I inhale deeply and blow harder than I thought possible, pushing the tiny ember from its resting place on the candle out into the air. The room erupts around me, and "Happy Birthday!" cheers echo through the halls. It's time to make a wish. In my mind, that new Limited Edition Deluxe Ben 10 watch will soon be mine. My parents and the aunties and uncles around me attempt to point me in a different direction. "Wish that you get to...

Ever since I first held a small foam Spiderman basketball in my tiny hands and watched my idol Kobe Bryant hit every three-pointer he attempted, I've wanted to understand and replicate his flawless jump shot. As my math education progressed in school, I began to realize I had the tools to create a perfect shot formula. After learning about variables for the first time in 5th grade Algebra, I began to treat each aspect of Kobe's jump shot as a...

I've been playing the Mridangam since I was five years old. It's a simple instrument: A wood barrel covered on two ends by goatskin with leather straps surrounding the hull. This instrument serves as a connection between me and one of the most beautiful aspects of my culture: Carnatic music. As a young child, I'd be taken to the temple every weekend for three-hour-long Carnatic music concerts, where the most accomplished teenagers and young adults in our local Indian community...

Ever since I first held a small foam Spiderman basketball in my tiny hands and watched my idol Kobe Bryant hit every three-pointer he attempted, I’ve wanted to understand and replicate his flawless jump shot. As my math education progressed in school, I began to realize I had the tools to create a perfect shot formula. After learning about variables for the first time in 5th grade Algebra, I began to treat each aspect of Kobe’s jump shot...

It's currently easier than ever to reinforce your opinions through social media or a quick Google search. Relying on a sole source of news, or looking up "cons" instead of "pros and cons" of a policy or ideology, is the difference between experiencing confirmation bias and making informed conclusions.

The live broadcast of the moon landing. The event was the single most impressive feat accomplished to date, with scientists, politicians, and engineers all working side by side to do something previously considered impossible. Regardless of race, gender, or any other identity, we were all united as humans in awe.

“I want the fairy tale” - Pretty Woman, 1990.

Whenever a new episode of my favorite podcast Hidden Brain is released, I instantly grab a pair of headphones and head outside. While dribbling a basketball, I listen to the rustling of the leaves above in one ear, and jump headfirst into the world of uncommon ideas in the other.

What's good, my guy? One quick fact that you should definitely know ahead of time is that if you see me jump out of bed and starting fervently typing on my laptop in the middle of the night, do NOT call 911. I swear I'm not trying to hack the NSA or anything, I just have random business ideas pop into my head all the time and love to keep track of them by writing them down. Here's what you'll quickly...

At USC, I plan to explore the intersection between Computer Science and Economics, with a focus on Business. I’m excited to take advantage of the robust opportunities offered by the Economics Leadership Council unique to USC. I see myself attending lectures of USC professors and abundant speaker sessions arranged by the council. USC’s mission of creating supporting global individuals deeply resounds with me, which is why I’d be excited to explore the Economics Study Abroad opportunities, interacting...

The Grand Challenges outlined by the NAE all have significant ramifications for the future of humanity and the future of the planet. In terms of pure importance, being able to harness energy from nuclear fusion is the single most critical challenge of the ones outlined. Humanity is currently experiencing a phase of technological adolescence, and the development of a sustainable, clean, efficient form of energy that could power the world going forward would lead to a plethora of innovative possibilities....

Accepting of asking questions; Entrepreneurial community tackling real-world problems; Highly motivated students that I can learn from; Exposure to parts of the world I’d not otherwise have access to; Musical; Filled with community-based traditions; The magic of winter and snow; Not assuming current ideas to be gospel; Quirky roommates; Resources devoted to just tinkering; Having enough students so that I can constantly meet new people and be impressed by them; Professors who encourage after-class discussions; Fitness resources; Basketball court;...

Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon; The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald; Beloved - Toni Morrison; Hamlet - William Shakespeare; Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Philip K. Dick; The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner; Richard III - William Shakespeare; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave - Frederick Douglass; Their Eyes Were Watching God- Zora Neale Hurston

How Google Works- Eric Schmidt & Jonathan Rosenberg; The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri; Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News - Kevin Young; Knowledge is Beautiful - David McCandless; A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking; Educated - Tara Westover; The Selfish Gene- Richard Dawkins.

