Worried that my first essay isn't that good since I'm basically relating Hogwarts and Yale (you'll see) and also its hard to come up with answers for the really short questions! Any opinions there appreciated :)
What in particular about Yale has influenced your decision to apply?
I peered into the dining hall, and excitement and happiness muddled my head. I turned to grin so broadly at my parents that later my cheeks hurt. This was the moment I finally got to see the Hogwarts dining hall come to life.
When I looked through the doors, I could even imagine the floating candles as if they were actually there. The residency areas held the same enchanting aura for me. That magical feeling I got while walking around campus is the reason why I was first attracted to Yale and also why I'm applying now.
a. You have been granted a free weekend next month. How will you spend it?
I would go to the zoo with my grandmother, a promise I made back in elementary school but still haven't been able to keep, and also take a nature walk to take pictures with my DSLR camera.
b. What is something about which you have changed your mind in the last three years?
I used to hate running. I sometimes ran with my mom just to see if I disliked it any less. It wasn't until recently that I finally understood how some people can like that monotonous, heart-racing activity.
c. What is the best piece of advice you have received while in high school?
Everybody makes mistakes, but if you learn from them, you'll be a better person.
d. What do you wish you were better at being or doing?
I wish I was better at singing. Even though I play an instrument, it doesn't mean my mouth can do the same thing.
e. What is a learning experience, in or out of the classroom, that has had a significant impact on you?
Being chosen as concertmistress for an orchestra gave me the chance to experience being the leader rather than a follower. I learned what it was like to have people look up to you and depend on your skills to be an example for everyone else.
In this essay, please reflect on something you would like us to know about you that we might not learn from the rest of your application, or on something about which you would like to say more. You may write about anything-from personal experiences or interests to intellectual pursuits.
His name was Peter and he was 54 years old. He had been a good student, but because his parents were poor, he had to work instead of going to college. Peter wouldn't mention why he was now on the streets but he had such an optimistic attitude that it ceased to matter. His booming laugh made me feel at ease, and as we played the board game "Sorry", his exclamations of "No you didn't!" and "I'm coming for you now" made me laugh too.
I was on the annual Urban Challenge Club Thanksgiving trip at a non-profit organization that acted as a homeless shelter in Camden, NJ. We were ready to head home after packing more than sixty boxes with donated Thanksgiving food when one of the managers asked if we would like to provide company to the people who were upstairs in the shelter. The thought of going home was tempting, but because it was the better thing to do, we agreed to spend some more time at the shelter.
Peter was the one who shouted, "Here, I'll play with y'all!" when my friend and I asked who wanted to play a board game. I was surprised by his optimistic and happy personality since his life seemed so grim. I had always felt a disconnection between myself and those living on the streets in Philly or Camden, those cities being the closest to me. I had seen and tried to understand, but never had I talked to someone from what seemed to be the other side of the world. Peter, however, showed me how that world was not as far as I thought. I could still talk and laugh with him as though he were my neighbor, and for a couple of hours we both forgot how different our lives were.
As we left the shelter and drove towards Moorestown, our sheltered, well-off town, I realized people can always connect with other people, no matter how different they seem. I had learned to look past my differences and was rewarded with the inspiration I gained from Peter's life and stories. Everyone has connections and similarities with others; we just have to reach out and lend an ear to find them.
What in particular about Yale has influenced your decision to apply?
I peered into the dining hall, and excitement and happiness muddled my head. I turned to grin so broadly at my parents that later my cheeks hurt. This was the moment I finally got to see the Hogwarts dining hall come to life.
When I looked through the doors, I could even imagine the floating candles as if they were actually there. The residency areas held the same enchanting aura for me. That magical feeling I got while walking around campus is the reason why I was first attracted to Yale and also why I'm applying now.
a. You have been granted a free weekend next month. How will you spend it?
I would go to the zoo with my grandmother, a promise I made back in elementary school but still haven't been able to keep, and also take a nature walk to take pictures with my DSLR camera.
b. What is something about which you have changed your mind in the last three years?
I used to hate running. I sometimes ran with my mom just to see if I disliked it any less. It wasn't until recently that I finally understood how some people can like that monotonous, heart-racing activity.
c. What is the best piece of advice you have received while in high school?
Everybody makes mistakes, but if you learn from them, you'll be a better person.
d. What do you wish you were better at being or doing?
I wish I was better at singing. Even though I play an instrument, it doesn't mean my mouth can do the same thing.
e. What is a learning experience, in or out of the classroom, that has had a significant impact on you?
Being chosen as concertmistress for an orchestra gave me the chance to experience being the leader rather than a follower. I learned what it was like to have people look up to you and depend on your skills to be an example for everyone else.
In this essay, please reflect on something you would like us to know about you that we might not learn from the rest of your application, or on something about which you would like to say more. You may write about anything-from personal experiences or interests to intellectual pursuits.
His name was Peter and he was 54 years old. He had been a good student, but because his parents were poor, he had to work instead of going to college. Peter wouldn't mention why he was now on the streets but he had such an optimistic attitude that it ceased to matter. His booming laugh made me feel at ease, and as we played the board game "Sorry", his exclamations of "No you didn't!" and "I'm coming for you now" made me laugh too.
I was on the annual Urban Challenge Club Thanksgiving trip at a non-profit organization that acted as a homeless shelter in Camden, NJ. We were ready to head home after packing more than sixty boxes with donated Thanksgiving food when one of the managers asked if we would like to provide company to the people who were upstairs in the shelter. The thought of going home was tempting, but because it was the better thing to do, we agreed to spend some more time at the shelter.
Peter was the one who shouted, "Here, I'll play with y'all!" when my friend and I asked who wanted to play a board game. I was surprised by his optimistic and happy personality since his life seemed so grim. I had always felt a disconnection between myself and those living on the streets in Philly or Camden, those cities being the closest to me. I had seen and tried to understand, but never had I talked to someone from what seemed to be the other side of the world. Peter, however, showed me how that world was not as far as I thought. I could still talk and laugh with him as though he were my neighbor, and for a couple of hours we both forgot how different our lives were.
As we left the shelter and drove towards Moorestown, our sheltered, well-off town, I realized people can always connect with other people, no matter how different they seem. I had learned to look past my differences and was rewarded with the inspiration I gained from Peter's life and stories. Everyone has connections and similarities with others; we just have to reach out and lend an ear to find them.
