UC Essays
I know you guys are probably sick of reading everyone's UC Essays, but if you could give me some honest feedback on mine I would really appreciate it.
How have you taken advantage of the educational opportunities you have had to prepare for college?
Writing college level essays and taking advanced placement exams seems like a daunting task in high school, however it has become necessary. Throughout my high school career I have always tried to take the highest rigor of classes I can handle. This is why I have taken almost all honors when available and some Advanced Placement courses. College will only get more difficult, therefore I have tried to work to my intellectual capacity.
Psychology or atmospheric science are the two directions I’m leaning towards in college, therefore I have tried to take classes which will prepare me for both career paths. I am currently enrolled in an Intro to Psychology class, as well as Advanced Placement Calculus and Environmental Science. Since Calculus is a huge part of atmospheric science, and Environmental Science has some weather aspects to it, these classes will help prepare me. My psychology class will be beneficial for obvious reasons, giving me a foundation of general psychoanalytic theories and founders.
Tell us about a talent, experience, contribution, or personal quality you will bring to the University of California.
Dressing in fancy business suits and speaking on a bill in Sacramento’s state capitol building was never something I imagined myself doing. However, this is the magic which Youth and Government embodies, a program I have been involved in since my junior year of high school. It teaches kids about the inter-workings of California’s state government in a hands-on manner. In the beginning of the year we split into several groups, write bills, and present them at Bill Hearing Night. In fact, this year I co-sponsored my bill and presented it to a panel of judges. We also decided which roles to play in Sacramento and attended conferences to prepare. Last year I was a lobbyist - my role was to persuade committees for and against the passage of bills. In February we take our annual trip to Sacramento to enact a five-day Model Legislature and Court. Debating bills in real senate chambers, arguing court cases in state judicial courts, and discussing proposals relating to national issues in the convention center are among the many government functions delegates partake in.
This program has encouraged me to debate and get involved. I have become more outspoken towards my opinions, a stronger orator, and learned to take pride and credibility in my beliefs.
Is there anything you would like us to know about you or your academic record that you have not had the opportunity to describe elsewhere in this application?
Picture yourself being forced to live in a tiny cage with hundreds of other people. Each passing day means you are one step closer to being senselessly butchered. This is the tragic but true reality of chickens and cows. These helpless animals are bred to live in cramped cages for the short spans of their lives with their beaks severed so as to prevent them from pecking each other to death, along with other acts of chicken aggression. Movement is so restricted in the limited amount of space that chicks cannot even flap their wings. Dead chickens are left in cages to rot with the living. Baby cows are pinned in suffocating crates that restrict almost all movement. After viewing the film "Peaceable Kingdom," these realities were thrust upon me, giving my mind something to gnaw on. This newfound awareness led me to question my moral values - is it just to support an unnecessarily cruel meat industry?
I quickly decided that the inhuman treatment of meat industry victims was wrong, and cut meat out of my diet. I received vegetarian starter guides from one of my teachers, and read up on this new lifestyle. However, early on I found being a vegetarian is no easy task. My family consists of all meat eaters - therefore I had to do my own grocery shopping and my own cooking - something I was never responsible for prior.
The first time I attempted to cook a vegetarian meal, Eggplant Manicotti was the test. From slicing the eggplant to the right thickness, to stuffing the filling into the slices and trying to get the right shape, nothing seemed to go according to plan. By the time I put the dish into the oven, what should have been Eggplant Manicotti looked more like Eggplant Roadkill. A dish that should have taken one hour according to the recipe book ended up taking me close to three hours. Along with being unfit to cook, finding sources of certain vitamins and nutrients (such as B12, iron, calcium, and protein) was a challenge, but I managed the best I could.
Vegetarianism forced me to become more independent and self-sustaining, two vital life skills. I also became a more compassionate person, in all aspects of my life. Helping my parents when asked was no longer resented as menial work, I was instead happy to be of assistance. People I would normally brush off as nuisances became less bothersome, and I treated them with the same respect and courtesy as the next. It seemed that I not only changed my eating habits, but my character as well.
However, recently I have returned to eating meat again, because my body was wearing down and it became impractical at this point in time. Especially with a lack of parental support in my decision, this only added to the adversity. I found it too difficult to keep up with my grades and schoolwork, while fitting in time to make my own dinner and market trips. Constantly feeling lethargic and languid, fulfilling daily functions became demanding. It was even harder than usual to stay awake during class, and I barely had enough energy to complete my homework and household chores. Full commitment to Vegetarianism required a huge sacrifice that I am not prepared for at this stage of my life.
I plan to resume a vegetarian lifestyle in college, when I am more knowledgeable about carrying it out efficiently. Especially since most schools have vegetarian meal options, it should be significantly easier. This journey gave me a foundation of how to be a vegetarian. As I grow and mature, I hope to perfect the practice into a plan I can consistently sustain.
