As a child in Shanghai, I loved navigating the patternless paths of open-air markets with my grandmother, searching for bamboo shoots or daikon radishes. After moving to California, I missed the hustle and bustle of the markets, but rediscovered the same organic and animate nature of food in the community garden. Richly crinkled lettuces, jewel-toned lupines… In this vibrant and lush oasis, gardeners from all over my city craft verdant masterpieces in the freedom of their own 20x20 foot squares....

When my dad was diagnosed with cancer , I set a goal for myself to incorporate healthier habits into my family’s lifestyle. To learn more about the wellness resources that my community offers, I attended the XXX City Health Fair. However, to my disappointment, I found the fair to be quite boring. The vendor booths offered assisted living services and chair zumba classes, and coincidentally, most of the visitors were above age 60. Although the health fair was meant to serve...

I’ve played piano for the past 13 years, but while I can infuse pieces with my own emotions, I’m still limited by the rigid notes on the page. Rather, developing original music has become the most energizing expression of my creativity. I began improvising in middle school through playing Baroque music from composers like Bach. With figured-bass notation, or guidelines to chord progressions, players must spontaneously play different chord inversions. Despite how nerve-wracking it is to simultaneously read music...

After moving from Shanghai to California, I missed navigating the patternless paths of open-air markets. But in the community garden, I rediscovered the same organic and vibrant oasis. Richly-crinkled lettuces, jewel-toned lupines… gardeners craft verdant masterpieces in the freedom of 20x20 foot squares. Although I spend so much time there, I don’t actually have a plot. Rather, I walk the wood-chip paths, lending a hand here and there, transplanting seedlings and mulching rows. I snip zucchinis for the mustachioed...

When I was young, I lived and breathed Indiana Jones: I drew my own ochre-colored treasure maps and carried flashlight “torches” everywhere. As I’ve grown, my love for adventure found a more practical channel—biology. But as much as I enjoy bushwhacking, globetrotting voyages, I’m no Darwin, fascinated by evolution’s protracted vastness. Me? I’m drawn to the infinitesimals. The molecular machinery of life is thrilling: how do cells deploy antibody weaponry or aggregate into organs? To...

From tinkering with Arduino heart-rate monitors to analyzing inertial-sensored mouthguards, engineering synthesizes my passions for science and service, allowing me to generate creative, compassionate solutions to real-world problems. After my father was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, I became fascinated with the body’s molecular defense-mechanisms and investigated serum-levels of cancer-biomarkers during immunotherapy, which my father underwent. Through studying biomedical engineering, I hope to continue exploring novel cancer therapeutics—such as genomics-based targeted therapy—especially for those with late-stage cancer....

I love learning, and in Brown’s total embodiment of learning without boundaries, I can explore my mind’s idiosyncrasies and intricacies to my heart's content. I can synthesize my passions for health and horticulture through Botanical Roots of Modern Medicine, or delve into the science behind my father’s immunotherapy treatment with Principles of Immunology. I can even take my baking hobby to a whole new level with Kitchen Chemistry. Who knows? With the curricular-flexibility and academic freedom to...

The cart squeaked as I threw my weight against the biting wind, fighting to protect my precious cargo of 12 extra-extra-extra large pizzas: I knew that 200 expectant faces were depending on me. Delivering pizza for team powwows is one of the countless unglamorous duties of being a speech and debate team manager. But over the years, I’ve discovered that it takes much more than rigorous practices and personalized T-shirts to keep a team together. To prevent last-minute panic attacks, on...

The day of the Health Fair was hectic, and I certainly took on many duties beyond those of Co-Chair. Between emceeing speaker-series, locating the lost mayor, and directing traffic, I guided a man with questions about heart disease to the “Ask-A-Doctor” booths. He was homeless – my heart sank as I realized how difficult it’d be for him to eat healthily and get routine checkups. I started noticing what I hadn’t before: my community, though largely affluent, has health...

Composing is weaving tapestries of emotion, atmosphere, and beauty from strands of sound. I love the freedom in designing musical narratives, but the struggle for sonorous chord-progressions and just the right Dominant-7ths never ceases. Using software like Noteflight and LogicPro, I tinker on my laptop with one hand and try piano melodies with the other. With a 13-year background in playing virtuoso piano symphonies, I initially composed classical-style fugues. But my curiosity led to exploring alternative genres: I was...

As an avid debater, I’ve attended Santa Clara University’s Dempsey-Cronin Invitational every year with my school’s speech and debate team. As I explored SCU’s lush and beautiful campus through wandering from one debate round to the next, I fell in love with the school and became driven to learn more about where I hope to spend my next four years. From attending my SCU Admissions Counselor’s visit to XXX High School, I learned about the...