I deeply enjoy involving myself in entrepreneurship. [Redacted]. In order to push for social change myself, I have enrolled in some national and international entrepreneurship competitions. I wanted to use the competitions as a medium to develop my ideas and projects and produce tangible results. In the wake of the Parkland shooting, my partner and I designed and pitched Sentinel- an app concept that provided increased campus security through a mobile format. The following year, after realizing how long we...

It wasn't until I interned with [Redacted], an immigration tech startup, that I realized how drastically the decisions made by lawmakers impacted people. [Redacted] aims to simplify the application process for US asylum seekers by translating and contextualizing US Immigration forms into multiple languages. Working with a company that seeks to make asylum applications more accessible, I heard and witnessed the stories of people who were fighting for their lives, and for hope. I remember working with a group of...

The Tufts curriculum allows me to explore my different interests while simultaneously teaching me how to approach a problem from all different angles with a well rounded education. I look forward to giving back to Medford and the Boston Area by tackling local problems, from the notorious red line delays through UEP 0294 - Sharing Cities, Smart Cities, to the income inequality present in many nearby neighborhoods through SOC 0013 - Urban Sociology. It’s comforting to know that on weekends if...

Chosen: Ethics, Politics and Economics / Applied Mathematics / Mathematics and Philosophy It wasn’t until I interned with [Redacted], an immigration tech startup, that I realized how drastically the decisions made by lawmakers impacted people. Working with a company that sought to make asylum applications more accessible, I heard and witnessed the stories of people who were fighting for their lives, and for hope. I also developed an interest in exploring the economics behind policy decisions. I hope to combine mathematics,...

At Yale, I’m not just looking to make new friends and foster new connections. I’m looking to add to my family. I hope to create bonds that go deeper than friendship, using academics as a platform through which I can meet people who are incredibly different from me yet also share my love of learning. I look forward to grabbing snacks with my new family members in our local buttery, frantically searching for cheap apartments in New Haven...

Whenever a new episode of my favorite podcast Hidden Brain is released, I instantly grab a pair of headphones and head outside. While dribbling a basketball, I listen to the rustling of the leaves above in one ear, and jump headfirst into the world of uncommon ideas in the other.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, a name buried in the trenches of NBA history, was the Kaepernick before Kaepernick, one of the first athletes to refuse to stand for the national anthem. I would ask Adbul-Rauf about the parallels between his experience and reactions to similar protests from athletes today.

I plan to be the student who initiates late-night conversations with my suitemates. Whether those conversations are about the myriad of possibilities of the shape of the universe, or freestyle sessions where they rap and I beatbox for them, I hope to be exposed to new perspectives through my peers.

Ever since I first held a small foam Spiderman basketball in my tiny hands and watched my idol Kobe Bryant hit every three-pointer he attempted, I’ve wanted to understand and replicate his flawless jump shot. As my math education progressed in school, I began to realize I had the tools to create a perfect shot formula. After learning about variables for the first time in 5th grade Algebra, I began to treat each aspect of Kobe’s jump shot...

During a STEM Entrepreneurship camp that I attended in the summer of my freshman year, I had the unique opportunity to visit the BUild Lab IDG Capital Student Innovation Center. I was immediately fascinated by the innovative applications of technology that were taking place in the lab. I could see myself tinkering with all the machinery, trying out a variety of ideas and running different simulations for the sake of inventing. I'm someone who loves to explore different interests intensively...

The Arvind Kilachand Honors College and I share more than just a name. We share an insistence on asking questions, accepting and engaging in diverse thoughts, and a mission of taking on global challenges. Given the opportunity to teach a class at Kilachand, I would be excited to lead discussions in Entrepreneurship Ethics 101: The Art of Growing and Maintaining a Socially-Conscious Organization. As someone who has always been interested in the interdisciplinary intersection of Business, Psychology, and Economics, I’d...

“What if I flick my wrist harder to spin the ball more?” CLANK - the ball hits the rim. “What if I adjust my launch angle to make my shot more parabolic?” CLANK. “What if I jump higher by widening my stance to increase my distribution of kinetic energy?” CLANK. Ever since I first held a small foam Spiderman basketball in my tiny hands and watched my idol Kobe Bryant hit every three-pointer he attempted, I’ve wanted to understand...