美国作文之作文美国的环境Word下载.docx
《美国作文之作文美国的环境Word下载.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《美国作文之作文美国的环境Word下载.docx(7页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
subject:
harvardapplication3
prompt:
harvard,internationalexperience:
avisittokenya
avisittoruralkenya
attheendofjulyof?
95,iboardedaplanethatwouldtakemefrommyhomeincincinnati,ohio,tonairobi,kenya.myparentshadalwayswantedtotakeourfamilyabroad,butwhenmymothersignedacontracttoworkfortheu.s.agencyforinternationaldevelopmentinkenya,plansmaterialized,andweweresoononourwaytoanexoticyearinafrica.
besidesthefarewellsihadtomaketomyfriendsathome,ihadfewreservationsaboutlivingabroad.whatmadeiteasyformetocometoafricawasmyeagernesstoimmersemyselfinanewculture.iknewthatimightnevergetsuchanexperienceagain,soiwasdeterminedtolearnallicouldaboutthelanguage,thehistory,andthepeople,ofthatfar-offplace.
duringthefirstfewmonthsofourstay,myfamilytookvarioustripsaroundthecountry.wewatchedzebraandwildebeestmigrateacrosstheserengeti,sawhipposfloatinglikerocksinlakevictoria,marveledatflamingosbalancingknee-deepinasalt-lake.weclimbedanextinctvolcanointheriftvalley.wesnorkeledintheindianoceanandfedfishfromourfingers.wehiked17,000feetabovesealeveltothepeakofmt.kenya.andwestudiedswahili,thelocallanguage,everyeveningafterdinner.butinlateoctobermyauntcametovisitforamonth.sheromanceduswithstoriesofherexperiencesinruralafricaworkinginthepeacecorps.thesharpcontrastbetweenthesimplelifestyleshedescribedandtheoneiwasleadingshockedmeastohowun-africanmylifewas.iwenttoanamericanschooleverydaywithmostlyeuropeansandasians,which,despitebeingauniqueexperienceitself,isolatedmefromthelargerkenyancommunity.iwasalsolivinginacity,whereshoppingmalls,italianrestaurants,late-nightdiscos,andmovietheaterswereallavailablecloseathand.wasthisreallywhatihadcometosee?
mydailyactivitieswerealmostthesameastheonesintheunitedstates.itypedenglishessayslateatnightonacomputer;
ishoweredwithhotwatereverydayaftersoccerpractice;
idinedonfriedchickenorfishfilletsorhamburgers.iwasinthemidstofaswarmofexpatriateswhohadformedacommunitysotightthaticouldlivewithalltheluxuriesofatechnologically-modernlifestyle.isawmyproblem:
ihadwoundmyselfsotightlyintheroutineofmyschoollifethatiwasnolongerseeingkenyaorevenkenyans.iyearnedtoknowsomeoftheafricanculture,butididn?
tknowhowthatcouldbeachievedwithoutadrasticbreakinmyacademicprogress,whichiwasn?
twillingtosacrifice.
aftertalkingoverthisissuewithmyparents,istumbledupontheperfectsolution.[name]isthesonof
[name]and[name],withwhommymotherlivedtwentyyearsagowhenshecametokenyaasavolunteernurse.[name]waslivingwithuswhileheattended[name]college,buthewasgoingbacktohishomevillagetovisithisfamilyoverthechristmasholidays.icouldgowithhimandstaywithhisfamilythere.thisexcursionprovedtobethemostrewardingtendaysofmyentirestayinafrica.inthatshortperiod,i
learnedmoreaboutkenyanculturethanihadinthefivemonthspriortothattime.firstofall,iwitnessedhowdifferentthefemaleroleisinkenyathaninamerica.thewomen—youngandold—didabouttwicetheworkthemendid.theyhadtocookthemeals,getthemilk,sweepthehouse,chopthefirewood,takecareofthechildren;
thelistgoesonandon.themendidsomeworkonthefarm,butmostlytheyenjoyedalaid-backlifestyle.anditisnotuncommonforamantohavemorethanonewife.[name]hashadatotalofthreewomenaswives.whatseemsunheard-oftoawesterneriscommonplacetoakenyan.
ialsosawanintenserestlessnessforchange.whenthemensataroundthedinnertable(womenweren?
tallowedtoeatwiththem),theywouldnotmerelydiscusstheweatherorthelatestgossipofthevillage.no,theydebatedtheproblemsandmeritsofkenyaandwhatcouldbedonetoimprovetheircountry.theyvoicedtheirapprehensionofthegovernment,theirfearthatiftheyopenlyopposedtheestablishedauthority,theirfamilycouldbepersecutedbythepresident?
sspecialagents.theytalkedofthea.i.d.s.epidemicspreadingthroughtheworkingclasslikewildfire.theyexpressedtheirangeratthedrugabuseoftheirnation?
syouth.butthesemenwereunwillingtoaccepttheobstaclestheyfacedandinsteadlookedtowardsolutions—education,fairerelections,lesscorruption,andothers.ialsosawthataprimitivelifeisnotnecessarilyapainfulone.theirsisasimplelife—onewithoutrunningwater,orelectricity,ortelephones,orcars.
