Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
More than anything, I love a challenge. There is something deeply gratifying about testing my mental and physical limits.
I treasure that sore, breathless feeling of a punishing run, that moment when every part of you wants to stop moving. Running extends beyond just staying healthy and competing for medals and awards—it’s about my ability to tackle aches and agonies and ailments; it’s about strategizing races: surge at the base of the hill, draft this guy, overtake him on the curve. Besides, the harder the effort, the more rewarding the result.
Just as I itch for strenuous runs, I cherish books inundated with sesquipedilian words and deep, layered meanings. I relish the opportunity to expand my vocabulary and understanding of different works. When I read Moby Dick, the sheer length of the novel overwhelmed me; however, the story inevitably enraptured me as the themes of obsession, fate, and the human condition surfaced. My friends find books like Frankenstein, Great Expectations, and Moby Dick to be mind-numbingly lengthy, while the deeper themes and varied interpretations never fail to excite me.
However, my penchant for challenges is not limited to physical and literary pursuits. It extends to calculus and physics problems that bend and twist my brain. I’m fascinated by proofs (which I’m told only get more confusing in college). I used my newly developed calculus skills to derive Snell’s Law. I found excitedly that Reimann sums proved the fundamental theorem of calculus. I love finding new ways to approach problems and the process of trial and error. Despite the likelihood of being proved wrong, the notion of refining my abilities thrills me.
I know that the UC system will present its own set of challenges, and I look forward to embracing them with the same determination I face in my current trials. I can test my limits, refine my skills, and welcome the lessons that come with effort, setbacks, and progress. I will bring my love for challenges to each lecture, project, and community endeavor.