UC and Common application
UC App #1: Describe the world you come from and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations
When I was young, I always thought of science as something cool; a field people explore because it is fun. That is how most children are meant to view the field, but now I realize it is so much more. It is a method of defining the unknown, reaching feats that were unimaginable. Science works to change lives all around the world, whether they are aware of it or not, and those working vigorously in the field do so based on their drive to help. However, what pushed me at first was just a short visit to my mother’s lab in elementary school.
It was a “Bring Your Child to Work” day, and as it was a free invitation to skip school I gladly went along. I arrived at Chevron and saw many professionals in lab coats and goggles and instantly I felt mesmerized by their actions. I remember the demos they had prepared for us, from liquid nitrogen to color-changing reactions and even small explosions done outside. They were so incredible, as if it were magic, and with every trick I knew there had to be a secret to find. There were other areas of the workplace that we visited, but nothing really intrigued me that day as much as the lab.
As I grew older and visited other science museums and exploratoriums, I realized that science was not only fun and games. As I took Biology and Chemistry in high school, as well as science courses at ATDP, I learned about the rising carbon levels and acidity eating away at the ocean floors. Through science fair experiments, I learned not only of deadly diseases and energy crises, but cures and solutions to them as well. I learned that science could shed light on these dangerous problems and simultaneously give hope for them too.
The reason why I aspire to become a scientist, like my mother, is because I want to better the world. One can never truly see the injustice in the world without experiencing it themselves. I live with all my material needs met and more, and yet I have friends who have gone through times when they did not know if there was going to be food on the table the next day. These are not faraway problems, and yet society tends to turn a blind eye. But science is always around us; constantly and impartially helping us all. I hope that the future contains a way to give fresh water to all those in need, a cheaper alternative to food that is in no way harmful, and a manufacturing technique that would use less resources. Social injustices are no match for technology and innovation. What got me into science were the explosions and cool coats, but what is keeping me in is the potential for it to save the world.
UC App #2: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?
In our world today, we all aspire to become leaders. When we think of the leaders throughout history, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and George Washington, we think of confidence, courage, and a loud voice. Our society has shaped human nature to strive for qualities that would form a typical “leader”. But what is stopping people like me, people who are introverted and shy, from having those same traits?
My introversion is a positive quality, one that makes me who I am. I still remember the last time I spoke in front of my class of merely 26 people. My heartbeat quickened, my hands trembled, and I felt my voice stutter with every breath. Staring into the eyes of my peers, seeing the same familiar faces I talk to every day, a fear quaked through my body as though I were facing a pride of lions. I went over and over what I planned to say in my head, something silly about how our class mascot should be a penguin. But through my stumbling and clumsiness, I spoke. I spoke while thinking to myself, am I being coherent, are they listening to me, am I being too restrained, am I acting like a leader? These questions did not arise due to lack of self confidence, but rather through my need of self-reflection, my knee-jerk reaction to situations where I present myself. That is the true difference between extroversion and introversion; the tendency to freely express oneself versus reflecting on oneself.
When I was young, teachers would always say public speaking is a fear that everyone has, such as the fear of heights or the fear of spiders, but this fear can be overcome with hard work and confidence. I used that as justification when I was shy, and could not speak as well as my peers could. As time went on, I started to think I was not trying hard enough, or other people were just better than me. However, as time passed, I knew that was not true. We were all equal in this regard, the fear of talking in front of crowds and of rejection. What makes a difference is how people express themselves on the inside. I over-analyze simple situations, thinking analytically what the best step to take in the conversation is. While I do that, my inner self takes in all the information so, in the future, I can halt the trembling I constantly feel and conquer through wisdom and not just outgoing expression.
I feel like our society tends to overlook introverts; as if we are unable to contribute the same amount as an extrovert, but I have realized that by understanding myself and my personal limitations, I can become a leader of myself. I gain confidence through reflection and courage over my fears. I mold myself into the person that I strive to be, someone who cares and can help others. Leaders should not be those with the loudest voice, but the strongest mind. I am an introvert: one who tends to stay away from crowds but will triumph over adversity through self-reflection and cultivation of inner wisdom.
Common App: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
It is stuffy, loud, filled with hot steam and the chaotic bustle of workers, yet I return there every weekend wearing a black T-shirt uniform depicting an anthropomorphic hot dog. After the many months of working at the local fast food restaurant Weinersnitzel, I have gotten used to the constant chaos that our kitchen is filled with. But even after all my experience, I still fumble at times. I drop things on the ground or forget a step in a preparation process; I’ve even cut my finger while dicing tomatoes recently. Even so, I would not say that I have gone through this experience empty-handed; the people I have worked with, whether in the kitchen or across the counter, have changed my perspective on life forever.
