<p>Now that decisions have been released, do accepted students want to post/comment on Essays to see what got in, learn more about each other, just for fun, etc etc.?</p>
<p>I got into Northwestern! Here are my short answers. The questions are not verbatim. Depending on the response to these, I may post my essay (I chose the butterfly one).</p>
<p>1) If you could hold a world record, what would it be and why?</p>
<p>I think it would be fun to hold the world record for the most fingers. Ignoring the genetic and evolutionary improbability of such a record, lets suppose I had a second index finger where my pinky is, a second thumb outside of that, and a slightly larger hand to allow flawless mobility despite this extra finger. I have been playing classical piano for 13 years, but I think if I were born with bonus digits, it would be a crime against music for me not to learn improvisational jazz. Imagine the chords and riffs one could make with 12 fingers instead of 10! Of course, there are minor setbacks such as always having to buy custom-made gloves and debating upon which finger to wear a ring, but I think the tradeoff is worth the grand potentials of having such unique hands.</p>
<p>2) You have just become the ruler of a nation. What is the first law you enact?</p>
<p>First Official Decree: Article One: The people of this fair nation shall not suffer the eyesore, lung-sore, cold sore or dinosaur of pollution. Full compliance with the Kyoto Protocol will go into effect a week from Tuesday. (Thats the day after The Frederick Cotrell Memorial Chutes and Ladders Tournament, honoring the inventor of the electrostatic smoke-cleaning precipitator.) We shall start on the road to a hydrogen economy (unlike the lead-to-gold economy of our nitwit neighbors of Alchemia.) and utilize thermal depolymerization chambers for our municipal waste disposal. It pains me so to see the great City of Chicago, for example, in a hazy layer of smog that is visible to arriving airplanes and from the beautiful suburb of Evanston. Perhaps nearby nations will follow our example.</p>
<p>3) You are given the opportunity to ask one question to the creator of an original work. Who is the creator, what is the work, and what is the question?</p>
<p>Dear Morten Lauridsen,
Im quite a fan of your musical piece, O Magnum Mysterium, and Im going to ask you as a musician the same question that many people ask me, as a magician: How did you do that? You see, Mr. Lauridsen, I had the privilege of playing your piece in my high schools concert band (I loved those trumpet solos you indirectly gave me. Thanks.) as well as singing it in the All State Mixed Chorus. Both performances sent shivers down my spine. So many times will a piece of music lose something in translation from instrument to voice, or vice versa, but you have succeeded in creating something that is universally beautiful. So, Mr. Lauridesn, how did you do that? To me, that is a great mystery.</p>
<p>4) In Northwestern’s tradition of collaberative learning, we would like you to write a question that you would like to see on next year’s application. All of the questions, except this one, were conceived by last year’s applicants.</p>
<p>If you could be any character in any literary work with the ability to change the events in the piece, who would you be and what choice would you have made differently?</p>
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<p>I loved the Northwestern app. I wish the common app were more like it… haha. I’m curious to see what everyone else wrote.</p>
<p>EDIT: Oh, in the “O Magnum Mysterium” answer, I couldn’t add it then because while I knew I made it in, I didn’t know our program, but we sang it in All Eastern Honors Chorus too.</p>
<p>Oh wow, your answers were very creative. Haha, mine were much shorter, it makes me wonder how I got in.</p>
<p>Haha, thanks. I really went overboard though. My other friends who applied to NU didn’t put as much in, and they got in too. Haha… oh well. I had a lot of fun doing it, though.</p>
<p>God…I hated that application. Haven’t heard back yet…so probably not in…maybe they could sense the resentment. Can’t remember what I wrote for the short answers.</p>
<p>AdamKidabra, what major are you thinking of doing? Have you also applied to Nortwestern School of Music?
I got into the double degree program (piano and psychology). I have always thought having more than 10 fingers would be awesome for a pianist as well! haha, tho that wouldn’t look good.</p>
<p>No, I got into Weinberg (A+S). I’m likely to major in Bio. But I will certainly continue with music, and I will consider my time at any college wasted if I don’t join an a cappella group.</p>
<p>Adam-- your wording (along w/ the idea) of your answers is hilarious! The adcoms probably appreciated the humor it brought :)</p>
<p>Hm… as for my essay/short answers–
world record-- speaking fluently the most languages. They’re fun to learn (I speak four and want to learn Japanese soon) and it’d also be helpful in the business world.
