Application Essays

Please briefly elaborate on one of your activities (extracurricular, personal activities, or work experience) – 1000 Words

Khel Khel Mein (translated ….’While playing’)

There are many personal experiences in a person’s life that influence him, especially in his childhood. I have many too. But in the recent past, during the course of my IB Programme, I realized that ‘Service’ is one of the strongest influencing factors for a teenager. The ‘Service’ element in my CAS Programme has helped me connect with realities that I would have never acknowledged otherwise.

As a part of the CAS activities, I had arranged for a few of my friends to join me for a visit to a children’s activity center in a slum near school. We did not expect to do much. Just be there, say a few kind words to the children and leave as soon as possible. We arrived at the slum at 4pm. The center was at the far corner of the slum and it was depressing to go all the way inside. I was worried that one of the dwellers would scratch my car and I would not hear the end of it from my father. The foundation that was running the center had sent its representative Mr Mhatre, to help us find the shelter in the maze of huts. It was a wonder that my friends had not started complaining yet.

When we got down from our cars, the slum children came running out. They looked scared and also excited. But they were all looking at the cars. I feared for the cars again. We were 6 of us from school Dhruv, Ram, Nakul, Abdul, Yash and me. My mother had packed some snacks and soft drinks for the children. We unloaded the cartons and took them inside. I wondered later, why did I not let my driver do this for me?

Mr Mhatre, asked all the children to assemble inside the room which they called the ‘center’. They came running in and stood in rows, greeting us all at the same time. Mr. Mhatre asked them to call us “Bhaiya” (elder brother in Hindi) and they all chorused “Welcome to Khel Khel Mein, Bhaiya”. We had lost our ability to speak. Ill tell you why. The center was next to a cowshed that was packed with cattle. The stench of dung was unbearable. Flies were everywhere. The center itself was a small one room shelter that was too small for the 30 odd children that were using it. If I said the paint was peeling, it would be an understatement. Inside, there was a bare room with a number of charts, pictures and frames hung on the walls. There was a window that let in air. The children had plastic bags with them that they placed on the mats on the floor. They all looked happy and cheerful.

In my previous school, we did go to old age homes and children’s shelters. But these were always concrete buildings, maintained and taken care of. Today was just different. As I was thinking of these things, Mr. Mhatre was displaying his teaching skills. The children were asked to describe their daily routines and they said that they brushed their teeth, bathed, wore fresh clothes and washed their hands before their meals. Really? Was that supposed to be something new?

The children were all clapping and saying thank you. They came to the 6 of us and started pulling at us. They were holding our hands and asking us to sit next to them. One child told me, “Bhaiya, I want to draw mountain.” That’s when I realized that Mr. Mhatre had announced that we would be helping the children with drawing. Sure. We sat down cross legged with 3-4 children surrounding each of us. Their plastic bags had crayons, a note book and basic stationery. They drew well. They were talented and well trained. At the age of 17 I had rediscovered the fun in drawing. The simple images of the sun, sky, birds, river and mountains had never appealed to me as they did this day.

We drew gardens, flowers, boats, parrots and clocks. They could read the time. It was 7pm. We had been doing this for 3 hours and we had had a whale of a time. It actually turned out to be a competition with us being the mentors comparing the talents of our students. One of Ram’s protégé turned out to be the best.

We distributed the snacks. I thought that I had seen a lot of new things that day and there would be no more. I was surprised again. The children opened their sandwich packets neatly, ate without spilling crumbs, folded the empty packets and threw them in the dustbin outside the center. Did these children actually live in slums?

When we were getting back into our cars to leave, we heard them say, “Come back Bhaiya”. Yes, they spoke English in the Indian slums. We promised we would.

My car made it home safe and my friends had appreciated the evening. We went to school and got to work. We had to go back soon as we had promised. The Toy Drive was a success at school. Everyone wanted to help the slum children.

When we went back, the shouts of joy were louder. They knew our names now. One said in English, “My name is also Aditya’.  Their gratitude is a gift I will always carry with me. 

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Write a letter to your first-year roommate at Babson. Tell him or her what it will be like to live with you, why you chose Babson, and what you are looking forward to the most in college.

Dear Cristiano,

Congratulations!! Am thrilled to have been accepted at Babson College and you must agree with me that we have secured good futures for ourselves. That is a positive note to start on, that we agree on something.

‘Christiano’, does that mean Spanish? I was in Spain this summer. It’s a beautiful country and I think you will miss it a lot when you move to the USA. Have you been to the USA before? I have on a few occasions but it will be the first time for me in Boston.

I was in boarding school from Grade VII to the X. I don’t know if you have experienced studying away from home? If you haven’t then you can count on me to help you. I know what it is like to be away from family and the people you love. The first few weeks are hard but we get used to it in time.

I consider myself easy going and accommodating. However, when it comes to food and football, I can be selfish. I love my cheese and I eat almost everything that one possibly can. You can expect to receive cartons and cartons of food from my parents. It’s a known fact; we Indians love our spices. If you have any preference on this front, feel free to let me know. My parents will be only too happy to oblige. In football, it’s Manchester United for me. Should I assume that it will be Real Madrid for you?  Puyol and Ramos inspire me. What say? Do you want to go to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup in 2014? It will only be a flight away for us.

All play and no work makes Jack a dull boy. Haha. Yes, I twisted it a bit. But tell me, what brings you to Babson? I have chosen it for its Entrepreneurship Programme. My family’s business group consists of a variety of verticals ranging across industries. I believe that the Entrepreneurship Programme is all encompassing and will help me develop the required skills to run my businesses successfully. The emphasis they make on idea generation and opportunity recognition is noteworthy.

Another exciting element is the course on Ethics. My father’s Rotary Club had organized a symposium on Ethics and Values last year. I attended the event and belive that the ideology is simple to underestand but tough to follow. It is this challenge that excites me. At Babson, students work closely with the ethics readings of ‘A Framework for Ethical Decision Making’ and ‘Approaches to Ethical Decision Making’. The philosophy is an integral part of the course and the students work on these principles every year. In my years as an entrepreneur, I look forward to applying these principles in my business.

Like I said, my family controls a few companies. But my ambitions go beyond. I wish to diversify into the field of education. Mumbai city has peaked where this segment is concerned. The system is confused today and no one is sure of what is happening. There is a need for direction. I wish to begin with residential schools offering quality education from K-12. This can then convert to College and then University. There are no limits where education is concerned and it is this philosophy that I wish to encash up on.

Connect with me on Facebook. That will make it easier for us to get to know each other better. 

One last thing, do you snore when you sleep?

 

Waiting to meet you,

Aditya Mirani