One year ago on a Sunday morning, I packed a small blanket and The Joy Luck Club and looked for a pocket of the universe where I could have the voices of the book fill up the silence around me. Even though I am of Chinese heritage, I've always felt more American than Chinese and wanted to fill the void. Whereas most people learn about their culture from their home, family, and community, I learned about it from the half...

Every Thanksgiving when my family gets together, my Aunt XXX, speaks enthusiastically about how going to Barnard made her more confident and how encouraging the professors were. So when my family went on a vacation to New York, I absolutely made sure to visit Barnard. While standing in front of the Diana Center, I was surprised to see how friendly and diverse the students were. When I returned to California, I continued to keep in touch with several students who...

Soraya Chemaly's online blog about gender absurdities in pop culture has made me more perceptive and globally aware. She separates herself from other bloggers with her confidence to challenge the status quo while fighting for social justice. I'd tell Soraya that my mom takes pride in solely being a housewife and believes that being pretty is the only important thing for a girl. Soraya's stark contrast to the leading woman in my life has shown me that I don't have...

"Ballsy", said my AP Biology teacher with a surprised look on his face. I just told him that I had emailed a scientist asking if I could intern in his lab over the summer. I couldn't help but feel intimidated by the fact that there would be undergraduates, post-docs and fellows contacting this professor too. After months of email correspondence including an intensive interview, I was heartbroken when I read my rejection message. There was no sugar coating, just "Sorry....

Since I plan on majoring in Biology, I decided to reach out to many labs in my...

From Forbes: Located directly across from Columbia University in New York City, Barnard College is a private all-female liberal arts college and the most selective member of the Seven Sisters. Its relationship with its Ivy League neighbor is mutually...

I had an two interviews, one for Bowdoin and one for...

I chose my school because it's...

Make sure you get to know your teachers very well Junior year. They don't have...