Ink-Stained Fingers My fingers are always ink-stained. I love ink, pens, words, and the act of writing. I have been enamored with typography ever since I could reach my desk while standing on a chair. It began with my family. We would make signs for everything—to greet someone after a long trip or welcome family to breakfast on Valentine’s Day. After signs came graffiti, never the illegal kind, but the wild, beautiful, abstract kind. Graffiti purposefully ignores boundaries....

1) Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development. (250 words) The simple act of paying attention is integral to my evolving intellectual development. It drives my insatiable curiosity and results in my deep engagement with people and the world. As an only child, I learned to watch, listen and make sense of conversations so I could engage in the adult world around me. When I hear something, I tuck...

NYU is global, urban, inspired, smart, connected, and bold. What can NYU offer you, and what can you offer NYU? (200-400 words)At NYU, I would be able to launch into the future that I have hoped, dreamed and worked for. I come from a privileged county and semi-rural setting; I want (need!) to experience as many diverse perspectives, traditions and people as I possibly can to develop a holistic worldview and realistic perception of my place in that world....

Columbia offers the diversity, structure, connectivity and passion that I want. I come from a privileged county and semi-rural setting. In college and beyond, I want (need!) to experience as many different perspectives andtraditions as possible in order to develop a holistic, realistic and nuanced worldview. Columbia offers this in a way no other university can. It immerses students in the world’s financial and cultural hub, while providing the structure necessary to achieve a well-rounded education in such a...

Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations. We call our teachers by their first names, snap when we agree with someone (so we don’t disrupt what they’re saying), and have councils where we discuss our feelings. Yes, Sonoma Academy is that type of school. Before Sonoma Academy, I attended a Waldorf middle school. Both schools are non-traditional and wonderful. Each...

APPLICANTS TO THE MCDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS : Discuss the factors that have influenced your interest in studying business. Entrepreneur. This was the first word my grandfather taught me. I remember exactly where we were sitting, in a staircase at our cabin in Tahoe. I was five or six, and I wanted to set up a lemonade stand in front of my house. My mom told me, “Go talk to your grandpa. He has a mind for business.” With all the...

Johns Hopkins forms the perfect amalgam of my interests: research based learning, international business and inspired people. I have always had an interest in business and entrepreneurship. I naturally design, create, produce; such pursuits make me happy. When I was tiny, I made thousands of popsicle-stick stars, just for the joy of creating. I adore projects! Once, while reading Harry Potter, I kept hearing about mead, the world’s most ancient brew. I was curious, so I looked it up,...

I come from a very liberal background. I’ve attended a Waldorf school, drum circles, rituals, Sufi dancing, all manner of fun alternative gatherings. And I’ve branched away from that as well; I love fashion, blazers, business, and cars. I am a Libra, so I like balance in all things. This is why Tufts is the perfect school for me. It has that balance I am looking for; a research institution with a liberal arts curriculum, an urban campus...

A. From Michelangelo to Mother Teresa, from Jackie Robinson to Elizabeth Bennett, the human narrative is populated by a cast of fascinating characters, real and imagined. Share your favorite and explain why that person or character inspires you. Dumbledore. Ah, what a wonderful character! He is the wise protector and guide, the grandfather everyone wishes they had, an archangel. He embodies many of the qualities I would one day like to possess. He commands a room without being imposing and...

I wrote many supplements for all my different schools, each was personalized to that school.

I was deferred from my dream school, Stanford. My admissions counselor told me I had to pull out all the stops. So I filled out the additional information sheet...

I was interviewed by Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia and Georgetown. All of these interviews went well. I know people stress about interviews but really you don't have to! All the people who interviewed me were just normal people, who liked...