When I was seven years old, I discovered my precious Denny unmoving at the surface of the fish bowl. It wasn’t difficult to see that he had passed away to fish heaven. I held an elaborate funeral for him, complete with a eulogy and a symphony playing in the background as I made the final flush. The mournful tribute I had written for my goldfish titled “Dead Denny” was probably the first poem I ever wrote in my life....

When I was seven, I wrote my first book. As I scribbled passionately about kids riding a magical elevator to find their lost dogs, I realized that my first great love wasn’t a booger-picking boy who shared his crayons with me. It was writing. Like all great love affairs, this one started off as a teensy crush. Writing short poems was like a few covert glances between a boy and a girl. It slowly dawned on me that words...

“Why are you crying?” My mom asked, bewilderment plastered on her face. I pointed at my fishbowl; precious Dorothy was floating at the surface belly up. She had passed away to fish heaven. I held an elaborate funeral to the amusement of my mother- complete with a eulogy and a melancholy symphony as I made the final flush. I’ve always loved animals, no matter how small or insignificant they seemed. I could watch ants move a single crumb across...

It’s hard to pinpoint what truly makes me different from other amazing applicants. Is it my grades and test scores? No. My eclectic extracurriculars? Probably not. But one thing that truly sets me apart is my family and how each has shaped me. My mom is small in stature but big in everything else including her voice and opinions. Her English is broken so I grew up listening to her rapid Korean. Because kids attending international schools are typically...

To the many pedestrians passing by us on the street, we must have been quite an amusing sight: a large group of high schoolers holding a giant inflatable globe, huge posters, and a teenage boy dressed up like the Grim Reaper. But to me, this strange sight was the culmination of all the hard work that I, along with all my other club members, had put into a single event. The Climate Finance Integrity awareness campaign had been a project...

Most seniors spend countless hours scouring every resource they can find- online, in books or people- in order to choose where they will spend their next four years. For Samantha Pyo, it was a relatively easy decision. “The moment I found Northwestern, I knew I had found my soulmate. The more research I did, the more I fell in love- especially the Medill School of Journalism.” Ms. Pyo professed as her eyes lit up at the mere mention of her...

I can’t imagine any school, other than Tufts, being described as both “playful” and “intellectual.” But perhaps this idea of being anything and everything is the epitome of Tufts and also the reason why I belong there. Only at Tufts would the two extremities of my personality be fully nurtured. As a writer with a passion for history, social justice, and language, I can major in “International Literary and Visual Studies” which would allow them to converge. My intellectual...

Ever since I was five and learned that mere syllables could be strung together to form intricate sentences, I’ve been a lover of words. This love has shaped my desire to tell a story and I believe that the abundant resources available at USC will enable me to do just that while also fueling my passion for learning. Having been part of the Yearbook Club all through high-school creating countless layouts on the computer and as an executive of...

I’ve never been able to hold a tune- notes that come out of my mouth always crack, wavering unsteadily in the air before dissipating sadly. My singing ability has always been the target of my friends’ constant teasing and laughter. Maybe that’s why when a six year old boy tugs on my hand and asks me to sing his favorite Disney song, I can’t help but hesitate slightly. Charlie is small with curious eyes. The Big-Buddy Program...

I can’t imagine any school, other than Tufts, being described as both “playful” and “intellectual.” But perhaps this idea of being anything and everything is the epitome of Tufts and also the reason why I belong there. Only at Tufts would the two extremities of my personality be fully nurtured. As a writer with a passion for history, social justice, and language, I can major in “International Literary and Visual Studies” which would allow them to converge. My intellectual...

Tanvi is a small girl with shy eyes that don’t keep contact with mine for more than a few seconds. Her deft fingers work quickly with the slippery clay in contrast to my maladroit fingers. I attempt at my own design, gracelessly molding my own mound. The studio is filled with chatters of English and Hindi but only silence is exchanged between Tanvi and me. When I signed up to partake in one of the service trips that my...

Ever since I was a child, Matilda has always been one of my favorite books. Although the books I read have increased in both complexity and depth, there’s something about the story of a little girl disregarded by the world that still resonates with me. Maybe it was because in my mind, I could so easily be her- encountering Ms. Honeys and fighting the Ms. Trunchbulls that faced me. Like Matilda, I harbored a deep love of books as...

I ran my fingers over the thick strings of the instrument; the texture was unfamiliar. Barely over 5 feet, I was much shorter than the double bass which towered over me. I glanced at my orchestra teacher skeptically. When he had asked me to learn how to play the double bass in the school orchestra which was desperately lacking players, it seemed an impossible feat to transition from the violin to the bass in just a few months. But after putting...