“BAA!” Abraham voiced out one of the few sounds that he was able to make. Over the years I had worked with him, I knew that Abraham shouted this whenever he needed anything. Although I had grown accustomed to hearing this cry, along with the routine motion of clapping his hands, there seemed to be something different about Abraham this time. His voice sounded fine, but his body language indicated that he was in discomfort. As I sat on my...

As a 4th year student at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), I can vouch for its uniqueness compared to most of the other UCs. Since it is a school situated on the beach, the surrounding environment is breathtakingly beautiful and is a step different from the other schools. Although the beach itself on the campus isn’t the best beach, there are plenty of other beaches around it that are great for activities...

In my experience as well as in the experiences of those I have met in these past four years, I recommend filling your summer with meaningful activities. I use meaningful broadly for a reason since each individual might deem different activities as meaningful. In the most efficient way, make each summer count towards something. This may mean to work on a summer project, to find a summer job or internship, to go abroad...

For advice on colleges, what school and program I should look into, and my chances on entering these colleges, I had the help of a college admissions counselor who happened to be my SAT tutor as well. In Diamond Bar, CA, I attended a SAT prep school, Lee’s Review, who not only helped me prepare for my SATs, but also provided...