[the other answers aren’t very interesting]</p>
<p>um… essay. I picked the one about a small action having a big influence. I wrote about how once my dad and I wanted to get my watch’s battery changed and how we didn’t have a coupon that enabled us to get it for 99 cents (it is $5.99 regularly). My dad pleaded (like businessmen do) and finally he gave in and said he wouldn’t charge the labor fee-- only the battery fee (still $2.99). My dad was a bit happier, and I was totally confused. “How could he do this?” I asked in Taiwanese. My dad turned to the man and said “My daughter said you are a very nice man.” The man smiled, and later when he finished my watch only charged $.99. hahaha…
perhaps that wasn’t he most eloquent retelling, but I later connected that to business and whatnot.</p>
<p>Lol that’s pretty interesting. Mine was kind of boring, and it makes me cringe when I re-read it. I think I chose the essay about some insignificant action having greater consequences… and I wrote about how I did something small that resulted in changing my academic interests to what they are now (physics major), and how it influenced me to pursue this subject.</p>
<p>Ill post my essay.
It all started on a hot, sweltering day in Charleston, South Carolina-the first time I had ever been on vacation without my family. Strolling the streets with my camp friends in the blistering heat, we decided to take a jaunt for some refreshments. Against my better judgment, I resolved to get the ice cream in a crispy waffle cone instead of a cup (I had never been good with cones). The first lick was sweet and refreshing, but before I knew it, the cone had foiled me once again and my ice cream lay on the concrete sidewalk, melting like a piece of ice in a frying pan. I informed my friends that I was getting another scoop and asked them to wait for me. When I returned, they were nowhere to be found. Or rather, I was missing.
Looking around at my foreign surroundings, all alone, an overwhelming sense of anxiety came over me. Not knowing a soul in the town, not knowing where anything was located, not having a definitive plan of action to remedy the situation all served to amplify the circumstances. I imagine upon entering college, many students have a similar feeling- that of being lost in your own new home. Living on your own for the first time, thrust into a situation where youve left all of your friends behind, and piled with a rigorous workload, the situation lends itself to be a potentially frightening one.<br>
In my own predicament --searching the streets, the throngs of people were hustling in and out of the marketplace, all laughing or with smiles plastered onto their faces, enjoying their pleasant summer afternoon. For me, it was a different story. Nervous that I would not find my friends in the 3 hours before the bus left to go back to the hotel, I was on a mission. Pushing through the crowds, I raced up and down the marketplace, flying past the myriad jewelry carts, the excessive amounts of Cajun seasoning, and the mass quantities of Confederate paraphernalia. Every restaurant, every shop, every place in the vicinity, I gave a once-over. Two and a half hours into my hunt of desperation, I charged into the local Applebees, where to my utter surprise, my friends sat, waiting in the front. It was at that moment when I first realized that what everyone had told me to change about myself was something that I actually desired to cultivate. Many of my insecurities began to melt away, like the ice cream sitting on the smoldering concrete floor. The simple action of searching for my friends had enabled me to finally discover something about my own personality.
Being anxious does not have to be a bad thing. I have always had a lot of nervous energy, and people would urge me to calm down or relax. Instilled in me was a sense of negativity about this concern that I possessed- a sense that made me want to eradicate or diminish this attribute of mine. But the truth is, now, Ive learned to become proud of it. I am where I am today because of my concern over certain things. While others may deem myself to be a perfectionist or to be overly analytical, Ive come to understand that I just want everything I do to be the best quality possible, and that there is nothing wrong with that. In school, everyday it is my driving force-what motivates me to succeed and perform at my highest potential, always striving for better. I try and channel that nervous energy into all aspects of my life. It equips me with the capabilities to tackle and overcome any stressful situation. It is this meticulous nature that propels me to succeed- It is this that will get me through the tough and challenging times in college, in life. Who knows- without it, I still may have been stuck in South Carolina.</p>
<p>Personal Statement:* In 1972, meteorologist Edward Lorenz theorized that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could cause a tornado in Texas. What small action had a larger impact than you expected? How were you affected by the consequences? *</p>
<pre><code>During the 2004 Nassau County Fencing Championships, a small gesture of altruism ended up eliminating me from the tournament. In the first round, a boy of about 14, awkward with impending puberty, had a weapon that failed to pass examination. He had no spare weapon and was about to be disqualified from the entire tournament. All of the competitors scheduled to fence him, myself included, would receive automatic 5-0 wins. He would have to sit and watch his friends and teammates compete for the gold. Granted, this boy was a beginner. This was probably his first big tournament, and his odds of even making it past the first round were rather slim. The judge approached me and the four other fencers in the boys pool (a preliminary group in which everyone fences everyone), and asked if anyone would be willing to lend this boy a weapon as a gesture of sportsmanship. The five of us looked at each other. After it became apparent that none of the other fencers was going to do anything, I volunteered and jogged over to my bag to retrieve my one spare foil. The boy thanked me profusely and our pool began fencing.
