What motivates you to learn? (150 words)
“Why am I here?” “Why do we all die? ”
“Why” is what always follows behind me, my inevitable nature I cannot help. I oftentimes asked my mother multiple questions, which would have driven her to buy me “Why?” series, 39 volumes of Korean encyclopedia for children, hoping them to satisfy my limitless “Why?”s. Reading the series was such a pleasure-seeking thing. Yet, as I flipped over the last page of the last volume, I felt rather discomforted. My brain was still pondering questions that have been unanswered, that must be answered. I started looking for other sources to solve them by myself. From the moment I closed the last page, I am writing my own volumes of “Why?” series full of MY questions with MY explanations. Those mere but powerful pleasure coming from completing my own lists of questions is what enchants me to learn.
What do you want to bring from your community to the Emory University community?: motivation (150 words)
As a secretary of the student council, I realized diverse opportunities school was granting. From then, I actively engaged into the activities to better myself. My friends, however, initially advised me to stop living so hard, for I had to forgo some times with them. Ironically, however, my friends gradually began to actively engage into the classes and activities alongside with me. Looking at their hard works made me to push myself even harder. After final, one of the friends thanked me for the motivations I gave, but I felt it was me who should thank them for being such inspirational. We are experiencing this odd situation where we positively influence each other. The chain of reaction of motivations is what I would bring from my small community to the large community of Emory University I strongly believe will encourage each other to seek for their own betterments.
If you could only do one of the activities you have listed in the Activities section of your Common Application, which one would you keep doing? Why? (Required for all applicants.) (150 words)
Every one of my activities played crucial roles in my growth as a person. Yet, one activity I learned from the most is the National Honors Society I served as the Vice President. As the Vice President, I struggled a lot thinking of ideas that would make the school better and regarded my ideas as trivial that would not help the school’s betterment anyways. Thus, when the NHS gathered to elect the speech-makers on the Induction Ceremony, I could not volunteer, for I regarded me as unqualified. However, I witnessed several members recommending me for a speech on scholarship on the Induction Ceremony. They reasoned of the ideas of mine such as tutoring services and Halloween booths. From then, I continuously offered new ideas no matter if they are small or big. I thank the NHS members for trusting me and my ideas that enabled me to keep the position.
Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (300 words max)
Family is the most prioritized community among all I belong to. I am a daughter of my parents as well as the only sister of my sibling. However,I approach my role as one’s older sister as the most crucial position.
Since both of our parents work until late night, I have had lots of time with my sister from our very youth. Her smile used to be my favorite: her lifted, red cheeks and beautiful arch of lips would soon transform a gloomy day into a merry day. I volunteered myself to be her smile-maker and developed novel ways to make her laugh. I would like to be her shield instead of our busy parents, protecting her from any kind of harms.
I have once lost her adorable smile. It was when I finally figured out I was indifferent to her, for she was getting bullied by her classmates in school. While her videos and photos were uploaded on the group chat and while she was suffering from such embarrassment she would have needed her side, I was not there. I blamed myself for my ignorance and indifference toward my lovely sister. I gave up becoming her shield. Rather than a protection, I liked to be her another mom who are always beside my sister, granting a limitless love whenever my parents are unavailable.
Although she is still afraid of crowds and making new friends, my sister is getting better under our family’s affections. As her alternate mom, I would come back home as soon as the school is over and go wherever she wants. I see her smiles more often nowadays. I spend more time with her, figuring out which would elicit the biggest smile of my sister. An immature girl and her afraid sister are now gone.
Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? (550 words
Each of my family member has unique history of diseases. All of the female relatives of my mother suffered from diabetes, breast cancer and hypotension; all of the male relatives of my father suffered from larynx cancer; my sister suffers from social phobia. And I, myself, have chronic stomach cramp accompanied by hypotension. Aware of my family’s vulnerability to disease, I searched up several biological factors along with possible chemical pills. Whenever my mom faint by hypotension, I would lie her down on the bed, find out adequate doses of medicine and stay beside her. I was fascinated by how meaningful it is to treat people from disease with proper knowledge and medicine.
I am confident to say my interdisciplinary interests would be more than fulfilled in the University of Michigan, looking at the various courses and opportunities granted to its privileged students. I reckon biochemistry major along with its courses are perfect for me to learn more about mechanisms of biochemistry and its relationship to diseases. MCDB 441: Cell Biology of Disease is the most desirable course for me, regarding my family’s history of various cancer: breast, liver and pancreas. Recognizing how the excessive cell growth brings cancer, I look forward to gain profound knowledge about the diverse role it would play in diseases other than cancer. MCDB 436: Introductory Immunology is the second-most desirable course for me who wants to discover not only the cause of illnesses but also its defense. Merging the two courses would enable me to expand my perspectives toward biochemistry so that I could apply the mechanisms of cellular diseases into the immunology, which would enable me to apply the information to more diverse areas.
In addition to the courses, I am looking forward to actively engage in summer research programs in the University of Michigan. One internship program I was interested is Cancer Research Summer Internship Program, where the students were able to engage with the experts in a laboratory to vividly observe the cancer biology. Such opportunities are what I have always wanted to experience in order to actively dive into the real-world application.
Other than academics, I am also interested in multiple clubs and organizations in the University of Michigan where I can meet people with different backgrounds from all over the world. While I still want to pursue intellectual knowledge in these clubs, as I played the piano for a long time and once pursued dance as my major, I hope to participate in student-led organizations such as Campus Orchestra Board and K-Motion.
Although my intellectual interests in biochemistry stems from my family, I cannot express their limitations in few words. I strongly believe that the diverse community with full of opportunities in and outside of the University of Michigan are perfect for unknotting series of curiosities I desire to solve. From the subdivisions of major towards various chances to preview the real-world applications, I genuinely look forward to the chances to broaden my perspectives. How I have envisioned myself to become in the future is no longer a mere dream but a possible reality. And I do not want to miss it.
