Dim lighting and freshly cut roses provides the room with a welcoming ambiance. Family that hasn't gathered in some time and friends that should be family join to celebrate this moment. I had spent a better part of the past year preparing for this one event. A "Quinceñera" is the night a girl never forgets, her introduction into society as a woman rather than a young girl. That night was everything I had hoped, a young girl in a...

Swarthmore’s liberal approach to education will ensure I receive the best college experience available. I want to attend an institution that is able to provide me with personal relationships with my professors, Swarthmore will give me just that. I can see myself walking around the campus and being able to recognize the faces of the minds that are on the same journey I find myself on. A journey of self- exploration and intellectual curiosity. The college’s proximity to...

"I waited for my destiny to unfold, a child as helpless as an insect trapped in a wicked web not of its own making." - Princess by Jean Sasson. Prior to entering tenth grade I was provided a list of books I could read over the break, Princess immediately caught my attention. This past summer I decided to read the book once more, and I found myself understanding Sultana's story from a whole new perspective. I've experienced sexism in my...

An array of colors, from red to violet, all making an appearance in this natural phenomenon that is a rainbow. Rainbows make me happy, I’m aware that there is a scientific reason they exist, but that’s irrelevant to me, I like to believe they are magical and represent innocence. When I see a rainbow I am reminded of my childhood and my unwillingness to grow up. I can’t help but open my eyes wide and curve my...

Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” After 13 years of receiving an education that covered a breadth of knowledge I have managed to retain I maintain that there is no such thing as a useless topic or material that “will never be used in life.” With this being said I take a great liking to American University’s value of the same ideals of I am intellectually provoked by the...

motivated dedicated...

Work at a steady pace, procrastination will not...

I had an interview for Yale and I think one of the best things...

Find programs that genuinely interest you whether internship or service based. It is a definite...

Ultimately my decision on a college was easy because my...

Find teachers which taught you in a subject you truly enjoyed whether it was...