When it was my turn to fence the boy, my coach said to me jokingly that if I was losing, I should ask for my blade back. I laughed and stepped onto the strip to duel the young fencer from Great Neck South. I ended up winning with a score of 5-1. The one point he scored on me was lucky. I got careless, didnt watch my distance, and he took a random stab that happened to land. I remember thinking after the bout how ironic it was that my own blade cost me a point. I would soon find out that it cost me much more.
</code></pre>
<p>It came time for the results of the first round to be posted. Everyone gathered to watch who had made the top 12 spots that would move on to the next round. I saw my name up there, but realized it was in the number 13 spot. Lucky number 13. Had they decided to advance more fencers due to the overwhelming population of the tournament? There was a pause from the judge who was writing the names. He looked once at his clipboard, then picked up an eraser, and erased my name. I checked my stats to see just how close I was to making the second of three rounds. I was off by one point. </p>
<p>Had I not lent my blade to that one boy, he would never have scored that one point on me, and I would not have been eliminated from the tournament. I couldnt help but laugh at the O Henry-esque ending to my fencing season. I changed out of my gear and wondered if I would have done the same if the boy were a skilled fencer. Im confident that I would have lent him my spare blade. After all, if I am going to beat someone, I want to beat him at his best; a win by default would feel tainted. I knew there was nothing I could do but be more aware during future bouts. And if a similar situation should occur? I suppose I would have no choice but to sit back and laugh at the whim of fate.</p>
<p>If Darwin is right and physical traits are adaptive, and form through natural selection to fit the functions and purposes of the organism, what reasons can you give as to why I have no wings? (reasons other than “you’re neither a bird nor a flying bug”)
Everything in my environment, every thought in my mind, every action in my body indicates that I am fit for a life in the sky. But try as I may, to flutter my long gaunt arms, and jump up and down, up and down, up
and down, I always find my bottom downed by that oppressive weight, gravity!
My first attempt at flight occurred when I was 10. My most recent one occurred yesterday, right before 9:00. I think I have got this stuff pretty much figured out. First, to fly, you have to be fit. Well, though my body can be in better shape, I am fit; I have been swimming since I was 9. Second, your arms have to be long. Yeah, my arms are long.
Third, you must think the right things. I think I think the right things. I want to fly because I want to reach; I want to reach the sky, and revel with the moon tonight! I want to fly, because I want to see; I want to see the world and race the birds! I want to fly because I want to know; I want to know the rainbows and touch the stars! I want to fly because I want to breathe; I want to breathe the charging air and greet the rushing clouds! I want to fly because I want to explore, explore the horizon, and find my home!
Now the fourth part is tricky, going to college will help me here. Mrs. Toni Morrison, my flight instructor junior year, wrote in her manual, The Song of Solomon, flight is mostly a mental process! Mmmm, tricky, tricky. Thinking the right thoughts is not enough; you have to be mentally fit, and intellectually enlightened! Flight is a path of freedom, not a path to it. Only when you have been set free by the enlightening power of knowledge and truth then can you truly fly! Fly so that you can meet the sky, and dance with the moon, and see the world, and race the birds, and know the rainbows, and touch the stars, and breathe the air, and greet the clouds, and explore the horizon, and find your home!
