A Guide to Applying For College

A Guide To

Applying for College

By Members of the Class of 2012

A Guide to Applying For College

By Members of the Class of 2012 Published by the Acorn

Part 1: Essays

The Common App Essay Anonymous

Untitled Hugh Jones

Untitled Eddy Wang

58 Alex Duffy Stormageddon Tiara Jackson

Untitled Angelique Santiago Untitled

Supplements Question Type 1: The Personal Question Helana Shumway

Who am I? Ben Kurchin

What matters to you, and why? (2000 characters available) Brooklyn Bianchi

Describe the world you come from and how it has shaped your dreams.

Question Type 2: The Intellectual Question Brooklyn Bianchi

Celebrate your nerdy side.

Applying to College

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12 13 13

14

Anonymous

Write about a work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature that has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way? (In about 250 words) Ben Kurchin

Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study.

15

16

Question Type 3: The College Question Ben Kurchin

Please tell us what you find most appealing about Columbia. and why. (1500 characters available)

17

Part 2: Advice Helana Shumway Dave Holroyd Angelique Santiago Richard Munson Lily Frye Mackenzie Williams Colette McConnell Hugh Jones

18 19 20 21 21 22 22 23

Essays

3

Part 1: Essays The Common App Essay What is it?

T

he Common App is currently used by 456 colleges and universities throughout the world; it will most likely be your main college application. The Common App Essay is the mandatory essay on this application!

Here are the directions (from commonapp.org):

Please write an essay (250-500 words) on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below. This personal essay helps us to become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data.

It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself.

Topic choices: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

Topic of your choice

And on to the sample essays!

Applying to College

“Untitled” - Anonymous

In Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet hesitates between “to be or not to be.” Given the choice, I would not need to hesitate. I would gladly choose “to be.” To tell you the truth, I have never liked the idea of dying. Because of this, I have also never liked the idea of being in the hospital. When I picture a hospital, all I see are sick patients and incurable disease, and this has always made me uncomfortable.

At the age of 16, I began to see hospitals differently. I was forced to stay home from school because I was lying in bed with a horrible stomachache. I have always thought of myself as a healthy person; I rarely go to the hospital. But that day I was in more pain than I had ever been before. My guardian brought me to our family doctor, who told us I probably had a simple stomachache and not to worry. However, upon returning home, the pain only seemed to increase. For six hours, the pain in my abdomen came more frequently and more severely. I tried to ignore it, but as the day wore on, my guardian became concerned. He called 911 and I was taken to the hospital – the place I was trying to avoid. At the hospital, an x-ray was taken and they performed an ultrasound. My doctor told me I had a kidney stone that had become quite large and that I would have to have surgery. But before I went into surgery, I had to have one last CT scan. I don’t know if it was because of luck or prayer, but after that CT scan, my doctor told me the stone had passed.

My experience with being sent to the hospital has given me a different feeling about hospitals and death. I admit that I am still afraid of dying, but now I know how to face that fear. One way I do so is by volunteering my time at the hospital. I have joined the hospice program and enjoy spending time with patients. I find that most of them have great insight into life and death, and the conversations we have help me better understand my fears of illness.

Although I still don’t like hospitals, I want to help the patients in them. My dream is to go into research and work in a lab so that I have the opportunity to develop new medicines to help those who are sick. I want to give patients hope that they can overcome their illnesses. As Thomas Carlyle said, “Man is, properly speaking, based upon hope; he has no other possession but hope.” I think hope is the only thing I can give to patients, and this is why I’d like to go into medical research.

Essays

5

“Untitled�

- Hugh Jones

I spent only one day in Amsterdam, but that day was still a highlight of my five-week trip to Europe during the summer of 2010. It was nominally a brief day-trip to the city. However, while I was there, I gained more knowledge about myself and my surroundings than I could have through any museum, book, or movie.

I stood atop the massive NEMO science museum overlooking the waterfront and the city. I looked out upon the sprawling landscape in awe. What set this horizon apart from other major cities like New York and London was that there were virtually no skyscrapers. The majority of the buildings had been built many centuries ago so they were only a few stories high. The NEMO building dwarfed them in comparison.

To many, this may not be an impressive sight for a major city: small, brown brick buildings clumped together with no outstanding structures. Yet the buildings displayed the intricate balance between antique, historic edifices and new, original complexes. Since there was little free space to construct new buildings, architects had to be creative with what little space they had. For example, new electronics stores were not in futuristic-looking glass buildings, but rather in small brick shops.

