Who are the Yale EAers?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>So I saw this on the Penn thread, and I thought it was an excellent idea. It would be cool to get to know everyone behind the stats posts and numbers. I'll go first...</p>

<p>I'm Koena, and I live in Ohio. My dad is Pakistani, and my mom is Iranian and Indian, so that makes me a delightful combination of all of the above lol. I've never really been a math/science person, though I recently became obsessed with cognitive science (though it's really interdisciplinary, and definitely not all science), and I've kind of been into English all my life. I hope to become a writer someday, possibly a journalist, but I'm more into creative writing so we'll see how that goes.</p>

<p>My school is really small...around 200 kids per grade...and everyone knows each other really well. While I really like my school, I'm excited for college to meet new kinds of people. Everyone in my school, and in my city for that matter, seems to be kind of similar in terms of...everything. My school is definitely kind of homogeneous-- for example, the majority of my grade is comprised of people who are blonde and blue-eyed. While I generally fit that trend--I'm dirty blonde and green-eyed-- I'm looking forward to getting the chance to hang out with people who have different ideas about life (and possibly who look different from me and one another ;)) in college. </p>

<p>When I'm not doing school stuff, my favorite pasttimes include reading, writing, watching lots of movies, going out, and working out--I'm a huge health nut. I party occasionally, but not as much as I hope to in college...my parents are kind of strict. I've never had a 'real,' grunt-work type job, but I've held several internships, and have done some modeling. Unlike a lot of people, I definitely think girls can be pretty AND smart...it's not one or the other, like a lot of people (mostly guys) tend to think (I just had a conversation with a guy friend about this today...sooo annoying lol). Speaking of guys...I'm really into the whole Latin lover thing, blush lol, but anyone who can keep me laughing is good enough for me. </p>

<p>Above all, my main goal in life as of now is to get into Yale, though it's totally out of my hands right now. I'm just hoping for the best for us all, but life definitely does go on! </p>

<p>What are you guys all about? :)</p>

2

<p>i am the funniest person you'll ever meet.
if you get to meet me, that is.</p>

3

<p>Care to back that up with a joke, humorous anecdote, or other witticism, j.ahn? I think everyone on this forum could do with a good laugh or two.</p>

4

<p>No one has a definite impression of me. I am a composed schizo. I am anal-retentive. I know how to have a really good time. I’m from fake NYC (one of those boroughs, that well is not the city). I’ve never had a real job, but I am looking for one. I love the arts. I realized that I've been schooled in a sheltered academic environment where I do not actually realize what is truely "average". I am a product of the NYC Public Education system. I like to begin sentences about myself in I, or to speak in third person. I like massages, stretching, and being in pain from pushing yourself to a physical limit. I love elliptical machines. If I weren’t practical, I would totally be pursing a bfa in theater and auditioning, but I have many other callings in life. I’m totally a twinkie. I’m pretty damn loud. I do things that people often associate with stoned drunkenness, while totally sober when I’m with my friends. I am sad that I can’t do I split. I love painting, and getting messy so long as I’m not wearing an outfit I like. I wish I were a flapper. I'm totally British...pseudo-British! I can do one heck of a Southern accent. I can't stand the thought of being normal.</p>

5

<p>I like willact4food's lack of formal organization-it makes this easier, so I'm "borrowing" it. So here goes: random thoughts. I'm named after a flower. I live in "Upstate NY" but only according to Long Islanders. Otherwise I live in a suburb of NYC, supposedly. But unfortunately, my parents don't like me going to the city, so I only get to go there a handful of times a year. My city is a sprawling metro-suburb. I go to the local public high school-it's huge and highly diverse but often self-segregated. I have an obsession with music and piano- I basically live at a local music school with my brilliant and lovable teacher and my weird dorky-but-awesome chamber music ensemble groups. I really admire peers who are very talented at specific instruments, above others, piano and violin. I also play clarinet in school. However, the stereotypes of music and being asian and my inadaquate practice habits of my youth lead to others discounting my love, as it is not comparatively reflected enough through ability, which saddens me. I also play tennis-I get really focused and intense-I tend to raise my voice when excited about anything, but on the tennis courts it gets to a whole other level-it's basically the only form of exercise that I enjoy, besides occasional jogging just to clear my mind of frustrations- I am no runner unfortunately. Being an ABC, I am fluent in Mandarin Chinese. I also take German and picked up some Italian on summer expedition. I tutor a lot- about 4 students regularly in pretty much any subjects except Chemistry, and basically half of this year's BC Calc class randomly in school. Other work experience would be a research internship over the last three years. This is getting stats-y. Detour time. I'm unfortunately quite vertically challenged, but thankfully not so much that unassisted driving is still possible. I really can't wait to learn to drive. My friends always brighten up my days, hanging out with them makes my world go 'round (to be cliche). I love taking pictures just for the heck of it- I don't understand the technicalities of photography, and at this point I'm totally satisfied with my point-and-shoot digital camera that I carry around with me and would choose it over a fancy professional film-based camera any day. I can't really do any particularly interesting accents. In fact, my English is occasionaly lispy due to orthodontic equipment that I hope to get off soon. Wow this is all really random stuff. I'll stop. </p>

