As I roll the final G chord and let it ring, I savor the serenity that fills the room. At my piano is where I am perfectly content. A picture of my closest friends sit to my right to remind me someone will always be there for me. A bag of Hershey Kisses is beside me to sweeten the bitter blocks that sometimes make their way into my mind. To my left sits a stack of song-filled notebooks of which...

Duke University-To be infatuated with Duke is definitely not an overstatement for me. Ever since I called Pegram Hall on East Campus my home for three weeks, I have wanted to make it my home again. As someone who loves educational challenges and high expectations, the extensive offerings of Duke's math department greatly appeal to me. However, with Duke also having a less rigorous set of courses that fulfill my interests, such as music and photography, I know I would...

My entire high school career has taken place at a small, public school in Southeastern Arkansas that offers less AP courses than some students complete in just one year at private schools. This is mainly because of the lack of interest among students to excel in their educational careers. Growing up being one of the only students who had any dreams or excitement about going to college whatsoever, it was really difficult to not become discouraged. My friends puzzle over...

Northwestern University-From murder plots to railroad crossings, I connected anything and everything to mathematics in order to help students understand, and I loved every second of it. Through the course of my junior and senior years, I have created many unbreakable friendships doing what I love, teaching math. Starting at a very young age, I have loved to teach others whatever they wanted or needed to know. Over the past two years, I have begun to feed this passion by...

College of William and Mary-"What makes you unique and colorful?"-As a determined student in school, my grandfather has always supported my academic endeavors throughout my years of learning. However, his saying has always been, "If those teachers give you an education, I will give you a redneck education." Other than my academic and extracurricular accomplishments, I have grown to be a well acclaimed hunter, fisher, and gardener. From forgetting where the brakes are on the tractor while in...

Whenever you are writing your essays, make sure to remember that you need to be yourself. They are not looking for the perfect person who was the student council president for four years and favorite hobby is studying. BE YOURSELF. I mentioned deer hunting in one of my essays. In another, I mentioned my super odd stories I use in order to help others understand mathematics. A lot of people feel that going to a small public school means you...

In the essays that ask "Why Us?", remember that every student in the country can google a school and write about their pretty campus and nice people. Stand out. Actually explain why...

Whenever you are writing your essays, make sure to remember that you need to be yourself. They are not looking for the perfect person who was the student council president for four years and favorite hobby is studying. BE YOURSELF. I mentioned...

Apply for scholarships. Do it. There are so many resources out there for you to use. My personal favorite is collegegreenlight.com. I checked it almost daily, and applied to over 20 scholarships....