French novelist Anatole France wrote: "An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." What don't you know?
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As a teenager, my answers to my parents often end up being "I don't know". What did you learn in school today? I don't know. What do you want to be when you grow up? I don't know. After a certain amount of this, my mother gets frustrated and sarcastically asks me, "Well, what DO you know?" The truth is, not much.
There have been tons of mistakes made in history which can be attributed to one thing: Hubris. There are countless examples of arrogant people through history who thought that they knew everything, yet made mistakes of drastic consequences. Did Napoleon know that his dominance would end if he invaded Russia? Did George W. Bush know that dismantling the Iraqi government would lead to endless years of unwinnable wars and conflict?
It is always important to keep in mind what you don't know. As a student and a scholar, the most important quality is a thirst for knowledge and betterment; having this thirst indicates that there are things yet unlearned. I want to make the list of things I don't know smaller every day. At the same time, I want to avoid falling in the traps of arrogance by believing I know everything. For example, I still do not know what it takes to be a scientist. My knowledge of complex compounds or molecular structures is still not at an acceptable level to become a researcher. I do not know exactly how hard I will have to work to reach my goal of achieving an Ivy League education. I do know that the only way to rectify the holes in my knowledge is to keep asking questions, and keep spending time to change those "I don't knows" into "Now I know".
My thirst for knowledge will be everlasting, and my entire life spent to learning something new every day. But for the time being, I believe that I should direct my learning toward something substantial, something of significance to me. At the prestigious Brown University, I believe that I can pursue this avenue of interest in chemistry towards a constructive career, where I can hopefully leave a meaningful impact through my work.
The essay is only about 250 words.. Do colleges care if you don't use all 500 words? I tried to add fillers, but they all sound dumb, and i figured that a college would rather a concise essay that cuts to the point, rather than one that drags on.
Thank you, Sean
If you are supposed to write 500 words then I would say you need to add more to the essay. If it says 500 words or less, then you are alright. It's a good essay. Good luck. Below are the things that I would change.
people through history who thought that they knew everything,
change to - people through out history
the most important quality is the thirst for knowledge
change to - is a thirst for knowledge
betterment of what? yourself, mankind, the world? I would add the answer to this question after the word betterment.
Hi.
There are countless examples of arrogant people through history who thought that they knew everything, yet made mistakes of drastic consequences.
I agree. =D
Well, it is true that a concise essay is better than a long and boring one, but it all depends on what you write. Students could easily write pass the word limit and you wrote way below it. Why?
In any application essay you wrote, it is better to focus on yourself. True Bush sucks, but isn't that what everyone is saying? So what are you trying to tell Brown by reiterating other people's words?
Mu suggestion is try to think of something that you personally don't know and would like to know. Why don't you know it? What's the significance? That way you can produce a full 500 essay and, hopefully, fill the essay with you own thoughts.
G L~
i figured that a college would rather a concise essay that cuts to the point, rather than one that drags on.
500 words is not enough for something to drag on unless you really have very little to say. It's less than 2 pages.
I don't think you answered the question yet. You wrote about the importance of humility and open mindedness, it seems, but you did not discuss subjects that involve a lot you do not know. What are the subjects you most desperately need to learn more about if you are to succeed in your chosen field?
You can also write about things at Brown you are curious about, or the surrounding area, like Thayer Street and historic Providence... but relate everything to your chosen field, if you have one. If you do not have one, maybe you need to take a year off before entering college so you can figure yourself out.
:-)