<p>Yale is by far my number one choice. If I get in, I shall be definitely going there, as an econ major, even though I anticipate a huge conflict at my house because my dad is quite adamate about me going to Wharton if I get in there regular decision (but what are the chances of acceptance at both Wharton and Yale? I don't perceive that this will be a problem.)</p>

<p>Why am I so sure that I love Yale the most? I have lived there for a week in a friend's dorm as a really long overnight stay and half-jokingly contemplated over what would happen if I just stayed there indefinitely, but then we decided that I should probably graduate high school and hopefully be there legitimately.</p>

6

<p>juniorinhs... i wish i had a friend like that!!! I'd stay there forever...</p>

<p>Okay my turn... I live near Boston and go to a relatively small public school. I love my school, I don't know why, but I do. I think its really great for a public school. Um, I play piano and have forever. I have no discipline so I don't practice persay but just fool around all the time. I sing, but I'm not particularly good, but I'm in a bunch of groups at school and I love Yale for its a cappella... Um, I used to be friends with everyone but I've recently just sort of narrowed it down to like those that I'm really close to and just keep acquaintances. Every now and then though I really like hanging out with like a tiny group of random random people and getting to know them better. Anyway, I digress. I'm class president but its not really that interesting a position because I really just run fundraisers and stuff... so not much to talk about there. I watch C-SPAN obsessively and right now my friend and are watching the house of commons online... its great stuff. I'm a political junkie and my favorite CNN anchor is anderson cooper (Yale alum baby!) My AP English course this year has made me a lover of literature. Its a really awesome course. We're reading Heart of Darkness and I'm pumped to watch Apocalypse Now before christmas break (even though I'll probably be pretty depressed... you know why!) </p>

<p>I've wanted to go to yale since like sophomore year when I read somethign about it and have been awkwardly reading these forums ever since... </p>

<p>Wow, that stream of consciousness really worke well for me. I'm not even gonna read this after I post it.</p>

7

<p>yay for pianists.
oh yeah, I think AP lit is great too...opening eyes to poetry and dickens. AP govts though are another story. at least at my school.</p>

8

<p>What are my chances?
GPA: 3.9267</p>

<p>lol
!</p>

<p>basically, I go to the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
<a href="http://www.tams.unt.edu%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.tams.unt.edu&lt;/a>
5'11" korean 180 lbs
good teeth except for my right middle incisor tooth which I chipped in 1st grade
when my friends and I were stacking on each other's shoulders and I fell.
Relevant information in a country where people alledgedly care more about teeth than "those" Brits.
I am pretty good at tennis and basketball. I should have played football in high school. But it wouldn't have mattered because now I am at TAMS, where high school sports do not exist.
I am horrible at managing human relationships, because I am everywhere!
Despite this fact, plus the fact that I go to a math and science school, I do have many friends (I was not BORN at TAMS).
I am immensely worried about Dec. 15th. I hope I get the fat envelope, assuming it's the right kind.
I forgot to mention, I like candlelit dinners and meaningful conversations while making eye contact and whispering sweet nothings. So, if you and I both go to Yale, bring candles (for dinner).
as the tams gaming socialites like to say, gg roflmao</p>

<p>i ramble a bit</p>

9

<p>and, go dallas mavericks and the cowboys with tony romo whose jersey is sold out everywhere in the dallas/ft.worth metroplex, including denton (part of the golden triangle)</p>

