1. Johns Hopkins University was founded in 1876 on a spirit of exploration and discovery. As a result, students can pursue a multi-dimensional undergraduate experience both in and outside of the classroom. Given the opportunities at Hopkins, please discuss your current interests-academic or extracurricular pursuits, personal passions, summer experiences, etc.-and how you will build upon them here.
Bookshelf.
My bookshelf represents various cultures' influence over me. Through my bookshelf you can visit South America, Japan, India, Bangladesh, Korea, and the US. As a young kid, my fascination for various cultures and languages ignited through the anime "Naruto" which encouraged me to explore, understand, and appreciate all cultures. Fast forward 7 years, you now see the result of Naruto's impact on me: a bookshelf filled with a collection of Manga (Japanese comic books), origami, a music collection of Hindi and Bengali Cassettes (yes, I still listen to cassettes), a stack of Korean-pop albums, and various Spanish, Japanese, and American music in my laptop. Through these objects I connect with a tiny part of each culture and travel the world without the need to step into a plane.
My bookshelf also contains books ranging from classics like "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" to religious translation like "The Essential Koran" to my favorites like "The Alchemist". Here resides the curious individual who is eager to acquire knowledge by questioning her surroundings. I was always told "Don't do this" but with this statement never came an explanation of "why?" If I asked "why?", I was snubbed with explanations such as " It's bad" or "listen to your elders." Dissatisfied by these responses, I learned to search for my own answers. This is why I am reading "The Essential Koran", a book consisting of direct English translations of the Koran. Due to this book, I now understand what I am reading instead of ignorantly reciting Arabic verses.
Walls.
Scattered on my wall with various colors and fonts are various quotes that encourage me throughout daily life. Every day, I make sure to read one of the quotes on my wall, most specifically the 14th Dalai Lama's quote "When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy." This quote reminds me to be wary of my actions and never blame others for my mistakes, because for only when I accept MY mistake, will I finally be able to correct it.
Desk.
Contrary to what most people believe would represent knowledge; my desk represents music. On my desk sits my iPad, in which an app called "GarageBand" allows me to digitally play instruments and create music that may sound horrible to most, but for those 30 minutes on my iPad, take me to a place of contentment. Here, I take myself to a world where I am a guitarist and pianist.
Me.
United, the objects that reside in my room form a 4'11 anchor that holds all these objects together. I am not one entity, but various individuals molded into one. I am the center of the facets of my identity and I am what inhabits that space called my bedroom. My bookshelf, my walls, and my desk represent how I am composed of many passions, many faces, and many reflections.
I look to JHU to feed this anchor that wishes to explore every aspect of her identity and supply its brain with a variety of courses that include Philosophy, East Asian Studies, and Religion. I look to JHU's study abroad program to give me the opportunity to understand other cultures through firsthand experiences. I look to JHU for its diverse Hopkins family, the city of Baltimore, and numerous events, such as Lighting of the Quad or the Festival of Lights called "Miracle on 34th St". I look to JHU, assured that they will develop the young woman in me who cannot be defined by one career; Through Hopkins education, I will be the biology major who can speak five languages, the artist who takes calculus and Taekwondo, the feminist who can paint portraits. Maybe next year, I will be studying on the Freshman Quad or in AMRII in Baker House. Looking to the future, I see myself proudly wearing a Hopkins' Jay shirt because I'm assured Hopkins will help me find and cultivate a NEW Me hiding inside waiting to blossom and flourish.
I'm not sure if my essay answered the question with detail. I feel like I rambled in the beginning and that Admissions officers would get tired of my essay before reaching the end. Plus, I exceeded the word limit of 500 by 180 words (my essay is 680 words) but I am not sure what to take out and what to include. I'm also scared that my concluding paragraph wasn't strong enough. Please let me know what you think. Thank you