I wandered through the city seeing brown brick after brown brick. There were no billboards, and it was often difficult to tell what type of business was inside a structure. Very few buildings still had the same purposes they had when they were first erected. Most buildings looked alike, but each had its own story. This realization challenged me to appreciate the smaller details of what I first took to be monotonous buildings.

With the most practical methods of transportation in Amsterdam being walking, biking, or taking a boat, people discover stores and locations by seeing them firsthand as they travel the city. During my visit, I took a boat tour that was eye-opening because of the level of intimacy between the buildings and I. As the boat moved slowly down the canals, I could see everyday life on the streets and in the shops.

This opportunity to observe how an environment different from my own has been affected by time, geography, and people has inspired me to study abroad and learn about international marketing. I want to explore the world to learn about places, the people who live there, and their daily lives. I’m intrigued by the motives that drive consumers and how those motives (and those consumers) differ among places.

Applying to College

“58” -Eddy Wang

My golf coach raised his eyebrows as he looked at my scorecard. A 58 over nine holes.

Costing my team the match. A number I had not posted since freshman year.

If this had been three years ago, I would have chucked my clubs across every fairway and slammed them into my bag upon retrieval. I would have stormed off the golf course, head down, cap pulled low over my face. I would have kicked the place marked AIRBAG the whole car ride home.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from playing golf is to keep an even keel.

Being new to the game freshman year, I tried to make up for my inexperience by practicing more than everyone else. Over the summer, my mom would drop me off at the golf course on her way to work and pick me up on her way home. All day long I’d hit ball after ball, searching for the perfect shot, getting increasingly frustrated after each swing seemed more imperfect than the last.

That method worked for two years. But during my junior year, my scores stagnated even with a consistent practice routine. After much soul-searching, I realized a simple fact: I wasn’t having any fun. So I started laughing off bad shots and joking with my teammates on the long bus rides home. I realized anger had hijacked my thinking. The coolheaded commander, Logical and Rational Thinking, had too frequently been pushed aside by the hotheaded commander, Emotional and Irrational Thinking.

I learned to practice with the coolheaded commander as my guide and to stop as soon as the hotheaded commander started to take control. When my emotions and irrational thinking were in control, one bad shot would lead me to angrily hit more balls, with the misguided hope that ingraining bad habits would produce better ones. But when logic and reason were in control, one, or even a couple, bad shots did not matter if the net gain of the practice session was positive. It became clear that improvement was not just about hitting more balls but rather about change in perception, change in point of view, and the continual adoption of new habits over old.

I hired the coolheaded commander to guide me around the golf course. He was there for my infamous round of 58, after every shot. I knew I had been improving the whole year. I knew I was experimenting with grip, posture, and the takeaway, and that the nature of experimentation included the occasional wayward result. I knew I was going to get better, so how silly would it be to beat myself up over an aberration?

One month later, I shot two nine-hole rounds of 41 and 46, my best back-to-back rounds ever, to tie for 16th at the season-ending Finger Lakes League Golf Championship. I don’t believe my high finish was a direct consequence of staying on an even keel after the “58”, but I do believe my rational mindset provided the platform for the growth that had taken place in my golf game since then. If the hotheaded commander had been in charge during the “58” round, I am fairly certain I would not have been able to feel the pride I felt sinking that last putt on the 18th green to cap off my high school golf career. Instead, I would have been in the car, kicking the place marked AIRBAG.

Essays

7

“Stormageddon” - Alex Duffy I don’t like sports. But in the winter of my junior year, I needed to participate in a sport for my gym credit. The majority of my friends were hardcore swimmers who incessantly spoke of their sense of camaraderie, inside jokes, and enjoyment that made up each swim season.

After a few weeks, a combination of my friends’ urgings, and the fact that I wanted to surpass my younger brother who was joining the swim team, I foolishly signed up. Little did I know the extreme mental, physical, and moral torment that awaited me in the Harley pool.

The first day of practice was awesome. I felt like I had used every ounce of energy in my body to glide through the water. When I got home, I instantly fell asleep. Over the next two weeks, the feeling that I had just accomplished something great after each swim practice began to fade. I began doing double takes of the clock, to prove to myself that time was moving this slowly.The joy at the thought of practice began to be replaced with a feeling of dread.The pool changed from a fitness center to the most diabolical of all medieval torture chambers.

I would enter the locker room, along with my hardcore swimming friends.They would shout the ancient swimming prayer, “Paul Sucks!”, and slap the locker room door. Then we would change and have deep conversations speculating on who Paul was and why the swimmers before us decided he “sucked”. All the while, I was trying to take as long as possible, hoping that someone from my swim lane would come out to the pool with me, so that I would not have to swim alone and thereby garner the attention and criticism of the swim coaches.

