The prompt is : Reed is a unique and exciting college experience. Discuss the reasons that you believe Reed would be an appropriate place to continue your education. or essentially: Why Reed? As of now, I think this essay is way too clunky and I would like some comments/suggestions/advice one how to make the pacing more natural (but any and all critiques are welcome and appreciated)
The most glaring reason for why I initially thought Reed would be the best place to further my education was the college's Chinese program. The fact that there was a specific Chinese major, and not a generic East Asian Studies major, immediately put Reed well above the other colleges I was considering. Moreover, after visiting the campus and interviewing, I was impressed that Reed had the same ideology that I had concerning the language, i.e. to teach a language is to teach a culture. Along with this, Reed is the only college I have found that furthers the study of Chinese through immersion on campus. Honestly, I look forward to being a sophomore at Reed and living in the Chinese House.
The Chinese program is not the only aspect of Reed that caught my eye; I was also pleasantly surprised that Reed stresses the way the individual learns through conversation and collaboration with professors and classmates, rather than focusing on a letter grade to prove understanding. As of now, I am in an environment that seeks to place students on a scale that does not accurately assess the attainment of knowledge, and by doing so, belittles individual education by ranking students as either smart or stupid. This ranking system both stifles a students potential and stunts the educators ability to educate at will. After visiting Reed and gaining perspective, I cannot wait to be able to pursue knowledge for knowledge's sake and not for the 'A' or 'passing grade'.
Aside from Reed's educational philosophy, I feel that Reed is one of the few places that I, as a person, would be accepted and respected by my peers. Southern culture is one that is not accepting of those it considers to be outsiders, and unfortunately I have never felt comfortable in my home state of Florida or anywhere in the south. Continually, it is demonstrated that the population and those representing us do not support women's, queer, immigrant, or minority rights. Frankly, it is frustrating to be marginalized and perceived as an invasive species in your home. After visiting Reed, I was overcome with the sense of community and tolerance from the student body. After experiencing that for only a few hours, going home and back to my high school began to feel unbearable and heavy.
Ultimately, I feel that Reed is a place that I can truly feel at home because it allows me to study what I want, in the way I crave, and around a community of students, professors, and staff who will wholly accept me.
The most glaring reason for why I initially thought Reed would be the best place to further my education was the college's Chinese program. The fact that there was a specific Chinese major, and not a generic East Asian Studies major, immediately put Reed well above the other colleges I was considering. Moreover, after visiting the campus and interviewing, I was impressed that Reed had the same ideology that I had concerning the language, i.e. to teach a language is to teach a culture. Along with this, Reed is the only college I have found that furthers the study of Chinese through immersion on campus. Honestly, I look forward to being a sophomore at Reed and living in the Chinese House.
The Chinese program is not the only aspect of Reed that caught my eye; I was also pleasantly surprised that Reed stresses the way the individual learns through conversation and collaboration with professors and classmates, rather than focusing on a letter grade to prove understanding. As of now, I am in an environment that seeks to place students on a scale that does not accurately assess the attainment of knowledge, and by doing so, belittles individual education by ranking students as either smart or stupid. This ranking system both stifles a students potential and stunts the educators ability to educate at will. After visiting Reed and gaining perspective, I cannot wait to be able to pursue knowledge for knowledge's sake and not for the 'A' or 'passing grade'.
Aside from Reed's educational philosophy, I feel that Reed is one of the few places that I, as a person, would be accepted and respected by my peers. Southern culture is one that is not accepting of those it considers to be outsiders, and unfortunately I have never felt comfortable in my home state of Florida or anywhere in the south. Continually, it is demonstrated that the population and those representing us do not support women's, queer, immigrant, or minority rights. Frankly, it is frustrating to be marginalized and perceived as an invasive species in your home. After visiting Reed, I was overcome with the sense of community and tolerance from the student body. After experiencing that for only a few hours, going home and back to my high school began to feel unbearable and heavy.
Ultimately, I feel that Reed is a place that I can truly feel at home because it allows me to study what I want, in the way I crave, and around a community of students, professors, and staff who will wholly accept me.