10

<p>I love random freewriting too.</p>

<p>I live in a the big, fat borough of Queens in New York City. My neighborhood is completely Greek, and my family is the only non-Caucasian on the block. I am a mutt- a mix between the Peruvian and Korean cultures. I can't stand gerbils, cats, and kids below the age of 5. Unless they're quiet. I go to a magnet school that is elitist in every way, shape, and form. But the education's not that all bad. And it does well in the college process. 3200 people from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Stuyvesant High School is 1 hour from where I live, and my commute is longer than the time I see face-to-face with my parents. I walk 10 minutes to the train, ride 40 minutes on the train, and then walk another 10 minutes to the school. It's terrible, but my classes aren't. I start the day off great, with ap humanities: English with discussions about sex scenes in Beowulf and the wackness of Shakespeare's sonnets, and US Gov with a liberal conspirator who has, in the 3 terms I have had him, made me hate the Bush presidency in every single respect. Then, I go to ap chemistry, a class which I find utterly annoying because the newbie teacher believes in work, a concept most of veterans believe to be optional.</p>

<p>I hate Chemistry, but I don't chemistry, and I want to be a doctor one day. More than a doctor- a neurosurgeon. Yah, I know a little bit of a reach for anyone, but I think I can get there. I love the brain; reading about the brain and nervous system is one of those weird-things-that-people-do that I do. Psychology is one of my passions. So is cooking. I loved to cook this Aguadito, this spanish soup made with peas and rice. It's sort of like congee or rice pudding, only green, and not congee or rice pudding. My dad taught me the recipe.</p>

<p>I love to watch TV; that's also one of my passions. I still watch Saturday morning cartoons, but only teh 11:30 show, because I can't get up early anymore. Sometimes I'll even miss that. I love Colbert. I hate Stewart. I love CNN. I hate FOX. But I love House. and 24. and the Simpsons. Predicament, no? Rather, I just hate FOX News. The shows are kinda good.</p>

<p>And free time: I go out with friends. We hang out- we chill, we do things not worth mentioning on public forums. It happens on Fridays usually, sometimes Saturdays, but usually not, because I like to cook on Saturday, so I don't go out that day. Definitely not on Sunday because I do my work then and I just would be too tired to do anything right. I wish I would go to gym some more; I'm getting fat- stupid turkey and thanksgiving. </p>

<p>Why I want to go to Yale. Hm. Well, Harvard was my #1 for maybe half my life mostly because my mother said "You Harvard. No-ting else." I wasn't the type to go to Harvard when I'm like 5 or 6 and be like wow I have to go there, but my mother was all like, My child must be successful and doctor or lawyer or both or in the middle. I learned about Yale in soph year when I got a viewbook by accident. Yale seemed to be much chiller than Harvard, and seemed to look awesome. I was hooked. Later, I learned that I also wanted to go to Yale because of their psych program, and their residential system, and their chillness. Oh yes, let's not forget how close it is to NYC. I like to party in NYC, but hell no I'm not going to stay in NYC. I'll stay near my parents, but I won't be with my parents. Yale is perfect.</p>

<p>stream of consciousness free write complete</p>

11

<p>I'm Jesi.</p>

<p>I live in Kansas. Everyone thinks we're a bunch of hicks or farmers, but really, I live in a pretty big city (KC) and Kansas really is a great place to grow up. Tons of wide open spaces, very wealthy, barely any crime. My high school is smallish (about 1200 kids). I debate, which takes up a lot of my time, and I'm the editor for our school newspaper, which takes up almost all of the rest. And I sing too. I've been class president every year. I keep busy.</p>

<p>When I grow up I want to work in the field of human rights/humanitarian aid, although I'm not yet sure in what capacity. Possibly for the UN. And I want to write too. I have no interest in politics (as a career), but I am an avid Jon Stewart fan.</p>

<p>I hate Stephen Colbert passionately.</p>

<p>I've wanted to go to Yale since I visited last May (before that, I was planning on applying to Columbia ED). The only thing I don't like about Yale is location (I would really prefer to be in DC or NYC, my two favorite cities).</p>

<p>I have terrible insomnia. I am taking the SAT tomorrow for the last time, which makes me feel oddly nostalgic.</p>

<p>That is all I have to say. This is a very nice forum--everyone is so friendly. It'll be sort of bittersweet for all of us when decision time rolls around, I think.</p>

