“‘My lord, I’ll tell you: that self bill is urg’d/ Which in th’ eleventh year of the last king’s reign…’ Do I honestly need to read this and finish math before tomorrow? Whatever. I mean this is school. I’m here to learn. Maybe Henry V has something to teach me…” This train of thought took numerous forms in my mind during my 11th grade winter, because I felt confused as to why I even bothered with...

I lay in bed several nights during the winter of my sophomore year wishing that all my dreams could come true, because then I could be a professional choreographer and I wouldn’t have to write my English essay which was due the following week. This wish sprung up while I was taking a class about choreographic elements, and I saw the work of Bill T. Jones, a professional choreographer. His most provocative piece of the night included 15 men and...

When considering Ben Franklin’s classes for mankind, I immediately thought about how open the descriptions are in terms of accurately characterizing any human being. In characterizing myself, I like to think about the description in terms of an idea I call “mental mobility,” or a description of how different minds react to alien beliefs and opinions. People who are mentally immovable may or may not listen to other people's opinions during a conversation, but if the ideas do not...

When I imagine Brown University’s encouragement of students to be the architects of their educations, the term ‘freely engaged’ come to mind. In other words, students have no influence over their core programs at other colleges, but by allowing its students the freedom to choose the core, Brown causes the programs to engage their students more, providing an ideal college environment. I welcome the responsibility given to students at Brown to take charge of their futures with the assurance...

When asked about my experience with the infamous eleventh grade year at Phillips Academy, I often begin by noting that I can never understand how students survive the year without prefecting in a freshman dorm. I say that the year was transformative because I experienced it through the eyes of my freshmen as well as my own. I lived with thirty-seven ninth grade girls and four other eleventh graders in a dorm called Nathan Hale. As prefects, the five of...

I am spending my summer in Boston as a Medicaid intern for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This opportunity to work in the public health sector during a time of change in the health care system has taught me about the inner workings of the services provided to those who cannot afford health care. While I love working in public health, I ultimately want to use my college education to enter the private health sector. I am hoping...

My first experience in a swimming pool ended in a fiasco involving myself and the lifeguard who saved me from drowning. I was a short, chubby six-year-old in five foot deep water, and I had underestimated the skill it took to even stay afloat. Several emotions arise when I recall this mini-crisis. Among them are embarrassment, regret, and, most vividly, a paralyzing panic that locked my muscles into place and almost distracted me from flailing my arms, calling attention to...

I don my offong iwud--a lacy, vibrant scarf that wraps around my head. Mommy yells at the top of her lungs, “Sine offong! Ini ekem edidaka!” I feign annoyance when she commands me to put on my itchy Nigerian clothing; inside, my stomach is churning because I feel that I do not do my garb justice An inner war rages concerning what to wear, but in the end, I choose the pink outfit. Instead slipping it over my shoulders, stares...

“Liquid-asset poor” households have been failed continuously by the American economy, the government, and the fantasized “America Dream.” This reminds me of numerous poor households in third world countries in which live families who have been failed by their own governments and economies. I believe the best way to attempt to equalize the playing field is to put economy stabilization in the hands of the women in these American households. In third world countries, it has been proven time and...

The main themes in my essays are: 1. The impact creativity has had on my personal growth 2. The importance of personal reflection 3. The role of collective efforts because humans are meant to work together 4. My aspirations can be boiled down to my desire to give back 5. Nigeria is awesome

At the end of the day, colleges don’t just want to admit an application; they want to admit an actual human being, together with her or his unique combination of strengths, (weaknesses,) passions, and aspirations, who truly wants to be there. As a result, you need to make these aspects...

First, I chose the number of schools I could afford to which I could afford to apply. Then, I thought about things like size, community, proximity to a city,...

After college I plan to take a gap year (or two) before medical school. During this...

Harvard might seem like the obvious choice, but it's not the perfect school. It is also not a...