Counselors in the admissions office, never shy about bragging up the current crop, seemed especially effusive recently. So we asked to hear more. Following are a few brief profiles of some of the Early Decision matriculants, those who have shown a “special fondness” for Union, says Vice President Dan Lundquist.
Hannah Kaplan of West Orange, N.J., begins her essay with a quote from the Broadway musical Hair. Read on and you'll discover that she grew her hair for three years and then cut it all off for a charity called Locks of Love, an outfit that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who suffer medical hair loss.
Billy Goldstein of Short Hills, N.J., who with a friend set up a Web site hosting live music only to be sued by recording giant Universal Music Group for posting a live show recording by Sister Hazel (posted before the group had signed with UMG, Goldstein points out.) “Here we were, two 17-year-olds who had done nothing wrong being sued by a multi-billion dollar company,” he wrote in his essay. “We tried to convince Universal that (this is) free advertising, but they would not be dissuaded.” They took it down and UMG withdrew the suit.
Sarah Heitner of Westfield, N.J., found herself always on the verge of collapse during her sophomore year. After a series of misdiagnoses, she finally learned that she had celiac disease, an intolerance to the proteins found in many grains. Once she changed her diet, her health improved and she got back to being a successful runner. And last fall, she organized a community walk that raised $14,000 (and awareness) for the Celiac Disease Research Center at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.
Amanda Rice of Westborough, Mass., has been an inspiration to teammates as captain of her field hockey team. So it shouldn't be surprising that her team – with inspiration from Rice – sent flowers to wish a rival team good luck in their upcoming tournament. “This is an amazing group of kids,” said her coach. “They just come up with these ideas for motivation.”
When Dan Goldweit was a kid, his uncle used to tell him that stretching from the tops of doorways would make him grow. As a teenager Goldweit eventually topped six feet, but found true growth by hanging in different places: research labs and operating rooms. As a volunteer at both a research lab and a surgery department, Goldweit immersed himself in vascular surgery. And he was a co-author, with a number of physicians, on a paper exploring the inhibitive effects of green tea on arteriosclerosis. “I still hang from the tops of doorways,” he says, “but I now know that true growth comes in a totally different way.”
Karen Block took a six-week trip to Quito, Ecuador, during which she gave a small boy a hot dog. His response: “Thank you, I have not eaten in a week.” The trip took her “out of my comfortable suburb of Los Angeles” and changed her life, she wrote in her application essay. “I had never seen the degree of poverty that these people had to endure … I have an overwhelming sense of responsibility … I am here to help because I believe poverty can be overcome.” The trip inspired her to volunteer at a kindergarten in the LA neighborhood of Watts. When the school ran out of books, Block purchased and donated some of her favorites including the Velveteen Rabbit, The Little Engine That Could and Oh, The Places You'll Go.
Scott Jacobson of Coral Springs, Fla., knows a bit about using words to persuade. A member of a debate team that traveled to the world championships in Johannesburg, South Africa, he says that debate and forensics competition has “given me the foundation and motivation to do everything from writing amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs to becoming conversant in theories of distributive justice. Jacobson's essay takes issue with bombastic types “trying to mask themselves in jargon.” He concludes, “The simplest way to beat the cheaters and the competition is to be simple, precise and direct. Now that's impressive.”
Scott Bradbury of Lynn, Mass., is clear on his goal: to become the first elected president of the United States from Union College. Voted “most likely to succeed” by his classmates, Bradbury has been active in Model United Nations, mock trial, student government and quiz team. Those activities have “taught me much about how the world operates and has also made me realize that I would enjoy a profession in national or international politics.”