“Mom, can I have money?...Mom, can I get some new clothes?…Mom, what’s for dinner?” Without the slightest thought, my wish was her command. I greatly depended on my mother; sure we did not have everything, but we had just enough to survive. However, not once have I questioned her needs or desires. It takes almost losing someone important in your life, especially the person that guided me through life, to realize the need for self-reflection and change....

Lafayette College Why Lafayette? I am interested in Lafayette because I can picture myself as a student there. I visited Lafayette with my CBO, The Opportunity Network. When I visited, the campus was beautiful and completely different from Brooklyn. When I visited again through the program Our Beloved Community I realized how much community is emphasized and how I appreciate that from school. As a student from a small high school, I enjoy communicating with my teachers, getting involved in...

I feel Brandeis University is the perfect fit for my academic, extracurricular, and social interests. When I visited the campus, I learned about Brandeis’ liberal arts curriculum and experiential learning opportunities, such as study abroad, internships, and research. I feel a strong connection to Brandeis’ founding principles of social justice. As a student at the school for “Law and Justice” I am encouraged to think critically about issues such as anti-LGBT bullying, the recent election in NYC, or the hurricane...

I went on college visits to see the schools I applied to, so I was incorporated details of my experience while on campus into the essay. I did not just mention how beautiful the campus was, but also some reflective details of my experience and where I could see myself fitting in if I attend school on that particular campus.

If I could change something about my application process, I would probably just visit more campuses and school for the sake of getting...

I chose to apply to by understanding the geographic location, (whether I wanted to stay close to home or move far away from home and what that entails for things such as travel expenses and holiday breaks etc.) the size of the school ( whether I wanted to be a face in...

Lafayette College Brandeis University Hamilton College Brown University You can really get a feel for the kind of environment or students that are on the college campus from the interview if you have it with an alumni or student interviewer. You grasp an idea of a kind of student who is on the campus. If it is with an admissions counselor then they...

The personal statement is more powerful than what people give it credit for. It has the power to help give the admissions counselors some perspective on who you are, what you value, etc especially...

My advice about getting recommenders is to get someone who you feel will be able to best represent and advocate for you. If you have someone who is able to do that for...