Perhaps my biggest influences from the world around me are my parents. Their backgrounds and examples have molded me into a humble, sympathetic person with a desire to help others. As a result of their influences, the desire to help people in as many ways as I can is deeply rooted within me. My mother grew up in Harbor City, Los Angeles, California, a "ghetto" community, a first-generation American citizen. My mother's childhood stories, ranging from working underage to help...

Duke University, with its reputation for academic and excellence, sees a great deal of applicants who apply for various reasons. While my decision to apply was based on many factors, one of the biggest was the institution's student body. As one of the most prestigious schools in the country, Duke's student population is made up of some of the best and brightest students around. If you combine the excellence of the institution with that of its students, applying to Duke...

I never paid for any sort of help with my college admissions...

I spent my entire junior year trying to decide which schools...

I interviewed with Stanford and Columbia. You shouldn't stress about the interviews. Just be yourself and try to have a good conversation with your interviewer. I got along well with one of my interviewers and we...

My sophomore Spring, I enrolled in a Russian literature course to fulfill Russian major and general curriculum requirements. It was, by...

Don't just try to pick teachers whose classes you did well in. I...