12

<p>So stupak, we're kind of like the same person lol </p>

<p>I recently decided that I'm going to become a neurosurgeon...but mostly for kicks and giggles and to **** off my parents, who really want me to be a neurosurgeon but who know I'm only half serious...but I guess you're serious...so I guess that's not really a commonality but I thought I would share</p>

<p>My parents told me at a young age that I was going to Harvard too! And I discovered early last year that Yale is chiller and all around sweeter than Harvard</p>

<p>I wish I could party in NYC like...basically all of you lol</p>

<p>It's been sweet to read about you guys...you make me long to hop on the next train out of suburbia... :)</p>

13

<p>Jegan (Jesi) you should get some sleep! One of my best friends lives in the dirty KC...I love that place lol...no memories, but I'm sure they'd be fond if I had some</p>

<p>And, whoever said whatever about Anderson Cooper...I'm in love with that guy myself</p>

14

<p>Hi, my name is XXXXXXX.</p>

<p>I live in a very upper-class suburban area in Detroit, MI although my family isn't really upper-class lol. My parents were both born in India and I was born there so I guess that makes me INDIAN!!!:) I go to a really diverse high school filled with all kinds of people, activities, and of course drama. My school is weird in that all the jocks and popular kids are incredibly nice and most of the snottier types of individuals are those "popular wannabe" types, but people basically mind their own business. Of course, I'm really excited to be a senior and though I've enjoyed high school, I REALLY WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE BADLY!!!:) Most of the "smart" kids from my school go to the University of Michigan, so I will most likely end up there unless I get accepted into an Ivy or get a <em>really good</em> scholarship to some other top 25 school. I'm kind of bittersweet about my whole college situation since although I love UM's sports teams and academic environments, I'm eager to go out-of-state and meet some really cool and different people! Also, call me selfish, but I have always viewed college as being this sort of intellectual haven and I want to meet the most incredible people and have incredible conversations with them that range from a debate over the tenets of the Communist Manifest to the attractiveness of Jessica Alba. You get the idea!;) Also, I really need to get away from my parents as they are very overbearing(like most Indian/Asian parents I s'pose) and I WANT MY INDEPENDENCE!!</p>

<p>To rewind a little bit, I've lived in about 5 different countries in 3 different continents and have had the opportunity to visit over a dozen others countries throughout my life. Singapore and Malaysia are my two personal favorite locations but I also like Australia and Germany. I consider myself to be an intellectual individual although I confess I am not naturally smart and alas, everything I've accomplished in life is because of sheer hard work and determination(cliche but true). I guess I go to a hypercompetitive school(no one knows anyone scores or grades for sure) but I'm a really laid-back guy and I generally just do what makes me happy. I'm fairly balanced and I like to be serious on occasion and cut loose and just have fun at other times. Generally, I try to avoid confrontation and never openly show any of my emotions since quite honestly, a lot of the stuff that goes on in high school just isn't worth my emotions and effort. I give everybody a fair chance, regardless of what people have said of the person, and treat others like I would want them to treat me. I get along with almost any type of individual and I think it's fair to say that I don't really get stressed about stuff since I think about the big picture. You live, you smile, you cry, you deal, you move on.</p>

<p>In my spare time, I like to read, write, play videogames, eat food, and hang out with friends...pretty normal stuff. I'm also very addicted to CC and this forum suprisingly...not. More specifically, I like The Colbert Report, LOST, The Daily Show, The History Channel anything, CSPAN anything, Everybody Loves Raymond, Frasier, Seinfeld, The Office, and Family Guy. As for books, some of my favorites include Freakonomics, Empire Falls, The Color of Water, Things Fall Apart, A Passage To India, Memoirs of a Geisha, and America The Book by John Stewart. Err videogames I really like RPG's and first-person shooters but really hate sports games(that's why we have TV *****).</p>

<p>Basically, I'm a very idealistic person and I want to change the world some way or another with my words and actions. I intend to major in Economics/International Relations and more specifically want to analyze the effects of globalization and find a long-term solution for global poverty. Battling AIDS is also something I feel really strongly about as well as I've witnessed first-hand world leaders that have dismissed the dangerous effects of the virus and the pandemic that it has now morphed into. I could go on and on about AIDS and Africa forever but I truly feel that what's happening in Africa now(war, disease, genocide, etc.) is the CRISIS of our generation and the longer our generation takes to act, the worse off we are going to be. I'll conclude by saying that in the 21st century, it's UNEXCUSABLE that millions of people are still dying from diseases that Americans can protect themselves from a $1 vaccination at a local drugstore. Apathy and indifference is the issue here.</p>