Once I opened the door to the pool, a wave of warm air, disguising the true, freezing temperature of the pool water, hit me. The grunts and excited yells from swimmers echoed off the poolhouse walls, making a constant, intimidating roar circle my arena of death.

Swimming practice was pure torture. Every minute that I did not spend staring at the bottom of the pool, critiquing my freestyle form, I spent staring at the clock, waiting for my two and a half hour nightmare to end. As chlorine-filled water permeated my skin, my stamina left me, but I still swam.

During my four months of agonizing swimming, there was one aspect that brought me joy: going the fastest during swim meets. Standing on the blocks before diving into the pool, I would always tell myself that my body could accomplish anything; all I had to do was give it direction. Using this, I would race to the breaking point, meaning drowning point. I would make sure each stroke was faster, and more powerful than the last. I liked to envision myself being chased by a great white shark which, in turn, envisioned me as lunch.

My swimming career thankfully found its stopping point when I qualified for sectionals in the 50 yard freestyle. I had gone faster than my brother and accomplished all that I had set out to do. I also left with a pretty great set of friends who, through our shared horrific experience, are always there for me.

Seemingly coincidentally, my grades began to show improvement during swim season, which was the opposite of what I expected. I found myself getting through long math worksheets and chapters of books by saying to myself, “just one more page, one more page.” Those same words were what I said to myself while swimming a dreaded 500 freestyle during practice.

Applying to College

“Untitled” - Tiara Jackson

I wanted to feel like a young adult, so I decided to seek an employment opportunity.

Shortly after, I was given the opportunity to be a part of the Healthcare and Technology Youth Apprenticeship Program. I knew it would be challenging to acquire a job from this program because there was a limited number of openings, but I remained confident. When I met with the supervisor for an interview, she stated that students must demonstrate motivation, determination, and willingness to step out of their comfort zone. I was ready to accept the challenge.

This program involved working in the Strong Memorial Hospital. I was able to learn life skills such as managing time and money, building my communication skills with all types of people, and adapting to different environments. The first department that I was assigned to was the Cancer Center. I transported patients, provided them with supplies, and kept them company.

Now I work in the neurobiology and anatomy department, which involves lab work. My role is a project assistant, and I’m responsible for assisting with animal research.

Working in the hospital is interesting because I am able to develop a diverse set of skills that would be unattainable from just performing in school alone. I never thought I would enjoy talking with cancer patients or building a bird cage. During my junior year, I was recognized for leadership in a magazine (along with other students from the program). This achievement has greatly encouraged me.

Next fall, when I become a first-year college student, my goal is to take advantage of the opportunity to experience new things. As a result of my work experience, I find that I’m now more open to various backgrounds, cultures, and situations. In addition, I’m very observant when it comes to learning new skills. From working in a hospital, I know that I can succeed in places other than school. It’s important that people realize their success is not limited to their academic abilities. Thanks to my current work experience, I have realized this, and I’m able to be an example to others.

Essays

9

“Untitled” - Angelique Santiago

Life is short. Sometimes too short. Things happen every day that cause the death of too many young people. Alex Brown was 17 when she died, due to a fatal accident while she was texting and driving. Although I did not know her personally, her story made an impact on my life and gave me a sense of reality. As young people, we all believe we are invincible until something proves otherwise. I wanted to do for others what the story of Alex Brown did for me. It gave me a wakeup call that I believe many people my age haven’t experienced. It’s common knowledge that it is dangerous to text while driving but people don’t always pay attention to this fact like they should. Therefore I decided to step up and make my voice be heard.

All this came about while I was watching a television show called “Extreme Makeover Home Edition.” It is a show about helping people who are going through tough times. They build houses and send the families on vacation while doing so. I remember seeing a specific scene where Alex’s younger sister was in tears, sobbing for her sister, sobbing because she never got to say goodbye. She was so young, and being a big sister myself, I couldn’t imagine how it felt to lose someone that close to me. I would never want to put my family through that kind of pain because of a text message. I was told by my English teacher that there were studies done, and apparently, the human brain responds to a text message the way a druggie responds to a high on drugs. We not only get a high from answering the text or sending one, but we also get anxious when we can’t answer the text right away; so you’re itching to get to answer or look at the text or message.

I did some research on my own after the show and decided that I should do something.

I promised myself that I would talk to the heads of my high school and work things out so that I could spread the word and try to make a significant impact on both the student and teacher body within the school.

After scheduling through meetings and emails, I finally had a date set up for a big assembly. Of course I was nervous, but I knew that as long as I got through to one person, as long as one person was willing to take something from this, as long as I had the opportunity to at least try and make a difference, I would be happy.

