Please Relate Your Interest in Studying at Georgetown University to Your Future Goals. How Do These Thoughts Relate to Your Chosen Course of Study?

I plan to prepare for medical school by taking the required undergraduate courses for admission. However, because the University allows individuals planning on continuing pre-professional studies to select a major within any department of the college, I plan to declare a major in psychology with a concentration then in the field of neurological research. My life has been greatly influenced by the fact that I have twin cousins afflicted with severe autism. Therefore, my interest lies in this research.

During my summer sessions at Georgetown this past year, I dormed across from the hospital and medical school. Although I was taking Calculus and Expository Writing across campus, I did have the opportunity to meet and talk with several medical students and faculty that spoke highly of the University's programs and facilities. The base for my career in medical research could not be better than Georgetown, which is one reason why I chose to attend Georgetown's summer program.

The research in neurological disorders is bursting with insights, funding, and though tight, is looked at as highly important. I think that grants offered in this field of study, which is not generally understood by the public, now come primarily through the corporate sector. A change in this factor will hopefully result in increased public perception and knowledge of these conditions.

In regard to Autism, the image often used to describe the disorder is that of a child imprisoned in a glass shell. The frustration these individuals feel is most disconcerting. For decades, we have hoped to one day discover a means of breaking through this invisible barrier.

Psychological research has shown that autistic people are simply the victims of a biological defect that makes their minds very different from those of normal individuals. However, psychology and my direct experiences with special needs children have shown that autistic people are not beyond the reach of emotional contact to others. I believe that psychology as a major at Georgetown would provide me with a rich overview of normal human brain and behavioral functions, which would further provide a good comparison to the psychology of disabled persons.

It is absolutely amazing to see how much a mind that seems so locked away can pick up simply from observation and direct human interaction. At times it breaks my heart to see how my Aunt and Uncle have lived without being able to fully