I screw up all the time. It’s a well-cultivated skill, from being irredeemably clumsy – table corners migrate into my path and coffee-cup holders snap in my grip– to forgetting important appointments and hiking up mountains with maps in languages I can’t read. It’s sometimes demoralizing, often embarrassing, and always unavoidable. But to me, that adaptability is the most important trait I have: first being willing to make mistakes, and then always, always learning from them. I’m...

I became a seer at seven. Armed with a bandana, a Magic 8-ball, and a carefully-constructed paper fortune-teller, I proceeded to enlighten my fellow citizens of their fates. Did Mrs. Littlefield bring hot chocolate today? No. Would there be a snow day tomorrow? Unfortunately not. All this, of course, was determined by the precise method of asking second-graders to choose a number and color, results corroborated by the flashing lights of an electronic pool ball. Needless to say, not all...

I wrote a crapload of college application essays. I didn't apply to a bazillion schools - 8 is about average for where I live - but every school except one had at least one major supplemental essay. In my opinion, the major thing to keep in mind is to be yourself. The one school that rejected me was the one school everyone pushed me toward, but also the one that fit me the least as a person -- so I have...

I think teacher (and counselor) relationships can make or break an application. They're so important. When I stopped to chat with an admissions counselor from one of the most selective schools I applied to who'd read my application, she...

The first thing is to try and not stress out. Seriously. I know this is easier said than done, but with a solid strategy (remember to pick safeties you truly feel like you'd be happy at) and lots of work, you'll end up somewhere that's good for you. All my friends wound up with college results that, although not always what they originally planned for, they're perfectly happy with now. If I could go and do it over again, I'd redo very...

Interviews very by alumni and by school. The first note of advice is, for interviewing for Harvard (and specifically Harvard, as they're the only school I know of that do this): bring a resume. Harvard interviewers are required to ask for SAT scores, and many will want to take notes on exactly what extracurriculars you did in high school. A resume makes you look prepared and informed. The second is that having a resume in your bag is always a good idea. Don't pull it out immediately, though; leave it for the end of the interview, if the interview seems...

I got lucky. Really. College is a crapshoot, and there are so many qualified people and just not enough seats. I still can't quite believe I was accepted to the schools I got into. I don't want to be reductive of my identity. But from the basic premise, that I applied as an upper-middle class Asian female from New England with no legacy or connections to speak of, as well as no truly outstanding achievements - I didn't win the Intel competition or a Math Olympiad or intern for the President - it's still mind-boggling that I was accepted almost...

It's really important to have a plan when applying to college. Like any guidance counselor worth their salt would say, have a list of reaches, targets, and safeties. You don't need too many targets and safeties if, judging by Naviance data and other school resources, it's almost guaranteed that you'll get into those schools (for me, my target was Michigan, and my safety Northeastern). I personally was originally set on MIT. It was mostly because my mom had done her post-doc work there, and she assured me that the rigor of the work there was second to none. I was...