<p>Haha… Thank you.</p>
<p>Jessica, I really like your Van Gogh question. It made me stop and think the same thing.</p>
<p>Hey, sorry, freakish. I read, but neglected to post. I’ll do that now:</p>
<p>Your description really made the reader feel like he was lost in SC with you. The way you talked about the heat, the crowd, and the unfamiliarity of your environment made it easy to imagine. One phrase that I liked that I feel helped set the tone was: the excessive amounts of Cajun seasoning, and the mass quantities of Confederate paraphernalia. The ice cream simlies seemed like a little much, but they were nessecary. After all, it was the capricious decision to purchase the cone over the cup that landed you in the situation in the first place.</p>
<p>ha, that’s funny, i don’t really remember my answers except for the “make up your own” one… i asked “what’s the opposite of a zebra?” and they still let me in.</p>
<p>Accepted at Medill
Here are my essays/short answers
Next year’s question: In Schulz’s comic strip Peanuts, Snoopy is recurringly shown writing a great novel. In one scene, he attempts to decide on a title. After woodstock informs him that both his original ideas “A Tale of Two Cities” and “Crime and Punishment” have both been taken, Snoopy resigns, content that “all the good titles have been taken”… what book TITLE (disregarding the work as a whole) would best introduce your autobiography? and why. </p>
<p>I forget what i put for the world record one, so it wasnt that good im assuming</p>
<p>the one about asking teh creator of an original work: this one was gold, my brother goes to NU, so, although they don’t count that as an alumni, he gave me all kinds of tips about stuff that the adcom would know about, kind of like, inside jokes that I could put in, to show that Im “in the know”… Dave Eggers had just spoken on campus a few months ago, so I asked in reference to his “Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” whether we young San Franciscans are really hopeless as it seems. </p>
<p>My long essay was great, I did the butterfly one… basically, the butterfly was a stack of Northwestern Daily’s my brother brought home, which had an article about Lands’ End (the clothier) using sweatshops… the tornado was my school paper article about Lands’ End having sweatshops, and my concurrent work with the school principal to end our school’s contract with them as uniform provider. I wrote it very dramatically, but I’m too lazy to post it here.</p>
<p>wow. i have no patience for even like… three essays. i’m so glad i’m not on the admissions committee =O… and once again i realize why essays have to stand out now. wow. (i did scan them thru and even read adam’s)</p>
<p>my short answers (i’ll post them cuz they’re short and won’t bore anyone to death for too long)… of course they, in retrospect, are kinda silly. but that’s me in a nutshell. lol.:</p>
<p>haha there were four?? my actual versions were slightly diff, these were the ones i saved</p>
<p>record:
In third grade, I watched a documentary on Einstein. His theory of relativity fascinated my young mind and has continued to be exciting. To experience it, I want to be the first person to travel faster than light. Then Id find out (if I make it) where, how, when I end up.</p>
<p>law:
It would be mandatory to laugh multiple times everyday. Laughter could result from reading the comics everyday or reading Bill Brysons novels, as I do, or having someone make funny faces. After all, as Chamfort once said, The most wasted of all days is the one where one laughs not. </p>
<p>creator:
Facing the Iowa jeweler Otto Rohwedder, Id ask, Mr. Rohwedder, what compelled you to persevere for thirteen years to perfect your invention, a bread slicing machine, only to sell your patent? Then, over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Id thank him on behalf of the American people.</p>
<p>next yr’s:
The famous economist John Keynes once claimed that, ideas shape the course of history. What idea of yours has changed or influenced your life, your history? </p>
<p>LOL they’re so stupid. gosh. i’m glad they took me anyway.</p>
<p>hey how awesome would it be if your question made next year’s app, lol</p>
<p>wow that peanuts question is really really really good
id bet anything that it shows up next year on teh app</p>
<p>super, lol, i love that question</p>
<p>Yeah, mine were all corny and bad. The questions drove me insane because I didn’t have anything interesting or original to say…</p>
<p>thanks deferred, it was probably the only creative thing I was able to come up with on any of my apps… I wish other colleges would have let me use the same prompt.</p>
<p>Wow, mine are short (I THINK these are the finals?)…I sort of went with the small space you had on the paper application…apparently skills with languages are popular:</p>
<p>World Record
I would hold the world record for spoken languages and dialects. With the ability to communicate comes knowledge and enlightenment. </p>
<p>First Law
The first law I would enact as ruler of a country would instate a democratically elected parliament. Working with them to create basic rules would ensure that the people would not regard the laws as the whims of a despot. </p>
<p>Original Work of Art
Samuel Coleridge, Kubla Khan, In death you must remember the complete poem; what is it?</p>
<p>New Question
If you could have one extra body part, what would it be and why?</p>
<p>Essay:
–What small action had a larger impact than you expected? How were you affected by the consequences?–</p>
<pre><code> By holding up a camera lens to my grandfathers death I was able to get my first real look at his life. Death, in most cases, is the ultimate incarnation of loss. After the passing of my own grandfather, however, I gained new understanding. In his death I was able to connect with a man I had never really known in life.
