Do you believe there's a generation gap? Describe the differences between your generation and others. (Denison University)

-         My grandmother still does not know how to properly function a cell phone or a television set. The most awesome grandmother in the world. She thinks that her and her generation was so “hip”. She loves playing around and enjoys life. She’s over 80 and has a thing for action movies and the classics. She does enjoy watching movies, action movies, but she still loves the good old classics. She even enjoys hamburgers and French fries from McDonalds. She used to tell me to set up the movie Rambo 2 as Sylvester Stallone was her favorite actor. She’s sad that he does not act any more. She always tells me, when watching action movies, that Rambo would have beaten that man’s behind if he was there. It was cute, but I knew it when I saw it. There was a generation gap between mine and my grandmother’s. Mine was ahead.

-         My Economics teacher has been teaching in my school for over 15 years. She’s a hip teacher with astounding features. Her exact age cannot be determined through looks due to her fun and joyous characteristics. She seems rather young, although she has long, neatly braided white hair. She complains about technology today. She complains about how the computer is so hard to use in class. She had just recently heard of the blue ray discs. It was amusing. She loves watching the good old Bollywood movies. She uses her past experience to bring out examples that are related to the subject. She somewhat acts like a mother to the whole class, trying to bring out her explanation through potatoes’ and saris. She loves using the old style of teaching and detests the projectors teacher use today.

-         Today. It’s all about the technology. The high tech, touch screen phones. The skinny jeans. Short skirts and tight shirts. Converse shoes with the best designs. The projectors and computers used in school today. Facebook is something that everyone has, even my economics teacher, but it is still a mystery if she even uses her Facebook account. New words, well if you call it words, in shorter forms. Take the word ‘btw’ and ‘lol’, some of themost common words used today when chatting online by us youngsters. Something that the previous generation does not have. It’s not every day you hear a 60 year old woman saying “OMG” and “STFU”.  Yes, there is a generation gap and right now, my generation is the one with more facilities than the oldies. The technology so much better than the old TV box. The clothes so much better that even your national clothes are being forgotten. We are the next generation, we are the future.

Imagine you have written a short story, film, or play about your last four years. Briefly describe the moment or scene that you think your audience will most remember after they have finished this autobiographical piece. What will they learn about you from that moment? (Northwestern)

-         I have always studied in an international boarding school. I never get to meet my family, but only during the summer and winter vacations. I do enjoy school and my friends, but there are times when I miss home too.

-         Today was the last day of school.  I had just finished my French exam, and my teacher said I was excellent at it. I walked over to my hostel to pack up. It was exciting. The feeling you get when you just can’t stop thinking about going back home. Although, home wasn’t really home for me. My real home was in Bhutan and Belgium was just where my Mom worked. It is also the place I will be living for the next few years too, but, it is still as good as home.

-         As I was saying. The feeling of excitement of not only going back home or meeting my parents but also to go on a short trip along with friends. I would be dropped outside the airport by the school chaperons and I would go on from then. I was used to going alone on flights and trips. I’ve been travelling alone since I was in the 6^th grade.

-         I had just gone through the usual. Security checks, purchasing boarding pass, checking whether my passport was there or not, and checking whether my bag was locked and safe. I was a pro at this. I’ve been through so many flights that it’s a breeze to walk pass immigrations.

-         I sit down, trying to get my mind of the excitement. The excitement of going back home and meeting my family. I had always enjoyed flights, especially when the plane took off. I was used to it. I sat comfortably, watching a movie from the touch screen TV attached to the front seat. During the movie, I would fall asleep and then I would notice myself on the Brussels international Airport. Time passed so fast, it was as if I was just watching a movie a minute ago. Hell, it was as if I had just left school an hour ago. It was like a dream. I had finally reached my destination.

-         I walked through immigrations, security check and the usual. Then as I carry the trolley to the gate. My excitement had increased. My heart started to pound. I was going to meet my mother from after half a year.

-         As I walk through the gate. I look around the area, looking to catch a glimpse of my mother. It was then I saw a small lady wearing a black overcoat with spectacles. It was my mom. She was waving at me from a far and without hesitation; I smiled and dragged my trolley over her way.  I stopped the trolley a few feet back so I could have space to hug my mom. The moment when you get the feeling of relief after long hours, days and months of studying. The moment when you know you wouldn’t need to worry as the person who took care of me ever since I was born was there. The moment when she sheds a tear of joy to see you after a long time. The moment when my mother hugs me so hard I can’t breathe. The moment of joy.

