Prompt: Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you? My Synagogue One of the places that has remained consistent throughout my life is my synagogue. A lot of things have changed throughout my life: I have switched schools, made new friends, and evolved mentally and physically. My synagogue, however, has stayed almost the same and has been a kind of refuge from the outside...

In a famous quote by José Ortega y Gasset, the Spanish philosopher proclaims, "Yo soy yo y mi circunstancia" (1914). José Quintans, master of the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division at the University of Chicago, sees it another way: "Yo soy yo y mi microbioma" (2012). You are you and your..? You are you and your actions. This is a sentiment that has held true throughout history, from traditional Jewish values to the existentialists of the 1900s. There is a reason that this...

(Clarkson) I defy convention by embracing my religion and, to an extent, doing what I want. I was one of the only Jews in my middle school; within my eighth grade graduating class of around 60 kids, I was the lone Jewish one. In my senior class of 120 kids this year, I'm the only Jewish one. I've gotten used to it, though. I don't really feel the need to blend in. I go to religious school, and I've noticed a lot...

Please tell us what excites you about being a member of the GW community. (500 word limit) Out of all the campuses I toured, George Washington University’s campus was the most intriguing. I love the constant movement of people throughout the streets that make up the campus, and the proximity to some of the most important buildings in downtown DC. I’ve grown up in a semi-rural town in Maine, but I’ve always liked cities, and ever since my...

Tufts is exactly what I want in a university. The location is perfect: I won’t have to adjust to living in the middle of a huge city, but it’s close enough to Boston that I could easily take day trips in. I know Tufts has an excellent medical school, which means the biomedical engineering program will be top notch. I also like the emphasis on being well-rounded: I know I’ll be able to take some English classes...

(Tufts) Boston is famous for its teams, its fans and its rivalries. Whether you are goaltending or cheering from the stands, celebrate the role sports plays in your life. (200-250 words). Sophomore year was a rough year for my hockey career. I started the season on junior varsity; through hard work I managed to work my way up to varsity, and even started to get some playing time. Eventually, I even got to start in a few games. About halfway...

(Tufts) There is a Quaker saying: “Let your life speak.” Describe the environment in which you were raised – your family, home, neighborhood or community – and how it influenced the person you are today. (200–250 words). I was raised in a small town in Maine. Throughout my life, I’ve been involved with small communities. My middle school graduating class was around 60 students, and my senior class this year has only 120 students. I also attend religious school, where it is me and,...

Vanderbilt Supplemental Essay Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. Sophomore year was a rough year for my hockey career. I started the season on junior varsity. Through hard work I managed to work my way up to varsity, and started to get some playing time. Eventually, I got to start in a few games. About halfway through the year, I got steamrolled behind my own net, sustained a concussion, and was out for the...

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago. I, like so many other people, want to do something great. Out of all the colleges I’m applying to, University of Chicago is the one I feel can best help me accomplish this and give me the campus experience I want. I...

(Uchicago) Share with us a few of your favorite books, poems, authors, films, plays, pieces of music, musicians, performers, paintings, artists, blogs, magazines, or newspapers. Feel free to touch on one, some, or all of the categories listed, or add a category of your own. “So it goes.” This is the quote that drives Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five. I read this book during sophomore year, and it is by far the most interesting book I’ve read during high-school. I think...

You can see I wrote numerous essays over the course of my college admissions experience. I included essays for schools I was accepted to and essays for schools I was rejected from. The Uchicago essays are by far my strongest. You can see that I forced/tacked on the taoism idea to the Tufts/Vanderbilt apps; this was, in retrospect, a mistake. Essays are better when they aren't contrived or trying too hard to be different without any real substance.

Interviewing is one of the things I would do differently if I had the chance. Everyone says that it's not a huge deal and can only help you, and I found this to be (for the most part) true. I only interviewed for three schools: University of Chicago, Vanderbilt, and Clarkson (a phone interview for the honors program). The interviews for University of Chicago and Vanderbilt both went well, but the phone interview with Clarkson didn't go so well. I honestly think the Uchicago interview is a big reason I was admitted to the university. I had an excellent conversation...