64 Successful Emory University Essays

Prompt: What academic areas are you interested in exploring at Emory University and why?

European and Middle Eastern politics, and the tumultuous relationship between India and Pakistan…are some of the issues that have shaped my understanding of politics. My interest in politics was sparked when I watched a documentary analyzing the UK’s parliamentary system and its ramifications on international issues. I wondered, what does the Joint Committee on Human Rights do to enshrine human rights? How do Parliament and the Royal Monarch collaborate to ensure healthy relations with countries?

At Emory, I’m excited about continuing to ask questions regarding the complexities of policy-making and global negotiations. Particularly, through the International Human Rights to Guerilla Political Videography courses, I’ll learn how policies and human rights violations can be advocated to a wider audience. Then, with the Vulnerability and the Human Condition Initiative workshops, I’ll be taught the impact of people’s reliance on social relationships. In doing so, I’ll understand how to effectively engage with diplomats.

But when I’m not creating hypotheses for voters’ behavior at the Robert W. Woodruff Library, I hope to cultivate connections with the Atlanta community to advance social justice and to create a prospering democracy through the Imagining Democracy Lab.

Looking forward, I’m confident I’ll thrive in Emory’s service-driven culture.

Prompt: Emory University has a strong commitment to building community. Tell us about a community that you have been part of where your personal participation helped to change or shape the community for the better.

"They Poured Fire on Us from The Sky" sits heavily in my hands and heart. One line resonates: “The body is like an engine. When the engine is shut down, [you cannot] think of taking care of yourself.” This statement holds profound truth: water scarcity affects 7,000 South Sudanese, jeopardizing their health and fracturing their community. Reading this book, I discovered my potential to impact my school’s “Walk for Water Fundraiser”; participants simulate the South Sudanese water journeys by walking for seven hours. Annually, I create the fundraising page, craft event narratives, and nurture relations with the author inspiring my involvement. I’ve mobilized 100+ high schoolers–raising $15,000, funding two South Sudan water wells, and gaining book website recognition. Our diverse participants walk for clean water availability and Sudanese women’s education. True change isn't bound by geography or distance, but by the belief that we can make a difference.

Prompt: Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.

Several years ago, I traveled to Lebanon to meet my grandfather for the first time. Beirut was once considered the Paris of the Middle East, but war transformed it into a polluted metropolis, home to many refugees. The following week, we visited my uncle in Dubai. Dubai is an urban utopia with luxurious man-made islands, in stark contrast to Beirut. Yet, on its outskirts, Dubai transitions to a sea of cardboard shacks, “homes” to thousands of workers. I started to question why poverty is one of humankind’s perpetual problems and began a two-year science fair project using statistics to discern the causes of poverty in developing countries. I found that high birth rate is the strongest correlate of poverty. I hope one day to use my passion for data science to understand not only the roots of poverty, but also how to eliminate it in the U.S. and developing countries.