How have you taken advantage of the educational opportunities you have had to prepare for college?
Writing college level essays and taking advanced placement exams seems like a daunting task in high school, however it has become necessary. Throughout my high school career I have always tried to take the highest rigor of classes I can handle. This is why I have taken almost all honors when available and some Advanced Placement courses. College will only get more difficult, therefore I have tried to work to my intellectual capacity.
Psychology or atmospheric science are the two directions I’m leaning towards in college, therefore I have tried to take classes which will prepare me for both career paths. I am currently enrolled in an Intro to Psychology class, as well as Advanced Placement Calculus and Environmental Science. Since Calculus is a huge part of atmospheric science, and Environmental Science has some weather aspects to it, these classes will help prepare me. My psychology class will be beneficial for obvious reasons, giving me a foundation of general psychoanalytic theories and founders.
Tell us about a talent, experience, contribution, or personal quality you will bring to the University of California.
Dressing in fancy business suits and speaking on a bill in Sacramento’s state capitol building was never something I imagined myself doing. However, this is the magic which Youth and Government embodies, a program I have been involved in since my junior year of high school. It teaches kids about the inter-workings of California’s state government in a hands-on manner. In the beginning of the year we split into several groups, write bills, and present them at Bill Hearing Night. In fact, this year I co-sponsored my bill and presented it to a panel of judges. We also decided which roles to play in Sacramento and attended conferences to prepare. Last year I was a lobbyist - my role was to persuade committees for and against the passage of bills. In February we take our annual trip to Sacramento to enact a five-day Model Legislature and Court. Debating bills in real senate chambers, arguing court cases in state judicial courts, and discussing proposals relating to national issues in the convention center are among the many government functions delegates partake in.
This program has encouraged me to debate and get involved. I have become more outspoken towards my opinions, a stronger orator, and learned to take pride and credibility in my beliefs.
Is there anything you would like us to know about you or your academic record that you have not had the opportunity to describe elsewhere in this application?
Picture yourself being forced to live in a tiny cage with hundreds of other people. Each passing day means you are one step closer to being senselessly butchered. This is the tragic but true reality of chickens and cows. These helpless animals are bred to live in cramped cages for the short spans of their lives with their beaks severed so as to prevent them from pecking each other to death, along with other acts of chicken aggression. Movement is so restricted in the limited amount of space that chicks cannot even flap their wings. Dead chickens are left in cages to rot with the living. Baby cows are pinned in suffocating crates that restrict almost all movement. After viewing the film "Peaceable Kingdom," these realities were thrust upon me, giving my mind something to gnaw on. This newfound awareness led me to question my moral values - is it just to support an unnecessarily cruel meat industry?
I quickly decided that the inhuman treatment of meat industry victims was wrong, and cut meat out of my diet. I received vegetarian starter guides from one of my teachers, and read up on this new lifestyle. However, early on I found being a vegetarian is no easy task. My family consists of all meat eaters - therefore I had to do my own grocery shopping and my own cooking - something I was never responsible for prior.
The first time I attempted to cook a vegetarian meal, Eggplant Manicotti was the test. From slicing the eggplant to the right thickness, to stuffing the filling into the slices and trying to get the right shape, nothing seemed to go according to plan. By the time I put the dish into the oven, what should have been Eggplant Manicotti looked more like Eggplant Roadkill. A dish that should have taken one hour according to the recipe book ended up taking me close to three hours. Along with being unfit to cook, finding sources of certain vitamins and nutrients (such as B12, iron, calcium, and protein) was a challenge, but I managed the best I could.
Vegetarianism forced me to become more independent and self-sustaining, two vital life skills. I also became a more compassionate person, in all aspects of my life. Helping my parents when asked was no longer resented as menial work, I was instead happy to be of assistance. People I would normally brush off as nuisances became less bothersome, and I treated them with the same respect and courtesy as the next. It seemed that I not only changed my eating habits, but my character as well.
However, recently I have returned to eating meat again, because my body was wearing down and it became impractical at this point in time. Especially with a lack of parental support in my decision, this only added to the adversity. I found it too difficult to keep up with my grades and schoolwork, while fitting in time to make my own dinner and market trips. Constantly feeling lethargic and languid, fulfilling daily functions became demanding. It was even harder than usual to stay awake during class, and I barely had enough energy to complete my homework and household chores. Full commitment to Vegetarianism required a huge sacrifice that I am not prepared for at this stage of my life.
I plan to resume a vegetarian lifestyle in college, when I am more knowledgeable about carrying it out efficiently. Especially since most schools have vegetarian meal options, it should be significantly easier. This journey gave me a foundation of how to be a vegetarian. As I grow and mature, I hope to perfect the practice into a plan I can consistently sustain.