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During my work at the university, I have formed images of the main types of students, I present them to your attention.
- Erudite. This is the rarest type, but the most interesting. Such a student has above-average intelligence, learning is easy for him, while he likes to learn, and he is not lazy to do it. He can ask tricky questions that mature in his head thanks to an inquiring mind. It is because of the presence of such a student in the group that the teacher is always in good shape, often looks into reference materials, prepares more carefully for the lesson. But communication with him is a real pleasure.
- Formalist. It occurs quite often, it is usually female. This is an intelligent and hardworking student, but he completes assignments not because he likes the subject, but because he needs to. He is very disciplined and used to a constant work schedule. I am amazed at such students, they are always ready, where do they find time for this? At the same time, they do not look like nerds.
- Mediocre. Such a student is distinguished by a mediocre attitude towards learning. He attends classes because he needs to get a diploma, but he does not make any effort to master the profession, he does only the minimum so that he does not get expelled from the university, often it consists in “rubbing his pants.” He is usually not stupid, his knowledge is very mediocre.
- Interested in. A student of any type can move to this category. These are the students who like the subject they are studying, and they study because they are passionate, not because they have to. It happens that a student is passionate about one subject and attends only it, it happens that if he is a formalist, then he does others out of necessity, and does one for the soul.
- Silly you. A student who is stupid in everyday life and has not yet figured out how everything works around where he got to, does not know how to quickly navigate in a difficult situation. For him, the deduction is more real than for anyone else.
- Impenetrable. This man seemed to have built an armor around himself, it is impossible to reach him. He decided in advance that he did not need this subject and did not perceive any information in pairs, but attends, just sits, writes down, and leaves anyway with what he came without having mastered the new knowledge.
- Tired. This student is tired due to the fact that he studied hard at school/college/technical school and now he has no strength left for further education, or he is just such a person, tired of life. It is also impossible to reach such a person, he does not perceive new information.
- Busy. Such a student has a lot of things to do outside the classroom, it can be work, hobbies, personal life, social life at the university, in which he is involved, or something else. These are usually intelligent and energetic students, but they practically do not go to pairs, they close the session only thanks to the previously acquired knowledge in a secondary (/ special) educational institution.
- An outspoken bummer. This is all laziness, unless it’s not lazy to lie on the couch. He is usually expelled sooner or later, only if someone constantly “does not kick” him to study, for example, parents or friends, then he receives his fully three-point diploma, but he himself does not strive for anything.
- Modest. This is usually a quiet, modest guy, regularly visits couples, performs the necessary tasks, but is not talkative, he will not say anything, if not asked, little is known about him.
- Suck up. Most often female, but there are also guys. It is believed that a higher grade is ensured through a good relationship with the teacher, from them you can usually hear plenty of compliments, and on the exam, in the case of a troban, abuse.
- I am the best! These are students with high self-esteem, they look down on not only their classmates, but also consider the teacher to be below myself. At the same time, they regularly raise their self-esteem and themselves in the eyes of others by lowering those around them, innocent people. It is interesting to watch such people from the outside, they are usually charismatic personalities, but being involved in interaction with them is akin to pouring a tub of dirt on you.
These are, in my opinion, the main types of modern students.
What kind of student are you? Do you study because you need to or because you like it? But what if you only study what is interesting? In other subjects, credit cannot be obtained, and therefore, a diploma of higher education and related benefits …
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People watching; many are guilty of it, but not everyone wants to admit it. Whether you are at work, at the mall, walking through the park, or sitting in class, it tends to happen. You begin to form opinions of others without speaking a single word to them.
This article is not a matter of what is right and what is wrong, but simply what occurs often in daily life. As I scan the room while writing this article, I see the student that continuously perceives social media as a priority over note taking. I see the student that lacks sleep and uses class time as nap time. I even see the overly focused individual who is fixated on the PowerPoint slides and blind to the surrounding environment. Hell, I admittedly am using class time to write my Odyssey article as a means of making up for a lackluster presentation. We are all guilty of being sidetracked. People watching allows us to not only analyze the surrounding world but also ourselves.
I am a strong believer of the fact that people can be dynamic as they move from class to class, semester to semester, so on and so forth. Someone may be a “sleeper” if the class is at 8 a.m. and the material is extremely dry. That same individual could exhibit a high level of focus if they are taking an afternoon class with very interesting information. The kind of student that you are can always vary. This is true outside of class as well. I find that too much silence is unhealthy for me, and begin to lose focus.
I have never been the type of person to isolate myself in the corner of the library with absolute silence. I begin to be “too much in my own head” and ironically enough, I lose focus. I do some of my best work and best studying with a moderate noise level. It is usually pretty easy to point out the individuals with a substantial workload and not enough time to appropriately accommodate it. They are often doing homework, quizzes, or studying for another class while taking notes for the class that they are presently in. I do not think that there is such thing as “normal” student, because I do not think I have the right to classify anything as normal. Everyone has their own unique way of doing things.