On my first day on the job, I walked into the small restaurant wearing my uniform for the very first time. I knew the dining area well, five small tables on one side and six larger tables all connected by one bench. Music played on the radio as it always does. But finally, after all these years, I walked into the door labelled “Employees Only” and discovered what was behind it: a kitchen of grills, fryers, and preparation stations that I had no idea how to work. I had watched the beginning employee tutorial videos, but I found that watching was much easier than doing.
My boss’s eyes were like an eagle’s when I first started working there. Because of him, I always felt on edge when doing anything, and therefore became more prone to failure due to my extreme nervousness. I remember the time I thought my employment would come to an end. I still recall the exact order: one chicago dog, two chili cheese dogs, small fries, and a small drink. My job was to make those three hot dogs: simple. I looked up at the screen for the order, but it simply appeared in the midst of others; I mixed them up. When I realized my mistake, it was already too late. So many thoughts raced through my head: should I tell my boss, should I intercept the order, should I just ignore it and pretend it never happened? No, I decided I would take responsibility and if I had to face punishment later on so be it. I went out into the dining area and approached the man whose order was mixed up and said, “Sir, I am so sorry, but it seems like your order was mixed up with another. Could you wait a few more minutes as we make the right order?” I expected him to yell, to threaten to talk to the manager, or get angry, but he simply said, “Oh sure that’s fine,” and went back on his phone. When I went back into the kitchen and my boss asked me what had happened, I once again felt a fear quake through my body but still told him calmly what happened. He glared at me disappointingly and I braced myself for a stern lecture, but he too simply told me to make the order again and went back to his office.
I was not just surprised; I was stunned. My boss suddenly lost the intimidating aura that made him so unapproachable. Before, I had expected the worst in people, and thought they expected the worst from me. However this event, and the job in general, has helped me realize we all make mistakes; the only difference is how one approaches a situation. Staying rational will lead to a rational response, and lashing out will only lead to a toxic discourse. This does not only apply to restaurant work; whether in science, business, or cooking, I will always work with people, and errors. Children cower from their mistakes; adults work to right those wrongs. That is how we progress as people and as a society.
When I was young, I always thought of science as something cool; a field people explore because it is fun. That is how most children are meant to view the field, but now I realize it is so much more. It is a method of defining the unknown, reaching feats that were unimaginable. Science works to change lives all around the world, whether they are aware of it or not, and those working vigorously in the field do so based on their drive to help. However, what pushed me at first was just a short visit to my mother’s lab in elementary school.
It was a “Bring Your Child to Work” day, and as it was a free invitation to skip school I gladly went along. I arrived at Chevron and saw many professionals in lab coats and goggles and instantly I felt mesmerized by their actions. I remember the demos they had prepared for us, from liquid nitrogen to color-changing reactions and even small explosions done outside. They were so incredible, as if it were magic, and with every trick I knew there had to be a secret to find. There were other areas of the workplace that we visited, but nothing really intrigued me that day as much as the lab.
As I grew older and visited other science museums and exploratoriums, I realized that science was not only fun and games. As I took Biology and Chemistry in high school, as well as science courses at ATDP, I learned about the rising carbon levels and acidity eating away at the ocean floors. Through science fair experiments, I learned not only of deadly diseases and energy crises, but cures and solutions to them as well. I learned that science could shed light on these dangerous problems and simultaneously give hope for them too.
The reason why I aspire to become a scientist, like my mother, is because I want to better the world. One can never truly see the injustice in the world without experiencing it themselves. I live with all my material needs met and more, and yet I have friends who have gone through times when they did not know if there was going to be food on the table the next day. These are not faraway problems, and yet society tends to turn a blind eye. But science is always around us; constantly and impartially helping us all. I hope that the future contains a way to give fresh water to all those in need, a cheaper alternative to food that is in no way harmful, and a manufacturing technique that would use less resources. Social injustices are no match for technology and innovation. What got me into science were the explosions and cool coats, but what is keeping me in is the potential for it to save the world.
UC App #2: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?
In our world today, we all aspire to become leaders. When we think of the leaders throughout history, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and George Washington, we think of confidence, courage, and a loud voice. Our society has shaped human nature to strive for qualities that would form a typical “leader”. But what is stopping people like me, people who are introverted and shy, from having those same traits?
