Unrealistic Literary Itinerary...Should I be ashamed of my geekiness?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Columbia University
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<p>There are only two parts of the Columbia application that are stopping me from pressing the sacred submit button: the two prompts asking me to list books I have read for pleasure and required reading I've enjoyed over the past year. Half of my free reading is academic: a <em>**uyama book; Blackness Visible; Justice and the Politics of Difference; Deceit, Desire, and the Novel; Politics & Apocalypse; and so on. However, I read two of the books with a feminist/civil rights philosophy reading group hosted by a teacher, who, if it were not for his guidance, I probably would not have had fully comprehended the texts. As for the other texts, I was motivated to read a great deal of them as the result of an academic conference. In order to prepare for the conference, one of my teachers suggested a few books that would help me follow the dialogue at the conference. And in the aftermath of the conference, there were a few lectures and discussions that inspired me to pick up authors such as *</em>*uyama (I heard his name and works referenced so much that I was embarrassed for not previously knowing anything of him).</p>

<p>Simply, I feel like the books make seem out of place for a high school student. I would feel more comfortable listing them if I could give an explanation of how I came to reading them and if I were a given a chance to explain that I did not quite understand every theory proposed. Similarly, I'd like to explain that when I did reach that "ah-hah" moment of understanding, it took a great deal of work. I do not want to come off as something I am not. I am not a genius, but I do work hard to learn about my interests.</p>

<p>I would stick with my light reading, but then I would only have 5 or so books listed. They might think I am a bit of a dunce, especially as two of the books are just collections of short stories. Should I include the political/rights philosophy texts?</p>

<p>I have a similar problem with the required reading list. I honestly enjoyed reading Dostoevsky and Joyce, but I am told that most students cannot stand their works. And if the reader is not a philosophy person, I am not sure they will comprehend how I take pleasure in struggling with Anselm's proslogion.</p>

<p>Any input?</p>

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<p>I don’t think you should be ashamed, or worried at all. I’m planning to be an International Relations & Anthropology double major (with an emphasis on the Middle East and cultural anthropology) and I had quite a long book list. Although many of my books weren’t specifically related to my major, I’m extremely interested in many, many things. But w.e., i’m quite a voracious reader. So, I took the risk and included a supplementary book list to my (ED) application listing the fifty or so books i’ve read in the past year. I know I risked being seen as overly-pretentious by the adcom, but I figured that the benefits would most likely outweigh the negative effects…</p>

<p>Some of my books: </p>

<p>The House of Spirits, 100 Years of Solitude, Clash of Civilizations, The End of History and the Last Man, Of Grammatology, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Snow, Muslim Minorities in the West, Development as Freedom, Political Suicide in Latin America, Discourse On A Method, Revolutionizing Motherhood: The Mothers of la Plaza de Mayo, La Malade Imaginaire, Lettres Persanes, La Cantatrice Chauve, Taming of the Shrew, Activists Without Borders, Two Treatises of Government, Don Quixote, La Gitanilla, The Road From Coorain, The Prince, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Othello, Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age, Undoing Gender, Orientalism, Pinochet’s Chile, Clash of Civilizations, La Deuxieme Sexe, The Iron Cage (Khalidi)…</p>

<p>Also, why should you feel awkward for reading books typically untouched by high school students? Personally, I see it as a responsibility to learn more than what my idiotic public high school is able to force feed me, just to pass state exams.</p>

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<p>I don’t see how you need to hide anything. I’m sure quite a number of applicants are in the same situation.</p>

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<p>I am applying as an international relations major as well! And I see your a fan of Gabriel Garcia Marquez…It’s reassuring to see another candidate mentioning Huntington. That makes me feel slightly more comfortable.</p>

<p>I usually cover up the fact that I enjoy reading some of these texts or make excuses, so I am already in the mindset to rationalize my interest. Most people don’t understand why I am interested in these texts, should I expect adcoms to understand?</p>

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<p>if the rest of your app contains evidence that yes, you would be that type of person to enjoy those books (and your essay is a good place to shape your ‘image’) then there’s no reason to ‘tone down’ your reading list.</p>

<p>my reading list had the federalist papers and democracy in america. two books that high schoolers don’t normally read for fun and might look kind of suspicious sitting there randomly by itself. but then my essay was about my passion for politics and my ECs showed that i was actively seeking out political involvement as well. so it was all part of a cohesive package.</p>

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<p>Wow, this is one of the most pretentious, self-serving and pseudointellectual posts I’ve ever seen on any message board.</p>

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<p>You should worry more about how adcoms view your wanting to major in something that doesn’t exist at CU than how they view your snobby “literary itinerary.”</p>

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<p>^ Political science, international affairs, international relations, human rights…every school seems to have a different name for the majors in which I am interested. When people ask me what I want to study, I generally just say international relations/affairs or something within that realm of study as opposed to three “potential major” that each school asks for. I am not sure what exactly your perceiving as snobbery, but my apologies for seeking help with my application.</p>

