The first place I could ever call home was the quiet, dainty city of White Plains. There, I was able to settle in, develop deep-rooted friendships, and build a legacy. As I matured into adolescence and advanced to WPHS, I was living in a community of friends, family, and colleagues who accepted me, and in a way, I was as happy as could be. However, at the same time, I wasn’t truly content. There was a constant voice in...

In the University of Pennsylvania College of Arts and Sciences, I can be completely absorbed in both of my passions, yet develop them with holistic perspectives thanks to its liberal arts curriculum. There, my love of music and neuroscience can be taken to the next level. By studying under the well-established, interdisciplinary Basis of Biological Behavior major, I can expand on my knowledge of neural mechanics and be immersed in an entirely new world of cognition and psychology. Having shadowed...

I did not have the creative ability to go about my common application essay in an abstract way. For example, one of my friends wrote about raking his lawn and made it an analogy of his high school struggles. If you have creative ability and have an interesting idea, definitely go for it. However, my essays will not help you in this regard. However, where my essay excels is that it is written truthfully and from the bottom of my...

I think that the reason I got into Penn wasn't because of my outstanding academic achievement but my well-roundedness and my extra-curricular activities. I made to sure to have an activity that...

In college, extra-curricular activities are a totally different story. People search for something they genuinely love rather than something to pad their application. If...

Balanced, passionate, hard-working, motivated,...

Simply, you either have to be VERY well-rounded or be one of the best in a specific field. I'm the type that is very well-rounded having medical research, music, sports, leadership, and community service under my...

Try new things when you get to college. I had never formally sang before I got to college. Sure I performed a little around NY, but I never received any training nor did any types of choir ensemble. So, I when I found out that a cappella was a big thing here at Penn, I decided to try out on a whim. ...