The type of student you are is not limited to the fashion in which you attend class. It also consists of your actual fashion. On any given day, I see the student who comes to class in the same clothes that were slept in. I see the student who seemingly has spent more time getting dressed than there is sunlight in the day (a bit exaggerated, but you catch my drift). We cannot leave out those who have come from the gym or are going to the gym after; those who have come from work or are going to work after. The way a person dresses can tell you a lot about a person’s daily life. It can be a major factor in the kind of student they are.
Being a student at Cleveland State University for the past three and a half years has shown me quite a bit about diversity. There are so many different people that you can encounter on any given day. I should make the point that this is not about judging a book by its cover; it is merely about how so many of us find our own ways of expressing who we are. Many of the people I encounter on campus are full-time students, and so the way in which we study is a major determinant of the way in which we live our life.
Briefly, I would like to state that I am someone who chooses to attend class in a cardigan, a button up shirt, jeans, and brown leather shoes. I make an effort to pay attention to my professors, and I also have a tendency to get sidetracked on my laptop as well. This is the kind of student I am and that is fine by me.
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Рассказ о себе на английском языке (ABOUT MYSELF) – 1
My name is Alexei (Ivan, Stas, Alexander …).
Меня зовут Алексей (Иван, Стас, Александр …).
I am from Moscow (St Petersburg, Novgorod, Novosibirsk …).
Я из Москвы (Санкт Петербурга, Новгорода, Новосибирска …).
I am 17 years old.
Мне 17 лет.
I go to school (gymnasium, lyceum) number 24.
Я хожу в школу (гимназию, лицей) номер 24.
I am in the 11th grade now.
Сейчас я в 11-м классе.
I try to get on well in all the subjects because I want my school leaving certificate to be with honours.
Я пытаюсь хорошо успевать по всем предметам, потому что хочу получить аттестат с отличием.
I give considerable attention to computer science because I want to enter a technical university.
Я уделяю много внимания информатике, так как хочу поступить в технический университет.
I want to be a programmer in the future.
В будущем я хочу быть программистом.
My family is a traditional one.
Моя семья обычная.
I have got a father, a mother and an elder sister.
У меня есть папа и мама, а также старшая сестра.
My parents have to work hard to keep the family.
Мои родители вынуждены много работать, чтобы обеспечить семью.
My father is an interior designer.
Мой папа дизайнер интерьеров.
My mother is a language teacher at school.
Моя мама учитель иностранного языка в школе.
My sister has just graduated from the university, and she is now looking for an appropriate job.
Моя сестра только что закончила университет и ищет подходящую работу.
Despite the fact that I am focusing on studies I try to gain time for extra-curricular activities.
Несмотря на то, что я сосредоточен на учебе, я пытаюсь найти время и для внеучебной деятельности.
I am a goaltender in the school bandy team.
Я вратарь в школьной команде по игре с мячом.
We often take part in different bandy competitions and win prizes.
Мы часто принимаем участие в различных соревнованиях по игре с мячом и выигрываем призы.
Рассказ о себе на английском языке (ABOUT MYSELF) – 2
Let me introduce myself. My name is Viktor Steklov.
Позвольте представиться. Меня зовут Виктор Стеклов.
I am a student of the faculty of economics.
Я студент экономического факультета.
I study audit, taxation, accounting, and many other economical subjects.
Я изучаю аудит, налогообложение, бухгалтерский учет и многие другие экономические дисциплины.
On completion of four-year Bachelor’s programme I will try to find a job in an audit company.
По завершении четырехлетней программы бакалавриата я попытаюсь найти работу а аудиторской компании.
I am very ambitious and will try with all my might and main to make a successful career.
Я очень амбициозен и буду пытаться изо всех сил строить успешную карьеру.
I have neither brothers nor sisters.
У меня нет ни братьев, ни сестер.
I live with my mother who always made me respect work.
Я живу со своей мамой, которая всегда воспитывала меня в уважении к труду.
I respect my mother very much and help her as much as I can.
Я очень уважаю маму и помогаю ей, как могу.
In my spare time I read books or play chess online.
В свободное время я читаю книги или играю в шахматы онлайн.
Рассказ о себе на английском языке (ABOUT MYSELF) – 3
First of all let me introduce myself. My name is Svyatoslav.
Прежде всего, позвольте представиться. Меня зовут Святослав.
I’m sixteen years old.
Мне шестнадцать лет.
I’m in the 10th grade
Я учусь в 10-м классе.
There are two more guys in the family besides me – my elder brother Viktor and my younger sister Sveta.