Here is where I am grounded; here is where I need Northwestern’s help! I cant expand my wings and fly to meet the sky, because there is so much I have yet to learn about taking off! I have yet to learn what every flying creature needs to learn! I have yet to be enlightened, and shed the weight, and learn to catch the wind and fly away. Someday, somewhere, veritas vos liberabit, and then after years of arduous preparation, I will finally get my wings and fly to meet the sky!</p>
<p>I’m a reject-does the essay give it away? you can be blunt</p>
<p>Haha… I like the style. Only, I don’t remember that question on the application. Was this your 4th Short answer? I didn’t think we had to answer our own questions. But whatever… power to you. It obviously worked. Haha. See you this fall, perhaps.</p>
<p>Adm-was that comment 4 me, cus I got rejected.</p>
<p>The essay is for that Carl Sagan question; I quoted “someday, somewhere…” in the last paragraph.</p>
<p>Agh! Sorry. I missed that last line. Well, for what it’s worth, Ziggy, I liked your essay. Good luck.</p>
<p>thanks man</p>
<p>ha, no one commented on mine. Didnt like it, adam? By the way, I really liked your essay adam.</p>
<p>Due to a computer crash, I’ve lost all the originals, but here are my responses in a nutshell:</p>
<p>On the world record question, I mentioned that since Keene, NH (my hometown) is known for holding the Guiness Book of World Records record for the most Jack-o-laterns in one spot, I should therefore also attempt to gather a large number of vegetables to carve…perhaps zucchini? </p>
<p>On the creator and his or her work question, I replied that I would ask Victor Hugo how he would translate his poem “Dormeur du Val” into English, as it is so amazing in French, and there are some phrases, words, and subtle invention that just do not carry into the English language.</p>
<p>(oh, and AdamKidabra…I also sang “O Magnum” with my choir this year and loved it…it has a very interesting Alto line (I’m an Alto 2), which is unusual, so i loved it.)</p>
<p>On the ruler of the nation one, I was uncreative and wrote about the need for freedom of speech, and how it affects art, politics, and human expression in general. Blah.</p>
<p>My question I created was: “If you could be a superhero, what would your name be, what powers would you have, and what would your costume look like?” As this would allow applicants to exaggerate one aspect of themselves they are proud of, and do so creatively.</p>
<p>It was super tough to keep those answers to under 50 words…that was the one bit I didn’t like about it.</p>
<p>As for my essay, I too did the small disturbance having a big effect, and I wrote about the adoption of my little brother, Gabriel, from Guatemala, and how it stemmed from a simple story. His two older (biological) sisters had just been adopted by a local family, bringing their total children count up to 5. Then Gabe was born, and immediately put up for adoption. They were looking for someone in the area to take him, so he could stay in touch with his sisters. My mother heard this story from a coworker (a sister of the woman who had adopted the 2 girls), and after calling ever young couple they knew, my 40-something parents decided to adopt Gabriel. He’s 2 now, and an absolute joy. So this one simple story has evolved into an amazing relationship and experience. I loved writing this essay. I could go on about Gabe forever…:)</p>
<p>So yeah…those were my lovely essays, slightly condensed.</p>
<p>Ahh, all of your essays are incredible! Mine aren’t as creative (and they seem so short… did anyone stick to the 50 word thing?) but I’ll post the short answers anyway…</p>
<p>If you could hold a world record, what would it be and why?</p>
<p>I would prefer my world record to result from leadership and organizational skills rather than an awesome display of raw strength or prodigious eating capacity. Appearing under the Mass Participation category, my team would establish a new standard for Most Simultaneous Ballots (Nationwide) Cast by First-Time Voters. </p>
<p>You have just become the ruler of a country. What is the first law you enact? </p>
<p>I would require that all young children learn a second language in school. The world is truly becoming more global in these modern times. It is easier to travel, and the internet can connect continents. Because of these new links, it is important to develop an appreciation for different cultures. </p>
<p>You have the chance to ask one question of the creator of an original work. Who is the creator, what is the work, and what is your question?</p>
<p>Vincent Van Gogh was the master of the portrait. Since he couldnt afford models, he often painted self-portraits, including two that prominently featured his severed ear. His devoted brother Theo was his greatest friend and supporter. My question for Vincent is, Why no portraits of Theo?</p>
<p>In the spirit of Northwesterns tradition of collaborative learning, please provide us with an original essay topic or short statement youd like to see on next years application. (All of this years essays and short statements, except for this one, were suggested by students.)</p>
<p>We often seem to be asking ourselves, Why didnt I think of that? What past invention, groundbreaking idea, or special words of wisdom do you wish you were responsible for, and why?</p>
<p>Excellent, excellent work, Adam. Very well done.</p>