Personal Statement

Curiosity and my eagerness of exploring all the possibilities make me a driven student. To be honest, even before I was born, my parents had thoroughly planned my life. They wanted to send me to private schools through high school, then, I would go to Hong Kong for college. They had even planned my future career well. It seemed great to the others that I had the privilege of living a well-off life without struggle. While I appreciated the privilege my parents brought me through their handwork, I found this life very boring. When I was to attend elementary school, I made a first big choice on my own, which deviated my life from the planned route for the first time. I decided to go to a public elementary school and to attend Olympic math academies

When I was to attend middle school, I was admitted to an advanced class of a prestigious middle school that concentrated on math and science. I did well, too. I was always the top 10 in my grade. If I could keep my grade at that level, there was a big chance for me to attend the top 2 universities in China—Tsinghua University or Beijing University. When everybody thought I would follow this route and live my life in peace, I made the second big decision in my life. I decided to apply to a high school in the States. I have spent innumerable hours on math, yet it did not make me feel happy. That mathematic route was smooth but boring. Going to another country at the age of 15 was a risky decision to make. No one understood why on earth did I give up on a bright future. However, for me, I wanted to explore something new in life; I wanted to be an interesting person. I knew that the life in the U.S would be challenging, but I also knew that only on a higher platform, I could see a broader horizon. Now is my second year studying in the States. Other than the academics, I see myself growing up as a fuller human. There have been many challenges that made me think about