"You can't have a career in science and lead a fulfilling life. Sorry, but you just can't," the girl sitting next to me concluded, shrugging contentedly as the bell rang. The rest of the choir members packed up their belongings, but I remained seated, trembling from both bewilderment and rage. It was the first day back from winter break, and we had spent our choir rehearsal reflecting on our holiday performances. Instead of focusing on the glamorous Winter Concert, the...

Arches everywhere. Even the acoustics are better here! This, my first impression of campus, is an attraction for any a cappella fanatic, but my love for Duke goes far beyond its euphonious architecture. A black-tenting Cameron Crazy at heart, I can't wait to be christened with blue paint in Krzyzewskiville. Who wouldn't be crazy for a school where you can spend pre-orientation rock climbing with Project WILD, take Writing 101: Magic for Muggles, and eat FLUNCH with your professors? What really...

"Switch lines." The choreographer's announcement was met with grumbling from the back row as we shuffled downstage. It was the first day of blocking for Grease, and I'd thought that now that auditions were over, I could hide my clumsiness upstage. The grueling dance audition turned out to be the easiest day I'd have for months. The pianist played the intro, a tempo too fast for my feet but still much too slow for performance. I bungled the combination, all...

A private writing tutor helped me to develop my essay. I came to him with the basic...

The summer before my senior year, I attended the New Jersey Governor's School in the Sciences, a selective summer...

The best decision I made in narrowing down which schools to apply to was to apply to Tulane University through their Early Action admission plan. Tulane's application is straightforward and only requires one supplementary essay, along with an optional resume. I applied in October, and heard back TWO WEEKS later, before most of my friends had even applied...

Duke's "Why Duke?" essay is supposedly optional, but I have yet to talk to someone who didn't write...

I interviewed with alumni from Duke and Vanderbilt. My Duke interview was GREAT. I met at Barnes and Noble with a local alum who is now a lawyer. He had a son my age so he was very accustomed to speaking with high school...

My two teacher recommenders were my math and science teachers. I wasn't very close with my English or history teachers in high school. To balance out the...