Growing up, the first thing I did when I got home from school was read the newspaper. I wish I could say I was interested in Middle Eastern policy and the Dow Jones, but the truth is I only wanted the sports section. I would flip to the second page and note the time and station of that night’s Angels’ game; minutes before the opening pitch, I would pull up a chair and sit about 5 feet away from the...

Columbia The innumerable opportunities at Columbia present a blank canvas to me. As someone unsure of what they want to study, I view Columbia as a hub of possibility and adventure. The perfect place to spend the next four years of my life: learning to live on my own in New York City, making new friends from around the world, and using the resources around me. The College’s strong general education curriculum will allow me to spend time in...

Michigan There are two types of communities: those you choose and those you are born into. For me, much of who I am has come from a group I was born into: Native Hawaiians. My mom was born and raised in Hawaii by a Native Hawaiian father and Korean mother. Her ancestors were the final rulers of Oahu, and her childhood was rich with her family history. In contrast, my only interactions with Hawaii have been annual trips comprised of...

Leadership is an intangible idea: an enigmatic idea that can be captured in numerous forms. Most prominent among these variations is the vocal and physical leader, think of Winston Churchill or Kobe Bryant, a figure who rouses the emotions of their peers through passionate speeches and decisive actions. That is not what I am. Another form of leadership can be seen in those who are compassionate and prop up those around them, ensuring that everyone is in the right emotional...

Columbia What do you want to study and why? To be honest, I have absolutely no idea what I want to study, nor do I know how to pursue it. The one thing I do know is that my interests are so far-reaching that the diversity and size offered by Columbia College and New York City are just the places for my interests to develop into a concrete passion. Ever since the Renaissance fair in fifth grade, I have been...

University of Southern California Elaborate on one of you extracurriculars: I have played volleyball, both on a club and school team, for the last four years. During that time, I have improved from a tentative freshman to an All-League selection who helped his team reach playoffs for the first time in 6 years. Club volleyball has dominated much of my life outside of school: I devote more than 12 hours a week to practices and tournaments. My competitive side drove me to...

Stanford What does Intellectual Vitality mean to you? I wipe the sleepiness from my dreary eyes while simultaneously wiping blood off of my latex covered hands. Looking down, I see a man lying on a cold stainless steel cart with his chest cavity open to the world. Next to me, I hear the uncomfortable muttering and gagging of my peers. I glance up at the clock: 9 am. While many of my friends spent their summers sleeping in, I attended a...

Boston College What does Magis mean to you? To be honest I’m not sure what I want to do in the future and how I plan to impact society. When I hear the word “Magis,” my mind immediately jumps to the image of a jack-of-all-trades, someone who tries to get the most out of every experience, whether it be emotional or physical. As I grow closer to an opportunity to reach out and discover new possibilities, I hope to...

University of Washington New Year’s Eve in Hawaii. It is 2008, and my family is on our annual trip to Hawaii. Unlike previous vacations, normally spent soaking in the sun along Waikiki beach, the entirety of this visit would be spent in my cousins’ hometown of Kailua. On this particular night, I followed my older cousins around their street, marveling at the sights and sounds of a Hawaiian New Year’s: fireworks streaked across the starry sky, the “pop and...

University of Virginia To Tweet or not to Tweet? To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to inform the mass and rabble of outrageous Foods, or to keep to thineself their Sea of troubles. Social media, more specifically Twitter, has always struck me as odd: who in God’s name cares what cereal you choose to eat this morning or where you and your “fam” are going tonight? I don’t...

The biggest factor in my decision was my admittance into the Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program (CUSP). CUSP takes the top 6-10% of admitted freshman and places them in a special program that allows students access to special speakers and other opportunities. These opportunities include enrolling in a freshman course that exposes you to New York City through weekly events such as museum trips, dinners, and other tours. Additionally, CUSP works with students to find internships and jobs...