The intimidating building now lay before me. I took several deep breaths before entering Centennial Hall of Augustana College for the first time. Months of stress accompanied the training, sometimes resulting in restless nights affecting day-to-day life. At times, the pressure to succeed along with regular expectations grew immense for the mind of a fifth grader to endure. I wanted nothing more than to lift the golden trophy nearly half my size and punch my ticket to the national spelling...

As the campus is an important aspect in any college decision-making process, the campus of Northwestern University is an architectural masterpiece where I could definitely see myself attending amidst the vibrant culture of the Evanston area. With the diversity, I hope to take advantage of the many clubs offered by Northwestern such as the Asian/Asian American Student Affairs Program and the Vietnamese Student Association. These also offer opportunities for participating in student government and leadership in order to receive...

I am a slightly watered-down passion fruit. One sip of a passion fruit-flavored bubble tea and the existence of such a profound essay prompt led me to research the pH of a passion fruit. My inquiry led to the answer of 3. Such an acidic number inaccurately describes my personality, so adding some water, a neutral and more basic solution, would bring the pH of the passion fruit to a more pleasing number, a 5. Being that the human body's normal pH...

Passion and desire motivate me to win every point, every set, and every match. In tennis, winning seems to be the most important aspect, an outright mesmerizing feeling of euphoria. I remember times when the finish line was merely steps away, only to have it become miles long right before my eyes due to crushing failures. It is through overcoming adversity that champions are made and victory becomes commonplace. The analytical and passionate sides of me are evident in my...

I would absolutely recommend getting lots of perspectives...

I would definitely advise applicants to visit and take...

At first, a beautiful locale, nearby relatives, and prestige were the primary motivations for applying to Rice University, but a campus visit in the summer of 2014 completely changed my reasoning. Immediately, the statue of William Marsh Rice in the middle of the vast Academic Quad entranced me. The campus is an architectural masterpiece where I could definitely see myself attending...

I was waitlisted at 3 schools: Harvard, UChicago and WashU...

The main thing I focused on was best fit. This old cliche is a cliche for a reason because it is highly integral for your success as an undergraduate to find...