-         This moment would be mostly remembered by the audience as it brings a description of joy, love and respect after meeting a loved one after half a year’s leave.   

Imagine that you have the opportunity to travel back through time. At what point in history would you like to stop and why? (Swarthmore)

-         Time is of the essence. Always enjoy the time you have right now, you’re going to miss it as you grow old. I learned that when I reached high school. Today, I wish I could have enjoyed my life more. I wish I could have finished that one time vanilla split in the beach of Thailand. I wish I could have asked that girl out when I had the chance. I wish I was back in the second grade.

-         Those were the days when you had no worries. No home work, school felt like a playground for kids. We would make new friends without any hesitation or shyness. We would just walk up to the other kids on the play ground and play. No one would fight or eve argue about their territory. We would remarkably just have fun. Teachers took us easy. Math had no alphabets in the sums. English meant to learn and spell new words and get to use them to insult the others. Science meant we had to learn about the different types of animals and complement their awesomeness.

-         We would play cards, not like those gambling cards but, the ones that they show on TV. We would talk about the episodes of Tom and Jerry, Flinstones and The Jetsons as we see each other in school. It would be fun. We would compare the cartoon characters to some of the students and complement their awesomeness. It was a kid’s wish to become a cartoon character or superman. We would carry toys to school and play with them. Teachers wouldn’t care the least about us students. We were young, cute and harmless.

-         Those were the days when imagination had ruled our lives. Imagination was the fun we carried around, imagination was the outcome of our ideas today, imagination brought kept us happy and occupied.

-         If I had the chance to go back to any point in history, I would go back to when I was only in the second grade because those were the days I was happy. I bet you have and won’t ever see me happy like those days. The days when I had no worries, no care. The days when my imagination was larger than any knowledge in the world. The days when I was happy.

Have you ever struggled mightily and succeeded? Describe what you have felt at the glorious moment of victory? What does a winner feel?

-         During the summer of 2010, my school held and activity week. It was the week where each grade had to participate. My grade had a hiking activity, almost around 4000 meters was the highest. We had a choice between the easy, medium and hard hikes. I chose the medium. We had reached the campsite with our heavy bags. We were preparing to hike the next morning.

-         It was cold at first. There were no proper toilets. I was struggling with the village life.  The food wasn’t that bad but the hike was. Although I did choose the medium hike, it seemed like the hardest hike to me. We had to hike up to almost 4000 meters which was equal to the hardest hike. We had struggled so hard trying to keep up with others, and trying to keep up with the weather. Some of us had diarrhea, some blisters and most of us were just tired. We moaned and complained all the way. There was a time during the hike, that if we made even one wrong move, we would fall down and die. It was just, and literally, breathtaking.

-         When we reached the top, each one of us hugged each other, took pictures and felt relieved. It was like recovering from a high fever. We sat down and enjoyed the view and thought about how the others groups were. We took over a hundred pictures showing that we reached the top. We felt like we won a huge battle.  

-         Although we had complained, moaned and struggled, we had reached the top with joy. We had good and bad moments on the hike. The toilet moments were the worst. It was so hard finding the right spot where no one would look at you. It was just torture. All in all, we had fun. We learned more about some people we’ve never talked to and learned how to work in a team. We talked about it for the whole week after the hike. It felt good, relieving and made us feel confident. Today, we wished we were back there, it was really fun, at least that’s what I think.  

If you were awarded an expense-paid trip to any one place in the world, where would you go? Why?

-         My mother once had to leave for Hawaii for around 3 months. I was young and couldn’t live without my mother. She was leaving for 3 months and I had to stay with my grandmother. I cried for the first few days and after a while, I just accepted she was gone for a while. Then after a month, I got a message from my mom. It had pictures of where she was staying and all I thought was “WOW”. I had never seen anyone surf in real life, and my mom had pictures of herself learning how to surf. Then there were the clear blue skies and the clean sand. I was jealous of where she was.

-         The months passed and she came back. She had come home, gave me hugs and kisses and then she had a small present for me. I opened the box and, I have to admit, the toys were great. They were spy toys and they were legitimately legit. The toys actually worked like those spy movies, with the background music and all. She told me there were different varieties of toys there, and chose the one which seemed more of my type. I started thinking about all the toys. I wanted to go to Hawaii.

