Prompt:
Caltech students have long been known for their quirky sense of humor, whether it be through planning creative pranks, building elaborate party sets, or even the year-long preparation that goes into our annual Ditch Day. Please describe an unusual way in which you have fun. (200 words)
Essay:
I am a spy. Not CIA, MI6, KGB, but a hobbyist spy. When I'm not busy solving differential equations or modelling cancer angiogenesis, I code to encode. From classics like Caesar's cipher to current powerhouses like RSA to military level Blowfish algorithms, name an encryption algorithm, its probably in my arsenal.
Perhaps my favorite form of cryptography is through images. Unlike in the novel The Da Vinci Code, which sparked my interest in encryption, you don't have to write with invisible marker on famous paintings to send messages. I developed a method of hiding messages through random pixel manipulation in images. Through these methods, I once hid the entire text of Les Miserables in just the cover art.
For me, cryptography is more than just a hobby, it's my method of finding patterns in the world, and trying to figure out what data is hidden right in front of our eyes, yet we fail to recognize. The thrill of hiding secrets in plain sight never fails to satiate me. Give me a message, and I'll give you a series of random characters that mean nothing, but to the right pair of eyes, tells a story.
There isn't much to criticize here. This is fabulously written. Two things though. Put some comas in: "From classics like Caesar's cipher<,> to current powerhouses like RSA<,> to military level Blowfish algorithms, name an encryption algorithm, its probably in my arsenal." (it's a list after all). And this sentence "For me, cryptography is more than just a hobby, it's my method of finding patterns in the world, and trying to figure out what data is hidden right in front of our eyes, yet we fail to recognize." Is a coma splice, so separate it into two sentences instead of one. Overall, good essay. It's interesting and you have a pretty awesome talent, good luck with your essay.
