It was 1:15 a.m. on a July night as I gazed out my dorm window. Leaving my half-finished research paper, I counted the few windows still illuminated by cold fluorescent light. I used to worry about staying up so late, thinking there was something wrong with me. I now understood that my late nights were the cost of the contract I made with myself. I wanted to achieve all that I could, but the accomplishments wouldn’t come easily. Halfway...

Why Duke? I am a blend of different, sometimes seemingly opposite passions. I spend hours in a Cystic Fibrosis research lab, dash to Latin America Festival dance rehearsal, then hurry to swim practice. My heritage, a blend of Puerto Rican, Cuban, and European families, helps me appreciate many cultures. The biology curriculum and research opportunities at Duke appeal to my career interests in biology research and medicine. After visiting Duke, I knew it was the best place to develop my...

Please provide an answer below if you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application. Up to 650 words. My high school distinguishes itself by offering students the chance to participate in scientific research. When I was accepted to NCSSM, I was determined to take advantage of such an opportunity, though I knew little about scientific research. I have a strong passion for biology, but my formal studies were limited at the time. However, I applied...

University of Virginia Essays What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way? The summer after my sophomore year, I read a book that dramatically changed my view of healthcare in the United States. Every day after volunteering at my local hospital, it was incredibly interesting to sit down and read Unaccountable by Dr. Marty Makary. The book thoroughly examines a topic that has been brought up frequently over the...

University of Texas Essays Describe a setting in which you have collaborated or interacted with people whose experiences and/or beliefs differ from yours. Address your initial feelings, and how those feelings were or were not changed by this experience. At the age of sixteen, I was accepted to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a public residential high school that draws students from across North Carolina. As soon as I set my bags down inside the concrete...

Emory Clubs Essay As part of my high school’s Research in Biology program, I developed a research project to conduct on my own. This led to the most intellectually exhilarating experience I’d ever had. I was excited every day to work with real scientists who shared the same passions as I did. The relationship I formed with the lab’s Principal Investigator has been one of the most rewarding I’ve had in my life. I would also...

Stanford Essays Letter to Roommate Dear future roommate, I wanted to share a few things about myself so you can know me better. I’ve spent most of my life in a small town in eastern North Carolina, but for the last two years, I’ve lived at a residential high school in Durham, a larger city in North Carolina’s research triangle area. At home, I participated in a lot of theatre activities; I love the experience of bringing...

Princeton Essay My dad had just come out of the hospital following heart surgery, and I was incredibly intrigued by what I had witnessed over the previous few days. I asked my dad’s surgeons many questions, probably more than he did, and one of them seemed to take an interest in me. A few days later, she invited me to take a behind-the-scenes tour of our local hospital and I excitedly agreed. I had no idea that a few...

Yale Essay 1E). In this essay, please reflect on something you would like us to know about you that we might not learn from the rest of your application, or on something about which you would like to say more. You may write about anything—from personal experiences or interests to intellectual pursuits. (Please answer in 500 words or less.) Before you begin, we encourage you to go to http://admissions.yale.edu/essay where you will find helpful advice. Throughout...

Robertson Scholars Program List three adjectives that best describe you as a leader. Provide specific examples of how each has helped and hindered your ability to lead. Use this as an opportunity to highlight experiences that are not found elsewhere on your application or resume. Please limit each response to no more than 200 words. Creative. When I started swimming competitively, I was not very talented, finishing dead last at my first meet. My coaches encouraged me to “work harder” and...

Harvard Supplemental Essay My dad had just come out of the hospital following heart surgery, and I was immensely intrigued by what I had witnessed over the previous few days. I asked my dad’s surgeons many questions, probably more than he did, and one surgeon seemed to take an interest in me. A few days later, she invited me to take a behind-the-scenes tour of our local hospital and I excitedly agreed. I had no idea that a few...

I did not use a private...