<p>I'll end of on a lighter note I guess...regarding my thoughts on girls. Hmm, my parents want me to marry an Asian girl but I'm open to a life partner from any ethnicity. I want a girl who laughs easily, likes to cook, doesn't take things too seriously, is intelligent, and will sit with me in the backyard of our retirement home 60 years from now and drink coffee and discuss politics/literature with me. I really think that looks wear off over time(but like in Rosie O' Donnell's case since birth lol) but someone's personality doesn't change over time and the qualities like honesty, compassion, and virtue are permanent. Guess that makes me a hopeless romantic lol.:)</p>

<p>So, basically I love life, Yale, and you.;)</p>

15

<p>(some of this is lifted from my Facebook profile)</p>

<p>I'm Natalie, and I live in Marin County, (northern) California. I've gone to Catholic school for the past thirteen years, but I'm not terribly religious, and in fact in the past three years I've gotten into the habit of challenging my teachers on morality issues -- for instance, last year's teacher pronounced the media "evil," which I definitely don't jibe with because both my parents are advertisers.</p>

<p>I want a career in the media -- my dreams extend to (but don't necessarily stop at) writing for Entertainment Weekly, writing a film like Crash, or writing for a television show. My idols include Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly, three of my favorite TV shows), Seth MacFarlane (same reasons for Family Guy), and Tamora Pierce (fantasy author whose work first got the writing wheels turning in my head).</p>

<p>As is pretty clear, my focus is creative writing. Unfortunately, I haven't been published yet (although freshman year I almost published a story in Chocolate for Women, an anthology similar to Chicken Soup, about an embarrassing freshman year experience -- I re-worked this story to become one of my Common App essays), but I currently write fanfiction. I'm pretty well known on fanfiction.net and some livejournal writing communities, though under a screenname.</p>

<p>I may also want to go into journalism (I'm co-editor of my school paper), but I don't know for sure.</p>

<p>I play tennis, but more as a hobby than a serious sport. My favorite form of community service is the Peer Education program I helped co-found at my school, which has been somewhat effective with the younger grades and is growing each year :D</p>

<p>I may start out shy, but when you get to know me you find that I'm very open and wacky; interestingly, however, I've been described by two GYLC friends as chilled, and by my SAT prep woman as "sarcastic and self-deprecating." I laugh at the silliest things and often have a dirty mind. I cry at the most inane stuff, like Disney movies and musicals. I also sing to this type of music and others (from 50 Cent to 90s music to German techno hits) in the shower and, sometimes, in public. I quote lots of movies, often those that no one knows. I can go from discussing "intellectual" stuff like Kafka's The Trial or what accurately symbolizes American culture, to chattering about the latest episode of Laguna Beach or One Tree Hill. I use e-mail and Instant Messenger to keep in touch with a multitude of friends outside California, even though my Cali friends don't quite understand this -- you'd think that with their Myspaces/Facebooks, they would :p</p>

<p>I don't get easily embarrassed (that was the topic of the freshman-year essay I submitted for CA). My approach to new things/challenges could probably be summed up in my attitude toward karaoke: I may not be incredibly talented, but I am enthusiastic.</p>

<p>Great idea for this thread, koena. It definitely is nicer to get to know people beyond stats and ECs.</p>

16

<p>Hey Natalie, what school do you go to in Marin? I have a friend who lives there who went to a catholic school called Star of the Sea for a while.</p>

<p>Now.. my turn..</p>

<p>My name is Alexis, but most people call me Lexi. I live in Seattle, Washington and I adore everything about it. I love being surrounded by so much green and being able to see mountains and water everywhere I turn while still being in a city.</p>

<p>I'm really into music and I got to concerts about once a month. Usually they're small shows at local clubs with local bands. Some of my favorite local bands are Minus the Bear, The Helio Sequence, The Shins, and Death Cab. I got to see Death Cab at tiny venues way back in the day, before they exploded. Some of my other favorite bands are Mum (an icelandic electornica group), Sufjan Stevens, Imogen Heap, John Mayer, Boards of Canada, Keane, Radiohead, Jose Gonzalez... the list kind of goes on and on.</p>

