<p>Does it scare anyone else to think that they've probably looked at our applications by now and we're probably sitting in the "In" or "out" pile. Hopefully the "in"!! That alone makes me so nervous. </p>
<p>I should have emphasized my love for Barnard more in my essay. I afraid it would be too much. I should have come right out and said it was at the tippy top of my list!</p>
<p>lol...I am currently listening to MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT YOU by Kelly Clarkson except the "YOU" is Barnard. LOLLOLOLOL</p>
<p>inasummertown, YES. Most of it probably has been decided, right? <em>sits on edge of chair and sends messages of acceptance telephathically to Barnard adcoms</em></p>
<p>I regret not spending more time on my essays. I just submitted them rough because I couldn't handle the anxiety of them not being done (I know that's ironic).</p>
<p>Rawr.</p>
<p>does anyone mind posting their supplements for Barnard? I would if you would. :D:D:D</p>
<p>Oh, back to the CommonApp...alright :)</p>
<p>I'll start with my favorite, the daily ritual:</p>
<p>I brush my teeth in the mornings. Besides the obvious hygienic benefit, it helps me jumpstart my day. Along with the brushing, I listen to music (generally, it's positive so I can get in the mood for having a good, upbeat day), check my accounts online, and do any other things I need to do in order to prepare for the day. It's excellent fun; I get into the groove of the music and alternate between the sink and computer, toothbrush in tow (in fact, as I write this, my trusty green toothbrush is dangling from my mouth!). Additionally, the process is cleansing; not only do my teeth become minty fresh, but so does my mind because I'm mentally prepared to face the day. Now, not all of my days are as positive as I try to prepare them to be, but I'm extremely comforted by the process of brushing my teeth.</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>And, yes, I go on CC in the morning.</p>
<p>I would assume so if they're going out the 22nd! Omg, this is horrible. </p>
<p>Anyway, here's an interesting article that gives me some hope but not too much. </p>
<p>I’m not sure if I should take that as a comfort or as a “if your family has $$ then you‘re goin’ to college!”</p>
<p>I only have the drafts because the original doc is in another computer (but the drafts were basically my answers)</p>
<p>I admire how Barnard is affiliated with Columbia University, yet still holds the position of an independent institution. I long for the opportunity to learn to adapt to a whole new surrounding; the idea of attending an elite all-girl school is an impressive one. Barnard College will allow me to continue learning in a city rich in culture, as well as receiving an excellent education.</p>
<p>From the very beginning of my memories, my father has always told me to value my teeth. Unfortunately, although he taught me to take great care of my pearly enamels; he will soon be using dentures, due to a spreading gingivitis. My father neglected his teeth in his youth, and he had lost the majority of his teeth before he realized his utter folly.
My father often warned me that I need to brush my teeth even more due to my lateral incisors, (the teeth next to my upper central teeth). Instead of lying flat and smoothly along with my other teeth, my lateral incisors flip outward and create a twenty degree angle with my central teeth. Therefore, food often gets stuck in these two corners. I have been brushing my teeth three times a day for as long as I can remember; once in the morning, once in the evening, and once before bedtime. This routine may seem obsessive to most, but it is mainly another way I connect with my family, a simple and daily way to connect with my father.</p>
<p>In The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, the victim, Shylock, has a strong will and great endurance. In the “comedy”, Shylock suffered because he did not want to bond with the Christians, the group of people that felt superior towards the Jewish race and often disparaged them for their wealth. Shylock was faithful to his religion unlike his daughter Jessica, who left him for the Christians and stole his valuables. Despite Shylock’s losses, he remained strong at heart and continued his job as a moneylender, ignoring the daily insults that he received from the Christians. His bravery and faith is something that truly touched me while I read the play, it was an impressive quality in a person, and despite the fact that Shylock was a fictional character, his actions made me aspire to incorporate his philosophies in my life. </p>
<p>When I think of New York City, my home since the day I immigrated to America, I think of its copious citizens, buzzing about daily; I think of its nightlife, and its lit-up lively streets. However, places like my neighborhood in Maspeth, Queens, are almost haunted at night. To get home after school, I must walk around a vast barren field of weeds.
