Final Draft
1. Explain in detail why you wish to attend St. John’s College; please evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your formal education to date.
What do I really,
really, really want? I want to be with a wandering focus, to concentrate
on what intrigues me; but when it bores me I want to be free to explore
tangents. I want to live deliberately without obligation. I want intellectual
stimulation, direction and work, but also the freedom to change directions
and alter my work as necessary. I want to observe the world, absorb the
world and be the world; to see everything, appreciate everything and bask
in the commonality and greatness of all things. I want love. I want freedom.
I want the intangible to be made actual. I want respect from all who I
know and veneration from no one. I want to get out of the rat race. St.
John’s offers a way of life that at first glance seems atypical, but upon
further examination becomes necessary for the mind and heart. I have chosen
St. John’s after much careful thought and reflection. I cherish an uncluttered
existence filled with peaceful hours, unfettered silence, waves of contentment
and the pacifying of my desire to learn and think great thoughts..
I want to lose my ego and keep my confidence. I want to see the earth with
my eyes and the world with my mind. I want to enjoy luxury without guilt
and face minimalism with contentment. I want to live without want, according
to my needs...following in the steps of the great thinkers, mentored by
them centuries after their demise.
I want an education that helps me
move towards this holistic approach of understanding. When I was younger
I saw colleges and universities as places where Einsteins and Descartes
brushed elbows as they published new philosophies or split a few atoms
before lunch. A world where all time was spent in the amusing or exciting
state of productive enquiry. I enjoy so much what others would call ‘work’,
learning about those who have contributed to making advancements in humanity,
while they hardly realized it. I want to attend St. John’s so that I can
learn how I truly wish to learn.
My formal education has been tied
in with high school guidance counselors and relatives demanding to know
what would become of me after high school, or even after college. When
given the response of a shoulder shrug from an impressionable high school
freshman, it was inevitable that words of advice and direction would suddenly
erupt. I’d hear tales of ‘where the money is’, what career would ‘be noblest’,
or what jobs will lead to ‘the good life.’ For me, the image of post high
school education quickly changed from a ‘learning utopia’ to a ‘launch
pad’ into the world of capitalism. No longer were great minds enjoying
their work in a heightened awareness of productive study, now such potential
minds were driven by deadlines, promotions, prestige and the need to compete.
This is what my education has directed me towards; post secondary career
preparation.
I see learning brushed aside in the
frenzied competition about grades and scores, both of which are standardized,
regulated and emphasized. The greatest weakness of my formal education
has been its need to adhere to a strict flat and pragmatic curriculum.
It seems at every level some faculty member is reporting to another and
teachers feel their jobs are in jeopardy if they veer far off the path
of the carefully plotted academic schedule set forth by their superiors.
I’m not going to claim that teachers don’t have a passion for their work,
indeed I’d be inclined to argue the opposite for the majority of instructors
I’ve had. However, the standard system of education isn’t conducive to
passionate learning and teaching. A teacher can have his/her job in the
balance dependent upon what percentage of his/her students know arbitrary
facts or equations presented to them on a standardized test. That alone
is enough to make a teacher of any subject divert from a particular area
of study that is most engaging to both the student and teacher, to one
that must be covered due to mandatory tests and set curriculums over which
the teacher has no control or discretion.
I find that this managerial aspect
of formal education is political and creates a dry, arid and tepid learning
environment that produces little authentic student enthusiasm. Of course,
the society doesn’t build schools for its young simply for their enjoyment
and enlightenment. It’s there to provide a stable ground so the values
of a democracy can function (as well as promote materialism through the
economy). Students are reduced to citizens and capitalists. Teachers are
reduced to drill sergeants. Learning is reduced to training. What’s the
mind to do...stagnate?
Of course, the great counter-argument
to this constitutes the greatest strength of my formal education to date:
balance. Thanks to set curricula and mandatory tests I now have a basic
knowledge of every subject that a perceptive group of state bureaucrats
have decided are important for me to have basic knowledge of . I’ve been
exposed to most major branches from which education stems. I know the roots.
Another strength of my education is
its promulgation of rules and regulations As much as I loathe bureaucracy,
it is a big part of a democratic government and large corporate operations.
It benefits us all by preventing corruption from unscrupulous individuals
prepared to take advantage. In many ways the education system prepares
us to endure such red-tape. We must fill out special forms whenever we
have a request and have them sent to the correct administrators. We deal
with delays and people who seem to do everything in their power to stop
us with no apparent reason behind their actions other than ‘It’s policy’.
Reports, requests and dealing with authority is all part of the governmental
process that we must live under. While big bureaucratic monoliths don’t
make learning easier, they do require one to learn to adhere, comply and
understand the running of our nation and capitalistic America.
