Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities (50 to 150 words):
Outside of the classroom, I am, more than anything else, a gymnast. From my earliest memories, I’ve had a profound interest in gymnastics and my exuberance for this area has always been on display. I’m always thrilled with flipping and twisting through the air while navigating a combination of bars 8’ off the ground, or a 4” wide beam, or hurdling off of a springboard at a full sprint. Gymnastics is predicated on perfection for demonstrating just the right amount of power, agility, and style. The physical fitness this sport brings is highly required in the hands-on tasks and activities in engineering education and careers. Besides body fitness, I’ve found gymnastics to be an excellent educator. As a gymnast, I can successfully balance life, school, and athletics, be part of a team that supports each other, and better cope with my biggest obstacles in school and at home.
What is the most significant challenge society faces today? (50 words):
Nothing less than global warming. Global warming is adversely impacting our health, our climate, and our communities. It causes unique challenges in maintaining a sustainable planet, including rising seas, severe droughts, flooding, and wildfires, and increased food insecurity and health problems, etc. Unfortunately, these challenges will continue to intensify, grow costly and more damaging if we do not take immediate action.
How did you spend your last 2 summers? (50 words)
I invested my last two summers in training and mentoring. There are no breaks for gymnasts, even in the summer, so for five hours a day, five days a week, I was in the gym learning new skills. When not training, the summer months provide me with an excellent opportunity to mentor younger athletes.
What historical event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 words)
I would like to have witnessed the signing of the bill creating the first U.S. national park (Yellowstone) in 1872 by Ulysses S. Grant. This event officially marks the first time in American history where an important natural landscape was set aside and protected, setting precedence for future parks.
What 5 words best describe you?
1. Self-driven
2. Flexible
3. Physically fit
4. Teamwork
5. Organized.
When the choice is yours, what do you read, listen to or watch? (50 words)
I enjoy sci-fi shows most because they spur interest in science and technology. In today’s science- and technology-oriented world, sci-fi provides a unique vehicle to imagine positive social change by presenting visions of better worlds. Films depicting hi-tech powers always challenge me to think ahead and ask myself – what if?
Name one thing you are looking forward to experiencing at Stanford. (50 words):
I look forward to experiencing Stanford’s student-centered, balanced learning. I strongly believe its excellence in both curricular and diverse extracurricular activities would prepare me adequately to fulfill my academic and athletic aspirations. I’ve been an avid follower of Stanford’s women’s gymnastics which has proved motivational for academic and life achievement.
If you had an extra hour a day - how would you spend it? (50 words)
Between classes, gymnastics workouts, and endless homework, I would most definitely use an extra hour for reading sci-fi. My knowledge of science is still abysmal. Therefore, an extra hour a day would be a great opportunity to enhance my understanding of science and think about how I can improve our society.
The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning (100 to 250 words)
I genuinely get excited to learn and contribute to the world. I am particularly excited about learning about inventions that save lives, and not just human life, but also wildlife. I love learning about breakthroughs in medicine that can save lives and help us manage diseases, such as the OmniPod insulin delivery systems which can make life easier for Type 1 Diabetics, like my dad. I am fascinated with learning about innovations that can make our lives better, our communication easier, our travel convenient, our learning engaging, and our data more secure.
My passion for learning is informed by Jean Piaget’s (1896 – 1980) fundamental principle goal of education in schools: “creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.” I look forward to a kind of learning that encourages students to explore, to question, and (something that makes me extremely excited about learning) to experiment. Rather than simply memorizing theories and duplicating existing ideas, I seek to contribute meaningfully to my society.
I value wildlife/the environment just as value helping people. I recently learned about a fascinating AI project detailing autonomous cars designed to program different anticipated animal behaviors to avoid collisions. With the future of driving leaning towards self-driven vehicles, I was excited to see how engineering discipline can improve the safety and preservation of our wildlife. These success stories inspire me more to make a meaningful contribution to our society and inspire those younger than me to do the same.
Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you that will help us know you better (100 to 250 words)
Hi! I’m Ellie! I thought you would like to know a few things about me before we room together. I love animals (dogs in particular) and I love nature. So, unless the dorm rules change in the near future, I will resist bringing Snowy (my dog) to our dorm, but I will likely be bringing several small plants, including succulents, to bring a little nature into our lives. I’m also quite organized (my mom would call it OCD). With our demanding school schedule, organizational skills are critical. I’m very neat and always plan ahead.
I love fun, but am often not very spontaneous and like keeping an orderly routine. If there’s a new sci-fi movie, I would definitely like to see it, within 24 hours of release, preferably. Sci-fi shows are quite inspirational. If you have any questions on how they spark interest in the world around us, how they predict future technologies or the “proper” way to watch them, I’m your girl!
I have had two significant injuries during high school. I tore both of my ACL’s doing gymnastics. These injuries have challenged me in more ways than you can imagine. If you need some perspective and encouragement on overcoming challenges, I am happy to be a cheerleader for you! I’m also prepared for almost anything, so if you have forgotten something or lost an item, I more than likely have what you need to use at any time. Now you know what to expect. Can’t wait to meet you!
Tell us something that is meaningful to you and why (100 to 250 words)
The sustainability of our planet, particularly a healthy natural environment, is a topic that I’m passionate about. Nature is undoubtedly critical to our lives – from the food we eat to the clothes we wear, from medications we take to the houses we live. We are part of the natural world. However, I worry that future generations, my children, may one day never witness the magnificence of an elephant or a giraffe roaming free in their natural habitats. Our growth and technological advances will continue to extend our livable boundaries across the world while simultaneously continue to destroy and shrink the natural habitats. Plants, birds, fish, mammals, and other wild animals are on a decline.
