Prompt: Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. (Max 650 words). My religious and intellectual journey thus far, much like my ancient ancestors’ wanderings through the wilderness, has been both painful and revelatory. Growing up, I attended an ultra-Orthodox high school, or Yeshiva, where I would study Talmud for upwards of six hours a day and was strongly discouraged from engaging with any perspectives outside of Orthodox Judaism. There, as a...

In the classrooms of Penn, I plan to study moral and political philosophy and explore a broad array of perspectives on fundamental ethical and political questions, such as: What matters most in life? What are our true obligations as human beings? And what sorts of political systems are most just? I am particularly fascinated by questions pertaining to how we should distribute limited resources, and whether it’s ever justified to be partial to countrymen, family members, or even oneâ€...

I hope to engage with secular thought and culture for the first time in my life. At the same time, I also hope to pursue my passion for Jewish Studies and confront the crucial question of how I want to live my life as a modern Jew. I believe there is no better program for me to pursue these twin ambitions than the Joint Program between Columbia University and List College. I will be able to embrace modernity without forsaking...

In a word, what draws me to NYU is diversity. Growing up, I had minimal exposure to the thoughts and perspectives of people from different backgrounds. Through all of my school experiences thus far, everyone has shared the same religious beliefs, championed the same political values, and even worn the same clothes: a white shirt, dark pants, and a black fedora. Thus, I have found myself in an echo-chamber of my own views, unable to broaden, sharpen, and refine my...