Please proof read my application essay for Yale. Witty/Quirky suggestions welcome. (500 word max; 499 words)

With bloodshot eyes, I read Faraday’s law for the third time. My eyes longingly gazed at my bed. It was two in the morning, and I was studying Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, then only 29 hours away. 731 hours later, my hard work paid off as I received a 5 on the exam; I was intent on never again picking up a physics textbook. I liked math, competing in calculus tournaments at Stanford University and local colleges, but physics was for masochists. That summer, I began an internship with a professor at the Center of Math-Science Integrated Teaching (CMIT). My job was to write programs, something I enjoy doing, to help test his new “mathematical theories.”

On day one, Dr. Pan handed me a packet about linear algebra and heaped upon me printouts of physics theories, articles by him and others, and, naturally, a textbook entitled “Introduction to Quantum Physics” that was so thick it was physically difficult to carry around. Apparently, a deep understanding of physics was required to program algorithms for his project. He had told me it was math-related but when I mentioned this deception he laughed and said that physics is just applied math.

In “layman’s” terms, our project was to simulate a life-model by implementing a program that would help validate Haldane’s conjecture on the high-spin Heisenberg antiferromagnetic model. That is, we were attempting to discover the origins of magnetism. We began by reading dense sections of the textbook and research papers. Despite myself, I found myself enjoying this seemingly boring task as it exposed me to the baffling theories of scientific giants. These theories often broke the laws of conventional physics, many purporting to explain the workings of the universe. The fundamental understanding I gained proved valuable, but more importantly, I gained insight into the various approaches to research as I developed my own style of experimental inquiry.

During this internship, I regularly inundated my professor with questions, theories, and ideas for the project. At our second meeting, he told me he appreciated my initiative and made me responsible for keeping the others on track and writing a weekly report to keep him updated on our progress.

While I enjoyed reading the research, it was nothing compared to the excitement I felt at the advances we made. I loved cycling through patterns of data and developing a theory. Building a program that dramatically cut testing time felt empowering. Receiving the result that would dictate whether we had progressed or be sent back to the drawing board filled me with anticipation.

At CMIT, I was exposed to the life of a physicist. I experienced firsthand the difficulties in approaching a project, the meticulous work and reporting, and the excitement that entails. Essentially, it showed me that physics is not just about reading textbooks late at night in order to pass an exam. It is a process of logic that I thoroughly enjoy and would love to study for a career.