First experiences can be defining. Cite a first experience that you have had and explain its impact on you. (University of Pennsylvania)

A first experience which has impact in my life happened in 10^th grade. I was never interested in science and did not even bother to understand. However, I started a course, IGCSE chemistry and IGCSE biology, which motivated me to learn more science. It was a turning point of my life, after experiencing two science classes, I realized that science is my passion and science is what I should major in. It felt different, some people seem to fail or hardly pass in these science courses, however, it was easy for me and all the work we have done in class stayed in my mind. Unlike others I had ‘A’ range grade through out the semester, and since I had high grade it motivated me even more. Science didn’t seem so harsh or hard to me, it was like a easy 8^th grade courses. I always used to have bad result in the semester exam, and it made me think that I will also fail in the science exams, but that time it was different. I achieved one of the highest marks in the science exams. I was also shocked that I got such a high score, than I realized I should study science more and harder so I can do better in AP courses. Since than I have been studying the AP science courses and until today I did not receive lower than A- as my science grades. I want to continue studying science and learn more about them. The main lesson I learned through this experiment is that, if I try hard and actually study for different subject I can possibly do well on all of them. However I do have some disadvantages like, learning English as second language, but if I try hard I don’t think there is any problems getting over these barriers.

If money and family obligations left you entirely free, how and where would you spend the summer before college?

If I do not have to worry about money and my family I will spend my summer holiday in Hong Kong, I have been to other part of China, like Sanghai, but not Hung Kong. Hong Kong is a country where they speak English so I will not have problems getting into hotel and visiting places. I always want to go to Hong Kong and visit Disney Land and hang out there with my friends riding all kinds of rollercoaster and other rides. I would also like to try out different types of Chinese food, because I like to try out new foods from different country and compare it to my country food. I would go to lots of shopping malls and buy cloths of my choice to take it to college. I will spend about a week or two in Hong Kong, than I will take a flight back to Korea. When I get back to Korea, first thing I will do is get a driver license and buy a “Mini-Cupper S”, which will cost me a lot, but since I won’t have any money problems I would purchase one. After buying a car I would like to go around the sea side of South Korea and visit all different regions. I always wanted to visit all the regions in Korea, since I still haven’t visited all of them; however that’s what I will to after getting my first car. After enjoying my time, I would also want to travel with my family. I would like to take my parents to Hawai and let them rest and release the stress they have gained from working in Korea. After traveling with my family, I won’t regret anything when I go to my first year in college.

Do you believe that your academic record accurately reflects your abilities? Explain.

Majority of people believe that SAT, AP, IGCSE, GPA scores determine our college carrier; having high scores in all of them will definitely get them in to good college. It might be true that it will get people in to good college, however the academic records does not accurately reflects people’s abilities. Some people are only good in certain subject, as an example a student wants to become a scientist and subjects like English doesn’t really affect that person’s carrier, however, many schools looks at the GPA, grade point average, which includes subjects which he or she doesn’t require for the future degree. Other reason why schools should not reflect people’s abilities on studies is what if that person is a really hardworking student, but he or she doesn’t get a good grade and turned out to fail the class. What if the student cheats get achieve high grades all the time. In US right now this is a big issue in colleges, the schools takes the Chinese students who are willing to pay 100% of the fee and also has high scores in their exams, however the scores were all made up. The Chinese pays someone else to take the exam and just uses the grade for their children’s college application. I do not think the grade reflects people’s abilities accurately, majority of the time it is wrong and all the schools and colleges around the world should at least try to fix this problem. “Don’t judge the book by its cover.” I am sure all of you have heard of this quote, it simply means do not judge people with their appearance and grades.

If you could invent something, what would it be, and why? (University of Virginia)

If I could invent something, I will defiantly invent time machine. The present day scientist have said that it is not possible to invent time machine, if I get to invent time machine I will be one of the richest person in the world. However I will not make more than one time machine, which will be only used by me. Many people will think that making time machines will give them lots of money and also fame, however, I am not making time machine because of the money, but for helping humanity and also to change many events happened in past. Not because I am greedy and do not want to share time machine, but think about it, what if someone destroy the past events and misuse the time machine’s ability. If there was lots of time machines some people might have same idea as me and help me change the history and delete all the bad event, but what if some people start a new crime in past or even destroy important things in the past. By inventing time machine I will be able to travel into any period of time, therefore I will try to change all the villains and turn them into good person. Most of the reason why people turn into a villain is because of their poor past, however if I invent time machine I can provide them with money and support them with financial aid which can possibly stop them from becoming a criminal. Some people might say it is their destiny to become a villain, however, I believe that it is possible to change them if we have time machine.

180 If you could ban anything in the world, what would it be and why?

If I could ban anything in the world I will ban cigarettes and alcohols. Not only because they are addicting and are harmful for people’s health, but also the affect it has on society and people around them. Smoking not only is harmful for the person who is using it, but also harmful for the people who are near the smoker. This process is called second hand smoking some scientist have said that second hand smoking is actually much more harmful than smoking directly. Even after people realized second hand smoking is really bad for health, they continued without even bothering to stop. In poor families in the world, their parents smoke front of their children, which can possibly have two effects on the children. First it will harm their health, since it will be second hand smoking for them, and also it will be a nurture, environment, kind of thing and the children will learn to smoke from their young age. However, alcohol is even worse than smoking cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes doesn’t harm people mentally or physically, however alcohol can harm people mentally and physically, not the person who drinks the alcohol, but the person who gets abused by the drunken person. In Korea one of the major reason my married couple divorce is alcohol abuse, it is either done to the children or the wife and sometimes both. There are many children in orphans whose parents are alcoholic and since they abuse their children physically and mentally the children are sent to orphans. Think about the world without alcohol and cigarettes. Wont world be much better place to live? The amount of crime and abuse in the family will decrease and also it will help the government to develop. Therefore alcohol and cigarettes should be ban from the world.

179. Should college students be required to take physical education courses? Why or why not?

I think colleges should require all the students to take physical education courses in their school year because people need to maintain their physical and mental health by exercising. I am sure that the majority of the people, mostly the parents, might think that, ‘they should study in college since it is their once in a life chance to graduate in good school to get a good job.” I strongly believe the opposite, it is true that studying in colleges are once in a life chance, however, if the student is unhealthy and stressed out with studies which will not help them from concentrating. As a high school student I have tons of work during weekdays and even in weekends. I get lots of stress from working and also from my parents, because of two C+ I have, however, I play sports as one of my hobbies and it lets my stress go away. I once read in a Korean newspaper article, and it said “exercising not only keeps your body health, but also your brain healthy,” when I first read this article I wondered how can exercising keep people’s brain healthy, however the examples in the article made it clear. It said exercising lets out stress from people and also lets people’s brain relax. Because stress is one of the biggest issues for many of the student, physical education courses can possibly help them reduce the amount of stress they get from work, school, parents and etc. Not only because the students gets stressed out from things, but also for their physical health, which will eventually help them throughout their life. The reasons why people die before they reach the age of 70 and above are because of their physical health. Therefore the students should study in both physically and mentally healthy condition.