Prompt: Johns Hopkins University was founded in 1876 on a spirit of exploration and discovery. As a result, students can pursue a multidimensional undergraduate experience both in and outside of the classroom. Given the opportunities at Hopkins, please discuss your current interests (academic, extracurricular, personal passions, summer experiences, etc.) and how you will build upon them here. (300-500 Word limit) // Eight-year-old me smiled back from the screen in my first-ever vlog. "Behold, my math homework!" I held my worksheet awkwardly close...

Prompt: Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? (Required for all applicants. 500 words maximum) // At its core, engineering is not only mastering the concepts behind what we create, but also understanding our creations in the context of the world around us. Michigan Engineering and the University of Michigan embrace...

Prompt [MIT]: We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do for the pleasure of it. (*)(100 words or fewer) // Sunday mornings are for me and my guitar. The day I discovered that four mere chords could form a gazillion songs, I snatched a cozy spot on the bathroom floor, taught myself to play, and listened to my voice and strumming echo off the pink-tiled walls. In...

- Don't procrastinate! I ended up writing several of my essays over winter break. Trust me, you don't want to do that. - Don't be afraid to repeat examples and/or specific phrasing across essays. Doing so will save you lots of time, and essays sent to one school surely won't be sent to another (other than the Common App essay, of course!)

- I would've started my essays earlier. Definitely try to start your essays in the summer—when the school year kicks off, you might not have much time to write essays, especially if you're applying Early Action or Early Decision! - I would've sent in additional materials to admissions. I shied away from doing so, thinking that sending in even *more* items than they had already would...

I interviewed with almost all of the schools I applied to—I walked out of some interviews feeling great, others okayish, and one awful (after I told my Duke interviewer I wasn't able to visit campus, I sensed the rest of the interview going downhill... it ended up feeling more like an interrogation than a conversation). I had my first interview through Michigan Engineering's HAIL interview program. The interview was relatively casual (my interviewer came wearing a UMich baseball cap), and most of the interview turned out to be him talking about Michigan rather than me sharing information about myself. ...

Summer activities are a way for colleges to see what you do in your unstructured time. Remember that whatever you do, it's not the fact that you're doing that activity, but what you get out of it, that matters! That being said, if you're looking for summer programs, here are some programs I'm familiar with: - Girls Who Code...

If you are deferred or waitlisted, colleges usually look for a letter of continued interest. Find a contact in the admissions office—usually a regional admissions officer—and compose a detailed email introducing yourself, describing your situation, adding any updates since you submitted your application, and explaining why you are still interested in attending the college. It may also help...