1)FirstPrompt Describetheworldyoucomefromforexample,yourfamily,communityorschoolandtellus howyourworldhasshapedyourdreamsandaspirations. Myfamilyisastrongbelieverinthepowerofeducation.Thisisevidentinourdailyhabits.We wouldreadtogetherasafamily.Onweekends,insteadofgoingtothemovies,wewouldoftenvisitthe scienceexploratorium.Thisishowmyloveforsciencedeveloped,andmypursuitforknowledge becameahobby.Ialwaystriedfindingwaystoexpandmyeducationalexperience.Schoolwassimply notenoughtosatiatemycuriosity.WhileotherpeoplewereonTumblrandFacebook,Iwouldbeon PopSci.comreadingthelatestarticlesonstemcellresearchandnanotechnology.Othersthoughtitwas anerdyinterest,butIrecognizedthepotentialofimprovingpeopleslivesthroughscience.Thesummer beforejunioryear,IcommutedtwohourseverydaytoundertakearesearchinternshipatStanford Universitywherewestudiedhowvaryingpsychologicalsituationsimpactedteenagerssuccessin school.Weexploreddifferentwaystoimprovetheirperformance,utilizingscientificconceptslike growthmindsetandhowgenesplayaroleinourabilities.Eventhoughbiologyandphysiologyaremore ofmypassions,Iusedthisresearchexperiencetogainapsychologicalperspectiveonscience.

Besidesvaluingeducation,Iwastaughtataveryyoungagetoputothersbeforemyself.Coming fromareligiousfamily,webelievethatwhateverwereceive,wemustgivebacktwiceasmuch.Ever sincesophomoreyear,IhavevolunteeredatKaiserPermanenteHospitalonceaweekwhereIlearned tocareforpatientsandservetheirfamilies.Thebestpartofthisexperienceistryingtomakepatients laughlaughteristhebestmedicine,afterall.Volunteeringeventuallybredadeeperdesireformetohelp people.Thisallledbacktomyfamilyscorevalueofputtingothersbeforemyself.Workinginahospital mademerealizethatIcouldpursueacareerthatallowedmetofocusonbothofthethingsIlove: scienceandservice.IdecidedthatIwanttoenterthemedicalfield,sothatIcanrelievehumansuffering throughscienceandmedicine.Thisdreamthathasrooteditselfsofirmlywithinmenotonlysatiatesmy interests,butalsoembodiesmyfamilysfundamentalidealsoneducationandselflessness,whichhave nowbecomemyown.Thisaddsagreatermeaningtomyaspirationandmyeagernesstomakeita reality.

2)SecondPrompt Tellusaboutapersonalquality,talent,accomplishment,contributionorexperiencethatisimportantto you.Whataboutthisqualityoraccomplishmentmakesyouproudandhowdoesitrelatetotheperson youare? Itwasfinalsweekbeforewinterbreak,or,asmyfriendslikedtocallit,JudgementDay. Someoneacrosstheroomwastappingtheirpencilincessantly,andIcouldfeeltheanxietywitheachtap asourmathteacherwaitedforeveryonetosettledownbeforehegaveusthemostimportanttestwell evertakeinthatclass.Twoweeksearlier,Mr.DhadtoldusthatwehadanHonorsGeometryfinal comingup,andthatitwouldcountforfiftypercentofourgrade!Everyotherfinalintherestofour classesonlycountedforthirty,sothiswassomethingthatnobodytooklightly. Iknewthatallthethingswehadlearnedthatsemestercouldnotbepackedintoonenights

worthofstudying.So,forthenexttwoweeks,Ibegantopreparemyself.Everydayafterschool,Iset asideatleastthirtyminutesstudyingpolygons,coordinategrids,andtrigonometryconcepts.WhenI rodetomartialartspractice,Imemorizedtheoremsandpostulates,justincaseMr.Dwouldthrowina surprisetwocolumnproofproblem. Itwentsofarasinfluencingmyopiniononanoutfitformysister,whowastryingtodecide whetherornotherearringsmatchedherdress.ThereisaruleinGeometrycalledtheTransitive PropertyofEqualitythatstatesthatifaequalsbandbequalsc,thenaequalsc.Well,shewaswearing anecklacethathadthesamehueastheearrings,soIthoughtthiswastheperfectmomenttoapplythis rule.Itoldher,Ifyourdressmatchesyournecklaceandyournecklacematchesyourearrings,thenby thetransitiveproperty,yourearringsmatchyourdress.Sheagreed. AsMr.Dpassedoutourtests,facedown,Ilookedaroundtheroomatthezombielike studentswhowereprobablyupstudyinglatethenightbefore.Whenweturnedoverexams,therewas onlyonequestiononit:WhatareyoudoingoverChristmasbreak?EveryonelookedatMr.D,who hadamischievoussmileonhisface.Hetoldusthatwedidnothaveafinalexaminhisclassbecausewe alreadysubmittedourfinal,whichwasaprojectthatweturnedintwoweeksearlier.Theentireroom explodedintolaughter,partlyfromexhaustion,butmostlyfromrelief.Whenaskedwhyhehaddone that,Mr.Dsimplyreplied,Iwantedtoseeifyouguyswouldtakethistestseriously. Atthatpoint,everyonebegancomplainingthattheyhadwastedtheirtimestudyingforhis nonexistentexam,exceptme.Irealizedsomethingthateverybodyelsehadfailedtorecognize.Ihad notstudiedfornothing.Fromthisexperience,Ilearnedseveralthings.Ilearnedhowtomanagemy time,sinceIsomehowfoundawaytostudywiththepackedscheduleIhad.Ialsolearnedhowto prioritizemyworkbasedoffofimportanceandduedate.Idefinitelylearnedalotofgeometry.But mostimportantly,Ilearnedthateveryexperience,nomatterhowinsignificantoruselessitseems,can teachussomethingvaluable.WhenIfullygraspedthisidea,IrealizedthateverythingIdidwasanother stepclosertosuccess.Noeffortiseveralostcause.Myabilitytofindlessonsineveryexperiencehas allowedmetogrowinmanyaspectsofmylife,whetherImleadingaclub,tutoringotherstudents, volunteering,orevenwhenImmowingthelawn.Andthiswasallthankstoaphonyexam.