As I walk through the automatic doors of Sage Hall, I subtly wave my hand, using The Force to open them. Cackling deviously like my favorite Sith Lord, I stride swiftly to my computer science class with my mind in hyperspace. As a child, Star Wars stole my imagination and has captivated me ever since, shaping my greatest interests: engineering and martial arts. The trilogies dared me to dream of incredible, impossible ideas. Flipping the crisp pages of star destroyer...

Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development. (250 word limit) (244/250) Throughout elementary school, I accompanied my father as he took the train from our small apartment to take evening computer science courses at a nearby university. Clutching my Chick-fil-A waffle fries, I munched away noisily in the enormous arena-shaped lecture halls, devouring my salty treats which awakened my thirst for knowledge. Sitting under my father’s desk, I...

List of Favorites: Your favorite book and its author: The Icarus Hunt, Timothy Zahn Your favorite movie: The Imitation Game Your favorite website: YouTube Two adjectives your friends would use to describe you: Proactive, Energetic Your favorite recording: Dan Gilbert: The Surprising Science of Happiness Your favorite keepsake or memento: Paintbrush made from my baby hair Your favorite source of inspiration: Starbucks coffee Your favorite word: Ethereal Your favorite line from a movie or book and its title: “Life will...

Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or vacations between school years), including any jobs you have held. (About 150 words) (150/150) Last summer, I continued conducting research in the Acree Research Group at the University of North Texas, formulating ways to remove harmful gases from combustion stacks. During these three months, I stayed in an apartment near campus with my friends, explored every nook and cranny of Denton with them, and took advantage of the Chipotle rewards...

Please describe a time in which you displayed leadership. (250 words maximum) As the vice-president of Rotary Interact Club, I’ve had the opportunity to organize various global service projects. Our most intensive one was the Kenyan Glue Kids project. The Glue Kids live on the impoverished streets of Kenya and are addicted to sniffing glue, which has devastating consequences, such as hallucinations, malnourishment, and death. In response, our club decided to help alleviate their poverty and provide them with money...

Caltech students have long been known for their quirky sense of humor, whether it be through planning creative pranks, building elaborate party sets, or even the year-long preparation that goes into our annual Ditch Day. Please describe an unusual way in which you have fun. (200 word max) Until I click the print button, my design exists only as the intangible, confined by my mind and the boundaries of the computer screen. Ever since my research lab acquired a 3D printer,...

Why Pratt school of engineering? (250 words max) As new incurable ailments plague society, major breakthroughs in medical technology are being made. The capacity of technology applied to medicine is one of the largest fields of pioneering potential in the coming centuries, and I hope my work in the field could be a solid stepping stone for others to build off. Duke provides the best circumstances to make my vision a reality. With the university's small student/faculty ratio, pioneering research...

Letter to your roommate (250 words max) May 2018, Roomie, I don’t know who I would’ve become if I hadn’t gotten paired with you. You’re the one who helps me back up when I have no energy left. From bonding over “screw your roommate” to early morning roll-outs to rolling down snowy hills on the winter trip to Lake Tahoe, I’ve had the good fortune of having you by my side. Even surviving the emotional roller coaster,...

How did you first learn about Rice University, and what motivated you to apply? (250 word limit) I was in seventh grade when our family decided to take a road trip down to Houston to visit Rice University. Driving into the campus, the thick blanket of trees stretched majestically overhead, providing a sense of wonder. The wide, sweeping sidewalks and red, byzantine buildings imprinted themselves in my mind as a magical place. On our way through the Inner Loop into the...

“Princeton in the Nation’s Service” was the title of a speech given by Woodrow Wilson on the 150th anniversary of the University. It became the unofficial Princeton motto and was expanded in 2016 to “Princeton in the nation’s service and the service of humanity.” Woodrow Wilson, Princeton Class of 1879, served on the faculty and was Princeton’s president from 1902–1910. (500-650 words max) “Princeton in the Nation’s Service”, a speech Woodrow Wilson presented in 1896, emphasized service as the pathway...