<p>To the other three posters, thanks for your helpful replies. My essay on Why Columbia and my EC’s draw out my interest in international affairs and political science, so I am feeling more comfortable about keeping those political texts on the app.</p>

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<p>But they’re quite different, and you haven’t taken the time to figure out these nuances and what majors are actually offered by a school that you seek to attend. </p>

<p>And, by the way, your intolerable post puts yourself on some high-and-mighty pedestal as God’s Gift To Literature and demonstrates that you have an absolutely condescending view of other people:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>“They might think I am a bit of a dunce, especially as two of the books are just collections of short stories.”</p></li>
<li><p>“And if the reader is not a philosophy person, I am not sure they will comprehend how I take pleasure in struggling with Anselm’s proslogion.”</p></li>
<li><p>“Most people don’t understand why I am interested in these texts”</p></li>
<li><p>“I feel like the books make seem out of place for a high school student.”</p></li>
</ul>

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<p>I can’t help but agree with C02.</p>

<p>An application involves marketing yourself to people whose job it is to sort the wheat from the chaff. You’re conveying deep ideas about who you are and what it is you want out of college. If these are the kinds of things you read and think about, they want to hear that. They don’t want some psychoanalytical meta-game.</p>

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<p>I tried to sort this out in a private message with you Columbia2002, but you still want to post here. You furthermore have yet to answer the question I ask in the original post, which everyone else has been able to answer. This appears to me to be confirmation that you get off on trying to rip apart applicants on an internet forum, which is probably unhealthy for you. You said my post was self-serving. As I asked in my pm, aren’t all solicitations of advice by definition self-serving? Secondly, there is nothing in my post that is condescending unless you want to claim that most high school students are interested in the works I mentioned. I didn’t say that reading these books or having an interest in them makes me better than everyone else, which is the straw man you are making me out to be. All I said is that it is somewhat unusual, which is indeed true. Not only that but I attributed my own knowledge and interest completely to my teachers in my post. “A teacher, who, if it were not for his guidance, I probably would not have had fully comprehended the texts” - you are telling me that sounds pretentious?</p>

<p>The only pretentious person here is you. Do you honestly need to use three adjectives to call me pretentious? Congratulations, you know how to use words and be judgmental.</p>

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<p>brendanww - I understand your frustration - but you should probably just let this one slide. C2002 is always like this. He can also be very helpful.</p>

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<p>I’m no expert at this matter since I’m an ED applicant but I definitely know that a school of Columbia’s caliber is able to attract applicants of focused talent or passion. As such I’m sure that an admissions person will run into lots of esoteric reading material for each applicant, but as long as those reading material connect with other parts of the application, whether it be courses taken, ECs, or the long essay, then I really don’t think there is anything to worry about.</p>

<p>Also if you feel that you need to explain the reading material you have cited you can always utilize the additional information section.</p>

<p>But to be frank, a lot of high school kids that are truly passionate about certain academic subjects apply to Columbia (and average kids usually don’t), so I don’t think you need to worry about “being out of place for a high school student.”</p>

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<p>i’m applying next year, but i’m just wondering how long can the reading list be? i read quite a bit so i’m not sure if there will be enough space to produce a list that is representative of my eclectic tastes.</p>

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<p>Hopefully you’ll come to realize that reading texts prudently is not enough. The prudent person can argue in a manner that is meaningful to their audience. Frankly, I don’t think you’ll find a single person in this world who can understand the babble in your first post. </p>

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<p>We have a few classes for that here at Columbia, they’re called Lit Hum and CC. Do some homework on them.</p>

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<p>I don’t understand either. I think that I’m fairly competent when it comes to learning so I invite you to explain the struggle that you have with these texts to me and how and why you enjoy the texts.</p>

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<p>it probably will not be enough space srrinath, there’s only 300 characters for this answer.</p>

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<p>No, no, no: dead wrong. Wrong.</p>

<p>Denzera captured it aptly when he remarked that “[t]hey don’t want some psychoanalytical meta-game.”</p>

<p>I don’t think much of people who derive pleasure from reading crap like Finnegans Wake. Hemingway observes of Dostoyevsky, too, in his classic memoir A Moveable Feast: “How can a man write so badly, so unbelievably badly, and make you feel so deeply?” To each his own.</p>

<p>I would recommend that you submit only those works that have most influenced you, unless every work you’ve read has brought you an equal amount of pleasure.</p>

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<p>aw, that’s sad because i was hoping to give adcoms a more reflective picture. by the way for this response and for other response on the columbia app, are they X number of characters with or without spaces?</p>

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<p>300 chars incl spaces, I believe.</p>

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<p>your texts aren’t as obscure and esoteric as you think.</p>

<p>any legit high school debater would have quoted these texts already.</p>

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<p>Oh those LDers. Unfortunately, most of those kids fall down pretty hard off their high horses in the philosophy classes.</p>