<p>Besides listening to music constantly and going to as many concerts as my sleep schedule can stand, I play a lot of it. I've been singing my whole life and have been in various school choirs since the start of high school. Right now I'm in the vocal jazz ensemble, which is a blast, even though we have to rehearse before school (at 6:45 AM!). I also sing on my own... playing piano and guitar to back myself up. Sometimes I write music.</p>

<p>I'm actually planning to take a year off to work on my own music. I've been so caught up in academics and school related music activities that I've never had time to focus my energy on songwriting and my own musical desires. In my year off, I want to volunteer as much as possible at the all-ages venue in Seattle, record at least a demo, and get as many gigs as possible. I want to get a chance to explore this passion before getting caught up in academics all over again in college.</p>

<p>Oh, and I also play flute. I'm in orchestra.. I actually just got home from playing Handel's Messiah. We're playing Toccata and Fugue in D Minor next week, which is amazing. We play such fun literature.. last year we played Shostakovich's 5th Symphony, and we got to play it along with the Seattle Symphony.. We also played Appalachian Spring, Bloch's Enigma Variations, the Nutracker Suite, Tchaikovsky's Francesca Da Rimini and his second symphony.. the list goes on and on!</p>

<p>This is impossibly long already. Well, you can tell how much I love music. I preform as much as possible. I had a concert tonight, shows next Friday and Saturday for our musical revue showcase (I get to sing Baby It's Cold Outside with a friend, I'm really excited for that), another orchestra concert on the 12th, and then the talent show on the 14th. I'm singing two songs (accompianing myself on piano)... Coldplay's The Scientist and Radiohead's Motion Picture Soundtrack.</p>

<p>OK OK. So, besides music, I love science. I volunteer at the Aquarium and do geeky things like the Ocean Sciences Bowl. Right now, I'm planning to major in Biology and go into non-commercial research.. but.. I was thinking that maybe I'd like to study more areas of science and do the MBBB major (Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics). It all depends on how involved I end up being in music and if I want to minor or double major in music... I might not have enough room in my schedule to get all of the credits I would need.</p>

<p>I'm a really bubbly person. But I'm also known as the mother of all of my friends. I'm the one who says "Get down from there! You're going to hurt yourself!" or "I don't like the way you're holding those scissors." I laugh and smile a lot... according to my teacher rec's I've got an "infectious personality."</p>

<p>One of my biggest insecurities is my inability to spell. Some of my friends tell me I don't have enough confidence in my academic abilities and that I'm smarter than I let myself believe. I'm working on getting over that.</p>

<p>Ummm.. and if you want to know all about the current state of my love life.. I've been completely in love with this boy for a while now and he's not interested and we have a really nice friendship and it's getting pretty tough to stand. So, I'm hoping there's a nice boy in the new group of Aquarium volunteers for me to fall for. One can hope!</p>

<p>Oh Jeez, I totally forgot about Drama Club. Drama Club is basically my life at school. Anyone involved in theatre knows what I'm talking about. I'm treasurer, I act, direct, sing.. all that good stuff. We're entirely student run and we all put our blood and tears into our shows so we're incredibly close... most of my best friends are my fellow officers, and I'm not ashamed to admit that we are probably some of the weirdest people ever.. but.. that's what's so great.. when I suddenly interrupt our meetings with a really cool Latin derivative that I just thought of, they only tease me a little bit for being a nerd, and then say "wow, cool!"</p>

<p>Ok, I think I'm done.</p>

<p>I agree, thanks for starting this Koena. This is going to make the 15th super emotional, since we're all starting to get to know each other better.</p>

17

<p>Uh, I will contribute to this thread, but I have to be writing essays right now (all weekend!!! awesome) so I am not going to put time into one of these nice little posts just yet, but I will before the 15th sometime. Meanwhile tide yourselves over with the About Me section of my college blog? ( <a href="http://www.samjackson.org/college/about/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.samjackson.org/college/about/&lt;/a> )</p>

<p>An aside: To everyone who DOESN'T have Saturday classes at their high school... I envy you your weekends.</p>

18

<p>Hi, my name is Julio, but I really prefer Alex or JAG (I can't stand Julio!!). I'm from Miami, FL, and I've lived there all of my life. It's a city that I can't wait to leave because of how rude the people are and how everything revolves around the greedy or corrupt individual (Miami is rated the rudest city in the country). Believe it or not, I don't go to the beach very often at all, but maybe that has something to do with the fact that I'm on a boat all the time for rowing or Miami/South Beach is about 40 minutes from my house. </p>