butbeingsimpledidnotmeanitwasapleasurelesslife.itmeantfetchingwatereverydayfromawell.itmeantcookingoverafireandreadingbyalantern.itmeantwalkingtoschoolinsteadofdriving.butitalsomeantnoexpensivephonebills,nowallet-strainingcarrepairs,nobrokenwashingmachines.asimplelifehaditshardships,butitalsoavoidedthehasslesthatamericansfaceintheircomplexmodernlives.inthevillage,weategoodfood,childrenscreamedandshoutedwithjoy,welaughedwhileplayingcardgames,weflippedthrougholdphotoalbums.theirlifestylewasvastlydifferentfrommine,buttheystillhadthesamegoalsthatidid:
tohavefun,togetagoodeducation,tobecomfortable.afterthenewyear,whenireturnedtomyhomeinnairobi,iwentbackcarryinginmymindavividpictureofruralkenya,butalsosatisfiedthatihadlearnedsomethingthatcouldnotbefoundinnairobi?
samericanexpatriatecommunity.
**admissionscommitteecomments**
thisessayistbenefitedfromhavinghadanunusualtravelexperienceandfromknowinghowtowriteaboutitusinglotsofcolorfuldetail.twoofficersmentionedthatthewritercouldhaveimprovedtheessaybymakingherconclusionmorereflective.“whatdothesethingsmean?
”askedone.“intheconclusion,theall-importantself-reflectionisabsent....remember,ifyouwanttowriteanessayaboutyourimmersioninaforeignculture,youmustbeabletoarticulatehowyou?
vegrownfromtheexperience;
amererecountingofeventsisnotenough.”
thisisverywellwritten.iespeciallylikethevividdescriptionsoftheafricanscenes.itshowsusayoungwomanwhoisextremelyopentonewexperiences,whowantstoimmerseherselfcompletelyinwhatever
newsituationcomesherway.shewouldbeavaluableadditiontoanenteringclass.
solidall-aroundessayfrombeginningtoend.thisisoneofthoseessaysthatyouhopemorestudentswouldwrite.thisstudentknowswhatittakestocomposeaqualityessay.itistoldinanexpressivewaythatallowsyoutoenvisiontheexperienceyourself.excellentformandwriting.thisstudenthasakeensensefordetailsandhowtotellastory.excellent.
by:
georgetownandjohnshopkinsapplicant
georgetownandjohnshopkinsapplications
georgetown,schooltarget
whenithinkofgeorgetownuniversity,ithinkofwashingtonandworldaffairs.idonotknowyetexactlywhattypeofprofessionalcareeriwillpursueafterschooling,butidoknowthatiwishtobeinter-nationallyawareandinvolved,andthatgeorgetownwouldprovidemewithasolidfoundationforthatgoal.
iamgladidonotknowspecificallywhatiwanttodolateron,becauseitshouldbeanadventurechoosingwhichcourseiwilltakeinlife.thus,ihavetimetoexperimentandlearnfromawidevarietyoftopics.atgeorgetown,iampresentwiththeopportunitytotakeanyclassesiwantandtobetaughtbysomeofthemostlearnedanddynamicprofessorsintheworld.iwasoncetoldthatincollege,i“willtakeclassesinsubjectsihadneverthoughtorheardof,”andiamveryexcitedtodothis.
ifiwererequiredtopickamajoratthisinstant,iwouldchoosehistory.ifhistorywereonlystudying,memorizingandregurgitatingevents,facts,anddates,iwouldbejustasuninterestedasmostpeople.however,instudyinghistory,igetachancetocontemplateideologiesandthenatureofhumanbeings.ibelievethatgeorgetownuniversityisthebestplaceintheworldtostudyhistory.itisaschoollocatedinwashington,d.c.,thecapitalofthecountry,ofoutstandingacademicreputationandrecognition;
myresourceswouldbeabsolutelyunlimited.livinginwashington,iwouldfeelthepulseofourworldtoday.theunitedstatesistheworld?
sdominantpowerandeveryissueofgreatglobalimportanceisbroughttothecountry?
scapital.
ihavebeentoldthatalthoughgeorgetownhasapproximately6,000undergraduates,thestudentsandfacultyalikefeelasiftheschoolisasmall,interwovencommunity.ibelievethatthissenseofclosenessisavitalaspectinanoutstandingcollegeexperience.welearnmostfrominteractionsamongotherpeople,andthefactthatthisreputationoffacultyaccessibilityandstudentinvolvement—bothintheimmediategeorgetowncommunityandinwashington,d.c.—exists,isveryattractivetome.
johnshopkins,schooltarget
thecollegeadmissionsandselectionprocessisaveryimportantone,perhapsonethatwillhavethe
greatestimpactonone?
sfuture.thecollegethatapersonwillgotoofteninfluenceshispersonality,views,andcareer.therefore,whenihearpeoplesaythat“itdoesn?
tmatterthatmuchwhichcollegeyougoto.youcangetagoodeducationanywhere,ifyouareself-motivated,”itendtoberatherskeptical.perhaps,asfarasactualknowledgeisconcerned,thatstatementissomewhatvalid.physicsandmathematicsarethesame,regardlessofwheretheyaretaught.knowledge,however,isonlyasmallpieceofthepuz