Prompt: Students in Arts and Sciences embrace the opportunity to delve into
multifaceted academic interests, embodying in 21st century terms Ezra
Cornell’s “any person…any study” founding vision. Tell us about the areas of
study you are excited to explore, and specifically why you wish to pursue them
in our College. (650 words)
Growing up, I was your average troublesome kid. I rarely turned in homework on time, I
frequently landed in detention, and I preferred video games to any other activity. This was
me until the age of 14 – and that was when it all changed, thanks to Mr. Robert Brown. I
was placed in Mr. Brown’s English Literature class in freshman year. Mr. Brown believed
that every student could become interested in English Literature, given the right bait, and
for me the bait was science fiction novels. He identified my nascent inclination towards
science-based, fantasy worlds, based on my interest in video games, and handed me some
choice works by Isaac Asimov, Ursula Le Guin, and Frank Herbert. In a matter of days, I
was hooked.
Looking back, I can appreciate how deeply transformative that period of my life was.
Science fiction fulfilled all of my natural inclinations towards an exploration of imagination
and wonder within the limits of a rule-bounded world. At the same time, it awoke in me a
deep and abiding interest in larger questions of philosophy, sociology, technology, and
ethics. I had a new-found love for not only English Literature, but also Physics, Biology,
Chemistry, and Math and my overall grades improved tremendously. I often took up
projects for extra credit just so I could explore a particular new topic I was obsessed with.
Specifically, I loved to take up parallel projects in different classes since I loved exploring
two different sides of the same essential question. For instance, in my sophomore year, I
wrote a paper on Darwinian Evolution in Mid-Century American Fiction for my English
Literature class, while also working on an extra-credit class presentation on the Darwin’s
Theory of Evolution for Biology. This kind of dual-natured exploration of topics is
something I want to pursue throughout my life.
Over time, my interest in the fictional explorations of socio-scientific questions expanded to
the real world. In particular, I developed an interest in biotechnology innovations such as
gene-therapy, drug engineering, and agricultural biotechnology and I even started a
YouTube channel to provide commentary on the latest scientific news. My scientific
interests led me to real-world activism in my junior year when a biotechnology company
came to our town to offer “free” genetic sequencing for the population. I organized an
informational campaign highlighting their lax privacy and data protection terms. Thanks
to our efforts, the company revised their terms to ensure greater privacy for the genetic
information of all participants.
This experience sparked my interest in medical ethics as a career and I am now actively
seeking an education that will allow me to pursue both the scientific and philosophical
questions related to technology, society, and ethical limitations. I believe the Science &