I talked about my relationship with my parents. I recalled an atlas that they gave me when I was really young and how it piqued my interest in international affairs.

I wrote about a charity club that I founded, the work that we do, and our impact on the international humanitarian crisis. I specifically discussed a time when there was a massive wildfire near campus when my club was hosting an equally massive fundraiser.

This was an essay for Amherst that explored my (multi)racial identity.

I wrote a LOT of essays besides the ones listed. This includes "Why Us" essays, activity essays, scholarship essays, etc. Message me if you'd like to know more or if you'd like to read them!

I would have applied to fewer schools. Going into the college application process, I wasn't really sure what I was looking for in a school. For example, I applied to Yale University (a huge school in an extremely urban environment)...

I had very little support throughout the college application process. My high school counselor works with ~600 students,...

Brown: My Brown interview was at a local park. It was really casual (he brought his dog!!!) and I just talked a bit about my extracurriculars and he told me a bit about Brown. Overall it lasted around an hour. It wasn't anything extraordinary, but I was still admitted. UC Berkeley (Regents Scholarship): This was by far my best interview. I was admitted to Berkeley early since I was nominated for the Regents Scholarship, and I had to have an interview to be further considered for the scholarship. A professor talked with me about my essays and extracurriculars, and it...

I received the Gates Millennium scholarship, so finances were not a determining factor in my college choice. HOWEVER, I can't stress enough that you should NOT go into substantial debt just to go to a prestigious school! Please choose a school that's financially viable for you and your family. You don't want to regret your decision 20 years later when you're still paying off student debt. In total I was accepted to Amherst, Brown, Harvard, Northeastern, Northwestern, Princeton, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UC Irvine, and the University of Pennsylvania. I knew that I did not want to attend an institution that...

Choose recommenders who really know you well inside AND outside of the classroom. Don't solely choose them because you performed well in their class(es). My AP World History / AP US History teacher, whose classes I excelled in and also contributed extensively to discussion, knew...