The night before the assembly, I stared in my mirror and practiced what I had to say in my mind. The day of the assembly, I brought a script with me just in case I got nervous and forgot what I was trying to say. I also set up a video that was based on people’s stories that had to do with a friend dying either because of them sending a text or because someone else sent one to them while driving to add some visual proof of why I was so passionate about the topic. I also included a pledge I got from the “Remember Alex Brown” website that stated: I, ____________ ,will always Remember Alex Brown (R.A.B.) and make the commitment to not text while operating a motor vehicle.

Distracted driving is dangerous and life-threatening for other Applying to College

people and for me.

I pledge to drive safely and R.A.B. (Remember Alex Brown).

By signing below, I am making a conscious commitment to not text while driving and to wear my seatbelt.

Signature: ____________________________________ Date: _______________________________________

So, I went through with the plan. The funny thing is I didn’t look at the script once. I spoke from the heart, and it came naturally. The passion spilled out of me, and I just went for it. I told Alex’s story along with many others. In the end, I felt accomplished and satisfied.

Some students came up to me after the assembly or wrote to me on Facebook and said that they took the pledge, and that it was the best assembly all year. They were surprised at how quiet and intense the theater was. They even said that I should do another assembly this year.

It was a significant experience, an achievement, and a risk I have taken all in one. I am very proud of the outcome and look forward to speaking out further throughout my life. I want to make a difference, and if it means getting in front of a whole crowd of people and dealing with the nerves that make my heart pop out of my chest, I will do it, because it’s worth it.

Essays

11

Supplements What are they?

S

upplements are extra information that colleges want from you. Each supplement is college-specific; in other words, every college has their own supplement, and in many cases, colleges may not have supplements at all. Supplements often involve additional essay questions. Below, we have paired supplement samples with three question types. Enjoy!

Question type 1: The Personal Question

This is a deep, free-ranging, abstract, introspective, and vague prompt that colleges love to ask about.

“Who am I?”

- Helana Shumway

That is a great question, considering I really don’t have the slightest idea much of the time. I am a female, the youngest of three children, a Jew who hasn’t been to Temple in four years…? I don’t know a lot about myself yet, but there are little things that I do know, and I will try to string them together below.

Well, I was born at 5:49 P.M. on a Friday in June. I was close to bald for the first three or four years of my life. My tutu fell to the ground during my first and only ballet recital at age five, and if I touch a cotton ball, I start to shiver. I’ve been known to wrap a gift using super glue because I had no tape, and my nickname since birth has been Belly - don’t ask me why, I really don’t know. I love Florida but hate the sun, and I named my dog Sully after the western soap opera-like classic Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.

Sure, there is a lot more to my life than what I have just stated. However, that is who I am, as far as I know. Hopefully, I will have seventy or eighty more years to develop who I am.

For now though, I find humor or happiness in the small things in life. Oh, did I mention that I love the smell of laundry detergent?

Applying to College

“What matters to you, and why?” (2000 characters available)

- Ben Kurchin

I believe that everyone should pursue his own aspirations. The society in which we live is always pushing us to become its definition of “successful.” Your parents may push you to become a certain person, and while they can give you sound advice for many aspects of your life, ultimately, you are the person that knows best what will make you happy.

There are always people who will try to manage your life. They may expect us to be successful, often more so than they were. Tom Hanks and his daughter acted in a video parodying the TLC show “Toddlers & Tiaras,” in which Hanks plays perfectly the part of the beauty pageant parent living vicariously through his child. At one point, the daughter says, “I think my dad wants to be a pageant queen, but he can’t.” This scenario occurs in many other fields as well, including sports, art, music, and academics. There are times in your life when it is reasonable that many of your activities are chosen for you. My parents have made me play cello since age five through times when I might have wanted to quit, though at this point, I would not choose to quit were I given the option. In time, you must become your own boss, internalizing the drive, taking responsibility for your own choices and ambitions and defining what success means to you. The only true success is happiness: the happiness that follows from pursuing your own dreams rather than those of someone else. The late Steve Jobs put it eloquently in his 2005 Stanford commencement address.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

“Describe the world you come from and how it has shaped your dreams.”

- Brooklyn Bianchi

I come from a world of diversity. Catholic school, Italian customs, and middle class life were all I knew growing up. Then in 7th grade I entered a world that was completely different.

The Harley School introduced me to many people of different races, cultures, ideals, and socioeconomic statuses. I feel very blessed to have such a well-rounded perspective on the world because it’s helped me to realize what I want to do in life.

This world of diversity has not always been my world. This is largely because of my dad.

