A life-changing story or experience is usually a vivid memory that can be recounted with exceptional clarity. However, the events which shaped my life so dramatically occurred while I was still in the womb. I was born with congenital achromotopsia, a retinal disorder which causes acute nearsightedness, photosensitivity, colorblindness, and an involuntary shaking of the pupils known as nystagmus. While my visual impairment is regrettable and sometimes restrictive, it has allowed me to explore life in an extraordinary and unconventional...

The basic prompt was, "In 500 words or less, tell us what makes you unique besides your academic achievements." This is basically your invitation to write whatever the hell you please, so long as you do it well. So I wrote about how I always fall asleep on the bus when coming home from school.

It isn’t a sudden movement that rouses me, but rather the prolonged absence of any movement at all. With bleary eyes half-open and vaguely focused on the seat fabric that fills my field of view, I wonder what’s taking people so long to get off, since there are usually never more than five riders per stop. I turn my head to see if anyone knows what’s going on, and am surprised to see that everyone who was...

My high school GPA was not stellar when I was an applicant, on account of laziness during my freshman and sophomore years leading to poor grades. However, I was honest about my shortcomings in my application, and luckily I had great junior...

First of all, I was excepted under Early Decision to William and Mary, so I was always bound to the school. I therefore never made a "choice" as such. However, the reason I felt comfortable sealing such a contract was that...

First of all, take care of it early on in the year if you can. Chances are, if there's a teacher who you know can write a good rec, other kids know it too, and will start vying for letters from them as...

I took Intro Philosophy my first semester here, and I must say it was probably the most interesting academic material that I've encountered in...

Liberal. Motivated. VERY friendly (generally). Diverse. Passionate. There's no particular blanket to throw all W&M students under, though you'll often here term "quirky" used to describe the community. I guess that's true; there are...