Trying to come up with a better title
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“Here, check out my new novel. You make sure you become the person I described in here.”
Mr. Park said jokingly as he handed
me a folded envelope. It was my last year in middle school, and the envelope
contained a copy of the recommendation letter he sent to my high school – the
school that I desired more than anything.
1.
Please describe the
abilities, interests, and the pros and cons of the applicant shown in his
academic process. (maximum 500 words)
Observing him for 3 years as an advisor
and Korean teacher, the biggest strength I saw in the applicant is that he is
independent. He has never crossed the intentions of a teacher. As his advisor,
Jaihyun is a student I taught with much convenience and little effort. (…) On
these regards, I think very highly of his academic capabilities.
Three years later, I stood in the
office of the legendary physics teacher whom I only heard rumors about in
middle school. Unfortunately, I was there because I messed up.
“Really, Jaihyun? Is this all
you’ve got?”
Mr. Kim’s words poked at me like a
red-hot stick, for I knew that every part was true. I made a mistake. The
juniors misunderstood instructions and improperly used state-funded money, and
it was clearly my responsibility to make sure that things like this didn’t
happen. As senior captain, I was supposed to be the bridge between the teacher
and the students; I had failed both.
2.
Please describe the
applicant in non-academic environments (sacrifice, leadership, human
relationships, etc.). (maximum 500 words)
While instructing Jaihyun in the reading
club, he has been of much assistance to the teacher. Although his job in
freshman year was just to tidy after class, he managed his peer juniors in
junior year, and now, as a senior and club leader, he helps me run the club as
a whole. (…) He is an outstanding leader, sometimes even making it seem
pointless for me to be there.
I
couldn’t help but become furious, as I hurriedly typed on my computer to clean
up the mess. It wasn’t me who spent 600 dollars of government money on a 3D
printer. How could they even think that they could do that? I would have known
better in kindergarten. Even now, they had no clue, giggling madly as their new
toy steamed from labor.
I have never
seen him raise his voice in 3 years, and there was no flaw in his behavior when
treating others. (…) Jaihyun never required my attention or guidance in his
relationships with others; thus, I also think extremely highly of his
interpersonal relations and responsibility.
The problem turned out to be a no-brainer:
a few emails and a little expenditure of club budget did the trick. I had to restrain
myself from screaming, however, as they proudly presented me with their new pink
plastic stormtrooper. Gosh, they were impossible.
After sending the email with the revised
documents to Mr. Kim, I wrote a written apology on the Facebook group of my
team. It explained what I did to solve the problem and our next course of
action for the upcoming science fair. This was what I should have done in the
first place. Mr. Kim replied soon:
“Good
job, Jaihyun. Make sure you and your teammates have mock presentations ready by
Monday. Have a nice weekend.”
Mr. Park’s words pierced my head:
Although
calmness is his strength, if Jaihyun is provided with an environment where he
can express his thoughts more actively, I believe he could explore his
intellectual abilities further. In that respect, I strongly recommend this
applicant to your school and I am more than confident that he will yield good
results along with our alumni previously admitted.
When
I read the letter for the first time, I had laughed at how impressively he had
made my years in middle school sound perfect. I hoped that, if he saw me now,
he’d think I had become remotely similar to the person he depicted three years
ago.
