<p>what is your dream job? USC</p>
<p>I had some fun with this Caltech prompt:</p>
<p>"Interest in math, science, or engineering manifests itself in many forms. Caltech professor and Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman [1918-1988] explained, "I'd make a motor, I'd make a gadget that would go off when something passed a photocell, I'd play around with selenium"; he was exploring his interest in science, as he put it, by "piddling around all the time." In a page, more or less, tell the Admissions Committee how you express your interest, curiosity, or excitement about math, science or engineering. Before answering this question, you might ask those around you - friends, family, or teachers - how they see you as a mathematician, scientist or engineer. They may offer insightful observations!"</p>
<p>I wrote in a kind of "stream of consciousness" style, recounting the first time I solved a (simple) partial differential equation in terms of elementary functions. I had one of my old notebooks out so that I could read over what I did and write my essay at the same time. My hands were actually shaking a little by the time I finished writing.</p>
<p>for my UC 600 word essay i wrote about bhangra...</p>
<p>google it</p>
<p>My D wrote about being left-handed last year to answer the diversity question for Whitman College. It was extremely clever.</p>
<p>Someone upthread mentioned Caltech's Box. I didn't apply to Caltech, but Rice has a Box, too. I really enjoy that- it's like a mini art project.</p>
<p>I'm not due to fill out college apps for a few years, but I really like virtually all the UChicago questions.</p>
<p>Tulane has a box too.. but you don't have to fill it you just have to use it..
but my favorite was pick an issue that is important to you and why? from the International University of Bremen..</p>
<p>I wrote about international democracy!</p>
<p>Both of Northwestern's 50-word short answer "essays".
I had to get really creative with those haha. Very unique and fun though!</p>
<p>UChicago's 'Mad Hatter' essay was lots of fun</p>
<p>I liked UChicago's essay (function one was interesting, but I wouldn't know what on earth to put), but I had the most fun writing the Penn long essay about first experiences. </p>
<p>The ones I hated most were the Common App topics (waaay to broad... I need something specific), and the Why this college essays... The explain-why-you're-interested-in-this-major essays were the easiest to write, but were pretty bland though...</p>
<p>Wasn't the USC dream job one just a one-word type of deal?</p>
<p>Penn's "You have just completed your 300 page autobiograhy. Please submit page 217" was my favorite. Stanford's "write a note to your future roomate" is also kinda nice.</p>
<p>Glad I didn't have to do any "What do you do for funs." I would have had to say study or make something up.</p>
<p>the hardest topic that i saw but never did was michigan's...which was something like what would you be in 10 years from now O.o...</p>
<p>the one for tufts asking who i was was fun. i said i had a corny sense of humor and that i was doing a great service to humanity with it.
uva didnt have the animal one this yr?</p>
<p>The common app ones aren't bad if you just go for writing about whatever the hell you please.</p>
<p>I wrote about my addiction to lawnmowing and how it's a cathartic experience!</p>
<p>For UVA my favorite word was "poetry" and I actually liked writing the Hopkins "free day" one.</p>
<p>When I saw the caterian cordinant plane essay for UChicago, I looked up and denounced my atheist views for a moment, only to realize the error in my actions and start pondering the perfect function to represent me. </p>
<p>For those that haven't witnessed this goodness...</p>
<p>The Cartesian coordinate system is a popular method of representing real numbers and is the bane of eigth graders everywhere. Since its introduction by Descartes in 1637, this means of visually characterizing mathematical values has swept the globe, earning a significant role in branches of mathematics such as algebra, geometry, and calculus. Describe yourself as a point or series of points on this axial arrangement. If you are a function, what are you? In what quadrants do you lie? Are x and y enough for you, or do you warrant love from the the z-axis? Be sure to include your domain, range, derivative, and asymptotes, should any apply. Your possibilities are positively and negatively unbounded.</p>
<p>So there you go...care to share what you are?</p>
<p>A few years back, Chicago had a few great ones. One was something to the extent of "What are your thoughts on Wednesday?" and another was something about how some things (Dennis Rodman included) obviously come from outer space, so choose your own extraterrestrial item and defend your choice.</p>
<p>My sister had one this year for Emerson that told students to imagine that they had full, unlimited access to the Boston Commons for one whole day. The question was what, given no constraints whatsoever, they would choose to use the Commons for.</p>
<p>I liked one of Stanford's a few years ago: take (and include) a photo of something important to you and tell us what it is and why you picked it.</p>
<p>I LOVED Rice's empty box!</p>
<p>UChicago's essay:</p>
<p>Absolute-value equation...because I'm sharp/smart ;-)</p>
<p>I'd be boundless.</p>
<p>By far, tufts's essay "Self-identity and personal expression take many forms. Music, food, art and clothing can make a statement. Politics, religion, nationality and ethnicity often act as defining attributes. Colored wristbands and blogs express opinions and viewpoints while the minutia that adorns a refrigerator or a notebook can be clues to someone's passions. Are you an oldest child? Do you surf? Are you a vegetarian? Did you wear flip flops to the prom? Do you have a tattoo? Who are you?"</p>
<p>I had the most fun writing about this...I talked about spongebob squarepants, HIV/AIDS, war, and practically everything you can think of!</p>
<p>Best- "What is your favorite food and why?"</p>
<p>Worst- (Washington State University) "What will your co-workers have to say about you on the occasion of your retirement?"</p>
<p>I showed UChicago's question to my precalc teacher and he got a kick out of it. I'm sure that since then he's thought about what he would be.</p>