Note: This essay ran in the NY Times in May of 2015 (2nd one down): http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/20/your-money/college-essays-on-money.html?emc=eta1&_r=0 For years, I’ve reflected on what qualities enable people to overcome adversity. I believe my journey exemplifies that one answer is a synthesis of initiative and resilience. From foster care, to a broken home, to military service, to two tours of duty in the Middle East, initiative and resilience have steered me to where...

Short Takes Please respond in 25 words or fewer to each of the questions below. What excites you intellectually? What excites me intellectually is learning how people overcome trauma and how to improve the lives of trauma survivors. What is the best piece of advice you have received in recent years? “Success, like happiness, only ensues as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself.” – Viktor Frankl Outside of your family, who has been your...

For years, I’ve reflected on what qualities enable people to overcome adversity. My journey exemplifies that one answer is a synthesis of initiative and resilience. From foster care, to military service, to two tours of duty in the Middle East, initiative and resilience have steered me to where I am today. My journey has shaped my decision to apply to the Eli Whitney Students Program. I was born into poverty to an immigrant mother. At age two, my mother�...

Most of my adult life has been spent living abroad which has provided me with a unique perspective on how to connect with individuals and groups. Actively engaging with others has shaped my decision to work in mental health. During my first deployment, my commanding officer selected me to train members the Qatari Emiri Air Force. Throughout training sessions the conversations shifted from work-related topics to more personal subjects. I connected with a two corporals named Obaid and Mansour. Both...

Please tell us about your primary area of academic interest, and describe how you intend to pursue this interest at Dartmouth. A paragraph to a page in length is ideal. My primary area of academic interest is the study of psychology. I aim to work in the field of mental health to assist veterans and others who have endured traumatic situations. As a foster child and later as a member of the military, I traveled often and met numerous people...

We’d like to know a little more about you. To that end, please choose one of the following questions and write a short response in the space below. Tell us about an intellectual experience, either directly related to your schoolwork or not, that you found particularly meaningful. Last summer I was a student at an academic program called the Warrior-Scholar Project held at Yale University. The program is geared toward helping veterans transition into a rigorous academic environment and...

In addition to the essay you’re asked to write as part of the Common Application, Amherst requires a second essay of no more than 300 words. We do not offer interviews as part of the application process at Amherst. However, your essays provide you with an opportunity to speak to us. Please keep this in mind when responding to one of the following quotations. It is not necessary to research, read, or refer to the texts from which these quotations...

Please respond to the following prompt in an essay of 250-500 words. Describe the life experiences, personal factors and notable challenges that have influenced you most as a student and a person. There are two personal factors that have most influenced me as a person. The first is that I spent my early childhood in multiple foster homes, and the second is my service in the military. I spent five years in foster homes in Los Angeles, living with children...

Brown University's Resumed Undergraduate Education program lists a series of questions and short response prompts. 1. Why did you select the degree program and concentration(s) indicated above? How do your personal and/or professional experiences relate to your academic interests? (suggested word limit 100-250 words): I selected the psychology degree program because my goal is to work with veterans who suffer from PTSD and related ailments. I aim to become a psychologist to assist people who’ve endured traumatic situations....

Yale University's Eli Whitney Students Program requires two essays and a section of short responses to questions. Dartmouth requires 2 supplemental short essays. Amherst requires 2 supplemental essays. Brown University's Resumed Undergraduate Education program lists a series of questions and short response prompts.

This is a condensed version of an essay I wrote for the Stripes Magazine Transition Guide (page 8): http://epub.stripes.com/Transition-Guide_191115 I enlisted in the Air Force immediately after high school and worked as an electronic warfare systems technician, repairing aircraft missile warning systems and updating countermeasure methods to jam infrared weapons and prevent them from assaulting military aircraft. I served for 8 years in locations including Germany and Kyrgyzstan. After being honorably discharged, I knew I wanted to attend college, but wasn’t sure where to begin. I decided to attend an academic workshop, hoping to sharpen my skills...

Note: Here is an excerpt from an article I wrote for Task & Purpose http://taskandpurpose.com/how-to-get-into-an-ivy-league-school-after-you-get-out-of-the-military/ As a student at Yale University, Air Force veteran, and mentor for Service to School, many veterans have contacted me asking for advice on how to enter a top-tier college. The benefits of college are widely known. At a top-tier school, you’ll be taught by world-renowned faculty and have access to...

Note: This essay was published on Psychology Today (link below). As service members consider the choices available to them when they transition out of the military, many are faced with a difficult decision. The path to civilian life is not always straightforward, and the job security of the military appears alluring when one considers the unknowns of easing back into civilian life. In this post, my aim is to use my story of transitioning from the Air Force to Yale University to help fellow veterans realize their options in the realm of education. Like many fresh-faced service members straight out...