-         Then my Mom had unpacked and left everything on her bed. I was always curious and so, I went through her stuff. There was a DVD that I found and decided to watch it. It was a DVD about Hawaii. I had watched the DVD and found out about the awesome facts about Hawaii and the pictures were just great. The whole area/ city were clean, the ocean was crystal clear, the girls were hot and the girls stayed out on the beach tanning themselves all day.

-         Today, if I were awarded an expense paid trip to any place in the world, it would be Hawaii. I don’t want to go there just because of the toys, but to enjoy the view, learning how to surf, watch people surf and enjoy girls in bikinis walking past me every day.

Tell us about yourself. (University of California)

-         I hail from the east and from the west, I am a half breed. I have the Mexican/ Native American ancestral blond and a hint of Bhutanese blood. I was born in New York City, in February 1995, to a small family of a Mexican father and a Bhutanese mother. I’ve lived with my mother since I was born as my father was on business trips around the world. I have no siblings, but I enjoy it as I get all the attention, unlike some others. My favorite color is white because of an old power ranger movie. The reason I like white is because of the white power ranger’s awesomeness and the fact that he was my idol back then.

-         I have travelled and lived, in over 4 countries. My mom works for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which transfers around from one place to another, which also drags me along. I have changed to over 5 schools in my life, and sometimes struggle with the different systems. I did make a lot of new friend. I think my Mom’s job is cool and you get to travel everywhere. I, some day, want to have a job that allows me to travel all around the world. I feel jealous as there is almost no place my mother has not been to.

-          Then there is the fact that I hate chocolate, which some people find surprising. I don’t like chocolate, no because it makes me fat, or the color, or anything like that, but its just that I’m kind of fed up of it. When I was young I used to eat chocolate a lot and now, I just want something different.

-         I am a Buddhist and I love it. We Buddhists have no restrictions that we can’t handle. We are allowed to eat beef, pork and every other non-vegetarian food.  In fact, you rarely see a vegetarian Buddhist.  As a Buddhist, I do pray from time to time, I do worship my god and I do respect the gods. I believe in the Buddhism and its ways. I have to admit, I do think religion is just a hoax at times.

-         I watch cartoon and enjoy video games. I hope and wish to never grow old. I like school as it is the place where I meet new people and friends. I wake up late during the holidays, although I do try getting up early as possible. I love thinking and going for long mid-night walks. I try enjoying life as much as I can, and people say I’m funny and fun to be around with.

Write about something that is important to you. (Hope College)

-         When I couldn’t read, you were there. When I needed to watch TV, you were there. When I needed to stare at a hot girl, you were there. You are the most important thing to me. My spectacles. You’ve given me sight. You have improved me and my life by a lot. Without you, I would have been blind. I would have tripped over every dent on the floor, I wouldn’t be able to describe nature’s scene and I wouldn’t be able to watch the world’s views.   

-         I would be in chaos as I wouldn’t be able to describe my girlfriend’s clothes. I would be in depression as I wouldn’t be able to describe the picture everyone praises. I would be in the worst of positions without you. You complete me.

-         Without you, I would walk across the high way without knowing that the traffic light was green. Not knowing where in was going, I might as well just fall off a building. You have saved my life. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my life. Theatres would be a blur, basketball would be painful, and life would be impossible.

-         There might be people that insult you. Four eyes, geek, nerd etc. I don’t care. Little do these people, know the importance of your existence to people like us? The reason that you weren’t just thrown away. The reason that you are still with us. You give us sight. You show us the worlds unlike any have ever before. No matter what the terrain, no matter what the problem, no matter what the time, you were always there.

-         You are the reason I see the mistakes I make. You are the reason I don’t make mistakes. You are the apple of my eye, the false teeth of my smile, the only thing that keeps me safe and alive, you are my spectacles. The most important thing to me, other than my laptop, because you allow me to see my laptop. You are my friend from life to death. I know you will always be there for the hardest of times. You are the most important thing to me, my spectacles.  

Should college students be required to take physical education courses? Why or why not?

-         There will come a day when you just have to run away your crazy ex-girlfriend. There will come a day when you have to protect your family, friends and pet. There will come a day when you have competition with your best friends to see who would get the girl/ boy’s number first. These are some of the events that usually take place in colleges. Without the physical education course, how can you achieve slimness or attractiveness? The world is all about survival of the fittest. The best looking gets everything; the worst would get a bucket of chicken.

-         The world is depriving of good looking people. Exercising and staying fit is needed for a better, good looking world. Therefore, Physical education is needed in colleges. After graduation, how else can you attract your boss into accepting you into the firm or company? Your college and your college diploma wouldn’t do any good. Looks are all that matters in this world.

