“Fifteen. The answer is 15.” “Are you sure?” A moment of hesitation, and then, “Yes.” It was one of my first days tutoring at Tucker Elementary, an inner-city school where 98 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches. My fourth-grade pupil, Darlin, seemed intelligent, but easily distracted and not inclined to study. I was tutoring him for the FCAT, the standardized math and reading tests used to determine funding for Florida public schools and assess a student’s...

Supplemental essay talked about reconciling my mom's Catholic background with my dad's Jewish background.

When I was deferred from my early decision school, to say my parents freaked out would be an understatement. There were three weeks until the regular decision deadline, and, as a result of my overconfidence, I had not started a single supplement. In addition, my school counselor was soon going on winter vacation. Needless to say,...

As the college admissions process has become increasingly competitive, some students have looked for creative and different ways to maximize their chances of admission. When in a pool of 30,000 applicants for a class of 2,000, trying to do anything to stand out might seem appealing, but some of these strategies can easily backfire. It’s a good idea to try to develop a relationship with the admissions officer for your high school. E-mail them with questions about the school and the admissions process, and try to introduce yourself if you get a chance at a local information session. If you’re...

Brown's Open Curriculum would allow me to explore my widely diverse academic interests, such as Post-Soviet Russia, Modernist Literature, Art History, and Biology, while concentrating in Community Health, studying abroad in Beijing...