Sometimes a simple statement can present an entirely new perspective. While conversing with a random Korean man in Seoul’s subway system, such a statement was uttered. This summer, I studied in South Korea with the US State Department’s exchange program called National Security Language Initiative for Youth that enables students to study “critical” languages abroad. I was extremely excited to live in a country that I had obsessed over for the past three years. Ever since I was...

University of Virginia: What is your favorite word and why? My favorite word is hwaiting, a Korean word of encouragement. This word is most often expressed to offer encouragement before a difficult endeavor or show support in a difficult situation. This word can be used in serious situations like to encourage a friend before an interview. However, it is commonly used in frivolous situations like to reassure a friend about to sing at noraebangs. Hwaiting is also commonly heard at...

University of Virginia: What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way? When the Venus of Willendorf was discovered in 1908, archeologists were forced to reanalyze Paleolithic art. This unique palm size statue of a woman revealed new information about the values of people living in Europe 25,000 years ago. When I first learned about this statue while watching a film in my sophomore photography class, I was intrigued by how much...

Before this past summer, I had never experienced life outside of the USA or spent more than a week away from home. My exchange program in South Korea was a completely new experience and I was exposed to a world that I had never seen before. Although South Korea is one of the most homogeneous nations in the world, the differences in Korea’s culture and daily life to America’s seemed very diverse to me. My seven week trip...

I would highly recommend participating in the US State Department's National Security Language Initiative for Youth. This program sends US high school students abroad to study critical...

I did 3 local interviews with several schools. My interview with Georgetown went the best- the alum I met with was very nice and eager to answer my questions about Georgetown. The interview I did for UPenn was a lot less casual and friendly. The interview...

I initially narrowed down schools based on whether or not...

I chose Georgetown for...