While I can appreciate that we must
learn to deal with administrative demands, for me it’s now time for higher
education. I need an education that prepares and assists me in the development
of my abilities to understand, comprehend and function in my world, a level
of education that need not deal with basics anymore, but rather, specializations,
self-discovery, abstract ideas and interconnections.
St. John’s philosophy exemplifies
the ideal I’ve envisioned for what education ought to be. I don’t want
to get caught up with my GPA. I don’t want to be concerned about class
rank. I want to focus on learning with others and alone and on my own enlightenment.
St. John’s practice of encouraging students to lead the way will encourage
me to thrive and grow.
What I like most about St. John’s
College is its philosophy of education in creating an environment where
students learning is authentic and undepartmentalized. Connections between
subjects and texts are made without restriction. My education, to date,
has not to any significant degree satisfied my intellectual curiosity.
It has not engaged me to the depth and extent that I desire. St. John’s
approach will help to quench my thirst not only for knowledge, but for
understanding. St. John’s, more than any other school, will help me to
get what I really, really, really need.
2. Respond to both parts: (a) Describe your reading habits and your experience with books. (b) Choose some book that has been important in shaping your thoughts and discuss a single aspect of it (not the book as a whole) that is particularly significant to you.
I read eclectically and sporadically.
I can go weeks with mere newspapers. Then there are weekends that I’ll
read five books in forty eight hours. I rarely check books out of the library.
Rather, I borrow them indefinitely from friends, or purchase them on impulse
at the book store that I so often frequent.
Since I’ve entered high school I find myself to
be a fan of non-fiction works. I’m particularly engrossed by cleverly written
essays and works by witty individuals in the scientific, philosophical
and religious realms. I enjoy authors who can get across ideas in an intriguing
fashion that reveals lots about both them and even more about their subjects.
I am flexible, though.. There is nothing
quite like a well-written book of fiction that uses metaphors and symbolic
characters to get across profound abstractions in an indirect, yet concrete
and compelling way. One of my favorite pieces of fiction is The Fountainhead
by Ayn Rand. The book has several layers of meaning and varying metaphoric
symbols. What I enjoyed most, however, was the main character, Howard Roark,
an individual who came alive for me and who I venerate for his convictions.
Ayn Rand created the character of Roark as a non-conformist working in
the field of architecture. Roark created buildings that were designed to
be lived in and were the epitome of utilitarian offices and homes with
a unique visual beauty about them that was seen, by the more traditional
community of architects as ugly, egotistical and merely different for the
sake of being different. Roark knew better. His designs were perfectly
built for the clients who ordered them and their lives would be easier
within them.
What separates Roark from all other
non-conformist characters in stories is that he feels no desire to explain
his work to anyone. He is an individualist who doesn’t want to ’belong’
to the ‘good boy’ collective. He incarnates Rands objectivist philosophy.
He is not swayed from his position by anyone and he is never venerated
for his work. He doesn’t feel the need to take credit for what he has done,
the satisfaction of doing it and knowing, in his own mind, that he did
it was enough. Most certainly he will never try to convince anyone that
his work is either better or worse. He creates and waits complacently for
others to share in his genius.
When thinking of similar non-conformists
in history Socrates stands out in my mind. As portrayed in The Apology,
he was an uncompromising individualist in his principles and absolutely
refused to buckle to others or change his beliefs at all, without exception,
just like Roark. Roark was never put in the position of choosing death
or principles like Socrates was only fame and/or acceptance if he‘d compromise.
At his trial Socrates said, “...a man who is good for anything ought not
to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether
in doing anything he is doing right or wrong.” I can’t say I agree completely
to the letter with Socrates but both these men had priorities and lived
for themselves, not for their images or expediency, and I respect that
immensely.
3. Select some experience from which you have derived exceptional benefit and describe it, explaining its value to you.
Unusual jobs and experiences appeal
to me, yet in many ways I am not as typical a teen as some might think.
To finance my newly acquired T-Bird, pay for gas and, especially, for my
car insurance I had gotten a job as a marionette manipulation artist at
a local puppet theater. After the first few paychecks I realized my job
wasn’t going to foot the bill, so...I had a decision to make, quit the
job I so loved or work a second job...or create a job for myself. I chose
the latter.
Since I can type 130 words per minute
I decided I’d attempt to put that skill to use by creating a website that
slow-typing individuals could use to submit picture files of hand-written
papers and I would convert them to electronic text format based on a per-page
fee. So I spent a few sleepless nights building a website, promoting it
and beginning the business. It was slow going to begin with. Orders came
in on occasion, but then one day I received an order that would change
the course of my life for the next six months to a year. A customer had
submitted a hand-written paper in Mandarin. There was no way I could type
in any language other than English and have it be worth my while, but it
got me to thinking about a new business I could start: A translation company.
In January of 2000 I began working.