Кроме меня, в моей семье имеется еще два человека – мой старший брат Виктор и младшая сестра Света.
Viktor is twent, he attends the university, he will be a dentist.
Виктору двадцать лет, он посещает университет, он будет стоматологом.
Sveta is only thirteen, she is a schoolgirl.
Свете пока еще тринадцать лет, и она школьница.
I should mention one more member of our family.
Мне стоит упомянуть еще одного члена нашей семьи.
It’s our favourite spaniel Pot.
Это наш любимый спаниель Пот.
My parents are not old at all.
Мои родители еще совсем не старые.
My Mum is forty, she works for a newspaper.
Моей маме сорок, она работает в газете.
My Dad is forty-four, he is an engineer in an electricity supply network company.
Моему папе сорок четыре года. Он инженер в электросетевой компании.
My parents love their jobs very much.
Мои родители очень любят свою работу.
I’m doing quite well at school.
В школе я учусь хорошо.
My parents are proud of my marks.
Мои родители гордятся моими отметками.
I go in for sports. I play volleyball.
Я увлекаюсь спортом. Я играю в волейбол.
In summer time I like yachting and windsurfing.
Летом мне нравится заниматься катанием на яхте и виндсерфингом.
I take part in different volleyball competitions.
Я принимаю участие в различных соревнованиях по волейболу.
In two years I will leave my school and I will have to decide what occupation to choose.
Через два года я покидаю школу, и мне нужно будет выбрать какую-нибудь профессию.
I have been studying English for six years.
Я изучаю английский язык шесть лет.
My grandparents are already retired.
Мои бабушка и дедушка уже на пенсии.
They like gardening and spend all their time growing tomatoes, potatoes, onions, strawberries, raspberries.
Они любят садоводство и все свое время выращивают помидоры, лук, клубнику, малину.
Рассказ о себе на английском языке (ABOUT MYSELF) – 4
Let me introduce myself. My name is Anna Kaufman. I am sixteen. I am a student of the Rostov Secondary School. At the moment I am in the tenth grade. As of my traits of character, I am purposeful, easy-going, cheerful and responsive. I love my family and friends and I am always eager to help them and divide their joy and sorrows. But at the same time I am touchy and stubborn. I like to spend much time with my nearest and dearest. I adore outdoor activities, picnics, rafting and travelling. I like to sit by the fire with my friends and enjoy the natural beauty of the world. Besides, I am a very versatile person. I am fond of fashion, photography, music, English and painting. In my free time I can spend hours out in the open air indulging in my hobby. On my way to school I always listen to my favorite songs on my iPod. Twice a week I go to the gym where I practice yoga and ballet. I also like to play volleyball and basketball with my friends.
Позвольте представиться. Меня зовут Анна Кауфман. Мне шестнадцать лет и я являюсь ученицей Ростовской общеобразовательной школы. На данный момент я учусь в десятом классе. Что касается моего характера, то я целеустремленная, добродушная, веселая и отзывчивая. Я очень люблю свою семью и друзей и всегда готова прийти к ним на помощь и разделить их радости и горести. Однако в то же время я очень обидчивая и упрямая. Я люблю проводить много времени со своими родными и близкими. Мне нравятся мероприятия на свежем воздухе: люблю устраивать пикники, сплавляться по реке и путешествовать. Я также обожаю посидеть у костра со своими друзьями и насладиться природными красотами мира. Кроме того, я очень разносторонний человек. Я увлекаюсь модой, фотографией, музыкой, английским и рисованием. В свободное время я могу часами заниматься своим хобби на свежем воздухе. По дороге в школу я всегда слушаю любимые песни на своем Айподе. Два раза в неделю я посещаю спортзал, где занимаюсь йогой и балетом. Я также люблю играть в волейбол и баскетбол со своими друзьями.
As to my appearance, I am quite tall and slim with big blue eyes and plump lips. My hair is curly and brown. I have lightly tanned skin. My friends find me rather attractive. Like most teenagers, I prefer wearing casual clothing, such as jeans, T-shirts and sneakers. I hate high-heeled shoes because they are extremely uncomfortable. I usually feel uneasy when I have to wear them on special occasions.
По поводу своей внешности могу сказать, что я довольно высокая и стройная девушка с большими голубыми глазами и пухлыми губами. У меня кудрявые каштановые волосы и легкий загар на коже. Мои друзья находят меня довольно привлекательной. Как большинство подростков, я предпочитаю повседневный стиль одежды, например джинсы, футболки и кеды. Я ненавижу обувь на высоких каблуках из-за ее неудобства и чувствую себя не в своей тарелке, когда мне приходится ее обувать по особым случаям.
