“Tick, Tock, Tick!” The clock ticked and soon enough, my heartbeat could be heard doubling the tick of the clock, synchronizing with every downbeat. My eyes burned from straining too long at a piece of paper and my hand was indented from the weight of the pencil. I nervously glanced around the room, and noticed that a few of my classmates had abandoned hope and were sleeping in despair. On the other hand, there remained a few intent individuals who...

One chilly April morning, while other people were still buried in the warmth of their bed, I was in the woods with my buddy, Will. We were on a mission to catch turtles, one that we had planned for hours on before deciding upon a satisfactory plan. Once inside the forest, I felt the call of adventure in my blood. I was unstoppable, ready to take on any obstacle. As we started our journey, the icy winds blew harder, seemingly...

Year in, year out, Brown is ranked among the happiest colleges, with a 98 percent freshman retention rate. Perhaps it is Brown’s open curriculum that brings this happiness, as students can concentrate on their true passions. As a result, the students are some of the most accomplished and driven, and all share a sincere passion for learning. I have always thrived in this sort of independent, yet supportive environment. At Brown, I could see myself pursuing my major of computer...

I have played in the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra for the past four years and it has been an unforgettable experience. Not only have I been able to play the symphonic pieces I have always dreamed of playing, I have been able to do so with others who share this same passion. Through this orchestra, I have attended numerous masterclasses with world-renowned musicians and visited various cities all over the world. Every Saturday morning, I eagerly wake up at 6:00 AM...

My passion is computer science, the art of problem solving. Perhaps, what I really love is how there are so many ways of finding a solution to a problem, and how everyone does things a bit differently. I love experimenting and seeing the code that I write actually work. I love the wide range of applications of computer science, not just to technology, but from business to mathematics to healthcare, etc. I have witnessed first-hand, professors demonstrating how to solve...

I was raised in Dallas, Texas for the first six years of my life. It was there that I learned to ride a bike at the ripe age of five. I have lived in Georgia ever since. Many afternoons here have been spent uncovering all of the local mysteries, alongside my neighborhood partners in crime. The streets are paved with bicycle skid marks and the lawns, with trampled grass. Meanwhile, my house is filled with the smell of candles, a...

I belong to a group of ballers. We have weekly games at a local park, and spend hours perfecting our craft. Although our games do get intense, we always have each other’s back. I have experienced crushing defeat and overwhelming victory, but have learned neither is as important as the journey there. This friendship goes beyond just the basketball court. During lunch, we have discussions ranging from homework to politics to T.V. shows. Although, basketball has created a...

My eyes have been set on Georgia Tech for a long time. I have always been fascinated by computer science, and would like to be a part of Georgia Tech’s programming community. I look forward to learning under world-renowned professors such as Gregory Abowd and David Bader, whose works have had profound impacts. This vibrant community contains one of the highest concentrations of engineers in the country, and I would love to be a part of this along with...

I am the repair-man around the house, the tech-support, as well as the top-shelf reacher. I am the trash can mover, the bug killer, the laundry man. I am the dish-washer and the plant waterer. But above all, I am the diligent student and the dutiful son. This experience has allowed me to flourish academically while also developing everyday skills. I would create a life-skills class to help others succeed in a similar manner. Many students entering college will be...

As a prospective engineering student, I am attracted to Duke’s strong emphasis on innovation and research, which are central themes within the engineering curriculum. Undergraduates have a chance to work with faculty members on various research projects and can become authors of publications in Duke Today. I am particularly interested in Professor Jungsang Kim’s work involving quantum information sciences, where his group researches how to construct quantum communication networks. These extensive research opportunities attract me because I have...

Performing in an orchestra is quite an incredible experience, one that I would certainly love to continue at Duke. I have been a part of countless performances and each is as magical as the next. When the lights dim and the curtains rise, I become just as enthralled as the audience, waiting for the conductor to raise his hands. With the flick of a wrist, the instruments start to sing in perfect harmony and the magical journey begins. I’ve...

Both of my parents were computer engineers and so I was exposed to technology from an early age. I soon became very adroit at surfing the internet and learning the ins and outs of the computer, surpassing my parents in that regard. I could double click and type faster, maneuver multiple windows and tabs, and use obscure shortcuts, but that was not all. In school, I always did well in the math and science classes, showing early signs of a...

As a prospective engineering student, I am attracted to Dartmouth’s strong emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship. Students have the opportunity to work on research projects with faculty members and can even become authors of publication in the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science. Furthermore, Dartmouth is very entrepreneurship-friendly. For instance, I can already see myself working alongside other talented and driven students of the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network and pitching our ideas together at the DEN Business Plan Competition. In the...

The ending has always been my favorite part of any concerto or symphony. Perhaps because it embodied the culmination of excitement and tension in the entire piece. As a result, I would usually sound rushed, hacking away at the chords, in order to get to my favorite part: the end. My violin teacher, Mr. Pu, pointed this out to me one day during private lessons and instructed me to relax. So, on my next run-through of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto,...

I have been a part of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra for the past four years and it has been my most memorable experience. Not only have I been able to play the symphonic pieces I have always dreamed of playing, I have been able to do so with others who share this same passion. Through this orchestra, I have attended numerous masterclasses with world-renowned musicians and visited various cities all over the world through our annual tour. Every Saturday...

The summer of my 11th grade year, I participated in the Governor’s Honors Program for Georgia. Selected through a rigorous two round audition and interview process as a violin major, it was there that I made some of my fondest memories. Whether practicing at late nights with my string quartet or participating in a game of Ultimate Frisbee under the hot Valdosta sun, these are the moments that I can still vividly recall. The following summer, I took a...

The ending was always my favorite part of any concerto or symphony. Perhaps because it embodied the culmination of excitement and tension of the entire piece. As a result, I would usually sound rushed, hacking away at the chords, in order to get to my favorite part: the end. My violin teacher, Mr. Pu, pointed this out to me one day during private lessons and instructed me to relax. So, on my next run-through of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, I...

Yale’s community is very welcoming and supportive. The faculty members genuinely care about the undergraduate students, which is a quality that is hard to find in many universities. Here, I can discuss course material, eat lunch, and even do research with the professors. Additionally, the class sizes are small, with a 1:6 faculty to student ratio, showing that no one gets left behind. Alongside the close-knit residential systems, these collective traits create a supportive and collaborative environment that is essential...

I belong to a group of ballers. We have weekly games at a local park, and spend many hours perfecting our craft. Although our games do get intense, we always have each other’s back. I have experienced crushing defeat and overwhelming victory, but have learned neither is as important as the journey there. This friendship goes beyond just the basketball court. During lunch, we have discussions ranging from homework, to politics, to T.V. shows. Although basketball has created...

For years, I was perplexed by my grandfather’s magic tricks. There was this one card trick, where he would ask me to pick a card and then after a series of complex shuffles and cuts, the card would appear in whatever location I named. Of course, I always tried my best to figure out how he did it, but I never could. It wasn’t until last year, that my grandfather finally passed the secret down to me. He...

Both of my parents were computer engineers and so I was exposed to technology from an early age. I soon became very adroit at surfing the webs and learning the ins and outs of the computer, surpassing my parents in that regard. I could double click and type faster, maneuver multiple windows and tabs, and use obscure shortcuts, but that was not all. In school, I always did well in the math and science classes, showing early signs of a...