The ‘A’ symbolizes adultery. Yes, I know. That is some illuminating information right there. Ever since Nathaniel Hawthorne sparked the trend with the definitely not obvious piece of fabric he gives his protagonist in The Scarlett Letter, symbolism has slowly grown to establish a wide presence on everyday culture. Today’s society is highly dependent on the use of metaphors, as well as other symbolic thinking, to express feelings, and analyze literature, film and television, and life events, and put...

The University of Rochester’s “Meliora” motto has a variety of meanings to me. While I found my high school experience to be extremely enjoyable, I often found myself to be more passionate about my activities and work than many of the people I interacted with. When I move on to college, I would prefer to be surrounded by people who are just as passionate as I am. I want to be in a place where I’m not the...

J.K. Rowling’s novel, “The Casual Vacancy” exemplifies Jesuit ideals in its treatment of social justice, and the responsibility that we, as humans, have to each other. The novel follows a wide array of characters in a small English town left shaken by the passing of a councilman, Barry Fairbrother. Despite its dark, political tendencies, the novel is more notable for its exploration of social themes. A large portion of the book concerns the damage Barry’s death has...

The first supplement is an explanation of what my university's motto "Meliora," a Latin phrase which roughly translates to "Ever Better," means to me. The second supplement was from Boston College. The prompt was this: " Boston College has a First-Year Convocation program that includes the reading and discussion of a common book that explores Jesuit ideals, community service and learning. If you were to select the book for your Convocation, what would you choose and why?"

College admissions representatives read a lot of applications. What I believe allowed me to stand apart from other applicants is the amount of weirdness I allowed into application, particularly my essay and supplements. I really put a...