My father has always called me a “Renaissance woman.” Throughout my childhood and high school years, I kept up all of my extracurricular activities, which relate to writing, music, dance, athletics, current events and humanitarian work. Similarly, since I was young, I have always been passionate about the six academic classes that I have maintained. Studying French has allowed me to both understand another culture and communicate with its people. Studying Latin has allowed me to understand the intellectual seeds of Western culture, which were planted in ancient Greece and Rome. Similarly, I love studying history, because I believe that we can only improve human society in the present and the future by understanding our past. I love the sciences, because they attempt to explain the workings of our universe through the interpretation of physical data. In the same way, I enjoy studying mathematics in a theoretical context, such as by contemplating concepts such as change, structure and space. Finally, by reading so many different types of stories and genres, I have gained greater moral, social, philosophical, mathematical and scientific wisdom. In this way, the study of literature ties together all academic subjects. The College’s liberal arts degrees and 2,000 courses will allow me to further indulge in my interdisciplinary passions in extracurricular activities, humanities and quantitative studies. This will make me an even better-rounded individual and knowledgeable and myriad thinker.

In order to prepare myself for a life of civic action, I want to synthesize my knowledge of my extracurricular activities and all six academic subjects. In this day and age, the lines between the disciplines are blurring; I love to explore the interdisciplinary nature that ties them together. Therefore, I will pursue interdisciplinary programs, such as Ethics and Public Life, and a dual degree in Government and Anthropology. I am very interested in the ways that, for the first time in human history, there is an increasingly interconnected, global community because of technology and social media. In the same way, I am fascinated by the way that we use our academic studies in order to become global citizens. Therefore, I will pursue Cornell’s study abroad programs in order to both study in new places as part of an area studies course and to do humanitarian work in countries that need it. I will also seize the College’s abundant opportunities for undergraduate research and independent study, because both align with my passion for initiative, inquiry and innovation. As a very open-minded thinker, I love the spirit of libertarianism that resonates throughout the school. In the same way, the incredible demographic diversity of the College’s students will allow me to continue to meet people from all different walks of life and to continue to open my mind to new ideas. Finally, because I believe strongly in a strong sense of community and collaboration in order to facilitate the interpersonal relationships that enhance academic learning, I cherish the small class sizes and close student-professor relationships that are prevalent at the College.