It’s a place that is bright, with sunlight pouring through four windows. It’s a place where I don’t have to worry once I enter it at 6:00 p.m. every day. Time seems endless here—at least for ten minutes. In the midst of all the noises—brothers talking, TV blasting, mom laughing, neighbors partying, kids outside playing—my parents’ bedroom is a peaceful place—that is to say, only when I have a calm heart while I...

Cornell University (Human Ecology) I decided I wanted to become a doctor when I was seven years old. I want to care for the most vulnerable. I developed this urge after I experienced a family friend’s death, especially after seeing overcrowded Elmhurst Hospital in New York. Since then, my interest in the sciences, especially biology, grew. I fell in love with the human body: the processes of cells, the phenomenon of homeostasis, the body’s systems, its genetic coding,...

QuestBridge's College Match Application Essay #1 -We are interested in learning more about you and the context in which you have grown up, formed your aspirations and accomplished your academic successes. Please describe the factors and challenges that have most shaped your personal life and aspirations. How have these factors caused you to grow? My family is a link to my past, present, and future. Due to Hinduism, my family is considered the heart of my life. My Dharma (duty) as...

QuestBridge's College Match Application Essay #2 -If you could change one thing about your community, what would it be and why? I love my school—Brooklyn Technical High School. It’s one of America’s largest and most diverse high schools. Our 5,400 students are as racially, culturally, and ethnically varied as the world itself. The welcoming, friendly, and humane atmosphere is due to absence of racism, allowing us to form extended families. It’s not surprising to see interracial couples holding...

Flower petals in their vibrant colors are strewn about the path. My neighbors’ lawns—small, green, and shining—are waiting for the playful children, and the sunlight kisses my smiling mouth while I walk to the J train station. A couple in their teens descends the station’s staircase and pause as I walk up. “Ooohh, look! She has a black eye. Doesn’t that make her look ugly?” the girl teased. The guy just chuckled. I stopped, turned, and...

My dad said that he got an idea from a friend’s story—he was going to prepare my brother and me for a test tomorrow. My dad saw the confusion in my eyes, but he just smiled slyly and turned to call my brother. It was July 2010. My family and I were in Virginia. I was thirteen years old. My dad gathered us to prepare for our “test.” My dad instructed us to choose one of two routes to...

My work experience at the American Museum of Natural History was essential and intriguing. Although the actual job doesn’t require too much, I quickly realized that it brings me great satisfaction. For example, I gave an Asian woman directions to where she can see the big blue whale and she bowed her head in such a touching way to show gratitude. I couldn’t help but smile after the next person came for directions and questions and the next...

Everyone wants to lower their blood pressure, reduce stress, gain knowledge, and give up negative actions. Anyone can achieve these goals by choosing a course that is progressive and doesn’t inflict limitations on people. That course is called Meditation. Meditation itself is a technique that is frequently seen as a medicine. This route is endless and without boundaries. All the students have to do is give it everything. Students will learn the origins of meditations in ancient religious and...

As a Hindu, Om is more than a word. It is the primeval sound. I believe it is the basic sound of the world and accommodates all other sounds. Therefore, Om can mean anything. It is not easy to define. Om is sacred, nebulous, and spiritual. Most of the mantras I chant daily start with Om. Whenever I chant Om as a mantra or in meditation, there is an intense effect on my body and mind: it resonates throughout my...

I don’t have a specific kind of person in mind, but I would want anyone who is not what I am (I’m Asian, Hindu, heterosexual, idealist, and lower—middleclass) and who does things I don’t do. Diversity is the key word. When opposites clash, a balance is achieved, and creative thinking is promoted. I would be able to see issues from many perspectives; this will be an advantage when I come across new circumstances. Instead of seeing...

Colleges usually require 2 recommenders and it's best to send in that amount of recommenders (no less, no more). Normally, because if colleges don't want them they may ignore the third one. They may look at only two of...

Did you know that top private universities such as the Ivy League schools can be more affordable than attending your local state schools? That's because they are "100% Meet Need" schools. This means that these colleges make their colleges affordable to attend to each admitted student regardless of their financial situation. Cornell is one of these schools and my demonstrated financial need is...

Research! I researched potential colleges and I included a few that is outside of my comfort one. I considered my potential majors (i.e. Biology, biological sciences, biomedical engineering). Cornell stood out to me because it has a unique major called Human Biology, Health and Society (HBHS)...

I believed Cornell is the best fit for me in terms of majors and its ability to provide amazing opportunities in terms of my interest. Other schools didn't provide as much or as interesting opportunities and their FA wasn't as good as Cornell's (although Wesleyan was very close, the contribution difference was only $500 or so dollars. But I'm a NYC resident and I have medicaid as my health insurance so I didn't need to spend extra money for health insurance college whereas if I have gone to other schools, I would have to buy their insurance plan which could have...

There are tons and tons of clubs/ECs available in Cornell! Your guaranteed to find many...

I'm only an incoming freshman but by reading all the daily...

From the complaints I have heard from upperclassmen: I would make sure sidewalks that lead to main buildings (or buildings students most frequently go to) are cleared of snow. Snow can reach up to 1 or more feet! The incoming freshmen are...

I never expected to take PE courses in college. I thought it was over with in high school. Apparently, Cornell...

I wish I hadn't applied to many schools, especially the Ivies because I wasn't interested in many of the Ivies I applied such as Brown, Yale, and Dartmouth. I applied to them because, yes, of their prestige status. And i regretted it because the more...

Cornell may be isolated and can get too cold, but that doesn't mean you'll get bored easily! There's so much to do in Cornell that it seems like Cornell is a city in a middle of nowhere. Not to mention there are 14,000+...

I didn't use a private admissions counselor because 1) My high school has student college advisers (students from my class trained to become advisers), so they knew more information than an average applicant. Not to mention, our class made a fb group dedicated to College admissions,...

Do summer activities that matches your passions you expressed in your essays. If you are passionate about medical fields but you never done activities that correlates with that passion...

Essays are key to set you apart from other applicants. They are a very important factor because an essay is an opportunity to express your...

My topic revolved around my future career as a physician and how the particular major i chose at my school can...