Writing: College Application Essays #3 (Amherst)

(Note: As I stated previously, I'll be posting the supplemental essays in clusters because a lot of them are just very short essays.)

Prompt:

Please respond to one of the following quotations in an essay of not more than 300 words. It is not necessary to research, read, or refer to the texts from which these quotations are taken; we are looking for original, personal responses to these short excerpts. Remember that your essay should be personal in nature and not simply an argumentative essay.

“Creating an environment that allows students to build lasting friendships, including those that cut across seemingly entrenched societal and political boundaries...requires candor about the inevitable tensions, as well as about the wonderful opportunities, that diversity and inclusiveness create."

Carolyn "Biddy" Martin, 19th President of Amherst College, from Letter to Amherst College Alumni and Families, December 28, 2015.

Sitting in my first-period African American Literature class, I drowsily think: it’s only been fifty or so years since the institution of Jim Crow ended, and we’ve already come so far. Because of the work of the Warren Court and civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Mario Savio, Rosa Parks, and many others, it’s now completely acceptable for me to work and study with extremely diverse people.

By the standards of the 1950s, the group I volunteer with must look like a circus troupe. In fact, the entire situation probably looks like a freak show: a short Filipino working with an African American veteran, two undocumented Mexican middle school girls, an Indian couple, and a white college-aged female musician serving sandwiches to half-naked men and women at San Francisco Pride. If George Wallace, the famous segregationist, saw us, he’d probably be sick.

Regardless, I’m glad we’ve gone this far. These opportunities, from a place where I can work with these kinds of people, have allowed me to grow and become more accepting of other cultures. They’ve taught me the basics of food preparation– how to chop and fry plantains, put together a jerk sandwich, and dress a falafel. More importantly, they’ve also shown me that despite skin color, sexuality, background, or any other characteristic that separates us, we’re all similar in our hopes, dreams, and success.

From my own experience, I’ve found that diversity and inclusiveness are extremely important to producing widespread change. When we’re exposed to those different than us, our horizons expand greatly, and new doors open for all. Even so, we must be ready to face the challenges that come with opening those doors, and accept the new worlds hidden behind them.

Prompt:

Please briefly elaborate on an extracurricular activity or work experience of particular significance to you.

“Good afternoon. We are Unit 5. We’d like to thank you for listening to our testimony.” Since October, I’ve said these words countless times as part of my school’s We the People program– a national competition focusing on the American Constitution.

In this program, my unit’s focus is the Bill of Rights and the issues that surround it. In a four minute prepared speech and eight minute question-and-answer session, we have to answer questions such as: “Can police search cellphones without a warrant?” “How have women and minorities benefited from the freedom of assembly?” “Should student speech, on social media, be limited by school officials?”

For me, We the People has defined senior year. Through this program, I’ve learned law, history, philosophy, current events, and more. From working with my team very closely these past few months, I’ve improved significantly at public speaking, argumentation, and cooperation– all skills which will help me succeed in college and the future.

Prompt:

If you have engaged in significant research in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, social sciences or humanities that was undertaken independently of your high school curriculum, please provide a brief description of the research project.

How can biological models be used in transportation design? One organism that addresses this question is physarum polycephalum, a simple slime mold. Due to the concept of energy homeostasis, this organism creates an efficient web which balances energy intake with expenditure. As a result, when food sources are placed in the geographic locations of cities, this organism will form a blueprint, reducing fuel usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and travel time, whilst increasing distance travelled.