My family is not large. My parents have one more child, besides me. Thus I have got an older sister. Her name is Mary. She is in her late twenties. She works in a bank as a chief accountant. She is married and has a wonderful daughter named Alice. I like to play with her. She is very funny and smart. Sometimes I pick her from the nursery school and we walk in the park.
Моя семья небольшая. У моих родителей, кроме меня, есть еще один ребенок. Это моя старшая сестра. Ее зовут Мария и ей уже далеко за двадцать. Она работает главным бухгалтером в банке. Она замужем и у нее есть чудесная дочь по имени Алиса. Я люблю играть с ней. Она очень смешная и сообразительная. Иногда я забираю ее из детского сада, и мы гуляем с ней в парке.
I have the best parents in the world. Both of them are understanding, kind and patient. They always support me and give me sound advice. My
mother and I are very much alike. She is very beautiful and elegant and always inspires me. My dad is a surgeon. Every day he saves lives of many people. I am happy to have such a friendly family. On our weekends we often go to the country and stay with my grandparents. I help my
grandma with gardening or go fishing with my granddad. My grandparents are retired but work part-time as teachers at school. We love to make up picnics. My father usually cooks shish kebab and grilled vegetables. We often sit up late at night and look through our family albums. I can sit for hours studying cach image and recalling life events. It is so touching.
У меня самые лучшие родители в мире. Они понимающие, добрые и терпеливые. Они всегда поддерживают меня и дают мудрые советы. Мы с мамой очень похожи. Она очень красивая, элегантная и всегда служит для меня источником вдохновения. Мой папа хирург. Ежедневно он спасает жизни многих людей. Я счастлива, что у меня такая дружная семья. По выходным мы часто ездим за город и гостим у бабушки и дедушки. Я обычно помогаю
бабушке в огороде или хожу на рыбалку с дедушкой. Мои бабушка и дедушка уже на пенсии, но они до сих пор продолжают преподавать на полставки в школе. Мы обожаем устраивать пикники. Мой отец обычно готовит шашлыки и овощи на гриле. Мы часто засиживаемся до поздней ночи, просматривая
семейные альбомы. Лично я могу часами изучать каждую фотографию и вспоминать минувшие события жизни. Это так трогательно!
In the conclusion, I would like to quote Thomas Jefferson who once said, “The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed
at home in the bosom of my family.” I absolutely agree with this statement. As far as I am concerned, I also appreciate every minute of my life spent in the circle of my family.
В заключении я хотела бы процитировать Томаса Джефферсона, который однажды сказал: «Самые счастливые моменты моей жизни — это те, которые я провожу дома в лоне своей семьи». Я полностью согласна с данным утверждением. Что касается меня, то я тоже ценю каждую минуту, проведенную в кругу моей семьи.
It’s interesting reading how
teachers react to certain kinds of students.
They are most often indignant with students not doing homework and not
completing assignments. A good student
is someone who turns in all their work, has it done neatly and completely and
on time. Even if they aren’t the highest
achievers, if they can do those things, they will usually be seen as good
students. These good students are striving for A’s all the time, with an
occasional B. Apparently, most teacher bloggers seem to be from that fine
“good student” tradition, and they can not understand why any of
their students wouldn’t do likewise.
I am not from that “good
student” tradition. I hated
homework and never did a lick of it in high school. If I couldn’t get it done in class, I
probably wouldn’t do it at all. And
those assignments that I did turn in were rarely complete, almost always sloppy
and often turned in late. If at
all. I wasn’t disruptive in class, and
didn’t back-talk my teachers. In fact, I
did listen and participate in class. But
written work was painful for me, who has terrible handwriting. I was always gigged on neatness.
Also, getting an ‘A’ was not a
goal of mine. I was keen to learn, but I
hardly saw how doing half-a-dozen worksheets demonstrated how smart I was. I did, however, do well on tests. Especially standardized tests. So year after year, my mother would talk to
my teachers who would tell her, “He has all kinds of potential, but he
just won’t do the work!” Most of
the homework given by teachers is crap.
Sorry for being so blunt, but I’ve yet to see much in the way of
homework that is worth doing. So you
see, I’m still belligerent. College is
more self-directed, and I do see more value in what goes on there.
I recognized early on that
getting a ‘C’ was not the end of the world.
Neither was a ‘D’. I even got an
‘F’ or two. I might have gotten 2 or 3
‘A’s in high school and a handful of B’s.
My high school GPA was a 2.06.
But my attendance was near perfect.
And sure enough, I haven’t been asked for my H.S. GPA in over 2 decades.
My son is now bringing homework
home and he seems to have inherited my attitude as well as my poor fine motor
skills. So much of what is sent home for
him to work on is “busywork” that requires his mother (and on rare
occasions, his father) to stand over him.
