IB H B2Change ProjectSo-Young Park

150-words Essay

What career will you pursue and why?

What career will you pursue and why?

I’d like to become a ‘counselor’ as my future career.

I have decided a counselor as my future career because I love people. I love to interact with various people,

I love to listen peoples’ daily episodes or problems, and I love to aid people who suffer from depression or

emotional instability. Because I feel delight, warmth and confidence when I can function as a key to solve

peoples’ problems, I “pursue” counselor as my career. Furthermore, I can have a chance to broad out my

perspectives and to learn about the new world, which will stimulate me to be mature and to be positive

toward my life. I am the person who can easily be sarcastic toward my life. However, choosing counselor as

my career, I can realize that I am the one who is blessed and has power to help needy people.

Letter of

Inquiry

So-Young ParkJakarta International SchoolPakubuwono Residence Iron Wood 21FJL. Pakubuwono, Jakarta in Indonesia

30th/08/2010McMaster University1280 Main Street WestHamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8

Dear Sir,

I have been looking for this occasion to pose a question related to the preparation of applying to McMaster

University as an undergraduate.

I have discovered that McMaster University is the college which retains psychology as it is one of the

majors. Because I want to choose the subject as my major after I graduate from JIS, I am interested in being

an undergraduate in the university. I have visited McMaster University website to gather some information

to apply for the university. However, even though I have visited the website and researched about the

preparation to apply to the university, still, I can’t solve an interrogation. Thus, I gently ask you to pay

attention at my doubt and suggest some advice.

Now I am taking one AP course, AP Psychology, two IB courses, IB Math and English, and several regular

classes. When I have researched the prerequisites in taking psychology on the university website, I

discovered that students who are following American curriculum should take AP Math, not the IB Math. My

high school, JIS, actually follows American curriculum, but the school encourages following either AP or IB

curriculum, or both? Does it really matter if I decide to keep taking IB Math? Or do I have to switch the

class to the AP course?

I will be looking forward to a decision you. Thank you for reading my letter.

Sincerely yours,

ParkSo-Young Park

Persuasive Editorial Article

The biggest dilemma: stay or go abroad?

The biggest dilemma: Stay or go abroad?By So-Young Park

As the time of precious high-school graduation comes, our intense burden, deciding university,

gradually presses us into a deep depression. The decision will not only affect our university life but also

influence our future careers. All of us become so serious on every element of settling on a university, such

as majors, curricula and so on. Among the numerous factors of deciding a university, we spend much of our

time on the most basic, but the most significant factor: coming to a decision whether being educated in our

own country or going abroad.

Before I enrolled at JIS, I thought the only way that I would acquire a specific career is graduating

from national university. I thought ‘Korea’ is the only place where I could achieve success and continue the

rest of my life. Nevertheless, as I moved into Jakarta and entered JIS, my point of view has totally changed

from ‘staying at my comfort zone’ to ‘going abroad and challenging myself’. I began my international

school life from the second semester of freshmen year. For me, the first year of JIS was really tough. I

couldn’t bear everything. I was afraid to be educated by western curricula and foreign teachers. I was timid

to build relationships with foreign students. Every day in every class, I was shocked and depressed by

unknown cultures. Nevertheless, as time passed, I realized the joys and benefits to be an international

student. I could be more responsible, observe and improve my talents, not being interrupted by others,

acquire new friends from various nationalities and share cultures, appeal my own opinions to others bravely

and widen my attitude from ‘being Korean’ to ‘being an international person’. Therefore, I naturally think

the advantages to be an international university student and advocate students who want to settle their

university lives out of their comfort zones and obtain brand-new ideas or cultures or educations. Moreover, I

have decided myself to go to McMaster University in Canada and challenge myself to study and achieve

what I want, which can’t be acquired in my home country; I want to study ‘psychology’ as my major, but the

subject isn’t that significant in Korea compared to America and Canada. Furthermore, I am eager to meet

numerous people from various nationalities to broad my eye and support my future career as a

‘psychologist’.

In the world, there is pretty a lot of people who have neutral/positive responses toward going abroad

as an international university student. Rama Noezwar, a 22-year-old ex JIS male student who enrolls the

University of Waterloo, says “I don't think students SHOULD study at universities in their own country;

they can if they want to.” He explains “Because, choosing your own university and figure out what's best for

you is the first step to become a real adult where you make decisions that would change your whole life.”

Justine Tek, an Indonesian female student who majors in environment and ranking at Purdue University,

expresses a positive view toward studying broadly. She comments “Studying abroad will open you up to see

world in different perspective”. Gina Bai, a 23-year-old female who graduated from JIS and entered

University of Wisconsin-Madison, has “strong advocate for students to study abroad and learn about

different cultures.” She believes that students should give it a shot to experience university life in foreign

countries because “people that never travel overseas, (…) tend to be a bit less open-minded.”

University! What a delightful word! What a foreshadowing word which represents burning youth!

