/* sed '/^>> /d'|tr '\n' ' '|sed 's/  /\n/g' */
vim: spell tw=72
Each are 50--300 words.

Why do you want to study your chosen major [Computer Science and
Mathematics] specifically at Georgia Tech?
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Project Euler first enamored me with the wonderful world of
computational mathematics.
The majors I want to study at Georgia Tech, Computer Science and
Mathematics, both deal in "problems."
In either research or most genuine productive work, these "problems" are
of large (sometimes indefinite) scope, but Project Euler's mini-problems
mimic the problem-solution cycle that so stimulates my mind.
>> "stimulates the mind" sounds like it's from the 1890s because
>> Sherlock Holmes said it (about cocaine), but I don't know how to
>> replace it.
I yearn to work on this variety of problems with more structure than
>> "variety" in the sense of "sort"
autodidactically.
>> is this sentence out of place?
As much as I enjoy the theory in either of these fields, the legitimate
products derived from the completion or progress of a problem are far
more rewarding, and I want to continue working on these sorts of
problems in Tech's great academic and social environment.

I've been fortunate to take classes from some great professors at Tech
>> "take classes" -> learn?
like Dr. Greg Mayer, who is just brilliant.
His individual enthusiasm and clarity alone motivates me to go to Tech,
but the atmosphere he cultivates represents the institution as a whole.
>> I want to add more here, but I'm not sure what

I've also been part of a small number groupchats run by Tech students
for specific classes or for this year's online-only situation, and I
have seen one of the most supportive and honorable student groups I
could envision.
One student has so much trust in the Tech community that they have given
away their personal credentials to the class textbook.
>> fraud??
Another group organizes weekly virtual movie nights, a heartwarming
display of the overwhelmingly supportive and positive Tech community.
I sincerely hope I can continue to participate in this fantastic group.

>> pfft these aren't unique to Tech, good professors and good students?
>> I mean, this is entirely true, but do I need to mention the
>> institutional stuff like competitions, hackathons, etc, or would that
>> come off as insincere?
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All applicants must choose one of the two questions below:

1) Georgia Tech is committed to creating solutions to some of the
    world’s most pressing challenges. Tell us how you have improved or
    hope to improve the human condition in your community.

2) If you feel that your personal or community background can provide
    additional insight to your application that we have not already seen
    elsewhere, please take this opportunity to share that information
    with us.

I like (1).
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>> Recommendation I'm going off of: talk about something you've worked
>> on.
>> !!WARNING!! This is WAY insufficiently revised: I've heard that every
>> word should have importance, and..uh..they don't.
>> There also isn't a hook or anything here.
>> Is this a bit too ideologuey or is that appropriate to the question?
I love freedom.
Not exactly a controversial statement, I know.
>> "I'm aware"?
But my view of freedom does appear to be fairly unpopular.
I believe firmly in free software---programs that can be edited,
distributed, and run however the user chooses.
The catalogue of open source programs is fortunately long, but there is
still much work to be done.

I've contributed lightly to software freedom by using it, participating
in the community, and writing some free software.
But my current favorite project is OpenStreetMap (OSM)---a freely
licensed, globally editable map made up of trees, farms, streets, paths,
buildings, businesses, and everything else that fits in an objective
map.
I recently started contributing to OpenStreetMap and using OSM-based
maps, which are startlingly deficient compared to commercial maps like
Here or Google Maps.
My area, Fulton county, actually has very good data compared to the US
overall---it has decent buildings, addresses, streets.
But it doesn't have businesses listed, forcing my community to rely on
manipulative, closed data sources like Yelp or Google---whom have abused
their influence to extort businesses and manipulate customers.
And in less privileged areas, cartographic data is scarce and groups
like the Humanitarian OSM team can have concrete impacts on communities
around the globe.

There are pragmatic benefits like being entirely independent of the data
owner: it's generically searchable, available to governments for
disaster response or public information, allows for more private use and
more innovation and supports egalitarianism.
Like Wikipedia opening up encyclopedic information to everyone, the
"democratization" of geographic data improves widespread groups'
condition, and I want to help, by contributing my effort to making
people more free.
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