“一切眾生，皆有佛性（Yiqie zhongsheng, jieyou foxing).” The translator opened his mouth, but no sound came out. “一切眾生，皆有佛性（Yiqie zhongsheng, jieyou foxing).” Still nothing. When the distinguished monk turned toward the translator, wondering why no translation was being given, he saw a twelve-year-old boy—his head just level with the microphone—struggling to recover his voice. That was me. As I sat there with words at the tip of my tongue but no voice to convey them, I was overcome with panic. I looked...

Topic: Note to roommate Dear future roommate: I like to think things over carefully before speaking. If you can be patient and let me finish my thoughts, you may be surprised by what I have to say. I’m an introverted person, so it takes me longer than most people to process my thoughts. Thus, I have a humble request: please let me finish my sentences. I might not be very good at making witty jokes or being the life...

Topic: Intellectual vitality experience I would rather renounce success than compromise my morals. These were my first thoughts upon completing Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness. I strongly sympathized with Marlow; his dramatic transformation over the course of the plot mirrored my altered worldview over the past few years. His realization of the corruption of Kurtz, a man given such effusive kudos, paralleled my shock upon discovering scandals within my country’s government. Yet this discovery did not cause...

Topic: What matters to me and why Sitting in silence … A mind (hopefully) free of all thoughts … Food for the soul … These are all aspects that I appreciate about meditation, a practice that helps develop wisdom and creates the conditions for a lasting happiness. At my school, students meditate for half an hour every day. While some view it as (long-awaited) resting time, I cherish this rare opportunity. As I sit with my legs crossed and my eyes closed, I...

I think that what set me apart from other applicants were my extracurricular activities and full use of my academic opportunities. Throughout my high school career, I participated in live interpretation, a talent that very few high school students even around the world possess. I went out of my way in pursuing this talent; besides participating in translation competitions, I also traveled abroad to help people translate, actively helped people...

Definitely seize the option of an extra, optional recommender. Find somebody who you truly appreciate, somebody who really knows you well to write that recommendation. In addition, for the two required recommendations, find teachers who know you REALLY well....

I didn't use a private college counselor, but I think that I received more useful advice from free books...

It was somewhat of a no-brainer, as I live in California and have certain bias against the East Coast. Besides, I...

I think legacies are actually not that important for my school; rather, applying REA is probably the best...