When I think of Dallas, Texas, I think of a cappella singing. I think of sopranos in sweeping satin gowns, the rich vibrato of a baritone’s voice, and the neon glow of the Majestic Theater’s faithful marquee. The theater was the site of my choir concert at the opening ceremony of the American Choral Directors Association Southwestern Convention. The repertoire for that night’s concert featured my choir’s signature, unaccompanied performance of Kurt Bestor’s “Prayer of...

Why Yale? I described, very specifically, my reasons for picking Yale over any other school. In 2006, I traveled to six cities in Italy for a choir trip, which included an unforgettable performance at Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Thus began my adventures in Italophilia, which have fostered my fierce desire to learn the Italian language. I have limited opportunities to learn Italian in my community, but Yale comes to the rescue with its wealth of resources in the...

Why Columbia? I referenced a past Columbia course in my essay. In 2006, I traveled to six cities in Italy for a choir trip, which included an unforgettable performance at Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Thus began my adventures in Italophilia, which have fostered my fierce desire to learn the Italian language. Unfortunately, I have limited opportunities to learn Italian in my current community, but Columbia comes to the rescue with its wealth of resources in the Language Resource...

Princeton wants to know how you spent your summers before high school. I answered. Two summers ago, I enrolled in the Creative Writing program at the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA), which is a four-week program held at the California Institute of the Arts. I learned how to create screenplays, scripts for plays, memoirs, short stories, and poems from infinitely wise, professional creative writers. I even got to experience the process of taking a piece of creative...

Barnard wants to hear about a time when you "majored in unafraid." I told 'em. During my second week at work, I learned that one of my coworkers—who was hired on the same day as me to do the same job—makes a dollar more per hour than I do. My discontent had nothing to do with the money, but it had everything to do with equality and principle. This coworker and I had similar qualifications: high school student,...

Why Georgetown? As a Georgetown student now, this rings strongly with me. In 2006, I traveled to six cities in Italy for a choir trip, which included an unforgettable performance at Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. I watched a magical glassblowing demonstration in Venice, climbed to the top of a precarious tower in Pisa, sang arias at the center of an amphitheater in Rome, and tossed three coins over my left shoulder into the Trevi Fountain—an act that...

Why NYU? There are so many colleges in New York, so why specifically NYU? In 2006, I traveled to six cities in Italy for a choir trip, which included an unforgettable performance at Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Thus began my adventures in Italophilia, which have fostered my fierce desire to learn the Italian language. Unfortunately, I have limited opportunities to learn Italian in my current community, but NYU comes to the rescue with its wealth of resources in...

Brown wants to learn about the community you grew up in. Here's how I described mine. In the Silicon Valley, where chips aren’t always made from potatoes and Java may soon become our official language, it’s hard for a humanities-loving adolescent to fit in. Fortunately for me, I earned a spot on the staff of my high school newspaper and found myself surrounded by young men and women who crack grammar jokes, send texts in complete sentences, and...

Barnard wants to know which woman you'd like to have a chat with. I share. As a young woman with experience and insatiable interest in journalism, screenwriting, politics, and feminism, I would be remiss to forgo an opportunity to meet and converse with Nora Ephron. She embodies every aspect of the woman I hope to be: independent, fearless, endlessly curious, and full of life. During a time when women were not expected to thrive in male-dominated fields like journalism, Ephron...

Why Barnard? I learned about Barnard College three years ago, when an online search for liberal arts colleges in New York City led me to Barnard’s website. After thoroughly reading the school’s website and guidebook, I have discovered countless student opportunities that are irresistible to my interests. For example, the First-Year Seminar choice of Reacting to the Past (RTTP) will engage me in a uniquely personal form of learning that I’ve had limited exposure to in high...

Why Columbia? In 2006, I traveled to six cities in Italy for a choir trip, which included an unforgettable performance at Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Thus began my adventures in Italophilia, which have fostered my fierce desire to learn the Italian language. Unfortunately, I have limited opportunities to learn Italian in my current community, but Columbia comes to the rescue with its wealth of resources in the Language Resource Center and the Italian Academy. I am thrilled to...

I did not use any private advise counselors, although probably 80% of the rest of my friends and classmates did. I truly believe that the exorbitant price they charge you is not at all necessary or worth it in the end. At the...

I loved the interview process because it gives you a chance to really show off your personality and show the college what kind of individual they could potentially bring to their campus. My Georgetown interview experience was particularly memorable. I really clicked with my alumni interviewer, who is a Spanish teacher at a middle school near my high school. She has a passion for...

Don't be too lazy to apply for scholarships! Make use of the many scholarship search engines, or even just try Google. I have simply...

Decide which traits of a college are most important to YOU, not your parents or your friends or your boyfriend/girlfriend. For me, I...

If you thought your high school had many clubs and extracurricular activities, think again! College campuses have countless student-run organizations that allow you to pursue old or explore new...

As a freshman, I still have very, VERY hazy post-college plans, but that is completely normal! Many freshman and even sophomores don't even know what they want to major...

I don't want to recommend you anything because I don't know you and what you love! It's that simple, involve yourself in...

Washington D.C. is one of the best cities in the world. I mean come on, it's our nation's capital! There are so many neighborhoods to explore, each with its distinct character. ...

Don't procrastinate on your essays! The essays are, in my opinion, the most important part of the application process. They are...

Mention "What it means to be a Hoya." Georgetown laps that up. We call ourselves Hoyas here, and being a Hoya is a...

My two favorite teachers in high school (they taught me Calculus and U.S. History) and the adviser of our student newspaper (that was my biggest extracurricular commitment) wrote my recommendation letters....

There were a lot of factors involved. Financial aid offers were very important, but ultimately, I chose the campus...