<p>One of the essays asks how you find balance in your busy life. Is balance a theme that looks good on you application?</p>
<p>Can having many diverse passions throw you off, or will they think you’re too diversified and didn’t spend enough time in a single goal.</p>
<p>For example, In my EA application, I expressed my interest in Badminton, along with the maths and sciences. Despite my apparent hook being in research (neuropsychology and alternative energy sources), I discussed my prompting the construction of badminton court (fairly simple) and founding a badminton club (outside of school), where I organized weekly competitions. </p>
<p>Anyway, here are my questions:
Firstly, I doubt this involvement would hurt me, but would it help me? </p>
<p>Secondly, do they want to see balance in their applicants (physical and mental)? </p>
<p>Would greatly appreciate any clarification from an adcom or an experienced student. </p>
<p>Anyway, I was “myself” on the EA app, I just want to reassure myself in the last few days.</p>
<p>So selfish…you guys must be overwhelmed with thousands of applications and I’m asking trivial questions! In my feeble defense, I guess this question might help RD applicants ;-).</p>
<p>Oh no, I didn’t write about Badminton as the balancing aspect, I merely included it in the activities section. In retrospect, maybe I should have written more about it. I tried to further convey my only real enjoyable passtime–my passion for mechanisms and building cool gadgets. In the end, I think it might have portrayed me as imbalanced. In fact, all adults I asked, told me I missed the point and that it portrays me as imbalanced :-(. </p>
<p>I interpreted the prompt as asking for something we enjoy, whether or not it’s something that seems balanced. For example, I try to vividly convey my passion and enthusiasm–which backfires and turns out portraying me as a complete nerd (maybe a good thing?). I guess my application portrays me as far from balanced.</p>
<p>Then again, I do briefly discuss the Badminton in the activities section, which adds a little bit of balance. I truly tried to submit an application that conveys the essence of me–I didn’t want to be accepted by telling them what they wanted to hear. That’s why I’m asking all these questions after I submit the EA app :-).</p>
<p>zking786, you answered your own question. Ben couldn’t have made it even more explicitly clear. You’ll know if you’re doing something you truly enjoy, so why ask others about such a question that only you can answer?</p>
<p>yeah zking…you’re fine, since you were being honest. i understand your concern though…but from the rest of your application they’ll probably see that you were being honest, and i doubt it really means you’re unbalanced. they just mean they dont want people doing 20 diff things all realted to math and science for the PURPOSE of getting accepted…they want people doing whatever they want, as long as they love it. i wrote about playing guitar, for fun and in a band, because that’s what i do to relax, but i doubt that makes me any more “balanced” than you, since we’re both doin what we love. but dont worry…we’ve all been asking ourselves thousands of questions about our application after we turned it in</p>
<p>we wouldn’t be human if we didnt</p>
<p>guess all we can do now is count down the days…</p>
<p>The only thing is, they ask for something you enjoy that helps you “bring balance to your life.” </p>
<p>So, one can interpret it as something you truly enjoy and do to for fun (work hard, play hard). Or one can interpret it as how do you add balance to your life (you work hard academically, what do you do to balance the other aspects of your life).</p>
<p>After reading the prompt, I thought it was clear that they were looking for the first (what we do for fun that balances our hard work with fun). Since I wrote about my curiosity and my working late into the night experimenting and developing new things, most people have said that it portrays me as:
Imbalanced (from my interpretation of the prompt, they don’t necessarily want to see balance)
Possibly too academic, since they are looking for a more trivial passtime, perhaps? </p>
<p>So, I’m wondering if I interpreted the question correctly. Also, though I truly enjoy my activity, I’m not sure if they’re looking for something less academic. I’m sure they must get tons of students who are passionate about a specific subject and just love pursuing that subject in their free time. Is this where they’re asking you to discuss these such activities, or do they want something more trivial (like watching movies, listening to music, interacting with friends, etc…)?</p>
<p>From previous posts, I’m guessing they wanted the latter (something trivial). Gauging from the note (this is not a trick question…), it seems they were looking for something that would portray one as more well-rounded/balanced person as opposed to a complete nerd, who immerses himself in his interests :-).</p>
<p>cujoe…I don’t think you have to worry, because the question did ask for “something” you do for balance. If they wanted more than one activity, wouldn’t they have asked for “the various things” you do for balance?</p>
<p>OK everybody, here’s a tip. When Ben says something, you listen. =P You are thinking</p>
<p>way</p>
<p>too</p>
<p>hard.</p>
<p>Do you really think that the adcom has intended to put quite as many shades of meaning into that one short-answer question as you’re creating in your own head right now? Just relax. It’s a simple question that they’re going to use to find out more information about you. Even if you interpreted the question slightly differently from the way they intended it, there’s no right answer. That’s what these guys do: they extrapolate based on (warning: key word ahead!) context. Notice that they don’t ask you to spell out exactly why they should accept you. They figure it out on their own. And they’re good at it.</p>
<p>Haha… I’ll try to listen better! It seems like a consensus, I’m reading into it too much and thinking too hard. I hate it when everyone tells me that, first in English, then in Psych, then in Physics! Anyway, I know what you mean. I guess I’m just overnervous (I just checked my mailing address 4 times today!). I’m questioning everything in the application. I even found one sentence with a typo <em>gasp</em>! I seem to oscilate between utter confidence and complete despondency. </p>
<p>I guess I’ll just trust in my submitted words, I put down my genuine feelings (despite great criticism from parents) and spoke with honesty. Now if MIT wants me great! If they don’t, I guess I’ll be doomed to a life of misery and disappointment ;-).</p>
Just be yourself!</p>