-         Physical Education courses would also attract numerous students. Imagine the female students running around in those sexy short shorts. The boys with tight, revealing shirts. It would make give students another reason for entering the college, whether it’s the best college or not. The course would be popular among the poplars’. There is sure to be students signing up, especially female students, that would want to keep their figure perfect. Males would join just for the fun of watching the females.

-         Then there is the crazy ex- girlfriends and their fathers. You might have the pleasure of their company at home, but after you announce the break up, it causes havoc and, trust me, you need to run. The crazy ex starts cursing you, casting harry potter spells and even hexing you. You can’t just stand there you have to run and you need the strength to run. Therefore, the physical education course.

-         These incidents are common in the college life, and that’s why physical education is needed. The need to keep your body fit and attractive through exercise and proper diet. The need to stay fit and active to run away from your crazy ex and her father. Physical education is needed in the college life or else there would be havoc among the students.   

In the year 2050, a movie is being made of your life. Tell us the name of the movie and briefly summarize the story line. (NYU)

-          A young Bhutanese woman and a young Mexican/ Native American man had just gotten married and were expecting a baby. They had already planned names. It was the Bhutanese tradition to obtain names from high priests. She had asked 3 different priests and 2 of them had mentioned the same name, Pema Rigdzin. The young Mexican man also wanted to give his baby a name. He gave the baby a Spanish name. He named the baby Cielo, which meant sky in Spanish. One day the Mexican man had to leave his pregnant wife due to his job.

-          The Adventures of a Half Breed (based on a true story) the movie mocks the true storyline of a young boy and his travels in life. It was during the 90s of a cold February evening in New York City .A young pregnant woman was just coming home from work in a taxi, when suddenly she felt a kick in her stomach. She knew it was the time for birth, so she quickly asked the driver to speed up due to the situation. Her water broke, and she felt the pain. She got hold of the taxi drivers’ arm and squeezed it as hard as she could, the next thing you know, both the driver and the passenger were screaming. She was swearing to the driver all the way to, the nearest hospital, St. Vincent’s Hospital. She, like every other pregnant woman in emergency was taken to the emergency room, where she was stripped and put on new clothes. His father whereabouts were unknown during the time. After an hour and earful of screams, there he is, the young boy was born. The young woman carried her little son and held his little arms and wept tears of joy. She named him Pema Rigdzin. It was policy of the hospital to enter the last name of one of the parent, and since my mother was the only one there, he inherited her last name.

-          Pema’s Grandmother was the second to hold him as he was taken out of the ER. She complimented Pema in every way. Then there was Pema’s cousins just standing right below him. Pema was carried by his cousins and stared at. They all congratulated my mother and praised her son.

-          Five months have passed and it was time for the family to move back home. The young woman gradually carried her little baby into the airplane. “It your first plane ride”, said the mother to her son. It was a long 16 hour plane ride to India, then another 2 hours from India to Bhutan. For some reason, Pema hadn’t cried the whole plane ride. It was rather scary for the mother as it was unusual for the baby. 

-          A few years had passed, and Pema grew as his elder cousin. They were the best of friends, although they did fight a few times. It was time for school. My grandmother wanted to be the first to drop Pema in school. She was pleased when the Pema’s mother said yes. Pema had been dropped off to a school called little dragon, where he made new friends. Pema’s elder cousin was crying the whole time in the school. His cousin’s father was standing right outside the school to make sure nothing happens to his little son. Pema’s mother found that amusing when she found out as even her sister wasn’t that worried about her son, and her husband was stalking him 24/7.

-          Another year had passed. Just when Pema was getting used to his new school, his mother had to leave for another country due to her job. She travels a lot ad enjoys it. She has been almost everywhere in the world, seen and experienced the pleasures world has had to offer her. She was really lucky.

-          The mother and the son had reached Bangkok, Thailand. It was Pema’s first time in another country. It was his first time seeing so many cars and flat roads. They had changed from one apartment to another and finally selected one, The Canary House. It was huge and not too expensive. It was the perfect price. Pema had to start school again, it was awkward at first, but he managed through. He and his mother used to always go out to eat in McDonalds and go watching movies in the nearest cinema. Pema loved Thailand.  Suddenly, after a few years, Pema’s Dad had come to visit. Pema’s had never met him before. It was an awkward moment for both of them. Pema’s Dad bought him toys to give a good first impression, and it worked. He took Pema out to the beach for a few weeks. They had so much fun, especially the look on Pema’s Dad’s face when he doesn’t know what to do when Pema is in the toilet. Pema was still so young and wasn’t potty trained.

