I felt like Usain Bolt. I did not perceive anything around me; everything was a blur as I ran as fast as a cheetah (at least I hoped so). Nothing could have stopped me from being the first runner to dramatically lean across the finish line, except maybe the hurdles in my path. One moment I was sprinting over the third hurdle out of five, and the next moment I was gripping the blue track with my stinging hands and...

BOSTON COLLEGE - accepted “Magis,” a Latin word meaning “more,” is often cited in reference to goals of Jesuit education, which seeks to help students become better, do more, and have as much impact on society as possible. How do you hope to achieve the Magis in your life? “Just go for it!” my teammates say to me. “But what if something happens?” I am scared out of my mind, worse than the time I watched “Insidious 2” in the movie...

LEHIGH - accepted PART 1 What do you and Lehigh have in common? Please reply with 250-350 words. Both Lehigh and I are gorgeous (I only wish this was true for me). But the thing that Lehigh and I have in common is that we are a part of a diverse community. At my high school, we have a floor known as “the airport” because as you walk through it, you can hear about five different languages being spoken. Students from...

VILLANOVA - accepted Saint Augustine said, “Lord, let me know myself, let me know you.” Describe a relationship that has helped you to know yourself better. The relationship that has helped me to know myself better is the relationship I have with my twin sister. When I was born five minutes after her, it was an unspoken pact: we stick together from womb to tomb. Although I am not a Siamese twin, my sister and I were invisibly attached at...

SYRACUSE - accepted PART 1 Who or what influenced you to apply to Syracuse University? (Maximum: 250 words When I was young, my middle school self mistakenly thought that the mascot on my Syracuse sweatshirt was a cheese puff. My dad would remind me that it was not a cheese puff, not even close. It was Otto the Orange, the mascot of the college he went to. I wore that sweatshirt so often but I never really stopped to think about what...

BOSTON U - accepted In no more than 250 words, please tell us why BU is a good fit for you and what specifically has led you to apply for admission. Boston University already feels like a second home and I am not even in college yet. The aspect that drew me to BU was its diversity. I have always loved the diversity and size of my high school. There is even a floor in my school known as “the airport”...

GEORGE WASHINGTON - accepted Research shows that an ability to learn from experiences outside the classroom correlates with success in college. What was your greatest learning experience over the past 4 years that took place outside of the traditional classroom? My greatest learning experience outside of the traditional classroom took place in my own house: growing up with a twin. When I was born five minutes after my sister, it was an unspoken pact: we stick together from womb to tomb....

USC - accepted Jan. admit PART 1 USC students are known to be involved. Briefly describe a non-academic pursuit (such as service to community or family, a club or sport, or work, etc.,) that best illustrates who you are, and why it is important to you. (250 word limit) “Can you do a flip right now?” is a popular question people ask me when they find out I am a gymnast. No, I will not do a flip right now, partly because...

CORNELL- waitlisted How have your interests and related experiences influenced the major you have selected in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences? (Please limit your response to 650 words.) I have never been an extremely outgoing or sociable person, but ironically, I find it natural to study communication, a social phenomenon. From a young age, I was inundated with questions that were sure to induce existential crises: Why are we the way we are? How crazy is it that every...

EMORY- waitlisted In the spirit of Emory’s tradition of courageous inquiry, what question do you want to help answer and why? (500 word limit) The question I want to help answer is “Why do people never follow their dreams?” We were always constantly told from a young age to dream big and to chase those dreams. We were constantly bombarded with the famous question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The answers were endless: an actor,...

I wrote my essays from the heart and I think they really reflected my personality. When you write your essays, make sure that they reflect who you are because this is the primary way that admissions counselors decide if you will be a good fit for their school!

I would've definitely applied to less schools, probably like 10. I was just...

I interviewed with Georgetown...

Visit schools!! Since I was undecided on my major my parents literally made...

I chose my school because it has the best...

I declined my top choices (USC, BC, etc) because...

Get them...

Show interest! Visit so when you...

This isn't really a special quality, but my ability to be...

I wrote my essays by myself and did a lot of research...

I definitely should have done stuff...