I am too young to remember Pappy in his prime, taking the whole family out in his boat on the St. John River to look for alligators lurking at the edges of the bayou. Pappy was a good ole boy, quiet and resourceful. He loved to fish, watch Nascar, and never went anywhere without his spittoon. When he died, I didnt know Pappy well enough to miss him.
My mother asked me to bring my video camera down to Florida for the homemade funeral. I was reluctant, believing a videographer would be in the way. She insisted and I filmed the family grieving, telling stories, and scattering Pappys ashes from the deck of his beloved boat. We floated down the river; our wake flung the rose petals we dropped into swirling eddies. As I focused my camera on the tiny whirlpools and the dust that was my grandfather I felt a newfound connection to Pappy. Caught up in the emotion of the moment and the sense of finality I was struck by an intense feeling of loss.
For weeks I spent my spare time at the computer editing. The time spent watching each family members grief for Pappy and looking through his childhood pictures revealed to me a deeper image of the man. The simple act of filming Pappys funeral brought him into my life at a time when it seemed he never could be.
My grandmother thanked me over and over for that one plastic VHS tape, which gave her peace and allowed her to share the celebration of Pappys life. This experience showed me that film, as a medium, can make a difference. By expressing the emotions surrounding Pappy, I felt the power of creative art. I feel excited about the power that a single action can contain. I gathered, from this experience, a passion for filmmaking and the idea that stories are important both for the subject and the listeners. In capturing the grief of Pappys death I was touched deeply by the joy of his life.
</code></pre>
<p>It’s great to read and respond to others’…thanks for the brainfood (and procrastination aid)</p>
<p>I don’t remember mine verbatim, so they sounded nicer, but here they are (I wrote on the app itself, so they were very short, and I was still accepted RD):</p>
<p>Record- </p>
<p>I would hold the record for the most amusement parks visited worldwide in a year. I think it would be amazing to just take a year off from my frantic life and do nothing but have fun at places I enjoy.</p>
<p>Original Work question-</p>
<p>Work: Stonehenge
Creator: ??
Question: How did you do that???</p>
<p>First Law- </p>
<p>Something similar to the bill of rights, securing basic rights for all citizens. If you want any people to respect you as a leader, you have to let them know that their well being comes first. </p>
<p>New question-</p>
<p>If you could force someone to visit any place, see one movie OR read one book, what would it be and why? (I think that’s what I put anyway, I don’t remember.)</p>
<p>For my long essay, I chose the risk/opportunity question, and tweaked my Upenn essay to make it fit. I wrote about when I used to have a Harry Potter website when I was 12-13 that became very popular, and one day it crashed and I lost it all. At the risk of failure/disappointment, I seized the opportunity and rebuilt the site, making it better and more functional than before. I also learned the important lesson of backing up my work :)</p>
<p>Accepted RD at WCAS (might attend Mac though)</p>
<p>this is the only essay i could find:</p>
<p>A lot of colleges are the same. The professors teach their students the hard facts, the students study hard, and they work assiduously to succeed on their final exams. A strong work ethic is fine, but I’m seeking an education at NU because I want something more. I feel that the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences would fit me like a glove because of the preparation I would receive for the future.
I want to attend a university that will not only help me succeed in the classroom, but will help me grow as an individual as well. I believe it all starts with the professors. Northwestern professors are not only extremely knowledgeable, but they care greatly for their students and this is demonstrated in the collaborative nature of their curriculums. I am certain that Weinberg’s professors will teach me how to think critically in order to prepare a customized educational program that will be my base for future ventures. Simply put, I know they will make me excited to learn.
The wide range of courses at WCAS is very appealing to me. The fact that I can double major in, if I choose to, political science and economics makes me ponder the wide range of job opportunities I could have upon graduation. The wide range of courses will enhance my intellectual capacities and challenge me like I have never been challenged before.
