Common Application-EC Short Answer; American regions math league competition

LarryHoover 4 / 8

Dec 4, 2012 #1

Prompt: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below (1000 character maximum).
I feel iffy about the areas in parentheses and the grammar in genral. Anyways I want to thank anyone/everyone ahead of time for your help. I appreciate you taking your time to help.

"You have 15 seconds left". An announcer warns everybody at the Penn State's National ARML(American regions math league) competition.

I took a quick look at my pencil and back at the question. My paper is blank. Then in a flash I'm struck with what was hidden in plain sight. I know the answer? I know the answer!! Quick, write it down.

I don't know how to feel about math. Sometime I'll freeze. My muscles tense, I'll read a problems and somewhere lose it in translation. But every now and then, for me typically in the last 15 second, that worn out incandescent bulb (my brain) sparks up, that "ah ha" moment that can be so satisfying (stimulating/ send chills).

Math after, during, and away from school has done the damage of making me a pi loving, TI carrying, formula cracking competitor. The mind numbing difficulty (fun) I get out of ARML team problems and Calculus homework has shown me that Math can be more than, self-inflicted harm/pain. I can be fun.

ah_zafari [Contributor] 40 / 661

Dec 4, 2012 #2

one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences

I think you should talk about one of these things that the prompt asked you. What you wrote is a school experience, or better to say, an exam experience. The aim of this prompt is that to find other aspects of your personality and your life besides school life. For example, talk about a volunteer work that you have done, or talk about one of your professional experiences that has positively affected you.

Are you a sportsman or a professional athlete? If yes, talk about one of your sports activities or a competition you participated in.
In all of these cases, you should argue how these activities or experiences could shape your personality and why they are important to you.

Hope this helps
Ahmad