Common App Essay (Significant Experience) For as long as I can remember I have lived without my birth mother. My parents divorced/separated when I was a child. All I knew about my mother I had learned only through what my family had told me, rather than from what I have seen or experienced. Most people can remember things from when they were around 5 years old, but I do not remember a thing. My explanation for this is that I...

Stanford Supp Essay (Intellectual Vitality) An experience important to my intellectual development was participating in Science Olympiad, a competition of scientific ability and knowledge. It was the first time that I advanced my knowledge in science and used it with competitive intentions. Rather than just seeing it as a school subject, science came to life for me and became something much more intriguing. I have always wanted to advance my knowledge while having fun, and the addition of a competitive...

Stanford Supp Essay (What Matters Most?) The things that matter to me most are love, family, and education. As a child I grew up under difficult circumstances. My family is uneducated and at times we struggled to get by financially. I was abused by my mother and my relationship with my father is practically nonexistent. I live to this day having to endure constant arguing day and night between family members, where sometimes I would be caught in the middle...

Stanford Supp Essay (Letter to a Roommate) What I like to find in other people is motivational drive, morality, respect for others, creativity, and unique characteristics or abilities. When people have purpose I find that they do what they do well and become admirable in that their unique source of motivation may be what sets them apart from other people. Whether it may be to take advantage of an opportunity their parents did not have or fulfilling a promise, I...

Penn Supp Essay (Engaging at Penn) The way I engaged academically in Science Olympiad is how I hope to engage academically at Penn. Science Olympiad is a competition of scientific ability and knowledge; it was the first time that I advanced my knowledge in science and used it with competitive intentions. Rather than just seeing it as a school subject, science came to life for me and became something much more intriguing. I have always wanted to advance my knowledge...

Penn Supp Essay (Benjamin Franklin Quote Response) I am a part of the class that is movable. I am someone who stands my ground and defends my position of what I think is right. However, I am open-minded and willing to accept change. Through my matriculation I expect to have many new experiences and explore a world of knowledge I have never been previously exposed to before. With this, I acknowledge that my views, my ideas, or even my aspirations...

Local scholarships are great in that...

I think the achievements I've made in the face of many obstacles in life were...

When I was applying to schools, I didn't know anything about schools... not even the one I ended up going...