People, who graduated from university or enroll university, articulate that it is the place that posses ‘totally

different atmosphere’ (Justine) compared to High school. It is bigger in size, keeps numerous number of

clubs/activities. It is the best place and the best time to ‘start fresh’ and ‘have so much freedom’ (Rama).

Furthermore, it is a fun place ‘to meet all kinds of people and get a chance to really open up myself’ (Gina).

Nevertheless, although university is the place which stimulates people to attain “brand-new life” and

improvise them to achieve much of pleasures and freedom, still, that is the place which will conclude both of

our future career and lives. ‘Because choosing which university and which major you're going to take are

life-changing decisions. It is your future and therefore you should do what you think is best for you’ (Rama).

Therefore, I think students should not study at university in their own country. On the contrary, I extensively

suggest students to be free from their comfort zones, go to foreign university or international university to

extend their knowledge and prepare their step to be ‘international people’. Frankly, it is such a hard task to

go abroad, study and produce a harmony with people from different nationalities. However, if we are being

timid and keep ourselves to be exposed by a familiar situation, we won’t improve or succeed, but will be

excluded by competition to accomplish victory, and thus be isolated from world.

The writer is a student of

Jakarta International School,

Who will be a undergraduate of McMaster University in Canada

Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae

Personal Details

Name So-Young ParkHome Address JL.Pranpanca Apartment Kintamani

Campus Address 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8

Telephone 021 719 1072Mobile Phone 0818 2563 8886Date of Birth October 23rd, 1992

Email Sooyoung4431@hanmir.com

Education

Academic Qualifications

2011-2015 2010-2011 2009-2010

Neuroscience & Behavior Chemistry Business in Society

Cognitive Sicence AP Psychology Biology

Evolutionary Psychology IB Mathematics SL2 IB Mathematics SL1

IB English H B 2

TOEFL

SAT

2010-2014 McMaster University

2007-2010 Jakarta International School

Community Involvements

2009-2011

Wind Ensemble, the biggest and the best band group in JIS which holds various scales of concerts not only itself but also with bands from other international schools.

2010

Habitat for Humanity, one of volunteering clubs which builds or constructs d houses to local residents, who don’t have money to build their houses.

2009-2010

TAA Club, one of volunteering clubs in JIS which provides various categories of help to local residents of Indonesia, such as education program, donating money, selling eco-related products, holding several numbers of sales which would be donating money for local people and visiting cancer hospital.

2008-2009

Emmanuel club, an after school club activity at JIS, which visits orphanage periodically, aids orphans and spends time with them.

Personal Statement

I am a passionate person who works energetically. I am a cheerful person. I always attempt myself to observe positive consequences with my tasks and encourage other people when they are struggling with some problems. I have confidence with my career. I enjoy working. I never give up. I push myself hard to achieve the best result I can acquire. I am a person who has enormous patient and responsibility with my tasks.

Referee

Dr. Martin DalyChair, Evolutionary Psychology Search CommitteeDepartment of Psychology, Neuroscience and BehaviourMcMaster University1280 Main Street WestHamilton, Ontario

Letter of Application

So-Young Park

McMaster University

1280 Main Street West

Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8

September 14th 2010

IBIRS System Administrator

World Vision International

800 W Chestnut Ave

Monrovia, CA, USA 91016

Dear IBIRS System Administrator

I have been looking for this occasion to express my desire to enter World Vision. I am

enchanted with a noble idea of World Vision, helping individuals in the world not only

financially but also ‘physically’ and ‘mentally’ based on love and philanthropy. Because

I am a person who is ready to volunteer myself to support people, I offer myself as a

valuable future member of World Vision.

I have been hearing that World Vision is one of the biggest rescue parties which hold

enormous relief activities to support the victims of calamities, disasters, poverties and so

on world-widely. Thus, I acknowledge that the company demand staffs that have

affective passion to succor victims efficiently, which career is exactly suit to me. I am a

graduate of McMaster University, who has been volunteering with individuals since I

was 12 years old. At first, I visited a number of sanatoriums to become a companion to

chat with elders. However, as I increased the frequencies of visiting sanatoriums,

orphanages, hospitals and joined many volunteering clubs and internships to assist

people, I became interested in aiding people, grew a huge passion to assist them and

decided to become an individual who would help poor people in the world.

I acquire not only a huge passion to help people but also valuable talents and certificates

to extend aid. My nationality is Korea. However, I moved to Jakarta when I was a high

school freshman and enrolled at JIS, one of the biggest international schools in the

world, located in Indonesia. Therefore, I have good command of Korean, English and

Indonesian. Furthermore, I studied psychology as my major in McMaster Universities. I

wrote several papers about observing individuals’ characteristics and their behaviors

and spend much time in improving peoples’ personalities who suffer from depression or

mental illness. I also had several internships to expand my career to assist patients and

acquired related certificates from the experiences.

Thus, I think I am a person who will play a big part in World Vision and contribute

enormous support. Thank you for reading my letter and I am looking forward to a

positive reply from you.

Sincerely,

ParkSo-Young Park