FIRST YEAR ESSAY I was ten when I first saw the names. I had explored St. Paul’s School before, but had never noticed the small slab of concrete at the base of an outside wall, the names of some thirty students scattered across it. They had surreptitiously etched their names in the still-wet concrete about one hundred years ago, or so I was told, but almost every signature was still legible. They had been seniors at the time, and...

WRITTEN FOR FIRST YEAR ADMISSION -- Georgetown While investigating colleges, I've kept in mind three particular interests. First, I would like to study history, as I'm keen to explore how events of the past continue to reverberate in the present. Second, while at college I want to engage in meaningful community service. And third, I'd eventually like to combine these interests in history and community service and possible pursue a career in social policy. After visiting Georgetown and researching what...

WRITTEN FOR FIRST YEAR ADMISSION -- Princeton & Georgetown When I think of culture, I immediately think of "popular culture"--the mess of attitudes, ideas, images, references, and other societal flotsam and jetsam that drifts by me, that I swim in every day. I don't identify as readily with any national, religious, or ethnic culture, or stuff-you-see-in-museums culture, as much as I identify with popular culture. In short, I am a millennial. I take pride in how many words I can...

Question: Indicate any special talents or skills that you possess. Answer: I design invitations on Photoshop, I successfully explained Twitter to my older relatives, I have a good handle on French, and I'm pretty gifted in the art of dodgeball.

WRITTEN FOR TRANSFER ADMISSION -- Barnard I started a blog about feminism when I saw that the spaces for women at Georgetown weren’t quite what I had hoped for, and many of those who reached out to talk about my posts were Barnard women. I was immediately inspired by their curiosity, and these interactions were exactly the type of engagement that I had hoped would define my college experience: a community diverse not only in origin, but in opinion...

WRITTEN FOR TRANSFER ADMISSION -- Barnard If you could work for any organization or company, which would you select and why? (250 word limit) I would like to work for a non-profit organization focused on sustainable development initiatives, using my graphic design experience and eventual environmental science degree to contribute to its marketing and operational efforts. For this reason, among others, I would most like to work for Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL), a non-profit based in Haiti that promotes wellness...

WRITTEN FOR TRANSFER ADMISSION -- Barnard If you could plan and lead a semester-long college seminar, what academic topic would you choose and why? (250 word limit) I would love to lead a college seminar about the intersection of gender and sustainable development, tying in philosophical readings as well as environmental studies. Women are often thought of as the “natural sex,” a harmful qualifier that usually refers to homemaking but really encompasses much more. Some policymakers in agrarian societies consider women...

WRITTEN FOR TRANSFER ADMISSION -- Brown After visiting campus several times and speaking with current students, I know that Brown is the perfect fit for me. Brown provides the academic and social resources I’ve been looking for since I arrived at Georgetown by way of a passionate student body and a supportive administration. For example, the Social Innovation Initiative and the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society convince me that Brown would provide me with more than I...

WRITTEN FOR TRANSFER ADMISSION -- Brown New York City, a nexus of wealth and industry, has food deserts. Only twenty minutes east of Manhattan, some residents have to walk miles before they can find a grocery store. Food insecurity in urban areas will only get worse, I learned, with the affects of climate change. The same goes for gender tension in agrarian societies, transportation injustice, gentrification, and so much more. These ideas may seem to have little to do with...

WRITTEN FOR TRANSFER ADMISSION -- Brown We are confident that the information you have submitted will give us a full picture of who you are. However, if there is something we have not asked that you feel is crucial to our understanding of your candidacy to Brown, you may address that here. (250 word limit) I had no idea what passion meant when I first applied to college. I had a habit of defining myself through other people’s visions of...

If you didn’t know this already, Georgetown does not use the Common Application. Surprise! So if you were planning on filling in this application last-minute, I would suggest that you reevaluate that decision, because this will take you a while to fill out. As for the essays, my process is rather embarrassing when I reflect back on it. I was torn between Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and the College, as my interests fall within both schools. I...

Be as positive as possible when interviewing, even if it's your "safety school." One counselor...

I got into schools that had better rankings with more impressive name-droping fodder, and if you're applying to college right now, that kind of notoreity might carry some weight with you. It did when I was applying to schools, for sure. But look at it from the perspective of 22-year-old...

It is SO important to send something relevant to the admissions office after being deferred or waitlisted. I was initially...

There are so many different facets to the transfer process. Firstly, how do you go about your academics? Secondly, how do you approach your social life? And most importantly, how do you best position yourself to get into the school of your choice? I would say that the best thing you can do for yourself is to have very specific goals for yourself that will enable you to succeed in multiple areas...

Penn has an extraordinarily entrepreneurial spirit, and that unique feature was the focus of my "Why Penn" essay. I wrote about environmental studies, and how I liked that Penn had a major that combined business and...