-          The trip was over like a blink of an eye, and the Dad had to leave. Pema cried even though I knew him only for a few weeks. It was time for Pema and his mom to leave too. They were going back home. It’s going to be different not seeing home for a while.

-          They reached back home and the first thing Pema noticed as he stepped out of the plane was the roads. It was wonderful. Pema again had to go to a new school and make new friends. It was like a routine for every four years. He had made new friends, caught up with some old friends and just got used to the system. Four years had already passed. They had to move, but this time, to a foreign land. They were moving to Belgium in Europe.

-          Pema was studying in Woodstock school in a hostel as Belgian schools were too expensive. Pema was doing well. Made new friends and was sure to finish high school there. His holidays were in Belgium, where he made new friends and met new people. It was a whole new experience for him.

-          Pema had finally graduated from Woodstock and was accepted into some of the most renowned colleges in the US. He graduated college with excelling grades. His life was set. He started off in Bhutan with a small mall. Pema was a Business man. He then made his company and a new airport in a state in the east most of Bhutan. It was cheap and everyone used the plane. He soon was one of the richest men in Bhutan.

-          He decided to make his work international. He signed a contract, partnering with one of his old friends from school, and profited in the business world. It was every man’s dream. Rich, beautiful home and the best woman beside you. Pema had gotten married. His mother was proud and made a big fuss about the wedding. His father had finally stopped travelling too. It was finally nice seeing them together. One of his friends from Woodstock was an actor and wanted to make a movie of his life. Then the movie managed to reach the top ten best movies of the year. It was the best.  Then, like any old story, they lived happily ever after.

1. Imagine yourself being an actor/actress. Tell about your feelings before the opening night of the performance where you play the title role.

-          Take a deep breath. It’s going to be alright. I thought to myself, trying to convince myself there is nothing to be afraid of. I had never thought of myself as an actor, how did the happen. I look through the curtains and there they were, over a million people, sitting there, just to see me. I walk around with hesitation and multiple bathroom breaks. What if they don’t like me, what if they insult me, what if I make a mistake? All these questions were running through my mind as I the makeup artist was putting makeup on me. She swept the sweat off my face multiple times and my face still seems to be drowning with sweat and nervousness. The makeup artist even put a fan in front of me and for a second there I thought it was stopping, but then there was a small drop of sweat running down my forehead. I tried convincing myself about the positive possibilities. It didn’t work out.

-          The hair dresser finally left after half an hour, although she still didn’t succeed in getting rid of the sweat, I guess she gave up.  The show was about to start in an hour. There was the ‘appetizers’ performing on stage to amuse and give them a good impression of the studio, like the food appetizers. I went into the bathroom and put on my head phones so I could be trapped in silence, but I could still hear the roar of the crowd. I didn’t know whether it was just me or whether it was the actual crowd outside. I was never good on stages. I never liked standing in front of huge crowds, whether I knew them or not. I still had stage fright. Even those days in school, I couldn’t manage speaking on the simplest of topics. Time passed and it was half an hour to the beginning of the show. Some of my friends gave me words of motivation and encouragement. I kept those words in mind. I put on my costume and had my fake sword in my hand. Fifteen minutes to the show. This is it, I’m going to ruin the whole show. Then I thought about it again, about the positives. I have been specifically chosen by the directors and producers, there has to be a reason for this. Then I said to myself, they made a  mistake choosing me. There wasn’t much time left and the show was going to start. I held my breath, had a quick prayer, and walked on to the stage.

What do you think people who know you would be surprised to learn about you? Limit your response to one page.(Rice University)

-         Most of my friends who know me, know my characteristics, my religion, my home and my travels. They should know I am hyper active outside school, or at least outside the class room. They should know the sports I play and the grade I am in. They should even know I am part Mexican, Native American and Bhutanese and born in New York. That shouldn’t be a surprise to them that is ‘if’ they know me.

-         But the thing most people can’t get their head around is the fact that I don’t like chocolate. I live in one of the world’s best chocolate producing country, and I don’t even like chocolate. It’s very ironic. My friends mock me in how I cannot like chocolate. I tell them I got fed up of chocolate. I used to eat it a lot when I was small and suddenly, I just got fed up. I mostly detest the chocolate which is but pure. I hate it when it doesn’t have any extra taste in them. I do hate chocolate, but I like it a little with a little extra taste like nuts and wafers.