Learning doesn’t just come from the classroom, and Northwestern recognizes this. It is wonderful that a university gets so excited about its students that it is willing to support them financially in their research interests.<br>
The overall diversity of the students and professors appeals to me. I’m looking forward to becoming a Wildcat for the unique experience NU has to offer.</p>
<p>Barski, I like your butterfly essay. It seemed very natural (a quality that is often missing in many college essays). Well done.</p>
<p>reading these essays makes me wonder how i got into Medill ED…my essays… had in my opinon, compared to these. less depth and thought provoking. I wrote both my why and my personal statement, for the butterfly prompt… pretty lightheartledy…heck… my personal statement was about joining the yearbook staff. maybe i should rethink my major =/</p>
<p>I got into WCAS , here are my answers if I can remember them correctly:</p>
<p>Record: I said I would want to be the actress who has played the most rolls in her lifetime, not only do I think that would be a lot of fun, but it’s really challenging to play a lot of diverse parts.</p>
<p>Creator: I said I would ask Kurt Vonnegut, author of Slaughterhouse five, what he thinks about the war in Iraq.</p>
<p>Law: I said something about having the citizens vote on a bill of rights because it is important that their rights be protected above all else…it’s cliche, I know…but I wholeheartedly think that is what I would do.</p>
<p>Question: Something like: If you could pick one inanimate object to represent yourself, what would it be, and why?</p>
<p>Personal Statement: I did the Nixon question about a time that you were in a crises situation that you recognized the danger, but took advantage of the opportunity. I talked about my “identity crises” that I went through when I found out my friend was going to pass aways and I said how even though I was in danger of never regaining my sense of self, I became open to new ideas and was able to reavaluate my life in a way that was never possible before.</p>
<p>Mine certainly aren’t are witty or creative, but I generally just said the first thing that popped into my head…hey…it worked.</p>
<p>accepted to school of communication… i cant remember my short answers, this is the one essay i did find (i still dont know how that got me in!!)
According to astronomer Carl Sagan, Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. What unknown would you like to see revealed in your lifetime? Why is this of personal importance?</p>
<p>Id like to know the meaning of life. Id like to know the meaning of life because Id like to plan for my afterlife. If there is an afterlife, of course. But Im guessing Ill learn about that once I know the meaning of life. Really. Why do we live? Why do we die? Why do we live and die? Cant we be like vampires and live forever? Or did humans invent eternal creatures like vampires in order to live vicariously through their eternity? I find it ironic that we humans can answer complex physics questions, take the time to create numerous fantasy worlds, and yet we cant even answer the question of why we were born. Could it be that were born in order to fulfill some divine purpose? Or were we just born to live and do whatever it is that we feel like doing? If thats the case, it worries me. I would like to think that I, as well as others, are on this earth for a greater purpose, be it for mental, spiritual or any other kind of purpose. If our purpose is just to live, I have no problem with that. Having no purpose is a purpose in itself. Also, I know that it would feel better knowing that the actions I take in life will not have any repercussions on my after life. If life is just about having a good time, then just book me a ride and Ill be off on a loooong cruise. Humans have, via religious and educational institutions, created a moral structure for mankind to live by so that we do not succumb to our animal instincts. This is part of humanitys desire to feel that someone is watching over them and monitoring their deeds. Its sad, but I believe that the reason most men try to act good is that they want to make sure that if there is an afterlife, then theyre in good favor. Finding out the meaning of life will also allow me to find myself. I live, and know I will eventually die. I know how and why I will die (sickness, age, the reasons are numerous) but I do not know why I live. I tell myself that I am just one of the many self-conscious teenagers lacking self-confidence and that finding the meaning of life would surely be an answer to many of my trivial, every day problems. I live in insecurity and am therefore insecure. If I lived in security, I would be secure. Wrong. Most people think that knowing all the answers allows them to be in power and have control of their lives, themselves and others. There are just some things that we will never be able to control. Yes, we can control births and deaths through birth control pills and killing people. However, we will never be able to understand the whys. If that is so, then so be it. I thought that knowing everything would allow me to be everything. Ive accepted the fact that we rose from dust and will eventually become dust again once our bodies have decomposed and that the memory of our existence will also eventually decay with time. Ive accepted myself and my eventual destiny. I dont need to know why things will happen and when they will happen. I just want them to happen. I do not need an unknown to be discovered. If one is, then be it for a good cause. </p>
<hr>
<p>aah yepp now i do remember, for the law question, i talked about the importance of health issues and rights for citizens as well as education, and i related it to morocco (where i’m from) and the lack of these two, the fact that they are developing, and how it affects the population.</p>
<p>Preface: for the most part, mine were cheesy yet sincere</p>
<p>Record: being the most changed (for the better, of course)
Law: Tolerance. mandatory.
Original Work: my grandpa (whom i never met) about his favorite time w/ his family (i tied something in like how he created the humor that defined our corny family)
New ?: e.e. cummings once wrote, “You and I are human beings;mostpeople are snobs” how are you or someone you know a human being: out of the ordinary and unique?</p>
<p>My “Why NU” essay was excellent, if i do say so myself. I described how when i visited NU my dad asked me what i knew. i said i didnt know anything. But now that i visited NU, i know something, i want to go to NU</p>
<p>*these all sound really bad summarizing them… i would post them, but the memory in my computer got erased by a virus</p>
<p>And then i did the BUTTERFLY one… I described how I dyed my hair red and how that changed the way i acted and the way other people saw me.</p>
<p>Haha… so Odie, intolerance shall not be tolerated? That sorta throws you for a logic dillema… :P</p>