Writing: College Application Essays #5 (Haverford)

Prompt:
Tell us about a topic or issue that sparks your curiosity and gets you intellectually excited. How do you think the environment at Haverford, including the framework of the Honor Code, would foster your continued intellectual growth?

In 1925, the Supreme Court held in Gitlow v. New York that states may not infringe on the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. This case set into motion the doctrine of selective incorporation, in which certain rights in the Bill of Rights have been applied to the states. In the ninety years since, the Court has incorporated almost every right except the Third and Seventh Amendments and parts of the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth.

As a result, the Court has protected and created many rights we see as vital today– for example, our Miranda rights in Miranda v. Arizona and the exclusionary rule in Mapp v. Ohio. Everyday, we can see the Bill of Rights and legal precedent at work in our own lives.

    At my high school, I’ve pursued my interest in Constitutional law through my Competition Civics class. Through it, I’ve spent many hours discussing questions like “Should the government surveil the internet without a warrant?” or “Are free speech zones a violation of the First Amendment?” with those who have the same passion in our history and law.

I think that Haverford will be the perfect place for me to continue these intellectual discussions. With the Honor Code and freedom offered to students, the emphasis is on learning and exploring issues– not grades and rote memorization. Haverford’s environment is tailored to those who love to learn, and there, I hope to meet others who feel the same about the Bill of Rights and education.

Prompt: 
Please tell us what motivated you to apply to Haverford and what excites you most as you imagine your Haverford experience.

For me, high school has been a time of exploration. Freshman year, I was interested in aerospace engineering. Sophomore year, it was environmental science. Junior year, statistics. This year, it’s American history, government, and law. And to be completely honest, I still haven’t made up my mind as to what I should pursue; I’ve loved learning about it all. That’s why I’m applying to Haverford– because I believe that the freedom offered there will foster my intellectual curiosity.   

As I imagine my Haverford experience, I’m most excited about the senior thesis. I love finding connections between subjects and applying what I’ve learned to real life. I want to find answers to questions such as “Can biology be used for transportation theory?” or “Why does the American constitutional system fail in many other countries?” With these opportunities, Haverford will help me grow as both a student and an individual.