Before I started school, I was often left home alone in the mornings. My older siblings were at school, my mom was at her job working in a chicken factory, and my dad was at the hospital. At that time, I didn't know why my dad went to the hospital so often. I knew he was sick and getting better but I didn't know or understand he was recovering from leukemia. Waking up to an empty house scared me. Afraid...

For Christmas my freshman year, my friend Jessica gave me a silver, heart shaped necklace. It contained the words, “A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your soul.” Upon receiving this necklace, I felt instant gratitude for our friendship. Friendship is very important to me. When I first met Jessica, I thought that she was just going to be my funny, science class partner. But after we spent more time together outside class, I learned that she was�...

Swimming has provided me with one of the most important experiences in my life. I not only learned how to swim, but I learned what it's like to dedicate yourself to accomplishing your goal. I did not know any of the strokes or even how to float when, in ninth grade, I joined my high school's swim team. I joined the team simply to learn how to swim the basic stroke: the front crawl. My first day in the water...

I spent a lot of time revising and editing my essays to make sure my response was clear and concise. It's okay to reuse your essays or responses as long as you make sure you actually answer the questions because colleges and scholarships tend to ask similar questions but ask about particular details or explanations that make them unique. So before sending in your responses, look at the question)s) and your writing and ask yourself, "did I answer all...

I would have applied to less schools....

My college was among one of...

Ask someone who can really write about you - personality, hard work, etc. Also, make sure that they have time to write your letter...

I only had two college interviews and they were for my top two choices: Yale and Harvard. I had my Harvard interview first and as my first interview ever, I was extremely nervous. The nervousness dragged on when my interviewer postponed the meeting. When we finally met, I was so nervous and out of place that I couldn't look my interviewer in the...

The financial aid packet was my main driving force in declining schools. Some schools did not offer me enough aid or had great financial aid...