-         People just can’t get their heads around with this fact. I tell them what’s the problem with not liking chocolate? They tell me it’s good. So what, I don’t like it, I have different taste. They can’t expect me to like everything that they like. I know at least 5 people from my school that doesn’t like chocolate. They eat it, but they prefer strawberry or vanilla over chocolate. It’s the same as me. No difference. I find it annoying that they find this surprising. We are all different, just accept it.

What is your favorite word, and why? (University of Virginia)

-          Yes. A word used with confidence and joy. This word has no disadvantages when used honestly. When my friend asks me, did you pass the exam? I would say yes honestly and confidently. The word yes is like sugar on the tip of our tongue. But when it is used inappropriately or dishonestly,  the sweetness dissolves and sometime even turns sour because of your lies. Did she say yes? Yes is the word. You feel joy and comfort.. When you go through the hardest and toughest obstacles and survive it, you don’t go ‘No’ but instead yes, yeah, hell yeah, oh yeah, etc.

-          Nothing beats a Yes when you’ve just finished a exam. Nothing beats a yes when the girl that likes you accepted your proposal for a date. Nothing beats the feeling of relief and comfort. Yes is the laughter of your soul. Yes is the word that keeps your heart at ease. Yes is like the word that leads you to your way to success. It is the word that shows I can accept any challenge and go through any obstacle. Yes is the choice in life. It keeps one going. Life is full of choices and Yes is one of it. Yes can be good and it can be bad, but that how life is, nothing is perfect. Yes is the choice I choose to life. I accept life’s challenge and what life has to offer me.

-          Yes is a word that should be used with honesty because, if you don’t, then you would never feel the feeling of happiness and laughter. Yes is the word of Happiness and Joy. The word that keeps me going.  It’s the word that keeps me happy. It’s the word that keeps me confident. Yes is the word for happiness.

Imagine that you are a "hero" or "heroine" for one day during any time period and under any circumstances. Write a creative essay describing your experience. (Notre Dame)

-          The winter of the 1980s, where Michael Jackson ruled the music world. The youngsters had messy afros and slim, neatly combed hair. The streets were paved with sin. Policemen and the local mafia were allied. The Mafia was a part of numerous international and local dealings. Drugs, weapons, counterfeit currency and everything else that is illegal. There was no one that would go against the Local Mafia. The last one who tried was seen washed along the shores of X city. It seemed like there was no hope, but not until a group of youngsters came by, they were called the ‘Heroics’. A group of four boys and a girl. The Heroics were dressed simply, like everyone did during the time, except for their masks. It glowed as they fight crime. Crime rates have drastically decreased.

-          I was walking along the streets in my mysterious clothes. An over coat, a scarf and a bowling hat that was worn so low that my face was shadowed by it. The over coat shadowed my sides ad my scarf just kept me warm. This winter was cold as any other winter. The breezes were strong and chilling; the trees would produce shadows that seemed like it was alive. I pass numerous clubs, pubs and discos. There wasn’t much trouble that night, but I thought too soon. There was a group of thugs hurdle around a man, beating him and asking for his money. I was about to encounter the mugging and suddenly, a beautiful young girl with excessive wavy hair, jumped down from a building, with her tight clothing wear. Her eyes had an amusing glow from her mask which made her look wicked good. She was a heroic and she was hot.

-          She had cleaned up the mess as quick as it started. I went up to her and greeted her; after all, we are part of the same team. We greeted each other and talked about the luck we had with criminals. There were none for me that night it seemed awfully quiet, and wondered what happened to everyone. When suddenly, one of the mafia leaders had come in with an army of 50 men. We called in back up, although we knew we could take them all by ourselves. In a matter of minutes they came. We ran straight forward with our fists in front of our faces.

-          After an hour, the enemy had been beaten. Houses were destroyed, walls were broken down and blood spilled on the floor. We, Heroics, survived once again. We were the kids with no power but skill; we fight crime and find mysteries. Our identities still unknown and the locals love us. We fight for justice. We are the ‘Heroics’.   

What confuses you most in life, and why? (University of Virginia)

-         What else is more confusing and complicated than life? No one knows how life was brought into earth. There are numerous theories like, God made life in earth, some say evolution, some say we are projects of aliens. For decades life has been the topic for scientists and to this day, not a perfect answer. And I thought Math was confusing.  