The problem, however, isn’t this field; it’s the lack of street lights. In the winter, when the sun descends sooner, the sky is black as pitch around five, when most kids go home. It isn’t safe for anyone to walk around in a neighborhood with approximately one or two street lights per block. Last year, I addressed this issue by calling 3.1.1. Unfortunately, my neighborhood still remains dark, dangerous and virtually invisible at night. </p>
<p>once again, these were the drafts. :)</p>
<p>woah etched, we both wrote about brushing our teeth. ROFL</p>
<p>uh oh! Mine are so much longer than yours! None of mine went over a page but I hope I didn't lose points or whatever due to their length. I'm really, really nervous now.</p>
<p>All of those are great!</p>
<p>actually, each question was to be answered in a paragraph.</p>
<p>I know. Mine were just long paragraphs.</p>
<p>Haha, yes. But yours is much more serious than mine. Ah, the power of brushing your teeth...</p>
<p>inasummertown, don't worry about length. I only was able to get that one because I didn't upload it to the CommonApp. For some reason, I can't view my uploaded essays on there, and the computer I wrote them on crashed, so I don't have access to them. But yeah, as long as the long essays were tight, you'll be fine :)</p>
<p>And thanks!</p>
<p>well I'm sure your supplements were great so no worriessss</p>
<p>Omg, my computer crashed too and I had to rewrite all my essays in 3 days! Thanks, I hope so! That's too bad about your computer. Computer crashes are awful.</p>
<p>yeah, that's three for the teeth brushing... (wow....uh oh.);</p>
<p>Every night, without fail, I brush my teeth for at least five minutes. It's not that I particularly dislike plaque or have a phobia of germs: I live in mortal terror of dentists. Since I was born with poorly developed enamel, I tend to get more cavities than normal. For example, at one particularly scarring trip to the dentist's office, I learned (three hours into the appointment) that I actually had more cavities than could be filled in one sitting and would have to come back again the next day. And it didn't help that I absolutely abhor the sound of the drill, and the feel of having parts of my tooth drilled off makes me queasy. Anyway, now I am so fearful of dentists that I over-brush, floss, and even use fluoride mouthwash.</p>
<p>Although it has been a long time since I've read it, no book since has had quite as much impact on me as the children's book by Bill Peet, Farewell to Shady Glade. The story is about a group of woodland creatures who are forced to flee from their home (Shady Glade) because bulldozers come to tear up the land. Although all ends well, the plight of the animals as they traveled from one polluted area to the next searching for a home really troubled me. As a child, I couldn't understand how people could be so cruel to such endearing creatures. As a result, I became very concerned with environmental issues, and even now do my best to recycle and conserve energy whenever possible.</p>
<p>Some of my first memories are of Morningside Heights; when I was little, my dad was a graduate student at Columbia University. Although we moved to Missouri when I was four, I can still remember missing the city. As a result, when I started looking at colleges, one of the first I thought of was Columbia University. However, when I realized that I would really rather go to a smaller college, my dad recommended Barnard. I think Barnard is perfect for me because I love both the location and the atmosphere. Living in New York means exposure to culture, endless resources and internship opportunities, and the experience of living in the greatest city on earth. Also, Barnard's affiliation with Columbia provides access to a phenomenal range of classes and resources, unlocking any path of study I might choose. Still, perhaps because it is an all-women's college, Barnard maintains the close-knit atmosphere despite being in the middle of New York.</p>
<p>If I had an hour to meet with the Blankety Blank ( :) ) Board of Education, I would question their recent decision to spend over twelve million dollars installing Promethean ActivBoard Systems in most Blankety classrooms. This is because I don’t understand why we’re wasting money on extravagant new technology (that most teachers use the same way they used white boards and projectors) when our school itself is inadequate. Not even counting its dilapidated state, the school is simply not big enough for the number of students we have. Overcrowding has gotten so bad that there are twice-daily traffic jams around the school are inevitable and congestion in the hallways makes it nearly impossible for students to get to their lockers during class changes. Also, because of the building’s hilly location and weak foundations, building new floors and extensions has become impractical. As the Editor in Chief of the school newspaper, I have been covering this problem for a while. So far, the only sensible solution I’ve heard would be to build a separate school for the freshmen. If I could meet with the Board of Education, I would ask why we are wasting millions of dollars on showy embellishments when we should be saving in order to fix the real problem. </p>
<p>Dang...mine are monsters compared to everyone elses....</p>
<p>Well...mine are still nearly twice as long. Ooops!! :(</p>
<p>yeah, mine were pretty lengthy too... But I honesty feel (felt?) that there was no way to shorten them without taking away from my application.</p>
<p>last week I send some award updates. I'm guessing decisions are pretty much set by now, but hopefully those awards will tip the scales in my favor...</p>
<p>good luck with your interview!</p>
<p>mine were really long: about a page each. now im really worried!!! but i cant see how i would have cut it down... :S</p>
<p>It's the same with me. I tried to go through and shorten them but I really wanted to give them an idea of who I was and every bit seemed necessary. </p>
<p>2 weeks left!!!</p>
<p>I have such paranoia... I'd love to post mine but I just can't get over the thought that some troll would plagiarize. (not you guys of course :P) To be honest, you guys have been so freaking helpful throughout this entire process... if we all decide to go to Barnard, we should DEFINITELY meet up for lunch! :)</p>
<p>I'll post half of the daily one and compromise between my ambivalence :P. I wrote about how I have band and I like the part before we actually sit down and play because it allows me to release my energy. See:</p>
<p>"Embraced by the cacophony, my ears welcome the various instrumental sounds. The cold silver of my flute against the pads of my fingertips is familiar and inviting. Diving into the frenzied playing of my peers, I toot out my first scale: B flat major, two octaves. Those five minutes of being completely enveloped in instrumental sound allow me to rescind from my hectic academic schedule. It is a practice I love to indulge in every day before band rehearsal. An outside observer might find the crashing cymbals and squeaking piccolo to be nonsensical clamor, but the band room chaos is exactly what I need to contrast with the stifling rigidity of my classes." (goes on to explain why I like it for a few sentences)</p>
<p>Hehe :)</p>
<p>Honestly my CommonApp essay is what is really unique about my application. I'm simultaneously proud and nervous about it - it's so unique but completely RANDOM (and funny too ;)). I compare my idiosyncrasies to the way I dance. LOL... and I can't dance - which is the funny part. Here are a few sentences from it: "I approach the dance floor uninhibited. I reign with my graceless hip juts and gawky arm waves. And so is the approach that I take on life with—a one-of-the-kind type of perspective. I refuse to emulate Britney Spears’ tail wiggles, because I hesitate to copy what I’ve seen. [...] Unfortunately, sometimes it seems that my mirror may be the only entity to ever appreciate the way I boogie."</p>