The boy is in kindergarten but reads on the 3rd or 4th grade reading
level, making him smarter than I was at his age. He is in the accelerated reader program and
has gotten perfect scores on nearly every test he’s taken. But he drives his teachers batty by not doing
his work. His mother was a good student,
so she shares your collective exasperation at my lackadaisical attitude.
I did get a 2 point something
for an undergraduate GPA. College was
harder and it did take awhile to become more self-directed. But, again, no one has asked about my college
GPA. Or my GRE scores. You don’t care about mine and I could care
less about yours.
In my Master’s program and all
classes since, I’ve gotten A’s all the way.
I finally, after 30 years, decided to apply myself in my studies. But it
was never about the ‘A’, it was about increasing my knowledge and skills. In my graduate studies I too frequently
encountered an attitude of “Just give me the ‘A’ and the degree so I can
get out of here!” Fact is, without
imbibing some knowledge, the grade is meaningless, and the work done to get it
even more so.
In primary and secondary school,
I frustrated my teachers. When one of my
ex-teachers heard I was going to be teaching EBD, she said, “Nice to know
someone is getting into the business that knows something about it!” I was, in fact, referred for testing for
special education in the 7th grade by a teacher who I frustrated with my
laziness. Mom was hoping they’d find
something, but she was disappointed to learn that I just had a lack of
motivation as opposed to some sort of legitimate disability..
To those of you presently
frustrated by students who are apparently lazy, like I was, I want to say that
it isn’t personal. Chances are, a kid
who finds your work not worth doing probably finds the work most other teachers
assign isn’t worth doing. I generally
liked all my teachers. I didn’t take the
‘F’s and zeros personally. Just because
I didn’t care about my grades didn’t mean that I didn’t like learning.
To this day, I still abhor
redundancy and busy work, which causes a few problems in my work as a special
education teacher. We live and die by
the paperwork we have to produce. I have
been known to procrastinate, cut a corner or two on the forms and generally
annoy my supervisors just a bit regarding forms that are due. I’m focused on my students and their parents,
not the pencil pushers at the county office.
Thanks to the computer, I am a writer and my stuff is evaluated more on
content rather than my scrawly handwriting.
I’d like to hear about other
poor-ish students who made good later in life.
Any other teachers who ascended from the ranks of academic mediocrity?
dick
Cornell is one of the top schools in the nation, and a member of the esteemed Ivy League. With an extremely low general acceptance rate, admissions is highly-selective, though keep in mind that acceptance rates vary by schools within the university.
Cornell requires a single supplement for all applicants, but the prompt will vary based on the college you’re applying to. In this post, we’ll be going over two prompts for the College of Arts and Sciences and one prompt for the SC Johnson College of Business (which includes the infamous Hotel School!). We’ll outline what admissions officers are looking for, and we’ll analyze a sample essay written by a real applicant!
Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.
Read our Cornell University essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.
Essay Example #1
Prompt: Students in Arts and Sciences embrace the opportunity to delve into multifaceted academic interests, embodying in 21st-century terms Ezra Cornell’s “any person…any study” founding vision. Tell us about the areas of study you are excited to explore, and specifically why you wish to pursue them in our College. (650 words)
“Give me liberty or give me death!” When I first read this quote, I got shivers. As a fourth-grader, I remember thinking: “How could one love liberty so much that they would give up their own life?” To me, American revolutionaries were too passionate about paying taxes and I shrugged off their fervor for liberty. But five years later, I found myself asking the same question.
During my freshman year of high school, I became completely engrossed in learning about the Atlantic Revolutions. From studying the Storming of the Bastille to Haitain independence, I noticed that people sacrificed everything for freedom. It was soon that I learned about Enlightenment philosophers and the role they played in spurring revolutions by inspiring others to challenge social and political norms. I was amazed that philosophy had the power to mobilize entire populations and positively reform nations. But as I reflected on the circumstances of social inequality and political corruption that led to these revolutions, I realized that philosophy is not just a powerful practice of the past; it is just as relevant today.
The United States is a country of contradictions. We boast values of equality and justice, yet our prison, immigration, and education systems are rife with inequity and corruption. I seek a philosophy education to lend me an understanding of existing power structures and how to create a more equitable society. There is no better place to further my educational career than at the Sage School of Philosophy, the birthplace of the first philosophical review in our country. Cornell’s long-standing commitment to approaching philosophy in a holistic manner is evident in its wide range of courses offered. Specifically, I am drawn to the Discussion of Justice course that focuses on current political controversies such as immigration and racial inequality, both issues I care deeply about. After witnessing the cycle of poverty that plagues my community, I see that our society is facing a moral dilemma. This course will enable me to question the values held collectively by our society and recognize the impact such values have on minority groups.