-         Faith, destiny and karma are some of the well known conspiracies of life. I can’t understand it, no one can understand it. Who knows? Maybe the conspiracies are just a hoax created by religion. Buddhists and some other religions believe in the past or previous life. Could the past life be real or is it just another story from a fake character trolling the society?

-         History cannot be trusted. Most historians are still trying to find treasures of the past. Life is misleading; it’s just another riddle of the world. Stars, religion, God, Magic and aliens, they are all riddles just like life.

-         Why does life end? Why can it not just continue throughout eternity? Why do people grow old? Why does this happen to me? Why can’t I be born rich? Why does shit happen? These questions are the question s that regards life. These questions cannot be answered. The usual answer is faith, chance, luck, karma and destiny. Does faith, karma and destiny even exist. I can’t decide on what to believe. If I were to believe religion, I might as well believe life is controlled by faith, destiny and karma. Without religion, I would still not know what life is. If Satan was truly ‘satanic’, then why does he punish the dire? If God were so good, why does he send the bad to heaven? Does heaven and hell even exist? Could science actually be the key to solving life, or is it just another hoax, another dreadful belief? Do souls actually exist? Do people actually have a heart? What is the species in the world and how did that particular species come to life? Life is filled with questions and riddled related to science and religion. These questions, to this date, still unanswered by anyone, only theories exist. Life is just another complication in our life.

- Spanish poet Antonio Machado wrote, “Between living and dreaming there is a third thing. Guess it.” Give us your guess. (U of Chicago) ‚nothing‘

-          There are three types of people in this world. Those who live normal lives, accepting what destiny has to offer them. Those who dream and have faith, they make their own destiny. Those who don’t have live don’t accept what life has to offer, they take life easy and soon they live an unhappy life. Those who don’t dream have no aim, no ambition and no imagination. These people live their lives in a dull and sulky manner. 

-          But those who have neither are those with no life. They have no care for the world, they have no friends, and they have no family. They are the loners of the world, the outcasts. They don’t accept society and they are not accepted by the society. They are the people whom detest dreamers and livers. They are the people whom do not need anything but themselves. They contain themselves in a dark room. They have no feeling, no life, and no hunger. They don’t love, and they aren’t loved. They are those who are always in recession. The third thing is these people. These people are “Nothing.”

-          They have nothing. No life and no future. These people have no dreams and no proper life. These people have no feelings and thoughts. The only feeling they have is hate. They hate those who are better than them, they hate those who have a life, and they hate those who have a dream. They are “Nothing”. They are the hated. They are the ignored. They are the disgusted. What more is there to say and what more can you say to the people whom don’t even care. They have nothing.

Sartre said, “Hell is other people,” while Streisand sang, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” With whom do you agree? (Amherst)

-         The world is beginning to demise. The candidness of people is endangered. Each animal species seems to turn endangered, and soon extinct, every decade. Industries are born, hell’s own manufacturers and destructors of the earth. From pollution to global warming, Pouching to deforestation, and from violence to overpopulation. We humans are the siblings of sin, the master mind of evil. We humans manage to destroy the earth through the thought of the best of intentions. What are good intentions when our own home is at risk of depletion? What good is the manufacture of a product if the person manufacturing the product dies?

-         Imagine the manufacturing of a common product. You imagine it coming out of factories, made from machines and when your product is broken, you tend to throw it away with not much as a single thought of how it might affect the world.

-         The real process of manufacture is the cutting of trees and destruction of land for mining steel and other resources needed for the production of the products. These trees are sent to the industries and factories where they make use out of the resources.  Little do people know about the damage caused not only to the world, but the damage caused to the people making the product. These people must have been inhaling toxic gases used in making the product and during the same process; it intoxicates or pollutes the earth. When the products are sold in the market, it costs around $80. Little do people know or care about the hard work people would have gone through to make the product. The amount of trees cut, transported and the amount of people that died through intoxications during manufacture. It should be costing over $10,000 minimum. The worst part of all this is that people don’t think about the hardship taken for the manufacture of the product, but the benefits they get from buying the product.

-         

“Hell is other people.” We are hell. What better way to describe humans. The reason the world is in demise, the reason for animal extinction, and the reason for numerous deaths in the world is humans, the people of the world. 

