Application to UChicago.

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Essay Option 6: Don't write about reverse psychology.


You don’t want to admit me to your university. I’m not at all motivated to do well in school. I’m only interested in bettering myself and understanding the world but who cares? Grades are all that’s important in life. I’m going to be a hassle. I’m going to bother professors after class with questions about what we’re learning. I’m going to take their lectures one step further and ask “what if this?” or “why does this work?”. I’m going to insist that students talk to me about the projects I’m working on and the thoughts I have about various things we’re learning in school.

You don’t want that.

I’m going to be that annoying kid that keeps bothering you about the new theory he has or the new way to look at some math. I’m going to be that kid who doesn’t obey everything he’s told.

I’m going to be the one who doesn’t listen when you tell me what’s important. I’m going to be the one who finds it out for himself.

I’m going to be the misfit, the rebel, the trouble-maker. I’m going to be the round peg in the square hole. I’m going to be one who sees things differently. I’m going to be the one who’s not fond of rules, and I’ll have no respect for the status-quo.

You definitely don’t want me around.

I’m going to be the one who’s crazy enough to think he can change the world.	


Essay 1

I have read that college is "what you make of it" and it doesn't matter very much which college one attends. Although I agree that one can get a great education at an average college or an average education at a great college, I know that I do best in an environment where I can readily discuss my ideas with peers and teachers. I believe that the University of Chicago, with its high standards for admissions and its renowned faculty and alumni, will provide an excellent environment for me to pursue my studies.

I want to be around students who are interested and engaged; students who question things as I do; students who are going to test a formula before using it. I'm looking for a collaborative environment in which other students inspire me and share their insights. I want to work with people like me, people who really care about the basis of the topic and not the superficial aspects such as formulae. I want to be with people who can explain a formula with words and diagrams. Based on UChicago’s small class sizes and diverse student body, I believe that it will provide the best environment for this to occur.

I am motivated by what I have read regarding the internship and mentorship opportunities that are available even to Freshmen at UChicago. And, given my interest in physics and math, I'm especially excited that UChicago has close connections with Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab. I love that there's this easily accessible bridge from higher education to world-class centers in research and development. I have found no match for the combination of academic instruction and real-world application of my studies. I look forward to becoming involved very early in your internship and mentorship programs.


Essay 2
 

"Chaos: Making a New Science" by James Gleick taught me to search for order and governing principles in the world and led to my great appreciation of the entanglement of nature and mathematics. "Einstein: His Life and Universe" by Walter Isaacson inspired me to pursue scientific understanding through insight into the creative and questioning nature of Einstein's mind. "Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution" by Francis Fukuyama introduced me to viewing acts of Science from a political and moral standpoint.

The following are websites, blogs, and podcasts I frequent:
engadget.com, damninteresting.com, betterexplained.com, xkcd.com, slashdot.org, engineerguy.com, ted.com, worrydream.com, New Yorker Animated Cartoons podcast

The following are specific lectures or films I have enjoyed in the past year:

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die, "The Universe, Then and Now: Reflections from the 'Big Bang Machine'" by John Parsons, Tick Tock -short film, MIT 8.01 Physics I: Classical Mechanics, Ken Robinson: Changing education paradigms, Conrad Wolfram, Teaching kids real math with computers, Kathryn Schulz: On being wrong, NOVA: Hunting the Hidden Dimension, NOVA: The Elegant Universe with Brian Greene.