Upon my visit to SCU during Open House, I was immediately drawn to the friendly and deeply engaged student body. Through an in-depth tour of campus facilities, student organizations, and departments given by welcoming Student Ambassadors, I gained an intimate perspective on SCU’s culture of service. Given my experiences with organizing the XXX City Health Fair, SCU’s commitment to fashioning students who make a positive difference especially appeals to me. From the Thriving Neighbors Initiative, to the Santa...

When I was young, I lived and breathed Indiana Jones: I drew ochre-colored treasure maps and carried flashlight “torches” everywhere. As I’ve grown, my love for adventure found a more practical channel—biology. But while I enjoy bushwhacking, globetrotting voyages, I’m no Darwin, fascinated by evolution’s protracted vastness. Me? I’m drawn to infinitesimals. The molecular machinery of life is thrilling: how do cells deploy antibody weaponry or aggregate into organs? To understand these processes, I’ve...

From building Arduino heart-rate sensors to tinkering with inertial-sensored mouthguards, engineering synthesizes my passions for science and service, allowing me to generate creative and compassionate solutions to real-world problems. For me, engineering is incredibly illuminating because it draws upon a diverse array of scientific fields, which is why Pratt’s embodiment of interdisciplinary learning appeals to me. With unique programs like Duke FOCUS and Bass Connections, I’d have a collaborative and intellectually-diverse environment to nurture my interest in immune...

I’m an adventurer – trail-runner, biology scientist, film-score composer– and in Dartmouth’s commitment to learning without boundaries, I find the academic freedom I crave. With the uniquely-flexible D-Plan and its unparalleled opportunities for off-campus education, I can examine how Denmark’s egalitarian economy impacts health-disparities in Copenhagen or delve into the Tropical Biology FSP’s spectacular ecological diversity. I can gain a rich and broad education with Dartmouth’s liberal-arts focus that emphasizes cross-disciplinary connections. Dartmouth students’ unrestrained sense...

The day of the Health Fair was hectic, and I certainly took on many duties beyond those of Co-Chair. Between emceeing speaker-series, locating the lost mayor, and directing traffic, I guided a man with questions about heart disease to the “Ask-A-Doctor” booths. He was homeless – my heart sank as I realized how difficult it’d be for him to eat healthily and get routine checkups. I started noticing what I hadn’t before: my community, though largely affluent, has dire...

When I was young, I lived and breathed Indiana Jones: I drew ochre-colored treasure maps and carried flashlight “torches” everywhere. As I’ve grown, my love for adventure found a more practical channel—science. But while I enjoy bushwhacking, globetrotting voyages, I’m no Darwin, fascinated by evolution’s protracted vastness. Me? I’m drawn to infinitesimals. After my father was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, I became fascinated with the body’s molecular defense-mechanisms and investigated serum cancer-biomarkers during...

The day of the Health Fair was outright hectic, and I certainly took on many duties beyond those of Co-Chair. Between emceeing speaker-series and even directing traffic, I guided a man to the “Ask-A-Doctor” booths. He was homeless, and I realized how difficult it’d be for him to eat healthily and get routine checkups. I started noticing what I hadn’t before: my community, though affluent, has dire health disparities. My realizations led me to WELL-for-LIFE at XXX’s...

After my father was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, I became fascinated with the body’s molecular defense-mechanisms. At USC, I hope to continue investigating novel cancer-therapeutics, like immunotherapy, which is why I’m drawn to biochemistry. Like me, this partnership-major between USC’s Biology and Chemistry Departments recognizes the value in exploring the full scientific spectrum, providing a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment to nurture my interest in regenerative medicine. I’m eager to delve into fascinating classes like Principles...

effervescent, compassionate, evolving

Avocado! On toast, of course. Delicious and energizing, healthy and hipster.

NPR; I get lost in its podcasts, learning about everything from entrepreneurship to microplastics

Spirited Away, or anything else by Hayao Miyazakibro

#naturephile

A science communicator like Neil Degrasse Tyson

Trader Joe’s, wandering its whimsical aisles and greeting irrepressibly friendly employees

The day of the Health Fair was outright hectic, and I certainly took on many duties beyond those of Co-Chair. Between emceeing speaker series, locating the lost mayor, and directing traffic, I guided a man with questions about heart disease prevention to the “Ask-A-Doctor” booths. He was homeless, and I realized how difficult it’d be for him to eat healthily and get routine checkups. I started noticing what I hadn’t before: my community, though one of the most...

When I was young, I lived and breathed Indiana Jones: I drew my own treasure maps and carried flashlight “torches” everywhere. As I’ve grown, my love of adventure has found a more practical channel—biology. Uncovering inconspicuous operons is as exhilarating as spelunking in Mt. Diablo. But while I enjoy bushwhacking, globetrotting voyages, I’m no Darwin, fascinated by evolution’s protracted vastness. Me? I’m drawn to infinitesimals. How do cells deploy antibody weaponry or aggregate into organs?...