Although I’m empathetic to the progress our society must make to thrive, I strongly believe we can and must do so in a responsible way. I’m excited to learn about the creative ways that we’re beginning to develop the cities of tomorrow. There are promising stories about newly developed skyscrapers that function like mini-cities where one can work alongside designated residential, academic, and entertainment areas to shop, dine, or enjoy a walk in the park. These centers are striving to be environmentally friendly and energy efficient by reducing their carbon footprint. Creating a healthy equilibrium is a significant challenge when pressed with such a large, and growing, world population. I look forward, and am genuinely excited, to begin rolling up my sleeves on getting to work and making my mark on moving our planet forward responsibly.
College Application: University of Washington:
Prompt: A character defining moment (500 words)
I always look forward to my family’s Christmas traditions: Cookies for breakfast and receiving puzzles to assemble. My family has done this for as long as I can remember. But, last Christmas something particularly special was up, and I knew it. My dad was giddy all morning, waiting for mom, my brother, and me to unwrap his gift. At 4’ tall, 3’ wide, and 40 pounds, we were staring at a crate (with wheels) depicting a wildlife scene with 33,600 pieces. These pieces are TINY with shades of green, blue, brown, and grey as I assess a tropical scene with trees, vines, water features, and jungle animals that when assembled, is 19’ wide and 5’ tall. This puzzle was overwhelming, and all I had were questions. How will we organize the pieces? How long will this take? Where will we assemble this (the entire dining room ended up being our solution)? Working on this puzzle, in particular, has helped me realize a few of my personal attributes.
I’m freakishly organized.
Who’s excited about getting a label maker for their birthday .... me! 2 Bags and 6 months later I convinced the family that my hypothesis on organization is the most efficient approach. We now organize each of the 10 bags by piece type as there are actually 5 different puzzle piece cuts, and then by color: all green, all blue, green with flowers, animal prints, light pieces then dark pieces. I find myself in my “zen” place when I look at the pieces lined up neatly by type and color. I take any task/obstacle and determine how to tackle it. When you outline a plan, anything is possible!
I’m undeterred.
Although my schedule during the school year is very demanding with AP Classes and 25 hours of gymnastics practice a week, I carve out some time here and there, mostly on the weekend, to tackle the puzzle. Although there are times when I walk by the dining room table and cringe at the lack of progress that is being made, I tell myself that it’s a process, and if I keep attacking it bit by bit, it WILL get finished. Success is rooted in hard work and determination!
You may wonder if we finished it…. well, not yet, but I’ve done the math. 100 rows times 40 columns of puzzle pieces per bag. Every row takes 3 hours and we have 25 hours of puzzle time available each week. So, it takes 3 months per bag, times 10 bags, the process will take us 2.5 years to complete. This assembly must be planned out carefully, as my mom would like to use the dining room for Thanksgiving. Yet this doesn’t deter my family or me from our mission.
This past Christmas is one I will never forget and this puzzle will always remind me that when facing a daunting seemingly impossible task, when broken down into small pieces, can and will be overcome.
Prompt: Our families and communities define us - describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to diversity at UW (300 words)
My family is very supportive. Besides financial support, my parents encourage me to work hard in school but outside the school. As a gymnast, I train frequently, in the same gym, surrounded by the same teammates and coaches. I’ve done this for nearly thirteen years. It’s fair to say that I’ve spent over half my life at my sports club, Azarian, and it has no doubt tremendously shaped me as a person.
Each day in the gym brings new challenges as I learn new skills, overcome obstacles, both physically with injuries and mentally with fear, work through the pain to become stronger each day and push to become my very best. It’s incredibly hard and enduring experience, but quite fulfilling. I’ve learned how to turn failure and disappointments into lessons. I try to give back to my Azarian family by mentoring other athletes with injuries, and teaching them that success comes more from hard work and persistence than pure talent. To be great, they need to be able to face and overcome the challenges presented to them in the future.
Being a member of this active team has also taught me how to effectively work with others and be part of a team. Teammates make the world of a difference when facing difficult challenges. At Azarian, I learned how to be there for my teammates when they need support most and when they just need some cheer. I can’t imagine my life without my teammates and who I would be without Azarian. I look forward bringing the determination, teamwork, and resilience to the University of Washington, always pushing me and those around to first value themselves, their worth, and recognize their potential and how to leverage their abilities to become their best selves. This will further their academic and personal development.
Prompt: Additional info if you are hoping to be placed in a particular major (college of engineering) - 200 words
My engineering class in my junior year confirmed that this is where I belong. Our first group project was to design a bridge, and I couldn’t wait to get started planning the process and brainstorming with my group. In designing the bridge, we had to strike a balance between the “cost” of building (popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and toothpicks each cost a certain amount) and maintaining the stability. We competed against other teams in our class to see who’s bridge held up to the most weight. This project confirmed that I’m EXCITED to embark on engineering projects.
Although my group emerged third, I learned immeasurable lessons from the project.
Most importantly, I honed my critical thinking and problem-solving skills which I seek to capitalize on when dealing with the hands-on tasks and complex problems I will be faced with as an engineering student and which I must be able to identify the best solution to address them. I can reason inductively and deductively, apply general rules to specific problems, and critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of possible solutions. Working with a diverse team has been a good opportunity to practice and hone my communication and leadership skills. I’m a skilled active listener, keen on details, and versatile.
