It was spring break of my junior year and I was waiting for a decision from the U.S. Department of State's National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) study abroad scholarship. My phone vibrated once. Glancing at the screen, I read the email that held my fate. As soon as I saw "Congratulations," I knew that these last few grueling months of the application process and anticipation were finally worth it. I had won a full scholarship to live...

(Why Babson?) Self-starter. Service-oriented. Independent thinker. Innovator. GameChanger. These are all adjectives I would use to define myself. As I got on stage to give a TED-style talk (as part of the 2015 XXXXXX conference) about how technology has redefined community service and service learning at my high school, I began to realize how much service has impacted my life. Ever since I was young, I have always been eager to help others whether it be holding the door or just...

(Why Penn?) I looked down at the shiny red and blue hologram-covered plastic card in my hand – "Visiting Student" it read. It was the summer after my sophomore year, and I was invited to take part in an inaugural summer program through XXXX XXXX. The program was titled the XXX XXX XXX and was to be held in conjunction with the XXX XX XXX XXX XXX XXX on Penn's campus. Living in Southwest Philadelphia, I had inevitably found myself on...

(Penn Huntsman) Recently, President Obama signed an agreement with Chinese President Xi to curb China's industrial espionage attacks on U.S. entities. Not only are these attacks potentially harming U.S. business interests at home and abroad, but they could symbolize deteriorating bilateral relations. However, the heart of the problem lies deep below the surface. Many of today's leaders in politics and business were born in 1970 or earlier, in the midst of the Red Scare. China became a communist nation...

(Tufts) My interest in Tufts peaked when I met admissions counselor, XXX XXX, at the Westtown School College Fair. My enthusiasm increased due to Tufts' renowned academic reputation, proximity to Boston, abundant study-abroad programs, and diverse opportunities in my intended majors of Computer Science and Chinese. I am excited to enroll in Tufts' Cloud Computing courses as well as continuing my study of Mandarin Chinese, supplemented with studying abroad in China. Being close to Boston would also allow me to...

(Community Service Prompt) I walked into the high ceilinged auditorium of the Soviet-architecture headquarters of The School District of Philadelphia during the spring of my junior year. I was presenting my "XXXXXXXX" film to the School District's board of directors, commonly referred to as the School Reform Commission (SRC). When I started the project a year before, I never imagined I would be able to present my film at a SRC meeting. My original intention was to create an 8-minute...

(Why Wooster?) My interest in The College of Wooster first began when I met current Wooster freshman, XXXX XXXXX, over the summer when we both studied abroad in Hangzhou, China for six weeks. I began to research Wooster's unique Independent Study program, the recognized Computer Science department, and the acclaimed Chinese department, all of which appeal to my interests. Having already completed high school independent study projects in computer science, I feel ready for Wooster's Independent Study project and envision...

(Why Lafayette?) The renowned academic reputation, opportunity to earn a dual degree in Engineering and International Studies, and the myriad of study-abroad opportunities attracts me to Lafayette. At Lafayette, I would like to pursue a double major in Electrical and Computer Engineering and International Studies with a foreign language concentration in Mandarin Chinese. I got my first computer when I was five years old, and as they say, the rest is history. Growing up, I had always been intrigued by...

(Instance of Failure) The weather got colder outside and before I knew it, it was the second trimester of 8th grade. At this point, I knew I couldn’t run away from my fears. At my school, we have an infamous aquatics requirement of fourteen laps. Using four different strokes, one must complete the laps within 10 minutes, and the requirement must be fulfilled before graduation. And I, as somebody who had never been in a swimming pool before, was terrified. ...

(My career goals) Throughout my childhood, people frequently asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” At the age of 5, the common answer I gave was, “I want to be a superhero.” After years of watching Spiderman, The Incredibles, and Power Rangers, it seemed that saving the world from incoming meteors or the menacing Doctor Octopus was the most respectable and glorious occupation a child could aspire for. By the time I turned 10, I wanted to...

I always tried to visit a school before writing the Why Us? essay. Being able to picture myself on campus and what my routine would look like really helped me formulate an idea for each of my Why Us? essays. I went through many drafts and relied on my counselor, friends and the writing center at my school to help me. I also recycled many of the essays I wrote, tweaking them slightly from each school. Over the course of...

For Penn, move beyond the cliches of Benjamin Franklin and living in Philly. I used specific...

I would have tried to get my essays done earlier. Senior year fall was a hectic time because of...

I did not use a private counselor. I relied on the Internet...

I declined other schools because I applied Early Decision to Penn and was accepted....

I come from an underrepresented background (Vietnamese) within an overrepresented race (Asian) on college campuses....

I interviewed with many schools but my favorite interview experience was Penn. My...

I would not recommend doing expensive summer programs to boost your college apps. I would...

Penn was my dream school for as long as I can...

Penn has a no loans policy so I did...

I did not do any reaching...

I hope to get a job combining my interests of...

Apply ED. Penn loves kids...

Ask teachers that have known you the best/longest. I asked my Physics teacher who has known me since 6th grade...

Growing up as a city boy, I knew I wanted to try and stay in a...

I was not wait-listed or deferred but in the event you...

I looked for schools in...