NYU Supplemental Application - Multiple Prompts

So NYU's supplemental application (for the Common App) has a bunch of nice questions this year. Criticism of any kind on any of them would be greatly appreciated.

Also, the character limit for each of these was 500. So they're short.

- If you had the opportunity to spend one day in New York City with a famous New Yorker, who would it be and what would you do? (Your New Yorker can be anyone -past or present, fictional or nonfictional - who is commonly associated with New York City; they do not necessarily have to have been born and raised in New York.)

Response:

I would definitely spend a day with Viggo Mortensen. Although he is famous for his acting, I revere him because of how widespread his talents are; poetry, music, and painting being but a few. Truly, a modern renaissance man. As for how to spend the day, watching the October showing of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in Radio City Music Hall would be perfect. Aside from Viggo Mortensen's role in it, I find Howard Shore's music to be incredibly beautiful, and I would love to see it live.

- Write a haiku, limerick, or short (eight lines or less) poem that best represents you.

Response:

Beneath the Lamp

The night brings thoughts pristine and clear,
As the pen moves under the flickering light,
The darkness sheds not a hint of drear,
As the digits continue the endless rite.

Numbers swirling, dancing with glee,
Turning the sky a new grey,
Ponderings and dreams begin to flee,
As the world turns to a new day.

- In the year 2050, a movie is being made of your life. Please tell us the name of your movie and briefly summarize the story line.

Response:

Title: Sprout
As a child, Zachary didn't understand what a penny was. Or food stamps. Or welfare. Now middle-aged, he must leave his duties as a doctor, husband and father to relive the vital choices of his younger years. As he begins to "redesign" his past life, he must struggle to recognize himself. All the precious time whittled away, all of the rash decisions made, all are a constitution of his being. And above all, he must come to terms with his parents' sacrifice in this brave new world.

- Please tell us what led you to select your anticipated academic program and/or NYU school/college, and what interests you most about your intended discipline.

Response:

Even though I am a senior in high school, I am still unsure as to what I would like to study. I would much rather have the option of making an informed decision, with some experience under my belt. I decided to apply to the College of Arts and Science because of the variety of opportunities available. If I did not like a particular discipline, it would be easier to have more of a choice. Whether I go into medicine, business, or another major, it is the most comfortable starting position for me.

______________________________________________________________________ ____________

Also, in addition, there was another prompt that was not required. However, I felt it would be best if I filled it out anyway.

- In addition to any work experience that you listed on your application, please tell us how you spent your most recent summer vacation.

Response:

Since I spent a majority of my junior year stressing out about college applications, I tried to relax during the summer. Our family went on a one week trip to Italy, though there were so many bumps in the road that it felt like a month (from being stuck in ditches to being stuck in flash floods). However, I spent the better part of the summer in Brooklyn visiting my grandparents. Something new happened every day, as New York never seems to run out of things to do. Overall, it was a great summer.

Sorry for the lengthy post!

This seems like a "blah" way to end it. Do you have any room for more characters? Try to connect this with your career plan and academic aspirations.

Numbers swirling, dancing with glee,
Turning the sky a new shade of grey,---do you like it with this subtle change for the meter?


I don't think you should use "brave new world." Come up with your own phrase instead of borrowing that one.

Good luck!! You are creative...

Thanks for the suggestions! I decided to change the poem to your version, since it made the flow better.

For the first question, I will try to change it, but unfortunately I had around 2 or 3 characters left to play with. I would need to try and cut or shrink some parts. I'll see what I can do.

As for the movie prompt, I removed "brave". Aside from it not being original, as you said, the book didn't really have anything to do with the movie I was describing.

Again, thanks a lot for the help!

I think you may want to focus a little more on what you would do with the famous new yorker than how much you admire him. I know they don't give you room to work with but try to add what you admire into an activity.