His world is strict, narrow-minded, and judgmental. For most of my childhood I was raised in this tiny box. I was sheltered from everything outside of Catholicism and my Italian family and customs. My sister was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease when she was two that should have

Essays

13

killed her by Kindergarten, and ever since then my dad has not been the same. My sister struggles but is alive and well today. However, my dad is not a happy, healthy man. This insecurity within his own life caused him to try to protect his kids from such hurt. When I went to Harley, I realized how much good there is in the world outside of what I was allowed to see. When my two worlds combined, I realized that my dream is to experience everything I can and to understand every microcosm of this large world we share.

Human connection is the most valuable thing in this world. The Harley School taught me that. Many of the friends I made there are very wealthy. They live luxurious lives completely different from mine. To be honest, I don’t think I’d ever met a black person before going there or an Asian, Indian, Hispanic, atheist, or gay person either. I’ve learned that the world isn’t solely comprised of conservative Italian people and that the liberal point of view is not as evil as my dad made it sound. Most of all, I’ve learned that despite these differences, we’re all human. We all need to stick together.

My dreams are all centered on human connection and helping others through understanding -- well, aside from my dream of becoming the world’s first blonde, 5-foot-tall, female rapper, of course! Realistically though, I feel that connecting with people who are different from me makes me a better person. All I really hope to do in life is better myself, help others, and be happy. Right now, I aspire to go off to college to a place different from Rochester, make new friends on campus from all over the country, major in a different language, and join the ROTC program that will lead me to a career in the Army, where I can see the world and understand new cultures. When I do accomplish my dream of seeing the world and helping others along the way, I’ll be sure never to forget the world I came from and all the people who helped me realize my dreams.

Question type 2: The Intellectual Question

This is a question meant to reveal what school has really taught you.

What are you passionate about, how do you think, how do you view the world?

“Celebrate your nerdy side.”

- Brooklyn Bianchi

I love learning! If I’m passionate about something, I’ll Google it until I’m a professional on the subject. When the internet won’t suffice, I’ll go to real professionals for information.

People judge me a lot for this behavior, but I could care less. I like being a nerd sometimes. For example, one of my close friends last year was Jamaican and spoke Patois. I love languages and cultures. I immediately fell in love with his reggae and dancehall music. I would listen to these songs on YouTube for hours while reading the Patois lyrics. Finding the grammatical structure, slang, and pronunciations online is far more difficult than one would expect. Since Patois isn’t Applying to College

recognized as an official language, it was very difficult. I asked other Jamaican people I knew to teach me little tidbits here and there, as well. After delving deep into an unfamiliar culture on my own, I’d say I did pretty well at accomplishing my goal of understanding. I currently have more Jamaican songs on my iPod than I do American ones, and I get a kick out of surprising unexpected Jamaicans with their own language on occasion. My friends call me weird. Granted, it is a little unusual, but I think it’s pretty cool. I also had another nerdy exploration of sociopathy.

I watched documentaries, talked to psychologists, and heavily researched it. Trying to understand a person without a conscience or emotions was fascinating to me. I feel that I’m a pretty empathetic and caring person, so learning about someone who is completely opposite is mindboggling. I must sadly admit that I would find myself falling asleep at night, dreaming about the minds of sociopaths. I still find it interesting that people who feel nothing often have the innate ability to understand and manipulate people who do feel. If they can understand someone completely different from themselves, I can understand someone completely different from me!

I could rant for hours about this topic. I’ll spare you. It’s really a shame that people are afraid to be a nerd or be weird. Exploring an interest is always beneficial, regardless of whether or not it seems nerdy, strange, or pointless. Who knows when I’ll meet a Jamaican person that’s struggling with English, or who knows when I’ll be face-to-face with a sociopath?! I think that information a person cares about is far more important than something he’s forced to learn in school. Knowledge should be fun and desired. Everyone should celebrate being a nerd!

“Write about a work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature that has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way? (In about 250 words) “

- Anonymous

“An exit ramp on a certain interstate has a radius of curvature of 75 meters. If the ramp is banked 20 degrees, what is the maximum speed that can be safely executed?” This is an example of one of the problems that faced me during my year in AP Physics. AP Physics was the science class that my older brother advised me to take for my junior year. AP physics is a challenging course, and right away we started with one of the most difficult concepts of the course, banked curves. This led me to question my brother’s advice, but he told me to stick it out, hinting at the future rewards. I wasn’t buying it, but I threw myself into the work. Then, in one class, my teacher brought out a toy car and a track with a banked curve. As I watched the simulation and listened to his explanation, a deeper understanding of the material began to emerge. I had an epiphany. Now, I could visualize how the horizontal components, vertical components, trigonometry, and circular motion came together in the problems.

