The Essay Sample:Apply for Northwestern University

I visited Chicagofor the first time during November 2005 when I was staying with Uncle Chan forthe Thanksgiving holiday. A close friend of my father’s back in medical schoolin China, Uncle Chan went toNorthwestern University Dental School in the 1980’s and earned an MBA degree atKellogg several years ago. Now a successful dentist in Chicagowho runs his own clinic, he also invests in local real estate and co-runs twobusinesses in China.We talked about how he became so successful after immigrating to Chicago just some twentyyears ago. He attributes much of his success to the opportunities he found atNorthwestern and the friends he made there.

However, it wasn’t until I met many of my uncle’s friends that Irealized what it means to attend Northwestern University. Almost all ofthem went to Northwestern, yet majored in different fields, from computerengineering to journalism, to law. Though they have different academicbackgrounds and careers, they collaborate on investments in real estate andbusiness, and they have remained close friends many years after Northwesternbrought them together. The connections forged among Northwestern graduates whohave such a wide range of interests and talents impress me, because I lovemaking friends who excel in areas that are not my strengths and who can push meto challenge my outlook on life. I’m looking forward to getting to know suchpeople from all six undergraduate schools.

In the summer of 2006, I went to Chicago again, and I was finally able to seeNorthwestern with my own eyes. Overlooking the skyline of Chicagoon the bridge beside the RegensteinHall of Music, I was surrounded with the peace and quiet that the Evanston campus has to offer, but could also feel thevigor from Chicago,twelve miles away. Northwestern has the atmosphere of both a big-cityand small town university. I could imagine myself learning and socializingwithin the self-contained town of Evanston, yet exploring the cultural offeringof cosmopolitan Chicago and indulging myself with Chinese food in Chinatown(where I had the best Chinese food I’ve ever had in the US). The close vicinityto Chicago willalso provide myriad opportunities in extracurricular activities, from researchprojects to internships in major corporations.

As someone who aspires to become a social activist and businessman,I found several programs offered at Northwestern perfectly suit my backgroundand interests. Within the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, to which I amapplying, I am eager to participate in the Mathematical Methods in the SocialSciences. Having concentrated in math and sciences in China, I amadept in both fields and am now interested in learning more about thehumanities and social sciences. I used to worry that I would be unable to applymy math skills to my future studies in economics and business, but thisrenowned program solves this problem. I will be able to pursue a joint major inmath, statistics and computer science, as well as learn how to applyquantitative methods to the study of social sciences. In my sophomore year, Iwill apply to the Kellogg Certificate Program because it will teach me theskills necessary to excel in the world of business. Sometimes I see myself as aspring. When pushed, I have the power and tenacity to achieve things that Inever expected. Being pushed by my peers and being challenged by those specialprograms, I will have the most rewarding education at Northwestern University.