<p>I’m new to college confidential and its very difficult for me to navigate this through! so please pardon me if i posted this in the wrong thread or whatever</p>
<p>ok so this might sound really stupid but everyone started getting acceptances somewhere and i’m being a little anxious coz i didnt receive any yet :((. I already applied
uc: la, sb, sd, davis, berkely, irvine
csu: fullerton, lb, pomona, slo, sj
my gpa: 3.86 weighted
sat: 1540, act: 24
president of a club, cabinet and member of several other clubs, many extracurricular activities
could you please tell if i have chances of getting into any of these colleges
and could you guys also read my personal statement and say if its appealing or not.</p>
<p>PROMPT#1 Describe the world you come from for example, your family, community or school and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.</p>
<p>In summer of 2008, my family and I went on a two-month pilgrimage with our religious group.</p>
<p>We reached the village of Chhapaiya, in a north-east province in India. As we went through the main market on the way to the temple, I carefully made my way through the dark streets, trying not to stumble. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed the locals carrying about their business effortlessly. The lack of electricity which was so obvious to me was shockingly negligible to them. We walked in the darkness until we reached what appeared to be a flickering light at the steps of the temple. As we approached, we noticed the light was surrounded by countless insects, covering the only light that was there.</p>
<p>When I blindly walked the dark streets of the market and set foot in that temple, I thought to myself, “how can people live like this?” However, after staying in Chhapaiya, I started seeing things with a different perspective. I saw how little people needed to not only survive, but also to be happy. So what if the villagers didn’t have electricity? They would light a candle. So what if it was 104 degrees outside? They would use paper fans. So what if they didn’t have television? The children would turn into actors to provide entertainment. When I was at home I would always complain about trivial matters such as the occasional power outage or excessive homework. Little was I aware that there were people who had no clean water, no electricity, and no formal education; and yet they found happiness in what little they did have.</p>
<p>The darkness of Chhapaiya shed light on the opportunities around me. I was privileged to have access to formal education and advancing technologies. It was this realization that inspired a genuine interest in computer science. I aspire to further my education in computer science in a way that can be useful in serving villages such as Chhapaiya. In today’s booming technological landscape, even remote villages should have access to electricity, computers, and the internet. My dream is to one day bridge the gap between where I grew up and places such as Chhapaiya. With a degree in Computer Science, I hope to fulfill all the dreams for myself and for the people who unknowingly taught me a huge lesson.</p>
<p>PROMPT#2-Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?</p>
<p>I get to do what!? was my initial reaction when I had been chosen as one of four students to have lunch with Condoleezza Rice. My family had recently moved to the U.S. in hopes of a bright future with many opportunities. I was shocked to find an opportunity present itself so quickly.</p>
<p>Growing up in India, I had been exposed to a strict set of ideals. Throughout the course of my education I was told to do well in school because my future depended on it. There was always little room for painting outside the lines and due to this, I was always afraid to participate in anything other than school.</p>
<p>At the lunch, Rice told us that when she was young, she had fallen numerous times while skating. And every time her parents responded with, Well, you wanted this. This anecdote showed me that Rice was not only devoted to school but was also determined to pursue something she was passionate about. She even mentioned what she believes herself to beself-motivateda quality that prevented her from giving up what she most believed in. It stood out to me that she put her emphasis on this experience when she could have easily talked about something of her own expertise. This differing point of view compelled me to look at things differently from then on.</p>
<p>During lunch the next day, I watched the same girl from the Associated Student Body (ASB) tape up posters for upcoming events and the same group of boys who played basketball outside. It was then that realized I was surrounded by many opportunities. In fact, I had been surrounded by these prospects for the past two years. I had always hesitated in participating in the activities pertaining to my interests because I didnt think I was capable of balancing them with school. But after seeing Condoleezza Rice emphasize her hidden passion, I decided to follow my own.</p>
<p>As a junior at a new school, I sat in history class while reflecting on my experience with Rice and I decided to create the Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA). I had initially been introduced to this club after my inspirational lunch with Rice at LA High. This club focused on embedding real life applications into small projects like: Manila Mechanics, mousetrap cars, EggXpress and more. Finding the most apt advisor, promoting this newly formed club to all cliques of students, and most stressful of allconvincing Cal State Long Beach to be a sponsorwas definitely not easy. It required me my whole junior year to plan it out. Fortunately, I was successfully able to perform these tasks because I was now self-motivated. As a senior, I became the founder and the President of MESA. It was difficult to cope up with studies and clubs, but I eventually learned to prioritize my time depending on the situation.</p>
<p>This experience has not only allowed me to believe in the things Im passionate about but has also provided me with the motivation to be successful. I want to continue taking responsibilities with the same rapidity not because I was told to do so, but so that one day even I can inspire some Dhruti who needed a nudge. (dhruti is my name)</p>