Application Essay Excerpts

For a while, National Science Bowl epitomized failure.Firstly, I never answered questions despite knowing the answer, due to an irrational fear of being wrong. I convinced myself that someone else on the team knew better, unwilling to take the responsibility for success or failure...

Being myself was once difficult. I still constantly find myself mirroring others and adapting to the situation at hand. With those who are loquacious, I participate in the rapid exchange of words; with those who are quiet, I act likewise. When I encounter that rare idea, that singular awe-inspiring person, I want nothing more than to embody its very essence and become it...

Saying "I'm weird" is not a unique statement, but no two people have the same idiosyncrasies. The application thus far has been relatively serious. While I am passionate about learning, teaching and science, focus should balance with fun. The following is a rehashing of anecdotes about me:..

A close friend asked to “see” my homework; I said no. The true dilemma followed: how should my opinion of him change? Initially, I was shocked by his request.....

In my younger and more vulnerable years, I read the obligatory sci-fi and fantasy repertoire, from Dune to The Silmarillion. These amazingly complete universes each provided insight into humankind's potential ability, putting our existence into perspective. Here was inherent optimism. We could leave this piece of space debris, expanding physical and mental frontiers. In the epic tales of the struggle of good against evil, good prevailed. This foundation encouraged the drive for the betterment of humanity, and inspired a cautiously positive outlook on the future...

At Disneyland, I struck up conversation with a UChicago alum; he said, “You’re reading Ibsen at the Tower of Terror—you’d fit right in.” While other places could conceivably facilitate my academic and social development, the opportunities at UChicago would optimize this process...

Via science, the world transforms into a place full of wonder and reason; things either make sense in fantastic ways or beg further research. I long for the best opportunity to cultivate my interest in STEM, especially across the physical sciences...

The breeze bit me like Mike Tyson on Evander Holyfield. It assaulted my eyes and made my hands jittery, blood pumping vigorously through to combat this breeze. My legs were calmly situated under me and my back was arched, marking my terrible posture as I slouched at my desk. A new J. Cole song caused that breeze to bite. This song was perfectly situated on my favorite music blog, a blog dedicated to the alternative hip-hop music that has enriched my life since the beginning of high school...

A pencil and a piece of paper matter to me. These two overused and under-appreciated supplies are the basis for my favorite characteristic- creativity. From poetry to paper airplanes, love letters to tic-tac-toe, and scratch work to sketching, a pencil and a piece of paper allow an individual to temporarily become an artist. Not an artist in art itself, but an artist in ideas...

My heart is racing. My head is pounding. My palms are sweating. This cannot be happening to me. Rewind to a typical day in the life of Nora Rabah, and my primary concern would be to ace my exams for that day. Little did I know that those worries could never compare to the hurt and confusion I felt on December 2, 2010. In the morning of a seemingly normal day, four police officers presented themselves to my family and in six words, “you are going to be deported,” my life changed forever...