"Honesty is the best policy, but honesty won't get your friend free birthday cake at the diner." —Overheard in the city of Chicago. Does society require constant honesty? Why is it (or why is it not) problematic to shift the truth in one's favor, even if the lie is seemingly harmless to others? If we can't be "conveniently honest," what other virtues might we take more lightly? (U of Chicago)

-         “Honesty is the best policy”. This quote is truly a hoax. I believe honesty just brings more trouble into your life than removing or reducing it from your life. Say you get in trouble for drinking in school. The school expects you to tell the truth by giving fake proposals like, “we would reduce the punishment given to you if you tell us the truth.” In the end of telling the truth of the most outrageous night you’ve ever had, they get you expelled. Say your boss gives you his ideas of a certain project, which he thinks is the best idea he ever had, but everyone else thinks that it’s the worst. Your boss would ask you,” Honestly, please tell me how you think of my ideas.” The next thing you know, you are either demoted or fired from work.  I honestly think that honesty is nothing but a hoax to get you to do something for someone. It’s another way of winning an argument or gets you into trouble.

-         “Practice makes you perfect.” No human is perfect, practicing won’t help at all. This quote is out of this world. What person would practice so much that they would become perfect? It is true they might get better or maybe even close to perfect, but perfect is beyond the human limit. Hussain Bolt is already the fastest man in the world. If he practices too much, then he is sure to get some kind of injury, which might shatter his dreams of becoming the world’s fastest runner and for a fact, he already has a leg injury. Another example is Roger Federer, a professional tennis player, also number one in the world. Due to extensive and stressful practice to become the best, he too has an injured leg. “Practice makes you perfect”, what a hoax. 

The subject of food is never far from our minds here in College Admissions. It is a topic of serious conversation this year on campus, too, with the publication of a book called The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfecting of our Nature, by Leon Kass, M.D., a Chicago faculty member who teaches in the College. The book takes a philosophical look at what food, eating, and table manners have to tell us about our human estate. Compose an essay about a memorable meal you have eaten. We are especially interested in the details: the occasion, your company at this meal, its physical setting, the kinds of foods you ate, or their preparation. (University of Chicago)

- It was January, 2011, in Belgium. It was a formal dinner of SAARC countries and some of the European countries. My mother was one of the representatives of Bhutan in Europe. For the first time, I had seen ministers, Vice Presidents and all these other high class officials.  They had body guards, police men, and it felt so ‘movie-like’. The Bhutanese had to wear their national dress and the food was also from Bhutan.

- Most of the food was high-class European delicacies, but the rest wee Bhutanese, although I have no idea how they made the Bhutanese delicacies. The first hour was waiting for the guests to arrive. It was boring, but I was on security duty. I was like the usher thee, which was kind of fun, as I felt so important but there was a lot of guests and finding their names on the name list was hard and boring. I even laughed at some of them due to their hilarious names.

- The second hour was the appetizers. Waiters, dressed in white, moved around the area with straight backs, formal hair, and those typical steel trays you see them carry. The foods on the trays were awesome. I can’t really name them as most of the appetizers had either a weird French or Italian name. There were small biscuits wrapped in cheese and mutton, omelets wrapped around beef and tied with a vegetable, but my favorite was the Shrimp and sushi dipped in vodka. I was the only young one there and everyone else was on their 30s and above, besides, I didn’t know there was alcohol in the dish. I found out only after a few dozen pieces.

- The next hour was the main course. The tables had no chairs, so we had to stand and eat. It was my first time, and thought it was kind of stupid, but what the hay, it was still good. There were a lot of varieties. There was a typical medium rare stake, Momos, Kewa Datsi (a sort of Bhutan’s specialty which contains chilly, cheese and potato), Barbequed fried duck dipped in some alcohol ( I still ate it though), and my favorite was the huge slice of bread surrounded with chocolate and vegetables. Although I don’t like chocolate, I loved that dish. I was the first and best dish ever in my life.

Then there was the last course, the desert. Here there were a huge variety, and believe it or not, I tried it all. There was the infamous Belgian waffle, with or without toppings, that’s your choice. There was the chocolate banana pancakes mixed with strawberry ice cream.  There was the fruity bliss, which contained a mixture of the chocolate, vanilla and strawberry along with wafers and a pinch of alcohol.

- Each course had alcohol in them. I wasn’t allowed to have them, but then all the good ones had alcohol in them, so I couldn’t resist. I felt drowsy and tired after dinner. I guess I ate a lot. Then as we reached home I fell flat on my bed, with a full stomach, and had the best sleep ever.