Hi to anyone out there,
I'm applying to Barnard college tomorrow and need advice on my essays and help cutting down third one.
If you could help that would be amazing!!! (max words 250)
Here they are:
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? (Word Count: 249)
Although I'd like to say I meticulously read through various college books and happily found Barnard, that is not the case. Instead, I was flipping through a college book and, in a moment of frustration, cast it from my sight. I found it open to Barnard College, Manhattan New York. Even as a "city" girl,I had never considered myself a "New York City" girl. Yet, in this moment, I saw my reflection upon each titled letter.
The "Why?" is what defines my approach to investigating the world around me. Barnard is the only college from which I sense a similar desire for discovery. When I first stepped onto the campus, I felt a tingle of faint recognition, a sense of myself. Something glowed from our tour guide and from each passing gaze. That glow has gilded my own vision ever since.
There is great value in a liberal arts education and I believe that it is the duty of we students to unlock the potential of this education; thus finding our own potential along the way. I want to attend a school which helps define its students with an environment rich with enthusiastic experts and saturated with a breadth of opportunity.
It's hard to know exactly how you want to start the next chapter of your life, but, from all that I have gathered over these 17 years, at least I have the starting point: "Why?". Now it is with Barnard that I wish to launch this chapter.
Pick one woman in history or fiction to converse with for an hour and explain your choice. What would you talk about? (word count: 243)
I find myself drawn to the musty, perfume-filled hazy backstage of the Bobino in Paris, France 1975. I imagine the lights giving off a soft, slightly intoxicating glow around the mirror in her dressing room. Her smile, enigmatic yet wise, glamorous yet mischievous .
Previously, I had imagined myself talking to Amelia Earhart about her audacious approach to life, or perhaps to Rosa Parks about her renegade attitude. Instead I've decided, if I'm only given an hour to talk to a woman of my choice, I'd like to talk to the woman who inspires me to be who I aspire to be. Neither the loudest nor the most apparent, she elegantly changed the world; a quality and reputation I could only hope to uphold. To even have a few moments with her, I know she would help me grow into a beautiful and confident woman; she can't help but have that affect on people.
We'd converse like two old friends, discussing the importance of individuality, her contribution in paving the path for coloured liberation with her 'Rainbow Tribe', and most of all her innate devotion to love. Love for herself, and love for others.
Though unaware, this will be her last performance. She gave an oath to devote herself to what she loves most till her last breath do her part. Watching her behind the curtain, I imagine myself in awe after the hour conversation with the incredible, and breathtaking, Ms. Josephine Baker.
Alumna and writer Anna Quindlen says that she "majored in unafraid" at Barnard. Tell us about a time when you majored in unafraid. (word count: 263)
"Ready...?" The stage manager peered over at me.
I nodded tentatively. The menacing, yet inviting glow of the spot light on stage was waiting patiently for me. I closed my eyes and gripped my guitar a bit harder. 'You'll be great..' I tried to soothe myself.
"Alright, ready in 3...2...-" He mouthed 'one' and pointed to the light. I suddenly wished I hadn't of worn hard heels because the sound excruciatingly echoed around the theatre. As I reached the mic in the middle of the stage, my fingers tingled uncontrollably. My breath became shallow and my tongue numb.
"Tasha?" I nodded, trying to trace the voice in the darkness. "What do you have for us?" I swallowed. Had I forgotten the lyrics?! My mind blanked and I left myself stuttering onstage. I couldn't tell them I'd forgotten it, that was out of the question. I took a breath in and the painfully awkward silence subsided for a few moments.
"I'm doing a song I wrote."
"What's it called?"
"It doesn't have a name quite yet." I added a nervous laugh hoping it would come across as charming. The judge chuckled.
"Where's it from?"
I paused.
"My heart."
If I majored in unafraid, then my minor would be in honesty. Human beings are fragile whether we like to admit it or not. However, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves.
I finished the last strum, let the note ring out into the dark, and waited. A small sniffle came from the crowd, and then, out of nowhere, the crowd erupted.
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? (242)
My life's journey thus far, has been shaped by an upbringing one could call mosaic. I have been lucky enough to have travelled to multiple countries in my short life. Raised to be an adventurer, I see the world as my playground and walk with my palms facing up, ready to catch anything that may come my way. Born to a Japanese mother and a Dutch/Canadian father, I am considered Asian in Canada, I am Canadian in Holland, and simply different in Japan. Through my culturally varied background, I understand the positive impact of multiculturalism.
My community has never really been one single place. That is not to say I am not grounded. Raised in Vancouver, Canada, I could make a rainbow of all the people I know. When I think about how that has shaped my perspective on life, I know I have an innate respect for different religions, cultures and ethnicities, and would prefer to see people for who they are rather than what they represent physically.
In 2011, the Vancouver Bh'ai community honoured me with a peace-keeping award for my anti-racism sculpture, "Our True Nationality Is Mankind". Reflecting on the community in which I was raised, I am fortunate to be surrounded by people of varied nationalities, religions and opinions. As I venture into a new community, I hope to be apart of a diverse network of scholars who share similar values and an open mind.
(I'm thinking about editing this to incorporate my passion for journalism through learning about peoples lives and different cultures, and the respect that comes with that.)
