Cinderella, Snow White, and Hansel and Gretel—what do these fairy tales have in common? The infamous step-mother. A well-known component of many fairy tales, the evil step-mother is fortunately just a fallacy. My step-mother is an incredible person who, along with my biological mother, has had a profound impact on my life. Although these two women were as different as could be, they have both taught me valuable lessons that have helped to shape me as a person. Somewhat...

For my personal essay I thought it was really important to put a positive spin on a difficult experience from my childhood; the loss of my mother. The death of a loved one can make for a really powerful essay but it is important to not come across as if you're just looking for "sympathy points". Everyone faces challenges in their life, some more so than others. Rather than simply highlight the magnitude of those obstacles, it is important to...

I used a private admission counselor. The guidance counselors at my school were spread very thin. Having a private counselor allowed me to have someone at...