Now I find myself driving around a curve and notice my speed changing as I round the curve, and physics makes its way into my everyday life. I enjoy the power of knowing why the speed limit must change around a curve. I think about the engineers that are given the task of designing the curves in the road, and the maximum speed of the car driving around the curve so that it does not go off the road. Knowing how this is determined, when I round the curves,

Essays

15

I am thankful for the principles of physics. My brother was right; physics is way cooler than I thought.

“Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study.”

- Ben Kurchin

When I was young, I spent hours after school every day playing with my train set, LEGOs, and K’NEX. Like many boys of my age, I enjoyed construction. The more I played with my toys, the more my building skills advanced. My learning curve was exponential. One day, when I was seven years old, I woke up and built a K’NEX roller coaster in two hours. The satisfaction in playing with these toys did not end when I completed a design, though: after I was done admiring the finished product and was ready to sacrifice its purity, I would make my own additions to the piece. Although the entertainment value of those toys did not last forever, my penchant for problem-solving has persisted and applies to many of my current academic and avocational interests.

I began to outgrow those toys at about the time that I was entering middle school, when the academic courses I was taking grew more challenging and, in turn, more intriguing. It was during my first years of middle school that I realized I was exceptional at math, arguably the epitome of problem-solving. I derive my satisfaction in math from beginning a challenging problem, realizing the steps necessary to solve it, and executing. Math is like an abstract extension of the physical problem-solving involved with my construction toys.

High school was when science began to excite me. I took my first AP science course in tenth grade and have continued to take AP sciences each year. One thing I loved about AP science is that, unlike the normal science class, it required me to use several concepts I learned and combine them to solve problems. Just like with math, the problem-solving, as well as the necessity of applying logical thought, is what drew and exhilarated me. I find that science also can explain something I encounter every day which I did not understand. I always knew that tires get better traction on pavement than on ice, but thanks to AP Physics, I know why that is as well as the terms necessary to explain it. If what I learn is not pertinent to my career, it can be practical in day-to-day life. For example, knowing how circuits work could be useful if I am setting up electric holiday lights, even if I have a career in construction.

My years in school have shown me that I am meant for the sciences with their emphasis on analysis and problem-solving. Although I am not absolutely sure in what I would like to major, I’m intrigued by Cornell’s involvement with projects such as NASA missions (I’m pretty sure I built the Mars rover out of LEGOs one time) and particle research, as well as the opportunities for undergraduates to participate in the university’s research. I’m excited by the opportunities to pursue my interests by building my own course of study.

Applying to College

Question type 3: The College Question

A lot of colleges will ask the annoying question: Why do you want to come to our college? If you’ve been on college visits or had interviews, you may be able to remember specific facets of the college that you can mention in the essay. If not, there is always the Internet, and researching college websites can be very helpful!

“Please tell us what you find most appealing about Columbia and why.”

(1500 characters available)

- Ben Kurchin

Columbia University is one of the first colleges I considered when I started my college search. I have been hearing about it for years, and people have recommended the school to me as well. I researched it, only for my interest to be further piqued. The Core Curriculum would expose me to and allow me to explore a variety of fields I might not have chosen by my own discretion. I have a good idea of what I would like to study at college right now, but that is liable to change as I begin to experience college in all its facets: academic, social, and cultural. With Columbia’s Core Curriculum, I would know that I would not make the mistake of prematurely deciding in what I would like to major without having experienced an array of courses. I will know that, as I eventually decide my major, I am on the right path.

It would be remiss of me not to mention Columbia’s location: New York City. Situation in a city is an important aspect of a college for me. NYC, however, is so much more than a city. It is arguably the most culture-rich city in the United States. There is no other city in which I would rather go to college. I have visited the city upwards of seven times, each time going either to a museum, theatrical production, or both, and my taste for them has only been whetted (free admission for Columbia students to museums is another calling card). Setting it apart from other NYC colleges is the fact that Columbia has a real campus, creating a space for the university community.

Essays

17

Part 2: Advice

Undergraduates applying: Spread out the application process! You really don’t know how much there is to do until you get started! If you are extremely passionate about a college, APPLY EARLY DECISION! If you get in, you are done applying.

I almost wish I had applied early in the hope of finishing the college process sooner!

I wish I had known that some colleges do not accept a request for an interview until after the application is submitted.

INTERVIEW AND VISIT! It is so important to make your voice heard at the different colleges you are applying to. Interviews give the college a better idea of who you are as a person, not just a student. Visiting shows the college that you are very interested. Also, visiting a college is extremely important before attending it!

