You know you’re passionate about something when it’s 2:38 in the morning and you’re doing that something with the energy of a kid on Christmas Day, filled with the same curiosity of a child staring at the belly of his pregnant mother. For me, that something is Physics. It was the first Thursday of my junior year when it started. After three years of suffering through not-so-great physics teachers, Mr. Castillo was assigned to teach 4A Class, the...

It’s a voyage to unknown lands, where you forget everything. A nirvana full of different doors, each one leading to new ideas, new perspectives, new worlds. Cross a door, and you’ll never be the same. You’ll befriend strangers thousands of miles away, even thousands of years removed; you’ll visit places no man has dared to venture, places where forgotten civilizations once existed; you’ll live a life that isn’t yours. This matrix exists; to get...

PROMPT: Building on recent successes in DNA research–including genetically modified crops, the creation of insulin within genetically modified cells, and the sequencing of the human genome–scientists have begun discussions about the fabrication of all DNA present in human chromosomes. Some foresee dramatic breakthroughs for humankind, while others worry that the knowledge would give parents the ability to select the traits of their offspring and perhaps allow for the creation of humans without biological parents. There is widespread agreement...

PROMPT: Tell us why you are pursuing your selected major. If you are undecided on a major tell us about the academic areas of interest to you. (250 words or less) ESSAY: Beauty. Simplicity. Transcendence. All qualities of science, of physics. Understanding the complex, fundamental universe’s mechanism through nature and mathematics energized me to pursue what I deem my deepest passion. Physics concedes me an extra, permanent lens through which I can enjoy nature, not only by its physical, inherent...

PROMPT: Alice falls down the rabbit hole. Milo drives through the tollbooth. Dorothy is swept up in the tornado. Neo takes the red pill. Don’t tell us about another world you’ve imagined, heard about, or created. Rather, tell us about its portal. Sure, some people think of the University of Chicago as a portal to their future, but please choose another portal to write about. -Inspired by Raphael Hallerman, Class of 2020 ESSAY: An innocent child, a risen adult. ...

PROMPT: Students are often told what classes they should take. If you had the opportunity to create a class, what would it be and why? ESSAY: Brain-to-machine communication is an utterly interesting subject with profound applications in mankind’s future. Be it through the arts—an amateur painter charging Picasso’s styles and skills into his brain—or through the sciences—an apprentice downloading a cardiologist’s expertise in heart transplants—these applications are soon to become a reality via...

PROMPT: Macalester is a community that includes people from many different backgrounds. Please write an essay about how your background, experiences, or outlook might add to the Mac community, academically and personally. (250-500 words) ESSAY: Born and raised in Lima, Peru, I grew with a hard-working mentality and the ever-present idea that “success begins with a fellow’s will; if you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.” Poet Wintel has a point. Who I am today isn’t the...

PROMPT: For one week at the end of January, Reed students upend the traditional classroom hierarchy and teach classes about any topic they love, academic or otherwise. This week is known as Paideia after the Greek term signifying “education” – the complete education of mind, body and spirit. What would you teach that would contribute to the Reed community? (200 words minimum, 500 words maximum) ESSAY: Procrastination 101: How, why and when you should do it. 1. Course Description: During our lifetime, we encounter myriad...