The Biological Sciences Borders on the Obsessive - Admission/Application Essay Example

of the of the of the Admission Essays What are your reasons for transferring to this campus and the objectives you hope to achieve. From its inception in 1891, Stanford University has promoted superior education in a secular and unbiased manner. In that age, religion and education were in general, inextricably interlinked. In addition, places of learning that incorporated coeducation, were few and far between. To its credit, such bigotry was conspicuous by its absence, in Stanford University. This venerable temple of learning has always been guided by the maxim that the wind of freedom blows, in its precincts. Not surprisingly, this university has produced some of the greatest minds, in history. Some of the more prominent alumni being Steve Ballmer of Microsoft; Jeff Bewkes of Time Warner, inc; Philip Knight of Nike; Eileen Collins, the astronaut; Vinton Cerf, who co authored the Internet protocol; Dudley Herschbach, the Nobel Prize winner; and Brad Parkinson, a co – principal investigator of the GPS. In the absence of a competent and dedicated faculty, it is difficult to excel in academics. Stanford, per se, has not been a laggard in this regard. At present, Stanford boasts of 16 Nobel laureates, several Pulitzer Prize winners, and several other honored and esteemed scholars. I have tremendous interest in the biological sciences. My keen interest in this area of science, prompted me to participate in academic decathlons. In the 2008 academic decathlon, my efforts were rewarded with a silver medal in the science division. I redoubled my efforts and garnered the gold medal in the academic decathlon for 2009. It is my avowed objective to excel in biological sciences. The presence of such renowned scholars, amongst the faculty, the excellent educational facilities on offer and the spirit of freedom of thought have made me resolve to study at Stanford University. 2. Write about an idea or experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging. As an individual who regularly meditates, I had always assumed that mental activity reduces significantly, when one is at rest. This was tellingly disproved, by an article that I read in the Scientific American of March 2010. In this work, the author Raichle, brought to the fore, the astounding discovery regarding a brain system that had been termed the default mode network (DMN). Albeit, the intricacies underpinning this mechanism have not yet been unraveled; there is understanding to the extent that this system organizes memory and related systems, so as to respond effectively to external stimuli. The DMN synchronizes the various component of the brain, in order to engender conscious activity. However, the most fascinating aspect of the functioning of the brain, from my perspective, is that the brain is never idle. There is always some background activity in the brain. This was realized as long ago as 1929; but this important discovery was ignored. The advent of positron – emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) made it possible to measure this continuous activity of the brain. Most of the energy of the brain is expended on activity that has no relation to external events. I find this notion extremely engrossing at the intellectual level, and would like to work in this area. If most of the mental activity is unrelated to what transpires externally, then what is such activity stimulated by? And what is the true nature of the internal workings of the brain? These are fascinating questions, and could lead to a true understanding of consciousness and the sense of I, which the psychologists term the ego. 3. Tell us something about you that will help your roommate and us know you better. The ancient civilizations have always accorded considerable significance to silence. The power inherent in silence has been described by the adepts of these civilizations, as being illimitable. Whether it is a Carlos Castaneda, describing the teachings of Don Juan, a Mexican Shaman; or Swami Parmananda, a seer from India; considerable importance has been attached to silence and its practice. I detest noise and prefer silence. On many an occasion, the silent response conveys a wealth of information, in comparison to the ranting that has become commonplace. A true believer in the power of silence is not far removed from the practice of meditation. It has been my great fortune to have undertaken this great pursuit in earnest. The practice of meditation is derived from the teachings of the Indian seers, and constitutes a part or limb of the Eight Fold system of Yoga propounded or collated by the great sage Patanjali. These eight phases are moral restraints, observances, postures, regulation of the vital energy, abstraction of the senses, concentration, meditation, and super consciousness. Subsequent to obtaining mastery over some meditative posture, such as the lotus posture, the aspirant has to achieve control over the flow of the vital force, this constitutes Pranayama. Thereafter, a process that can be best described as the withdrawal of the senses is to be performed. This internalizes the mind, and enables the practitioner to undertake concentration on some object, hymn, holy word or idea. When the mind becomes absorbed in the object of its concentration, the state of Dhyana or meditation is achieved. It is with this particular state that I am chiefly concerned. There is nothing delusionary, hallucinatory, heathen or impractical involved in these practices. The objective is total control over the body and mind, and the auxiliary benefits are perfect mental and physical health. In addition, the intellect functions at an optimal level, and there is a sense of joy, well being and satiation. 4. What makes this campus a good place for you? Stanford combines academic excellence with intellectual freedom. The secularity of its views and the absence of discrimination on the basis of caste creed and religion, behoves well for the serious student. The founders Jane and Leland Stanford, had the dream of founding an institution of higher learning that would be divorced from religious bigotry, and all manner of discrimination. This dream has come true, and this redoubtable institution, is home to students from 142 countries. A veritable potpourri of most of the cultures of the world can be discerned at this place. This vast cultural confluence proves to be of immense assistance to the student. We live in an age of extensive globalization. The proliferation of the Internet, multinational companies, and trade by electronic means or the so called ecommerce, has bestowed upon the world the status of a single market place. Unfortunately, globalization has at times tended to ignore local cultures and practices. This has generated considerable misgivings, and institutes of higher learning, like Stanford University provide cultural exposure to the students, which in turn, mitigates misunderstanding or gross apathy towards other cultures. To reiterate, my interest in the biological sciences borders on the obsessive; and it is my firm and unalterable conviction that this passion for learning can only be promoted and maintained at Stanford University. There are several reasons for my strong belief, in this regard, and principal amongst these is the fact that the world renowned faculty of this hallowed institute of higher learning attaches much importance to disseminating their vast knowledge to their students. This is not only fortunate but also rarely encountered, in the academic community. Read More