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

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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