The closest I think I have ever come to enlightenment was in 7th grade. Our Chinese class was having a movie-screening, and when the teacher saw the floor riddled with popcorn, she made us pick it all up. “I didn’t drop any of this!” I whined to myself as I crawled around. Stewing in self-righteousness, I angrily plucked flake after flake of popcorn. Then suddenly, for no apparent reason, it happened. Under a stout desk, as I reached for...

Stanford Questions: Name your favorite books, authors, films, and/or musical artists. Botany of Desire; Guns, Germs, and Steel; Jitterbug Perfume; Harry Potter; Sylvia Plath, Tina Fey, To Live, Children of Men, Brian Eno, Ingrid Michaelson, The Silk Road Project. What newspapers, magazines, and/or websites do you enjoy? NY Times; National Geographic; Science News; Men’s Health; Imagine; Poetry; Treehugger; Stumbleupon; Diigo; Pandora Radio. What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? Corruption in government: many people...

Many people cite specific programs or professors or setting as reasons they chose their schools, but I honestly believe that it comes down to your feelings about the school when you visit it and...

Respect your teachers and show...

Most graduates I know are in professions that are not directly related to their undergraduate degrees. Do not feel that...

I would have waited to submit my regular-decision applications after I...

I'd like to think that one thing that set me apart was my relaxed approach to the process. I tried to let my story and hard work speak for itself without stressing...