My introversion is a positive quality, one that makes me who I am. I still remember the last time I spoke in front of my class of merely 26 people. My heartbeat quickened, my hands trembled, and I felt my voice stutter with every breath. Staring into the eyes of my peers, seeing the same familiar faces I talk to every day, a fear quaked through my body as though I were facing a pride of lions. I went over and over what I planned to say in my head, something silly about how our class mascot should be a penguin. But through my stumbling and clumsiness, I spoke. I spoke while thinking to myself, am I being coherent, are they listening to me, am I being too restrained, am I acting like a leader? These questions did not arise due to lack of self confidence, but rather through my need of self-reflection, my knee-jerk reaction to situations where I present myself. That is the true difference between extroversion and introversion; the tendency to freely express oneself versus reflecting on oneself.
When I was young, teachers would always say public speaking is a fear that everyone has, such as the fear of heights or the fear of spiders, but this fear can be overcome with hard work and confidence. I used that as justification when I was shy, and could not speak as well as my peers could. As time went on, I started to think I was not trying hard enough, or other people were just better than me. However, as time passed, I knew that was not true. We were all equal in this regard, the fear of talking in front of crowds and of rejection. What makes a difference is how people express themselves on the inside. I over-analyze simple situations, thinking analytically what the best step to take in the conversation is. While I do that, my inner self takes in all the information so, in the future, I can halt the trembling I constantly feel and conquer through wisdom and not just outgoing expression.
I feel like our society tends to overlook introverts; as if we are unable to contribute the same amount as an extrovert, but I have realized that by understanding myself and my personal limitations, I can become a leader of myself. I gain confidence through reflection and courage over my fears. I mold myself into the person that I strive to be, someone who cares and can help others. Leaders should not be those with the loudest voice, but the strongest mind. I am an introvert: one who tends to stay away from crowds but will triumph over adversity through self-reflection and cultivation of inner wisdom.
Common App: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
It is stuffy, loud, filled with hot steam and the chaotic bustle of workers, yet I return there every weekend wearing a black T-shirt uniform depicting an anthropomorphic hot dog. After the many months of working at the local fast food restaurant Weinersnitzel, I have gotten used to the constant chaos that our kitchen is filled with. But even after all my experience, I still fumble at times. I drop things on the ground or forget a step in a preparation process; I’ve even cut my finger while dicing tomatoes recently. Even so, I would not say that I have gone through this experience empty-handed; the people I have worked with, whether in the kitchen or across the counter, have changed my perspective on life forever.
On my first day on the job, I walked into the small restaurant wearing my uniform for the very first time. I knew the dining area well, five small tables on one side and six larger tables all connected by one bench. Music played on the radio as it always does. But finally, after all these years, I walked into the door labelled “Employees Only” and discovered what was behind it: a kitchen of grills, fryers, and preparation stations that I had no idea how to work. I had watched the beginning employee tutorial videos, but I found that watching was much easier than doing.
My boss’s eyes were like an eagle’s when I first started working there. Because of him, I always felt on edge when doing anything, and therefore became more prone to failure due to my extreme nervousness. I remember the time I thought my employment would come to an end. I still recall the exact order: one chicago dog, two chili cheese dogs, small fries, and a small drink. My job was to make those three hot dogs: simple. I looked up at the screen for the order, but it simply appeared in the midst of others; I mixed them up. When I realized my mistake, it was already too late. So many thoughts raced through my head: should I tell my boss, should I intercept the order, should I just ignore it and pretend it never happened? No, I decided I would take responsibility and if I had to face punishment later on so be it. I went out into the dining area and approached the man whose order was mixed up and said, “Sir, I am so sorry, but it seems like your order was mixed up with another. Could you wait a few more minutes as we make the right order?” I expected him to yell, to threaten to talk to the manager, or get angry, but he simply said, “Oh sure that’s fine,” and went back on his phone. When I went back into the kitchen and my boss asked me what had happened, I once again felt a fear quake through my body but still told him calmly what happened. He glared at me disappointingly and I braced myself for a stern lecture, but he too simply told me to make the order again and went back to his office.
I was not just surprised; I was stunned. My boss suddenly lost the intimidating aura that made him so unapproachable. Before, I had expected the worst in people, and thought they expected the worst from me. However this event, and the job in general, has helped me realize we all make mistakes; the only difference is how one approaches a situation. Staying rational will lead to a rational response, and lashing out will only lead to a toxic discourse. This does not only apply to restaurant work; whether in science, business, or cooking, I will always work with people, and errors. Children cower from their mistakes; adults work to right those wrongs. That is how we progress as people and as a society.