<p>Hi. I was just wondering if someone could tell me what they think of my Columbia essay. I didn't talk about NYC, which I think was good, but I did talk about the core, which may be too cliche... Please help me identify parts of the essay that are generic and/or parts of the essay that are useless. (its 60 words over the 300 word limit)</p>
<pre><code> I am very interested in taking Literature Humanities at Columbia, under the most expert Senior Faculty in the country. I have come to love the classics (or at least the few I’ve read) and their intrinsic philosophical concepts. By studying classical literature, one is also inherently studying the human condition and taking into consideration the viewpoints of great human beings. This is where the value in literature ultimately lies to me; I want to understand the human experience from as many perspectives as I can, and I believe Columbia’s Literature Humanities class is the best place to do this.
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<p>I believe that amazing writing is not simply an innate gift, and must be forged and chiseled by constant hard work. As a songwriter, a poet, and a writer, I am always looking for ways to improve my writing, which is why I am also very interested in The Undergraduate Writing Program. I also plan to join the Journal of Literary Criticism to hone both my writing and my literary analysis skills.
Not only is knowledge solidified in the memory by the act of discussing and debating, but it is also added to by the voicings of other intelligent viewpoints that otherwise would not have been expressed. Small, dialogue based environments that challenge my viewpoints have always been the settings in which I learn the most, which is another reason why I want to attend Columbia.<br>
As an aspiring Pre-Med student, I want to take advantage of SURF at Columbia. I have loved the few experiences I’ve had participating in labs for Biology class, and therefore want to pursue biological research in college because it is fun and it is appropriate to my desired line of work.
The people that attend Columbia are impossible to find anywhere else. It takes a driven and passionate intellectual to seek a Columbia education; it takes an even more to be accepted. I want to surround myself with these people so that I may learn from them. Columbia’s student body is one of the most diverse in the world, and I believe the best learning happens when all the intelligent perspectives of the world converge. </p>