I’m in a dark hallway, walking towards someone. He’s walking toward me. As we approach, he looks up, arching his neck. I recognize his curious eyes, his poofy hair, his bushy eyebrows; I know this face, but I’m too embarrassed. I look away as we pass. He’s crushed. His face loses its innocent curiosity. Nevertheless, he keeps walking; he has a show to put on. He has practiced his entire middle school career—all of six...

I could write an endless essay about my love for Northwestern, about how I was the 5-year-old star of every Kellogg TGIF afternoon, about how Ms. Stacia made me jump back on stage in Regenstein after my first String Music Academy performance because I forgot to take a bow, about NU soccer, tennis, and windsurfing camps, mixed with (so many) CTD classes. My brothers and I essentially lived on campus as our mom and dad worked through three degrees at...

I shook his hand. “Any experience in politics?” he asked. “None,” I said with a nervous grin. “No worries, I’m just glad you’re here.” And with that, I spent my Senior summer learning how to make a difference. I was volunteering as an intern for Suneel Gupta’s US Congressional race. My first day of work was very similar to the last, fast and full. I was knocking doors within one hour of introductions. By the end of...

In Chicago, I see Wisconsin hoodies, shirts, and hats all the time. There seem to be Badgers everywhere I go. So, when I started looking into colleges, the first school I wanted to visit was University of Madison-Wisconsin. It was a cold, but bright and sunny February day, and I quickly realized why UW is so popular. When you step onto the campus, you immediately feel at home. Everyone you pass smiles, and each smile makes you feel a little...