“One more hour,” my teammates and I said as we sat staring mindlessly at flickering computer screens. It was the night before our presentation in front of the school, our only chance at practice before the real deal. We were leaving for Kyoto, Japan in only a few days to present our research at the Ritsumeikan Super Science Fair, it was 2 o’clock in the morning, and we were still working on our project. It’s not that we procrastinated....

Name the teacher or instructor who has influenced you most significantly during your school years and whom you would like honored. I walked into class the first day of school thinking I was pretty good at English. I knew I was nowhere near the top of my class, but I didn’t think that I was too bad at it. There sitting in front of me was a lady so young that she could pass as a senior, but I...

Please attach a photograph of something that or someone who has great significance to you. Explain that significance. Note: If you are visually impaired, you are not required to attach a photograph. Please write about something that or someone who has great significance to you. Your essay should demonstrate style, depth and breadth of your knowledge, and individuality. Ever since I was a little kid, my favorite place in the whole wide world, was Disneyland. Every year, my grandmother that...

Ben Franklin once said, ‘All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.’ Which are you? To move: to advance or progress; to impel to some action, to act toward an object or goal. I moved houses when I was three years old. Sure, it was only about five minutes away, from an apartment to a house, but to a three-year-old, that’s a big move. I moved schools when...

In the year 2042 a reporter for The Boston Globe is going to write a feature article about you to appear on the front page! The article will chronicle your profound professional accomplishments, including how you became one of your generation's leading innovators and used your Olin College education to help others and change the world. Help us learn more about you by sharing this story with us. Write the front page headline (limit 35 characters) and the opening paragraphs of the...

Discuss some creative work that illustrates the way you see the world and the way you see yourself in the world. The work may be a scientific theory, novel, film, poem, song, or other art form. “I wanna be the very best Like no one ever was To catch them is my real test To train them is my cause. I will travel across the land Searching far and wide Each Pokemon to understand The power that's inside. Pokemon, oh,...

What is the most significant contribution that you feel you have made to your community's well-being or the well-being of an individual or individuals in your community? Why were you motivated to do this? What effect do you think it has had on that person or the community? I have spent the past few summers doing missionary work in Japan. Many people don’t see Japan as a needy country; they are definitely not a third world country with starving...

Describe a mistake you made or a challenge you faced. How did you respond to that mistake or challenge, and what did you learn from your experience? I wake up at 6:30, brush teeth and eat breakfast. 8:00, drop my brother off at his baseball game. 9:00, take my sister to hula practice. Finally, I get dropped off at 10:30 for Science Olympiad. This is a typical Saturday morning for my family of five, with only one car. Some may say, “This is her...

Looking back I don't really like my personal essay, however I enjoyed the college specific essay prompts, and as a result was able to write more effective essays.

You don't necessarily need to apply to your first choice school in the early application...

UPenn actually gives a lot of financial aid, and so I ended up choosing Penn because it was the most affordable for me and my family....

The mechanical engineering design classes have helped me develop my 3D modeling skills and have taught...

I interviewed with USC and Olin when representatives came to my school. I guess I impressed them, because I was flown out to both schools for further interviews. The one for Olin was required in order to get into the school, but the one for USC was for the Trustee Scholarship which is a full ride program. I enjoyed talking...

Penn Electric Racing: We recently came in 1st place at the national FSAE competition, and have the fastest electric racecar built by students in the US with our car rivaling the acceleration that Teslas have. Its a lot of work, but extremely worth it when you get to the competition and see everyone else there with cars competing....

Engineering, Wharton, and Nursing are all a lot more selective than the College of Arts and Sciences at Penn. Some students now come in through the...