With a greater understanding of morality and social inequality, I hope to pursue a career in civil law rights, helping underrepresented groups in our country receive the justice they deserve. It would be a privilege to begin my career in law by learning the Philosophy of Law from Professor Julia Markovitz. Professor Markovitz’s expertise in moral reasoning will push me to consider the ethical problems that lawyers face and how to fairly represent those in need. I am energized by this course’s goal to not only learn the law, but also challenge it. Building a fairer future relies on changing current institutions based on the government’s moral obligation to its people. I am eager to study philosophy through a career-oriented lens that enables me to apply my learned knowledge to the field of law.
Among the many political issues our country is facing, I am motivated to learn more about global migration. Just miles from my home in South Texas, the humanitarian crisis at the southern border has shown me the complexity of migration. This year, my experiences volunteering with Loaves and Fishes, an organization that shelters and aids undocumented immigrants, have given me insight into the poverty and violence that many are trying to escape from. To those arriving from the southern border, migration is not a choice; it is a matter of survival. On a larger scale, with rising global temperatures creating climate change refugees and international wars rendering thousands of people homeless, I crave a more extensive understanding of the factors that prompt migration. I plan to pursue a minor in Migration Studies in order to learn how populations can be sustained and thrive in a constantly moving world. Taking classes at the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies will allow me to interact with students and faculty from other colleges on campus. I believe there are a myriad of factors that drive international migration; thus, working with students from all disciplines will expose me to a diversity in research that can shape future immigration policies. As a daughter of immigrants, I am moved by Cornell’s dedication to supporting education on migration, namely through launching ‘Migrations’ as the theme for Cornell’s first Global Grand Challenge. By researching, teaching, and engaging with communities to tackle the challenges of migration, I am excited to be part of a generation of activists that assist and empower migrants.
Today, the passion American revolutionaries had for change is no longer perplexing to me. I, too, am ready to enact change in our country and society. With Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences’ broad curriculum that encourages me to explore my many interests, I am confident that I will have the resources to improve our world in a truly revolutionary way.
What the Essay Did Well
This essay effectively accomplished the most important part of a “Why This Major?” essay: walking us through the past, present, and future of their interests. The essay starts by explaining how an interest in history spurred this student to care about philosophy and social justice, then they describe how they hope to further their academic passions at Cornell, and then the student tells us how they will make an impact after graduation.
Beyond the structure, this essay does a nice job of integrating the student’s multi-dimensional passions into the college’s offerings. From the beginning where they describe their research on revolutions to concrete examples of current social inequalities, they present their interests in a very real manner that makes it clear exactly what they care about. Because of this elaboration, the reader can clearly see how the student’s passion for philosophy, immigration, and social justice easily fit into Cornell’s curriculum.
The connection between their interests and Cornell was strengthened by the context this student provided about themselves. For example, when they mention the Discussion of Justice class, the student explains that they have witnessed the effects of poverty first-hand and need this class to better understand and address those issues one day.
Providing detailed, personal context for school-specific opportunities, as this essay does, highlights your genuine interest and connection to the topics you are talking about. The true strength of this essay lies in the ability to connect the Cornell major to this student, with ample background information, at every stage of their academic career.
What Could Be Improved
While this essay starts strong with an anecdote that places the reader in the middle of the action, the rest of the essay falls a bit short on the action and excitement. The essay is a well-written account of this student’s passions, where they originated from, and where they hope to take them, but we are also looking for an energizing story that keeps us reading.
One easy way to bring more energy to the essay is to simply have shorter paragraphs. Long blocks of text are overwhelming and easier to get lost in, but shorter, more direct paragraphs help move the reader effortlessly from one paragraph to the next. Finding natural breaks in a paragraph is an easy way to make the essay flow more smoothly and maintain the reader’s engagement.
Another way to liven up the essay would be to interject more of the student’s personal thoughts and quotes. In the first paragraph, the student provides a quote to show the reader their inner monologue, which is an excellent way to show us what you think or feel rather than telling us. If more thoughts were interjected throughout the essay, we could get a better sense of how this student feels about certain topics, as well as see their personal voice shine through.
Essay Example #2
Prompt: Students in Arts and Sciences embrace the opportunity to delve into multifaceted academic interests, embodying in 21st-century terms Ezra Cornell’s “any person…any study” founding vision. Tell us about the areas of study you are excited to explore, and specifically why you wish to pursue them in our College. (650 words)
Throughout middle school and high school, I continuously took advanced science and technology classes. It wasn’t until four years ago when my eyes caught a glance of a flier posted next to my biology classroom: “Academy of Biotechnology! Meeting in room 307 today for freshmen interested in biotechnology,” that I realized my two favorite classes were intertwined in a field of their own: biotechnology.
I’ve been in Room 307 every Thursday this year listening to guest speakers talk about various topics from sleep to drug development, exploring new advances in biotech, and planning the annual career fair.
