At that point, I just wanted to get out. I thought that I had been through plenty of familial and financial struggles, whether it be my parent's nasty divorce or my poor relationship with my father. Yet here my mom and I stood, forced to face the expensive medical care that accompanied the extreme mental illness my brother suffered. I couldn't possibly imagine being able to afford a public state school, let alone an out-of-state or public institution. The University...

On the Common App, I chose an option that stated "Some applicants feel their application would be incomplete without a story. If this sounds like you, tell us your story". It was obviously penned more eloquently than that, but as soon as I saw that option I knew it was the one I would choose. See Essay Details for my full essay.

He had hit me. He had pulled my hair, held me down as I screamed, ignored my pleas for help. And as I looked back at the place I once called home, I knew. I knew that I was forever changed. My tears were acid, burning scars into my heart. Hiccups burst from me uncontrollably as I tried to come to terms with the darkness that now surrounded me. I couldn’t imagine ever seeing light again. It began with...

The University of Pennsylvania has amazing diversity that I believe is unique to Ivy league institutions. Instead of meeting friends from my state or the next state over, I'm meeting people from all over the world, every single day. Coming from a...

I really think what set me apart from other applicants is that I was extremely passionate about what I did. I did not join a club in high school just to say I joined it- I joined it because I really...