"Her name was Jill, went up a hill, took a spill, had her fill, in a pickle?" "Shoot! I'm out." Tommaso is eliminated-pickle does not rhyme with fill. We are down to Elias, Nick and me. The eliminated team players watch anxiously to see the next casualty. I feel the weight of the whistle around my neck. DING! The ten-minute bell rings. The whistle tempts me with the promise of getting everyone to class on time, but my teammates' laughter...

Intellectual Vitality Essay As I saddled Frankie for the first time, I knew this horse and I had an indescribable connection. We went out to the arena ready to face the daunting challenge ahead. When training a horse, there are a few things going through my head- horses sense fear, I need to accomplish what my trainer expects of me, and I have an animal that weighs nearly a ton underneath me capable of throwing me at any given moment....

Letter to your future Roommate Dear Future Roommate, As a child, my friend's parents were thrilled to hear I was coming over for a sleepover because I would convince my friends to clean their rooms with my help. During "Bring Your Kid to Work Day," my mom's boss asked me to help clean out her desk. Every item in my room has a place and I keep it there. If you share my aptitude for organization, that's fantastic. If not-...

What matters to you and why? A seven year old enters her new room. It is this moment that her life will change forever. Fall colors?! I see fall colors and soft lines. This is supposed to be my perfect room. I want cool colors and inventive design, not an antique birdcage. So I start designing the perfect room in my head. Little did I know this minor disappointment turned out to be a pivotal event in my life. Looking...

I tried to incorporate multiple activities into every essay. We had a lot of opportunities to write about ourselves on the Stanford Application, and I used them to give a blossoming description of myself.

I had a private counselor. Having someone hold me accountable was really useful- I don't have the stamina to force myself to keep up on all my applications. She gave me activities...

I found a balance between school and extracurriculars. This is key into getting into a school like Stanford. They want students who...

I love the chill laid back vibe of Stanford. The "duck syndrome" (everyone looks happy while they work hard, like a...

At the beginning of this school year I was very interested in applying to Cornell’s architecture program. So I worked on the required portfolio and signed up for an interview. I was matched with Lei...

Location was initially a huge factor for me. Then I stopped and thought about it- and I realized location doesn't matter as long as you're surrounded by hardworking, interesting, clever, funny people. That...