Hi Jaeyoung<br /><br />Many thanks for your kind words and great rating.<br /><br />The phrase "worked their alchemy" is a reference to Harry Potter. It simply means that reading helped you wih your homesickness. It's a more poetic way of saying "helped you feel better." You could of course substitute "worked its magic" or cast its "healing spell." I just wanted to include a couple of references to Harry for you, which, as you said, you loved reading.<br /><br />Your second question is trickier to answer, because it boils down to what you want to include on a statement of purpose. It's subjective Speaking for myself, I would list my student organization experienence on my CV. It certainly is important but its not a purpose, more an accomplihment.<br /><br />The statement of purpose gives the admissions officer a sense of who you are and your committment to your subject. For myself, I would stick to the purpose of your application and leave the rest to mention elsewhere.<br /><br />Having said that, it could be included, subtly, somewhere on your SOP without affecting the flow. You might say, for example, "While at university, I joined such and such, becoming vice president of such and such, a posoition I hold currentlyy. Working with international students has significantly influenced my interest in intermational relations and underscored that, untimately, politics is about improving people's lives." Etc.<br /><br />I hope this helps.<br /><br />If you have any questions, I'll be online at 6:00 am (EST). It's now 4:08.<br /><br />Best wishes - George