<p>I have already been admitted as a transfer student for winter 2010, and I remember that when I applied, the essays scared the hell out of me. I spent a whole day just staring at a blank screen wishing I had some sort of clue as to what they wanted. Here’s a second draft (out of like… 5) that will give you a good idea of what I did. I certainly don’t think it was the greatest essay, but it certainly didn’t hurt (I had average stats). </p>
<pre><code>After starting high school in Washington, uncontrollable circumstances landed me in Utah. After transferring high schools, two subjects managed to fascinate me: biology and behavior. Fortunately, wonderful psychology and biology teachers stimulated my curiosity further. After high school, I wanted to attend college in Washington, but finances made it not viable. The University of Utah granted admission and offered a fulfilling education thus far.
Like countless freshman, my major upon entering the University of Utah remained undecided. A battle between majoring in business, for money, and majoring in neurobiology, for passion, ensued. Of course, plenty of wonderful people find passion in business, but I viewed it as a quick degree with a stable career. While pondering, a quote by the mathematician and physicist Henri Poincare struck me:
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<p>The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful. If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature were not worth knowing, life would not be worth living."</p>
<p>A pursuit of science persists as an important goal. One cannot view education always as a means to an end. A primary reason for attaining a degree in science lays in pursuing new discoveries. Ultimately, a love of learning and doing science drives the interest, not a want of money or prestige. After making this decision a road block emerged. No neurobiology program exists at the University of Utah. Thankfully, I accidentally stumbled upon the undergraduate neurobiology program at the University of Washington.
I kept close contact and constant communication with both the program director and adviser to ensure enrollment in the correct preparatory courses. Additionally, to further prepare, I volunteered in Professor Kesners cognitive neurobiology lab for over a year; a wonderful opportunity to do real science every day. Researching memory and the role of the hippocampus in learning proved both satisfying and educational. .<br>
A second road block came about after finding that due to miscommunication, the introductory biology courses at the University of Utah lacked equivalency to those required by the program. Rather than give up, I enrolled for the correct courses at a community college- a sacrifice solely for the program.<br>
Nearly two years later, hard work can finally pay off. I already applied to the program with a competitive application. Thanks to constant communication with professors all core courses will transfer correctly. Admission to the university remains the final obstacle. The University of Washington will advance my education in neurobiology, while serving as preparation for graduate school. These two rewards definitely justify the cost and sacrifice required.
With two years of school came drastic challenges and learning experiences. Similar to many students, I overfilled my schedule with too many classes, simultaneously failing to reduce other responsibilities. At the same time, my father fell incredibly ill and needed months of support. This led to poor performance during some semesters. Fixing these errors required repeating courses, but I learned courses curiously get harder the second time, requiring more devotion than before. Suffice to say, I consider it a lesson learned.<br>
Another challenge came after discovering a deficiency in the foreign language admission requirement. Despite studying Japanese in high school, I moved before finishing the second year. In order to remove the admission deficiency, I foolishly tried taking the second semester of college Japanese three years later. Not only did it end without Japanese credit fulfilled, but performance in other classes suffered. In the end, it required an entire summer fixing grades, in addition to studying hours every week to learn Japanese. This ultimately meant a trip to Seattle to take the Japanese proficiency exam at the University of Washington. Overcoming this obstacle confirms that nothing exists that one cannot accomplish. The obstacles faced required hard work, but they taught me a great deal.
School performance aside, a diverse background persists as an important part of my identity. I regrettably never took full advantage of the vast number of cultural events and opportunities despite the opportunity living in cities such as Portland, Atlanta, and Spokane. Thankfully, a father that loves foreign culture taught me to enjoy foreign music, film, and finding the beauty in conversing with a variety of different people. His encouragement contributed to a desire for cultural involvement.
It took living in a small rural town in Utah, to appreciate not only my diverse background, but the dangers of associating with just one culture for ones entire life. I certainly held different values and beliefs than others at high school, but that never stopped friendships from forming. I encouraged many of them to attend events and festivals at the nearby Sri Radha Krishna temple. Although my primary interest in the University of Washington stems from the educational reputation, I hold a desire for the cultural opportunities living in Seattle brings. Similarly, I possess a unique background and can perhaps offer a differing perspective on a vast array of educational, social, or cultural topics.
I devoted a substantial amount of time, energy, and motivation solely for this program. The neurobiology program contains daunting pre-requisites, requiring taking a large number of challenging classes. While difficult, it also contained numerous advantages. Taking all the physics, biology, calculus, and chemistry courses required provided a broad survey of science in general. The fact that all these fields come together to study the central nervous system remains one of many rewards. I cannot move closer to a degree without starting the program in the winter. If admitted, I will devote the necessary time, energy, and work to succeed not only in the courses, but in all the volunteer research and other departmental opportunities I can get involved in.</p>