-Helana Shumway

Applying to College

College Advice From: Dave Holroyd

Hey you. Yeah you. Do you want to go to college? Don’t want to but have to anyways? I have news for you my friend. If you’re going to go to college, you’re going to have to pick schools and apply. This may seem obvious but it bears repeating! Before you apply to academic institutions, there are many things you should consider.

Location. Before you can even begin to create a list of schools, you must carefully consider where to look. Do you want to stay in the Rochester area?

Do you want to stay in the state? These are the kind of questions you have to ask yourself. If at first you don’t know the answers, don’t panic! There are plenty of other ways to form a list of interesting schools.

Setting. Universities come in a wide variety of settings. Some are right in the bustle of a large city, while others are in a much more rural setting. One type of area is not necessarily better than the others; you must decide which area is best for you.

Size. Some people want the resources that come with a large institution.

Others want a smaller, more personal school. Larger schools tend to have larger classes. This is important to consider - especially after attending small classes at Harley. One size of school is not inherently better than the other; it is up to you to decide what you want.

Extracurricular Activities. School, believe it or not, can be about more than just classes! Most colleges already have a vast repertoire of clubs and organizations. If you have your heart set on some activity (say club horseback riding), I highly recommend narrowing down your list to schools that only have this club.

Keep in mind that once you are at a school, you will most likely be able to create your own club if an interest of yours is not represented. Even if you aren’t talented enough to play varsity sports in college, there are almost always club and/or intramural teams.

One of the most important things to do before applying to a school is to visit. If you’re going to potentially spend years of your life living and studying on a campus, you should definitely view the campus before deciding whether to apply.

Some people have stopped at a school that looked like a perfect fit online, only to have a strong dislike for the campus. This is not a bad thing! It is better to visit and eliminate schools you wouldn’t like to spend years at than to simply apply to them.

Good luck on your college quest! -Dave Essays

19

Alright,

so first of all, during the summer get your butt in gear! Do some college research online or visit the campus; think things over thoroughly. Ask yourself these vital questions: 1. “What do I aspire to be”?

2. “What am I interested in”?

3. “Should I go undecided”?

4. “Do I want to go far away or close to home”?

Once you’ve tackled these questions, believe it or not things will get easier.

Especially after you find out which direction you are headed. Don’t freak out if your interests change over time. I made three different lists of all the colleges I really wanted to look into. The more I knew about what I wanted to do or what I really wanted in a school, I added and subtracted schools from my list multiple times (btw, 8 schools was my final #, it’s a good number to aim for and/or stop at).

Also, your college advisor is a VERY IMPORTANT person. Don’t forget that.

You should choose someone you trust and relate with, someone that knows you.

Now, be ready; they may say things you are not prepared to hear or bring up ideas or new perspectives on your decisions that you may or may not disagree with.

My advice to you is to be open to suggestions and change, but it’s okay to stick to your guns when you have a gut feeling about something; don’t be afraid to speak your mind and share your thoughts, because when your college advisor knows how you’re feeling and your thoughts about things, it makes their job that much more easier and they can be that much more helpful.

Also, I suggest writing your essay as soon as possible!!! I wrote two essays and had them revised by all three of the English teachers in Upper School, all during the 1st Tri and before mid-tri even happened. Now, you don’t have to write two essays, but make sure you write at least one that a teacher(s) could look at; teachers are here to help you and if you ask them kindly they may say yes, but understand teachers get busy quick and if you are hoping to catch them before they get crazily occupied, get your essay done A.S.A.P and bring it to them, during the beginning of the year. I know this seems like a lot but, believe me, it is worth it.

So, after (or even while you’re working on it) getting your essay done, make sure you jump to starting the applications and attack them until they are all done. I mean, really, attack them and don’t stop till you’re done. It is easier to keep going while you’re in the flow of things, then stop and take a break and then keep going.

Squash it now and then you can breathe easy during the rest of your senior year.

Also, GO TO COLLEGE MEETINGS! It not only looks good to colleges but you can get a real feel for the school and for schools that you never even thought of con Applying to College

sidering.

Then you need to “destroy” the FASFA form and any other forms that have to do with applying for scholarships and what not. Then you have to do one last thing...some say it’s the easiest, and some say, it’s the hardest part of applying to college… waiting for a response. :) Very nerve-racking. Because I did all of this, I was the first in the class of 2012 to write my essays and apply to all of my colleges.

Good luck and I hope this advice helps. I will miss all of you. - Angelique

I wish I had known what range of schools I was best fit to apply for. I mean that I wish that, based on my GPA and test scores, I had a more comprehensive idea of where I should be applying.