Last summer, my internship at Holy Cross furthered my interest in biotechnology. When I was introduced to the da Vinci Xi surgical system – a robot that utilizes high-tech guided targeting and auxiliary technology to achieve less blood loss and a faster recovery time for patients, I was amazed at the employment of technology and its power to renovate the medical field. Cornell’s world-leading academics in its College of Arts and Science, particularly the interdisciplinary Biology and Society major, makes it a dream place for me to pursue my passion in both health and biotechnology. I’m specifically interested in the course on Ethical Issues in Health and Medicine, and the seminar course on Controversies in Science, Technology, and Medicine. These capstone courses under top professors will enable me to acquire knowledge about the breadth of biology within the dimensions of modern medical and ethical issues.
I love that biotechnology encompasses a public health side as well as a microbiology side. Wanting to further explore the molecular side of biotechnology, I sought out the opportunity to work as a research intern at Montgomery College. I have been modeling protein and protein dockings of a cyanobacterium Synechococcus species through computational biology. I’m also drawn to Cornell’s Biological Sciences major with a concentration in Molecular and Cell Biology, where I can further explore my interest in biotechnology. Cornell’s wide range of courses in this major reflects its commitment to supporting its students with novel opportunities. Particularly, I am drawn to the Orientation Lectures in Molecular Biology & Genetics course. I’m eager to learn about the variety of research that Cornell’s experienced faculty is conducting.
It would be an honor to learn from and work with Cornell’s researchers at one of the world’s greatest research institutions, through the myriad of opportunities the college provides. I’m especially interested in the research of Dr. Cohen and his team in the creation of micrometer-scale robots for following biochemical signals and encapsulating a soft tissue analog for new future treatments of disease.
Outside of the classroom, I hope to combine my passions for public health and advocacy by engaging in the American Red Cross student organization, and perhaps the Cornell Sun. I also excitedly anticipate running Club Cross Country through Cornell’s astounding gorges and gardens. I look forward to contributing to the various student organizations at Cornell with my interests and background.
Cornell’s unique freedom of course selection offers an uncommon opportunity for career exploration. I’m confident Cornell’s College of Arts and Science’s opportunities, courses, cutting-edge research and researchers, and community will make it my perfect next Room 307: an opening to practically endless exploration and growth that cannot be found elsewhere.
What the Essay Did Well
A positive aspect of this essay is how it neatly parallels the student’s interdisciplinary interests in science and technology to the interdisciplinary aspect of the major and the College of Arts and Sciences. The reader gains a full appreciation for the diverse interests this student has and exactly how they align with a Cornell education.
Providing context about the biotechnology club, their internship at Holy Cross, and their experience as a research assistant at Montgomery College are all great ways to show the reader how this student has already expressed intellectual curiosity in this field in the past. Although you don’t need to go into too much detail about things that will be included on your extracurricular profile, it’s always a good idea to tie in your experiences whenever possible.
Additionally, this essay successfully employs an echo back to the opening in the conclusion. The essay starts by introducing illustrious Room 307 as the birthplace of this student’s joint passion in science and technology, so circling back to that room in the conclusion helps bring the essay to a satisfying full-circle moment. It was also clever to use Room 307 as a metaphor for exploring their interest, and thereby comparing Cornell to the next Room 307.
What Could Be Improved
This essay exceeds in covering a breadth of opportunities at Cornell that excite them, but it could use some work on the depth of each opportunity. What do we mean by this? The student mentions nine different aspects of Cornell that excite them, but they provide little meaningful elaboration on why they want to get involved with these particular choices, how they relate to their interests, or what they hope to gain from these experiences.
For instance, instead of just telling the reader they are interested in Dr. Cohen’s research, the essay should delve into what about micro-scale robots following biochemical signals excites them so much. Have they or a loved one been affected by a disease these robots could cure? Did they read an article about this technique a few years back and have been dreaming about implementing it up close?
Asking these questions to probe deeper than the surface layer of “I like this topic” helps bring the essay (and you as an applicant) to life. If the student chose to cut back on the number of offerings they included and instead focused on the depth and context for each one, it would make the essay much stronger.
One more thing this essay does that we’d caution against is the empty flattery of the school. Cornell admissions officers know that it’s one of the greatest research institutions and there are many opportunities for supporting students, so it’s unnecessary for the student to repeat that in their essay. What they don’t know about is you. Try to steer clear of mentioning the college’s accolades and rankings, and maintain attention on you and how you fit in.
