During the months before I was born, my father was convicted of drug-trafficking, plunging my family into a state of chaos further complicated by my imminent arrival. My mother charioted my sister and me back and forth in a beat-up '84 Toyota from our home on the outskirts of Miami to a prison visitation-room until his deportation to his native Colombia. These vaguely recollected events would cause deep rippling effects that would pervade my development into who I am today. ...

UCHICAGO In French, there is no difference between “conscience” and “consciousness.” In Japanese, there is a word that specifically refers to the splittable wooden chopsticks you get at restaurants. The German word “fremdschämen” encapsulates the feeling you get when you’re embarrassed on behalf of someone else. All of these require explanation in order to properly communicate their meaning, and are, to varying degrees, untranslatable. Choose a word, tell us what it means, and then explain why it cannot ...

“One of the great challenges of our time is that the disparities we face today have more complex causes and point less straightforwardly to solutions.” Omar Wasow, Assistant Professor, Politics; Founder, Blackplanet.com. Inhaling the crisp, familiar scent of fresh paper and ink, I walk into our local bookstore. My arms tire under the weight of the deceptively heavy little girl I carry through brightly painted shelves. My tall frame folds to fit the miniature picnic table underneath the cardboard...

University of Pennsylvania The Admissions Committee would like to learn why you are a good fit for your undergraduate school choice (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing, The Wharton School, or Penn Engineering). Please tell us about specific academic, service, and/or research opportunities at the University of Pennsylvania that resonate with your background, interests, and goals. (400-650 words) I wear pants under my sweatpants under my uniform to school anytime the weather drops below 50. I'm what we...

DukeIf you are applying to the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences as a first year applicant, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something particular about Duke that attracts you? (Please limit your response to no more than 150 words.) On my first visit to Duke, surrounded by the Gothic architecture, I was reminded of being eleven and increasingly anxious for a Hogwarts owl to fly in my window carrying a letter inviting me...

Brown Why are you drawn to the area(s) of study you indicated in our Member Section, earlier in this application? If you are "undecided" or not sure which Brown concentrations match your interests, consider describing more generally the academic topics or modes of thought that engage you currently. (150 word limit) "I'm here to sew stitches and cut bitches" said the eloquent Tumblr post I found recently. As sadistic as it sounds, I am fascinated by the human anatomy and...

The biggest advice I can give is to keep your tone conversational, you want the admissions officer to feel like they are getting to know, as if you are telling your story to them in their office, and to edit! edit! edit! I went through my personal statement over a dozen times with a fine tooth comb until I was satisfied there was nothing I was not happiness. You have a limited number of words to use, make every one...

Always choose Recommenders that have known you at least two years and that you can think of one memorable thing the two of you have done together. You don't...

Always gear this towards the personality of the school. When they ask this question , they're asking what about their University fits your personality. So for UChicago or Stanford, a quirkier essay that stresses your uniqueness is best,...

I didn't use a private admissions councilor, and I wouldn't advise it. Yes, college apps are an incredibly stressful...

I would really like to change how Stanford invests its resources and the use of water...

Excited, Creative,...