I began running in the 9th grade. Although at first it was for the fitness value, running has become much more for me. As my workload has been increasing throughout high school, so have my stress levels. In running I have found a chance to get away from it all, to stop thinking about my pile of homework, my packed schedule, or how much time I’ll be able to sleep that night. When I run, I have the opportunity...

Tufts- During my day at Tufts, as part of the Voices of Diversity Program, I had the chance to meet students whose passion about science, math, and a bevy of other subjects matched my own. It was clear that we were all at Tufts because we desired an environment where being passionate was cool. Where students held a burning curiosity about the functioning of the world around them, and collaborated to answer their questions. We wanted an environment where students...

University of Michigan- What defines the University of Michigan School of Engineering isn’t the amount of top 10 majors it has, but rather the spirit of entrepreneurship and the thirst for innovation that is deeply embedded in the curriculum. University of Michigan engineering students thirst for innovation and long to enhance the human condition and solve the problems of tomorrow through their ideas. It is this mentality that attracts me to the University of Michigan, and specifically to the College...

Georgia Tech- In his convocation speech to the class of 2017, Nick Selby expressed the culture of innovation and endless opportunity at Georgia Tech by exclaiming, “Our mission as students is NOT to follow in the footsteps of the astronauts, Nobel Prize Laureates, and president who graduated before us, but to EXCEED their footsteps!" Tech students seek more than an education; they seek the opportunity to be more than themselves. These students want nothing less than to change the world. Georgia...

Purdue- Upon landing on the moon, Neil Armstrong, namesake of Purdue’s main engineering building, famously uttered the words “that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Purdue encourages its engineering students to make this leap by providing them with the resources and opportunities to push humanity forward through their innovations. Purdue provides undergraduate engineering students with the ability to receive a world-class education while simultaneously catalyzing positive change in the community. Initiatives such as the...

Every year the Jewish Community Center of Aventura hosts The Maccabi Games, an opportunity for Jewish youth in South Florida to proudly represent their nationality in a series of athletic competitions. Every year, I walk onto the field, proudly sporting the Colombian uniform, and along with it all the lessons my mixed Colombian- Jewish heritage has ingrained into me. The Maccabi Games is the perfect metaphor for my heritage, in which Colombian and Jewish influences have shaped the way I...

Describe the World You Come From (UC Berkley)- Our environment, the people, places and things with which we interact, define who we are and what we aspire to become. I was blessed with an environment that nurtured my creativity and encouraged innovative thought. While other kids watched cartoons or played GameCube, my toy of choice was always a box of Lego’s. As the interlocking blocks came together, my creativity took over. Before me formed high-rises capable of withstanding...

Celebrate Your Nerdy Side (Tufts)- If you use your lunch period to watch a live stream of a shuttle launch, you might be a nerd. If your YouTube subscriptions consist of Numberphile, Minute Physics, and Vsauce, you might be a nerd. If you’re actively thinking of ways to make the technology in science fiction movies a reality, you might be a nerd (my design for a hover board is coming along nicely, though my light saber design is...

What Does Georgia Tech's motto mean to you- Progress and Service is more than Georgia Tech's Motto, rather, it is a philosophy that is central in my work and aspirations. I use my unique abilities to contribute to the improvement and advancement of the human condition. The Community Service Council, Engineers Without Borders, and Team Buzz are some of the organizations at Georgia Tech that promote community service, and will allow me to make a difference through the use of...

What is the Good Life- University of Florida “I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that service is joy.” Through this quote, poet Khahil Gibran perfectly expressed, my sentiments towards community service. The feeling of joy one gets from helping another and giving back to the community is like no other. Community service gives us the opportunity to strengthen our community, which...

The one big thing bout getting recommends: Start early. Once you start getting into classes with well regarded and eloquent teacher, get to...

My entire college admissions process revolved around eventually getting scholarships. Because of this, I spend a lo of my senior year of...

Colleges love to see that you're being productive over the summer. The summer after your junior year is especially important....