The quality of Rice's academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What perspective do you feel that you will contribute to life at Rice? (Most applicants are able to respond successfully in two to three double-spaced pages.)
Many of my childhood memories take place in the kitchen, where I diligently practiced Chinese calligraphy at the worn table as my mother simultaneously kept an eye on me and worked her culinary magic. The aroma of creations that couldn't have been anything less than heavenly permeated the whole house daily while the colorfulness of the vegetables kept me surprised with every bite. Still, I was never able to catch her using any recipes. Her practiced hand never wavered, adding a dash of salt here or a couple drops of oil there, using anything needed to suit the dish. It seemed as though with a few deft chops and stirs, another delicacy was ready for the table.
Just like my mother seasons her cooking with whatever is necessary to make it delicious, I find that a little variation in my own life can sometimes provide the perfect combination. Of course, there are the main ingredients, like my zest for learning, which drives my academic motivation; then, there are those final touches that really make the result pop, the lemon slices and sprigs of thyme or, in my case, the extra traits that wrap up my presentation. Like the slow bubble of beef stew, the ingredients of my life have spent a lifetime simmering together in a creation of my best traits:
A two heaping cups of perseverance is always a base value, one that applies to every situation. Without it, I would never have been able to reach that highest note in the violin concerto, nor complete that last push-up in Taekwondo. The same discipline shaped through years of climbing over obstacles has carried me through many nights of impossible calculus problems and maddening writer's block.
A few dollops of pride season determination, ensuring a tasty success. Whether I encounter a hefty exam or difficult recital, I celebrate the journey as well as the destination. My measure of success through the trials and tribulations of each passing year is not the material reward, but rather the knowledge that I have always given unwavering chase to the commitment of excellence in my pursuits.
My favorite ingredient is a couple curls of abstract thinking to spice up the way I look at things. From seeing cursive letters as the loops and hills of a roller coaster to breathing life into my paper menagerie of origami, I have never had trouble thinking outside the box. Having always been told that I have an active imagination that is only bolstered by vivid dreams and a tendency to doodle, I am sure that my ability to think innovatively will guide me as I carve my own paths in life.
Finally, what is life without a sprinkle of beauty? Life without music and art is like an evening without sunset; a calming warmth spreads through my body as I watch the last rays radiate through my family's west-facing windows. Some of my favorite places in the country are art museums and concert halls, not just for their beautiful architecture, but because they're also home to the most visually and harmonically pleasing works that mankind has managed to produce.
Of course, the best recipes are the ones that you make up yourself. There is never a set recipe to life; I am constantly adapting myself to new situations to form my own masterpiece, my personality. College life at Rice will be a whole step up from any previous experiences that I have had, but I'm prepared to leaf back through my recipe book, learning from the past to create a better future. Taking a moment to reflect now is merely a halfway point, a brief taste test, for there is always more to add to my masterpiece, my pièce de résistance, my life.
Many of my childhood memories take place in the kitchen, where I diligently practiced Chinese calligraphy at the worn table as my mother simultaneously kept an eye on me and worked her culinary magic. The aroma of creations that couldn't have been anything less than heavenly permeated the whole house daily while the colorfulness of the vegetables kept me surprised with every bite. Still, I was never able to catch her using any recipes. Her practiced hand never wavered, adding a dash of salt here or a couple drops of oil there, using anything needed to suit the dish. It seemed as though with a few deft chops and stirs, another delicacy was ready for the table.
Just like my mother seasons her cooking with whatever is necessary to make it delicious, I find that a little variation in my own life can sometimes provide the perfect combination. Of course, there are the main ingredients, like my zest for learning, which drives my academic motivation; then, there are those final touches that really make the result pop, the lemon slices and sprigs of thyme or, in my case, the extra traits that wrap up my presentation. Like the slow bubble of beef stew, the ingredients of my life have spent a lifetime simmering together in a creation of my best traits:
A two heaping cups of perseverance is always a base value, one that applies to every situation. Without it, I would never have been able to reach that highest note in the violin concerto, nor complete that last push-up in Taekwondo. The same discipline shaped through years of climbing over obstacles has carried me through many nights of impossible calculus problems and maddening writer's block.
A few dollops of pride season determination, ensuring a tasty success. Whether I encounter a hefty exam or difficult recital, I celebrate the journey as well as the destination. My measure of success through the trials and tribulations of each passing year is not the material reward, but rather the knowledge that I have always given unwavering chase to the commitment of excellence in my pursuits.
My favorite ingredient is a couple curls of abstract thinking to spice up the way I look at things. From seeing cursive letters as the loops and hills of a roller coaster to breathing life into my paper menagerie of origami, I have never had trouble thinking outside the box. Having always been told that I have an active imagination that is only bolstered by vivid dreams and a tendency to doodle, I am sure that my ability to think innovatively will guide me as I carve my own paths in life.
Finally, what is life without a sprinkle of beauty? Life without music and art is like an evening without sunset; a calming warmth spreads through my body as I watch the last rays radiate through my family's west-facing windows. Some of my favorite places in the country are art museums and concert halls, not just for their beautiful architecture, but because they're also home to the most visually and harmonically pleasing works that mankind has managed to produce.
Of course, the best recipes are the ones that you make up yourself. There is never a set recipe to life; I am constantly adapting myself to new situations to form my own masterpiece, my personality. College life at Rice will be a whole step up from any previous experiences that I have had, but I'm prepared to leaf back through my recipe book, learning from the past to create a better future. Taking a moment to reflect now is merely a halfway point, a brief taste test, for there is always more to add to my masterpiece, my pièce de résistance, my life.
