The scene of the weight room was at its usual, with the usual cast of football players hard at work, usual melody of Jock Rock tunes and weights clanking, and usual props of protein shakes and sweat towels in place, but January 12th was anything but a usual day. I was on the bench press and my spotter was urging me to push out “just one more” rep, an encore of sorts. After my set, our coach came in to...

Why Stanford I loved recess. I loved playing pickup football just as much as reading Ripley’s books during “indoor recess.” Ever since then my curiosity in and out of the classroom has led me to a unique balance of interests in my life, and I believe that Stanford would be the best place for me to maintain that balance. Stanford’s IHUM program would serve as the perfect transition step into college level learning, by guiding me through investigations...

Well rounded,...

I chose Duke because of its overwhelming commitment to the undergraduate experience. I knew that if I came to Duke, I would have the time of life, both inside the classroom and outside of it. Duke provides the full college experience from world class faculty to national championship athletics to amazing weather. Whatever you could want out of the college experience you could get at Duke. What sets Duke apart academically is its commitment to an interdisciplinary education. There...

Make sure you get to know Duke's specific programs and how they can fit into your academic journey. Look up the FOCUS program and see if any of them would be interesting for you freshman year. Find out which...