-Richard Munson

The College Process

By Lily Frye

College. If I got paid for every time I said or heard that word this year, I would be so rich. But I don’t really mind; it’s an important thing to talk about. I’ll be living alone (or semi-alone), starting my life in a new place. Getting into college has been like a third job, the two others being school and sports, but I think all that extra work has been worth it.

First, I took a trip to my college counselor. They are really helpful if you let them be! At the beginning, I knew almost nothing about where I wanted to go, but Mr. Wilcox gave me that first list of schools to research, and a few of them are on my final list. That starting list of fifteen to twenty schools was what really got me thinking about what I need in a college. Use your college counselor.

Second, I researched a lot. With my dad. I’m not going to lie, my dad was my number one counselor. We took my list from Mr. Wilcox and researched all of the schools on it, crossing off a few and adding a few more.

When we finally had a real group of schools I liked, we started road tripping. I started on February break of junior year. We visited every single school on that list, going to the information sessions and tours at every one. The tour and the interview were the two most helpful things I did. If you have a feeling in your stomach that there is no way you could live at a college, then cross that school off Essays

21

and move on. But if you get warm and tingly while walking around campus, the interview is ten times more helpful than the info session. I asked my questions and they asked theirs, and an hour later we both left the room knowing everything we needed to! I strongly recommend interviewing everywhere you can.

I ended up with nine schools, which I thought was a ton, but it is actually average. I learned that the CommonApp is a great thing. I wish I got more done over the summer, but all I did was the main essays and I was fine. Have your college counselor read all of your essays! Or at least have your mom do it. You don’t want to accidentally write the wrong college name halfway through the essay.

It’s a ton of work. I wish I had known that, but now you know! Good luck.

My advice...Don’t wait until the last minute to apply! It’s no fun hearing about the schools your friends got into before you’ve even sent in your first application.

-Mackenzie Williams

Applying to College: Advice For Underclassmen

By Colette McConnell

Applying to college is a long and tedious process in high school. The list of things to do can seem endless. From taking the SATs to visiting colleges, there is a lot of hard work done throughout the process. Here is some advice for underclassmen about thinking and planning ahead for the college process:

Freshman Year: There is not a whole lot to do freshman year for applying to college. The main thing you can do is start out high school working on getting a high GPA. Many colleges consider your GPA to be the most important part of your transcript, and freshman year is when it begins to count.

Sophomore Year: In the fall of sophomore year, you take the PLAN test and the PSAT. The results from these tests can give you a good idea of what the SAT and ACT tests and scores are like. Depending on your scores, you may consider taking an SAT class or getting a tutor over the summer before junior year. SophoApplying to College

more-year classes get harder, so keep your GPA up!

Junior Year: Take the SAT and/or ACT! (Some people find the ACT somewhat easier than the SAT, and most colleges accept both.) Start taking them in the fall; that way you will have time to retake them throughout the year, without putting them off until the fall of your senior year. At the beginning of junior year you should think about what type of college you want to go to. Think about size, location, religious affiliation, programs, athletics, extracurriculars, etc. Junior year you will meet with your college advisor and receive a list of colleges they think will fit you best. Research these colleges and any others you are interested in, and visit them if you can! Visiting a college campus and getting a feel for the atmosphere is the best way to really experience a college. Don’t forget about your GPA! During the summer before your senior year, take Ms. McDowell’s college essay writing class! She knows exactly how to help you write an essay that will really impress colleges. You’re also going to start filling out the common application, and it wouldn’t hurt to start writing supplement essays for colleges on your list so far.

Senior Year: The fall of your senior year will be the busiest time throughout all of high school with balancing school work, sports, college work, hospice, Scots, etc. Hopefully you will have taken the SAT or ACT enough times to be happy with your scores; if not, then you can take it one last time in the fall. Finalize your list of colleges and write the supplement essays; some colleges don’t have any, and some may have up to seven or eight. Make sure you have your college advisor read all your essays! All that is left to do is click the apply button and send everything in!

Getting ready and applying to college is a lot of work and it takes up a lot of time. It can be difficult to think about being in college when during your freshman and sophomore year, but thinking ahead will only make the application process a lot easier and much less stressful! And don’t forget about your GPA! My advice for applying to college is to get things done early. I started my college essay in August in Ms. McDowell’s essay class and it made things so much easier during the year!

Many colleges open their applications in the summer, so you can also see any supplements that they require and get those done too. This is especially helpful for people who plan to apply to a lot of schools, as there will be less things to do during the year when there is already stress. -Hugh Jones

Essays

23

theharleyacorn@gmail.com

Applying to College