Essay Example #3
Prompt: What kind of a business student are you? Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration). (650 words)
I rounded third base; dust flew in a whirling cloud of dirt behind me. On my wrist I sported a stained pink wristband with the name of my grandmother, who had recently finished her last chemo treatment. I slid into home plate, narrowly escaping the daunting reach of the catcher. As I got up, I looked around at the field of players, all donning a similar wristband with the name of someone close to them that had battled cancer. I turned to the bleachers and smiled as a sea of pink cheered me on. While cancer can be a dismal matter, it was a merging force that brought a community together for that charity game. Seeing what a unifying tragedy cancer can be, I knew I wanted to help.
At the Dyson School within the Cornell SC Johnson School of Business I aim to gain a strong foundation in business, with a concentration in marketing, to conduct meaningful research as an undergraduate. Taking part in the CALS Honors Research program, I aspire to research marketing strategies for increasing cancer screening rates. Having numerous family members that have battled with cancer has shown me the burdensome effect it can have not only on the individual, but on the family. Through my project, I hope to minimize those effects, as catching the disease early on is vital to a patient’s recovery. With the unique opportunity provided by the program, I know that I will have that chance.
After graduation, I want to continue with a career in marketing for the betterment of society. For me, the importance of marketing is not about convincing consumers to buy the latest product to boost sales, it is about encouraging consumers to make decisions that will benefit themselves and their community. With a focus in healthcare, I will have the ability to positively influence people’s precautionary screening measures, keeping them safe and healthy. Similarly, I aim to apply the same principle in other fields during my career and my time at Cornell.
One of those fields is green energy. Protecting the planet is a sentiment that is also very important to me, and with its beautiful, vast landscape and focus on environmental conservation, Cornell is the perfect place for me to advance that mission. With the state of today’s climate, the need to act swiftly is paramount, and citizen participation is key. As a marketer, I would strive to convince consumers to make the switch to green energy. In the digital age, marketing relies heavily on the internet, and I am excited to take Digital Marketing with Professor Tomaso Bondi to develop my skills in that area.
With Cornell already performing groundbreaking research in sustainable energy, I want to get involved with the initiative from a marketing perspective. An opportunity that intrigues me is the student project Cornell Electric Vehicles. Although it is an engineering project team, I would love to get involved as a student from Dyson working on marketing the effectiveness of the vehicles designed by the team. Switching to electric cars is an efficient way to reduce our carbon footprint and sharing the successes achieved by the team would be a great way to showcase the capabilities of electric vehicles.
As a student looking to make a positive impact on his global community through research and marketing, I know that Cornell can provide me with the opportunities to achieve my goals. Whether it be persuading an unknowing cancer victim to receive a screening or a consumer looking for a new car to switch to green energy, I will make a change through marketing. By gaining a strong understanding of the foundations of business and marketing, I will strive to ensure that everyone after that charity game will be able to return home and hug their loved one and have a healthy and thriving planet to call home.
What the Essay Did Well
This student exemplified the prompt by showing us exactly what kind of business student they are. They are a student passionate about having a social and environmental impact through marketing. The fact that the reader can walk away with such a clear impression of who this student is and what they hope to accomplish with a Cornell business degree is a result of the concise and dynamic flow of this essay.
Every new idea they introduced—whether it was pursuing the honors research program or joining the Cornell Electric Vehicle project team—was supported by contextual reasoning and personal connections. Tying everything back to their past or their goals for the future really brought the student front and center and made it very easy for the reader to feel like they know this student.
In addition to connecting everything to the student, the essay also managed to connect interdisciplinary topics that you might not immediately think of when you hear business to marketing. Not being afraid to delve into healthcare and sustainability in an essay for a business school brings a personal and unique perspective to a prompt that admissions officers are sure to appreciate.
Another source of this essay’s strength is how each paragraph is concise and focused. There is a very intentional use of space that makes it extremely easy for the reader to follow along with each new idea and take away the main points from each paragraph.
What Could Be Improved
Although this essay is quite strong as it is, one weakness was the abrupt switch from cancer and healthcare to sustainability. It’s great that this student has multifaceted interests and that they were able to touch on both, but given that the anecdote at the beginning was solely focused on cancer, it felt somewhat jarring to switch to green energy halfway through the essay.
One way this discontinuity could be addressed is to find a different anecdote to begin the essay, ideally one that combines cancer and sustainability if at all possible. Or, the student could keep the cancer anecdote and add a second one that connects to their interest in green energy more. However, it’s important to not let the anecdote overwhelm the essay and take up too much space, so keeping it concise and providing just enough to spark interest is key.
This essay only includes three Cornell-specific opportunities, and while this allows for more personal connections to be made to each offering, the student’s interest and research on the college could be demonstrated with one or two more details. It might be nice if they found a club that related to marketing and healthcare on campus and a class that relates to business and green energy to show how they plan to address both of their passions in and out of the classroom.
Where to Get Your Cornell Essays Edited
Do you want feedback on your Cornell essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool, where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.
If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!