I discussed the discrimination and hatred I'd faced growing up for being gay in an extremely Catholic area. I talked about how I hoped for a more supportive environment in college. I alluded to hoping to be able to escape from the religious prison I'd been raised in. I emphasized a lot about the shame I felt, the pain my sexuality caused me, and how it unfairly caused me so many problems. Looking back now, I realize that a lot...

"Are you movable, moving, or immovable?" I said I was movable. I talked about how I was poised to retake control of my life in college.

"Discuss how you will engage academically at Penn." I talked about wanting to be a chemistry major in order to become a researcher after school. I talked a little bit about some of the research done by the chemistry department and why it interested me.

If an interviewer asks you a question that you don't really have a good answer for, do NOT make up nonsense to try to sound...