The pool has been my second home since I was four years old. I come from a family of swimmers, and my summers have always consisted of constant swim practices, hanging around the pool, or visiting swimming friends. As I grew up, swimming became less of a hobby and more of an elite sport. By the time I was 12, I was swimming six days a week for two different teams. As I was entering high school, I began practicing for...

COAS Supplement: Daniel Gilbert gave a TED Talk in February 2004 about the science of happiness. Gilbert discusses the brain's ability to simulate experiences in order to make decisions. This simulator allows the brain to have a psychological immune system, which helps people cope with adversity. Knowing that I have this said immune system allows me to take a moment to analyze a situation instead of automatically being negative when something goes wrong; instead, I try to see the silver lining...

Flash Seminar: Many advanced placement and college level English classes involve reading classic literature. Although these novels contain many important themes, they often cannot capture the attention and excitement of many young students. My Flash Seminar would focus on the importance of reading, even if it doesn't involve reading novels such as Moby Dick or Pride and Prejudice. Reading young adult fiction by authors such as David Levithan, Sarah Dessen, and Deb Caletti is my guilty pleasure, along with many...

These were the three essays I originally submitted to UVa. The common app, the choice supplement and the college of arts and sciences supplement. I ended up applying to the Curry School so my common app ended up being my Curry School supplement.

Do not apply to too many schools. It is a waste of time, effort, and money. Try...

I think despite not having the highest test scores I...