[Student Profile]

GPA: 3.9

SAT/ACT: 1440/33

Academic focus/Extracurricular activities: taekwondo, internship, python


[Prompt & Essay]

Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside the classroom. (350 words)


I satin a hot, stuffy room early on a Saturday morning as a part ofthe Santa Clara County Medical Association and Stanford Transformative Experience in Medicine. As I listened to a cardiac surgeon describe his experiences of putting stents in people and therefore giving them a second chance, I remember thinking, “That’s what want to do.” However, my passion for biology was sparked long before in a seventh grade classroom with the lingering odor of formaldehyde and frogs. There, I learned about how molecules formed into cells capable of transforming energy. The class ignited my curiosity about how complex living systems work so harmoniously and I was eager to learn more. Taking AP biology, I worked to satiate my curiosity about everything life sciences. While studying plants, I took extra time at home to learn the nuances of photosystems and how plants harness light. I had thought that plants required green light to function but discovered that they reflect green light because that is the least effective in photosynthesis. Actually, red and purple light carry the greatest weight in photosynthesis contributing to about equal amounts of energy. How could two wavelengths on opposite sides ofthe visible light spectrum contribute similar amounts of energy? After some more research about red light and stumbled upon a

documentary that discussed penetrating brain matter with red light. I realized that sound can travel through walls while light cannot and better understood how low energy red light could penetrate tissues better than higher energy wavelengths. After all, sound can travel through walls while light cannot. Still curious, I was thrilled to find a project where red light and holograms are used to detect abnormalities in the brain--a diagnostic technology that can be made more accessible than magnetic resonance imaging.


I draw true inspiration from biology. I am interested in medical pursuits and hope to contribute to revolutionizing healthcare and biotechnology. At the University of California, I hope to further explore red light technologies and build on them to be able to detect brain tumors in their early stages.