When I come home from an evening out with my friends, my parents will often ask, "Hoe was het?" meaning, "How was it?" in Dutch. Such a question is simple enough, as is the answer I give most nights, "Gezellig." Google Translate will tell you that gezellig is the Dutch word for "cozy." But while a room may be gezellig, short for gezelligheid, in that sense, simplifying the word to "cozy" is an unjust translation that does not satisfy the...

As a member of the Montgomery Blair Magnet program, I have received excellent preparation in math, physics, biology, and chemistry. The next step, given my interests and The University of Pennsylvania's wealth of talented faculty, research opportunities, and extensive course offerings, is to join the Penn Engineering undergraduate school. I strongly believe that Penn would provide the best possible setting for me to continue my education in both an academic and personal sense. Penn Engineering's wide range of majors, from...

Everyone has strengths in different areas – some people feel inspired when it comes to physics, while others can wield a paintbrush with stunning grace or dance across the soccer field with powerful steps. Each person may envy another’s skills, but why not create the perfect team that combines multiple specializations? If we take John Coltrane, Vincent van Gogh, and Nikola Tesla, the musical, artistic, and scientific ability of these individuals can be brought together to create a masterful trio....

I see life as one monumental learning experience, and each lesson that I learn adds to my opportunities and experiences. Foremost, my family has always valued the importance of honesty, respect, communication, and responsibility. As a child, for instance, my mother taught me to treat others as I would treat the Queen of England. Because of this, I employed my manners at all times and was nice to everyone I met. When I made mistakes and derailed from these core...

Each essay requires a lot of thought and dedication. Although some questions for different schools are very similar, you should still take your time when answering each prompt. Take your time on each essay, check it three, five, ten times for grammar and spelling, and don't procrastinate! I began writing my essays in August and finished by October - I kept myself to a strict schedule and was therefore completely done with all 14 of my applications by the time the...

I recommend trying to further your education over the summer during high school. Challenge yourself. Try something new. For example, I took a biotechnology course at the University of Pennsylvania in the Summer Academy of Applied Science and Technology (SAAST) the summer before my junior year. It was a three week course where I took classes, conducted lab work, took exams and finished projects, while also meeting some amazing and fun people. While...

I chose UPenn because it had the most options for me - as someone who has absolutely no idea what I want to major in, Penn provided the opportunity to try out a lot of classes and switch between schools if I wanted to. At some universities, it can be very difficult to transfer between the college of...