Prompt #1 (transfer applicants)
What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field - such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities - and what you have gained from your involvement.
The most vivid memory I have of my father is perhaps also the defining moment that began the love-hate relationship I have had for language. In the seventh year of my childhood my father approached me with the notion that being a child equated to having too much free time and his solution to this problem was to focus that excess time and energy into something productive. My father's instructions were simple, "Choose ten words from the dictionary, copy the definition twenty times, and use it in a sentence." From then on my world revolved around nouns and verbs and adjectives and adverbs. Every day, I returned home from school only to be subjected to more learning. Where other children would be delving into adventures with their imagination or attaining new cuts and bruises from a day's hard work of activities outside, I was in the dimly lit den of my one story plebian home busily transcribing word after word onto a piece of paper.
It was not till I entered adulthood that I realized just how well my father had prepared me for the outside world. Being well-versed and articulate presented an image of professionalism and maturity. In today's world where first impressions became the pinnacle of human interaction, having a strong command of the English language provided an edge in speeches, presentations, job interviews, and even daily conversation that many others did not have. But language was so much more as well. Human relationships with acquaintances, strangers, classmates, family, and friends became an art form in which words stringed perfectly together could paint a picture to express emotions, feelings, and desires. Words provided meaning that was more than what was defined. A simple word like "hello" was a greeting, an exclamation of surprise, and a warm welcome rolled into one.
Yet, the world of language was immensely diverse and while I had conquered the English language, I found that there were other languages I did not understand and people I could not interact with. Thus, my obsession with meaning and foreign language came into being. I craved understanding and connection, to be a part of something bigger than just a small collection of people. I wanted the world. I wanted to understand how language could be so simple yet so complex, so abstract yet so meaningful. It was mind-boggling how language could be so diverse in its distribution yet simple in its use. I think Walt Whitman best summed it up best when he said, "Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary-makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground." How else could I satisfy my obsession of pragmatics, semantics, and human relationships other than to delve deeper into the world of Linguistics?
Essay Word Count: 481
It was not until I entered adulthood that I realized just how well my father had prepared me for the outside world.
I think Walt Whitman best summed it up best when he said, "Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary-makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground." How else could I satisfy my obsession with pragmatism, semantics, and human relationships, other than to delve deeper into the world of Linguistics?
You are a great writer. I suggest that you look into neuro-linguistics, and find out about Grinder and Bandler, the inventors of neuro-linguistic programming. You might be surprised at the great career that you can pursue with NLP. :)
