Imagine a biosensor the width of a cat's whisker, one so fine you wouldn't be able to find it if you dropped it on the floor. This sensor became my backup summer science project for AP Chemistry, a substitute for my lofty ambition to cure cancer. I was enamored that a simple reaction that only produced hydrogen peroxide and electrons would be lifesaving. By measuring lactate levels with this sensor, medical personnel can increase the probability of survival in severe...

Imagine a biosensor the width of a cat’s whisker, one so fine you wouldn’t be able to find it if you dropped it on the floor. This sensor became my backup summer science project for AP Chemistry, a substitute for my lofty ambition to cure cancer. I was enamored that a simple reaction that only produced hydrogen peroxide and electrons could be lifesaving. By measuring lactate levels with this sensor, medical personnel can increase the probability of survival...

Young people are often thought of as blank canvases, impressionable and moldable by the next dominating force that appears in their lives. But I am not completely blank. I have bold strokes of brown and a subtle streak of red painted ever so gently across my textured surface. My life has always been a simple constant: work hard and good things will follow. My path has been nothing short of diligence, my life immersed in scholastic pursuits. The subtle streak...

Between living and dreaming, there is dying. Every day, we dream of possibilities: of where we could go, of who we could be, of what we could do to change the world. However, more often than not, we allow the realities of the world to take our dreams from us, to tell us that they’re impossible and that we should give up. We are afraid of taking risks, of stepping away from the familiar and the safe; our dreams...

Dear Future Roommate, My dad once told me that you can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. It wasn’t until Stanford threw us together that I realized what he meant. While we were assigned to be roommates together, the friendship we’ve made over the past four years has been through a combination of experiences, the good and the bad, the culinary experimentation (I think it’s safe to say that before you met me,...

Throughout the years, I have wanted to be a doctor for several reasons: first at six, because it sounded cool, then at thirteen because it was a lucrative job, and finally at sixteen because I want to help and relate to patients. It is because of this last reason that I am applying to the Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern. With Northwestern’s extensive course catalogue and double-major options, I will be able...

My mother is a firm believer in the powers of homeopathic medicine, and, as a result, I’ve been the test subject for many different kinds of remedies to help me get clearer skin. Armed with the belief that herbal and organic treatments were without risks, I became the unwilling participant for many a concoction: green onion tea with honey and sugar, grass pills that tasted like, well, grass, some kind of brown soup that smelled bad and tasted even...

Halfway through seventh grade, my father found a new job in the San Francisco Bay Area and told me that such a pivotal relocation only comes once in a blue moon and that another move would not be entertained until I finished high school. I was sad to be leaving behind a familiar community that I had known all my life, and apprehensive of the new cliques and social circles I would have to break into, but, reassured by his...

Throughout the years, I have wanted to be a doctor for several reasons: first at six, because it sounded cool, then at thirteen because it was a lucrative job, and finally at sixteen because I want to help and relate to patients. It is because of this last reason that I am applying to the University of Chicago. With the Psychology major at the University of Chicago, I will be able to learn more about the human mind and condition...

Essays are really the part of your university applications where you can shine as an individual instead of a bunch of statistics, extracurriculars, and grades. As a result, essays will be the way you can minimize the damage of a bad GPA or a lack of leadership roles/community service hours, etc. In addition, it is important to have your essays planned out and written well before the deadline; otherwise you will find yourself rushing to send them in with...

Work your hardest in school, get good grades, actively search for internships/volunteer opportunities that showcase...

During my application process, I remember feeling very rushed for time because I did not start writing the personal statements...

My reason for declining other schools was due to the fact that USC offered me a large scholarship that would cover most of my tuition costs. Furthermore, USC...

USC has a large network of resources and alumni that may be helpful later in my professional career. Additionally,...