I spent a couple weeks of sleepless nights building a website, promoting
the business and lining up independently contracted translators. The new
business idea was simple. I’d find individuals who could translate languages
and put them in a database on my computer. Then I’d advertise on my company
website the service of translating a large number of languages. At the
peak my business could handle over 250 different language translations.
When an order came in I would receive several documents with instructions
on what language to translate it to. Then I would simply locate in my database
available translators and send it out to the appropriate one. Upon delivery
of the translated document to the client I would receive payment and give
a percentage of the sale to the translator who did the work.
This business thrived for several
months. I made a substantial income without doing much work at all other
than forwarding documents and processing payments. The income paid for
my car, gas, as well as any new toys I felt I needed (and I even had some
left over for savings). Finally, however, translation software came along.
I began to lose business to software packages sold by various companies
that allowed my former clients to do their own, almost perfect, grammatically
correct, translations using software which they only had to pay a one time
fee for and could use as many times as they needed. In the summer of 2000
my company was not getting enough business to justify keeping the website
up and I unfortunately had to close it. Although it was a short-lived life
of only six months, this business was far from a failure.
This experience changed my perceptions
about things. It has made me realize that I do not necessarily need to
depend on others for money; whenever I need cash all I need is a clever
idea, perseverance and a little luck. It’s changed my outlook on my college
aspirations as well. I don’t feel the need to go after a career-oriented
major or field of study because I already have the experience, confidence
and “know-how” to make a living. With the knowledge I gained through this
experience I feel completely assured that wherever I am I can always at
least “get by” and I never have to feel “tied-down” to any one job or career
because of fiscal issues. I’m freed of a burden. This self-realization
has allowed me to pursue college with an attitude focusing on an education
for me, not for my career.
4. If you wish, provide the Admissions Committee with any additional information that you think is relevant to our consideration of your application. You may wish to discuss your health or family situation, your special talents or hobbies, your religious life, your accomplishments, or your post-college plans.
My name is Michael W. Hills the first.
I’ve grown up in a not so big town just outside of everywhere, across from
what I’m told is the “second most-climbed mountain in the world“. In this
cul-de-sac of the universe I’ve managed to develop some talents, hobbies,
mannerisms and some not-so-ordinary abilities that I’d like to brag about
for a moment.
I have an ability that few humans
possess. It’s an inborn talent, not something that can be easily learned:
Chin-balancing, I’ve been able to do it for as long as I can remember.
I’m sure you’ve seen this on television, at the circus or at any other
venue where people with freakishly odd talents congregate. I can balance
almost anything on my chin. So far I’ve done such things as ladders, kayaks,
chairs, flags, a large array of musical instruments and desks: Who knows
what the future holds for my chin?
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
You’re thinking, “What a useless ability.” Well, allow me to expand upon
the subject. One day, in the spring of ‘99, I was walking around a local
amusement park with a friend. We were talking and, in passing, I mentioned
my ability to chin balance. She didn’t know what I was talking about. There
I was, talking to a good friend of mine of at least three years, and she’d
never witnessed this unique talent I possess. I was shocked and determined
to show off immediately. So I scoured the grounds, found a folding chair,
and proceeded to balance it upon my face. My friend was thoroughly impressed
as was the park manager who happened to be walking by at the moment. The
manager happened to be heading the entertainment department and offered
me a job on the spot. I spent the rest of the summer doing stage shows
with some other very talented individuals, I enjoyed it immensely.
After the season at Whalom Park ended
I was hired by an associate I met through the entertainment job. For the
past two years I’ve been performing marionette shows at the largest marionette
theater in New England, Drawbridge Puppet Theater. I learned the trade
over a few months and have since become a dedicated artist of puppetry.
I took up the guitar in 9th grade.
Formal lessons were in the weekly schedule for a little over a year, then
I had enough under my belt to learn on my own. I joined a band, played
shows around the region for two years. We cut an album and had some fun.
I eventually left the band because they were going in a musical direction
that I wasn’t following. I wanted to explore the acoustic guitar more than
the electric. That wasn’t in the band’s game plan, so I left. They’re still
thriving and playing as loud as ever. Through the years I’ve also developed
the ability to play the drums, piano, harmonica and trumpet.
Now, there are so many other things I could talk
about, but I wouldn't want to bore. So I’ll just sum it all up. I can drive
like an Indy racer, swim like an Olympian and speak like a scientist.
I’ve read War and Peace, run a mile in under four and a half minutes, and
once baked a two tier pastry. I banish away peoples stress with my classical
guitar pieces, save old ladies from the perils of street-crossing, assist
stray dogs, and maintain excellent dental hygiene. I promote world peace
during my free afternoons and always turn off the lights when I leave the
room. I eat dessert first, my tires are rotated every three thousand miles
and I once held my breath for six and a half minutes. I love great books
and intend to read the entire Western Canon.