolation of my views would squander my passion, but coming to America, and meeting the people I never knew existed showed me that my enthusiasm didn't stagnate over those long years, but was conserved, waiting to for the chance to finally be let out.

Undergraduate / When I first came to Boston, Tufts wasn't more to me than an option out of a list of possibilities. [7]

The limit is 50-100. My response is 98 words.

When I first came to Boston, Tufts wasn't more to me than an option out of a list of possibilities. It was after I began exploring my University choices that I learned about Tufts. My interest in the school was initially due to my telling me it had the friendliest people, as well as discovering it's medical program's prestigious status. I don't plan waver between schools, which is why it's reputation mattered greatly to me. However, it wasn't until I toured the campus, and heard Jumbo the mascot's courageous tale that I became fixated into being admitted there.