The Alan Jackson Era I remember the exact day my parents bought The Beast (probably because I was reading The Wizard of Oz for the first time, and the Chevy dealership gave me free hot chocolate. Both tend to make impressions on seven year olds.) After all the negotiations were over, the salesman led us to the glistening blue Tahoe and made the mistake of announcing, “Sir, your truck is ready.” Dad’s eyes lit up. An epiphany! He owned...

Why Tufts? I felt it as I learned about the ex-college and European Center, as I stepped out of the info session and onto the quad, as I met students that urged, "Come to Tufts!" Permeating every square inch of campus is a unique sense of warmth and intellectual curiosity. I saw myself gathered with fellow enthusiasts, collaboratively studying for a class like "Immigrant and Refugee Health," with plans to rock climb with TMC later. The eclectic group of students...

What makes you happy? 1. Acrostic poems (!!!) 2. Probing adjectives into place, experimenting with the way words ebb and flow, repel and attract, retract and react - poetry 3. Ottoman Empire to present day politics; history in all shapes & forms 4. Exuberant midnight mid-homework dance parties 5. Mismatched groups of people that meld and synergize, regardless of differences 6. Treasuring time set aside for books and Tazo tea 7. Openhearted friends with affinities for adventure 8. Spirited family dinners with all 15 of the Reid cousins 9. Accidental selfies on...

Describe the environment in which you were raised. Constants: Smell of sun-warmed brick, rough speckled carpet in libraries. Church on Sundays. Three states, four brick houses and a whole lot of mortar in between, I was raised on homemade wheat bread and San Francisco fog, nourished with curiosity, gratitude, and God. I discovered my obsession with words in the Moraga, Pleasant Grove, and Sugarhouse libraries; they were integral to my upbringing. However, one library stands out in particular - Grandma's...

Just a little fun fact, my "what makes you happy" essay is actually an acrostic poem, so if you read the first letter of each phrase vertically it reads, "A poem to say Tufts makes me happy." I must've written dozens of drafts of all of my essays and supplemental essays because I wanted them to be absolutely perfect. However, the more I wrote and researched essays, the more I learned that it's best not to try to come off...

I definitely wish I'd started researching college in general a lot earlier than I did! I really didn't even start thinking about it until junior year, which was a huge...

I didn't use a private college counselor, and instead researched on my own - a LOT. I'd recommend at least 40 hours of research...

I chose Tufts because it really checked off every box on my list. It's near a thriving and exciting city, the culture is very accepting and collaborative, the...

Like I said, research is key!!!! I decided on some personal filters,...

When I visited Tufts, the admissions officer told us that 70% of Tufts's applicants are academically qualified, so it really comes...

I wish I had spent my summers in a more productive way during high school - it's important to have time to unwind, but I...