Undergraduate / '2D characters in 3D world' - Intellectual Vitality Essay - Stanford [7]

1. Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.

MULTIDIMENSIONAL CAREER MODEL

Satirical, analytical, whimsical, mathematical, and downright bizarre, the concept of uniting fictional two-dimensional characters within a three-dimensional world is a story straight out of science fiction. While some students searched the page's contents for pictures or tried to doze off, I eagerly traversed through Flatland with the idea that mathematics can be applicable in any sort of reality. Edwin A. Abbott's classic opened my previously one-sided, strict Catholic mind to a completely new way of thinking, as was the author's intention.

Why stop there? I discovered the DVD version of Flatland to provide a visual aid. I mentioned it to my Honors Geometry teacher who initially denied the existence of such a movie. When I brought in the movie she included it in a class presentation.

I continued this expedition by reading Sphereland. These concepts were more difficult to analyze and comprehend. For example, I still grapple with how to imagine what a hypersphere would appear like. The hotly-debated issue of the fourth or fifth dimension began to unfurl in my mind and led to an inevitable progression in Flatterland.

Exploring dimensional concepts further in Flatterland almost overwhelmed me with the idea of an infinite amount of universes, a mathiverse, and advanced references to Calculus. I am confident that I will understand many of these concepts better as I take AP Calculus this year. A great idea that I have taken from this engaging experience is that multidimensional/multivariable mathematical models can become infinitely complex. I fully expect to further explore multidimensional, mathematical modeling in my future career, albeit without the aid of cute fictional characters.

Undergraduate / "Hola! Me llamo Allison"; Stanford Essay 2 - Roomate essay / tear it apart [3]

2. Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. What would you want your future roommate to know about you? Tell us something about you that will help your future roommate-and us-know you better.

"Hola! Me llamo Allison," or "Watashi wa Ally des dozo yoroshiku" when she enters our room. Roomy you will immediately see the eclectic nature of my personality. My side of the room will be combined with a spicy Latin ambiance punctuated with black and red lanterns, and tapestries from my host family in Kobe, Japan. Add my frog print bedspread from Costa Rica to complete the ambiance. I hope you will appreciate my international style and passion. Traveling, emerging myself in different cultures has influenced my life, and the trajectory of my education and life goals. Please be understanding and patient as you find me sorting through our trash, for I am passionate about the environment and will encourage other dorm-mates to be environmentally responsible. Burning the late night oil, is a given. But I promise to keep the lights and the music playing on my I-Pod speakers low if you need to sleep. I like to think of myself as respectful of others, and look for compromise or consensuses whenever possible in my relationships. My piles are organized and will be kept to my side of the room. When it comes to care packages from home I promise to share my mom's yummy chocolate chip cookies late at night as we encourage each other. We will need them while studying for exams, working on research papers, and dealing the challenges of being a freshman. My optimism is contagious. I view the world as a work in progress, and believe we each have an obligation to make things better. I was adopted from Peru, by a single mom, and recognize the opportunities that I have been given, so I plan to jump in with both feet and to make this an experience of a lifetime. Roomy, lets start the adventure together.

Undergraduate / "Yellow blanket, sweet sixteen" - common application-topic of choice/feedback [15]

YELLOW BLANKET, SWEET SIXTEEN, A DEFINING MOMENT

"Beneath the oppressive haze, the amber color of the morning sky begins to awaken as does my tiny NN-743962. The smells of the city are pungent and foreign compared to the crisp dew laden Puget Sound mornings. But with this daybreak, the exhilaration of the new journey begins, and Allison Milagros wrapped snuggly in her yellow blanket, opened her small eyes, looking at me with wonderment, I knew at that moment she was meant to be my daughter."

Journal Entry
Lima Peru
July 13, 1992

Sweet sixteen, often we celebrate with beautiful dresses and special gifts that mark the coming of age. Parties surrounded by our friends and families often in awe of the transition we've have made from childhood to a young woman. It is an occasion to reflect on our childhood memories and to ponder the events to come as our journey into adulthood begins. It is a defining moment for many. It was even more than that for me, a life-changing moment.

On my special day, I received a life-altering gift from my mom. She presented me with a beautiful leather bound journal, in which she had carefully, and in immense detail, chronicled her arduous journey as a single woman to adopting a baby from Peru. That baby was me. Mom explained that she had waited until this moment, my "sweet sixteen" to be confident that with her candid entries, I had the maturity to both value and comprehend the circumstances surrounding my birth, adoption, all within the context of the culture and political climate of Peru.

It was April in South America and autumn was in the air when I was born in 1992. I was "found" in the corner of a building in Comas, a district of Lima, wrapped in a yellow blanket. Nothing was known regarding my birthparents. An "aha!" moment, as I read her entry. My special yellow blanket: the one tangible item that I still have from my birthmother. I was immediately flooded with the rich memories as a child when that blanket had provided me with comfort and a sense of security. I dragged that blanket everywhere. It was clear now why of all my childhood items, mom had taken such care to preserve this now tattered piece of fabric.

No Name 743962 was my official designation on all the court and legal documents. There were so many children in need of homes; they only provided numbers to keep track of each of us at Casa Los Nińo's, a state run orphanage. How peculiar I thought to be identified only as a number. Your name gives you identity, defines where you belong within a family and a community. My mind wondered, thinking of other people in other times that were reduced to a number, without identity, to be categorized and kept track of forever. Yet strangely, I had always felt a sense of security, a sense of belonging, but always a twinge that there was and continues to be a connection to another place and to some other people. I kept turning the pages, committed to reading the journal in its entirety, on this day, my birthday.

The beauty of the city of Lima was punctuated with the Shinning Path, Guzman's terrorist group, tanks in the streets, transformers being exploded. Between these implausible entries, more mundane events were documented. There was waiting for paperwork to weave its way through the bureaucracy of two governments, trying to effectively communicate, shopping at the Mercado for the day's food, waiting always waiting. Patience and tenacity were words that echoed throughout the 50 page manuscript.

The passage through the journal's pages was surreal. With each page, I felt transported to the moment the entry reflected. Between the entries, though never written, I could feel my mom's commitment and determination. It was palpable. She was determined that the life of possibilities that were ahead were mine to be had, no matter the current obstacles she needed to navigate.

My sweet sixteen birthday was truly a "birth" day that provided transparency to the genesis of my life and the direction I am determined to pursue. It was a defining moment to understand the events of my birth, and the sacrifices that were made, both by my birthmother and my mom. My birthday epitomized my journey from a developing country steeped in ancient history and lore to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. There was a sudden spark of renewed appreciation of the history of a tangible item, a yellow blanket, and the memories and comfort it can provide a small child.

The significance of these events was defining and now an intricate part of who I am. I have a more complete understanding of myself, my inquisitive nature, my love of exploring and always learning. I have been given the gift of life literally twice. The gifts and talents I cultivate, my education and how I reach forward to honor the past will be the gifts I give in return.