<p>I'm Catholic, and I'm currently enrolled at an all-male, catholic high school: Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. As excited as I am about going to college (you have no idea!), I'm actually pretty sad about having to leave my high school. Belen is steeped in tradition that dates back to 1854, and there is truly a special bond between Belen students, past and present. My school is interesting because it was founded in Cuba, and was kicked out of the country by its most infamous graduate: Fidel Castro. My school is extremely homogeneous; everybody is hispanic, with about 10/1400 being an exception. I tend to get along with just about everybody, but I have a fantastic close group of friends that I can always rely on. Although most of my friends are in the top 10% of the class, we are never viciously competing with each other, rather we help each other. I row for my school, and, although I am incredibly tired after practice, I still love crew.</p>

<p>My heritage is Cuban/Puerto Rican, but because my dad's side of the family is so messed up (the Puerto Rican Side)(he's the only normal one), I have pretty much disassociated with my Puerto Rican heritage which my dad can't even trace beyond his mother (he doesn't know his father). On the other hand, I absolutely adore my Cuban heritage, probably because Miami is essentially made up of Cubans and because I have full contact with all of my mom's (Cuban) family. I have made it a point to learn more about my past and my culture, and I am committed to helping the people oppressed by Fidel Castro on the island of Cuba. For me, I had to master Spanish at all levels (reading, speaking, and writing), before I could be satisfied. I have read works by nearly all of the best Spanish authors, and I must say that some of that material is incredible. I have acted in professional plays in Spanish to further my understanding of the culture and its function. When I go to college I am really going to miss some of the Cuban traditions that are so much a part of my life. Regardless, I want to learn more about other cultures and meet as many people as I can. Based on my accent (American neutral; based on my dad's Miami/New Jersey upbringing and my mom's Cuba/Miami/Birmingham/Norton, VA/Chicago upbringing), people wouldn't be able to tell that I'm hispanic. Perhaps my physical features give away the fact that I'm not of English descent (brown hair, brown eyes, and a tan (I am really white in some places and, if I go to Yale, I'm sure that white will take over my Miami tan gained from hours rowing)).</p>

<p>My escape is a mountain home my family built recently in Georgia. When I go here, I have the opportunity to relax for a while and lose the stress of city life, even if it's for a long weekend. I love the city, but I've really learned to appreciate the country.</p>

<p>I am the type of person who likes to enjoy himself. I love to watch movies, but, as of late, I almost prefer television because it has pretty much reached the calibur of cinema, but shows last a lot longer; if you like a show, you can keep getting more "doses," if you know what I mean. I love technology and gadgets that keep me on the cutting edge. I used to be a PC guy, but I'm a mac guy now and I will never voluntarily switch back (It might have something to do with my love of photograpgy and making movies)!! I have a passion for theme parks, specifically Disney theme parks. At Yale, I hope to major in economics (courses such as corporate management), and I hope to one day work in upper management of the Walt Disney Company, and my dream is to become CEO. It's a tough goal to reach, but I am motivated to honestly and ethically reach it. In terms of parties, I enjoy formal parties or conversational parties, though I like dancing parties once in a while (I threw an amazingly reviewed one in June -- my first, and last). I'm not that great a dancer, so that's probably why I'm not too keen on dance parties, plus, I'm a great person to have a conversation with about just about anything. I am also in to politics. I tend to view things conservatively, and I am all in favor for capitalism!!</p>

<p>Okay, I had better stop here, this is getting long! Hopefully I'll get to meet all of you personally if, and hopefully when(!!!!!!!), we get accepted to Yale. Thanks koena, for this thread!</p>

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<p>This is so funny, I think I'm more impressed by everyone's bios than by the stupid chances threads... I guess its true when they say that this is what makes Yale... these kind of people are attracted to it.</p>

<p>bluetissues, we just founded a vocal jazz group at my school this year. I love it. There are only seven of us so its really tight-knit. (I have three hour rehearsal today...) How long have you been into vocal jazz? As of right now its still really hard to like train my ear to the harmonies you know? But I think we're all starting to get it.</p>

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<p>heh koena, i might not even make that far, but i'll try. I'd be happy with a psychiatrist too.</p>