It started with an invitation from my sister at 8 a.m. “Will you volunteer with me to teach some campers how to swim?” On the first day of summer? I had already volunteered so many days during the year that I was looking forward to a free day. My idea was to fall asleep in the hot sand on a sunny beach after finishing finals; however, I decided this day could be given to someone who needed a hand. With...

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. My high school soccer team did not have a single weak link; on the contrary, it did not have any links at all. There was a large age difference between the under and upperclassmen on the team, and we struggled to play as a unit because frankly, we did not know each other. How could a senior be expected to respect a sophomore? And how was a freshman supposed to...

I found that it was extremely important to show what mattered to me most in high school. As I was reviewing these essays, I clearly had a theme come across most of my essays: family. This theme is still true today. I value having close, meaningful connections with other people and I really wanted that in my college experience. Decide what has been important to you throughout your high school years. Whether it's been the exploration of science or competing...

I used Jennifer Kent from Great Expectations. She was fantastic for helping guide me through the essay process. We brainstormed and after I had written my essays we would...

Most interviews that I had were with alumni. We would meet in coffee shops, usually the local Starbucks, and would have very simple, straight forward conversations. They would ask questions such as, "Why do you want to attend (school)?" "Explain your extracurricular activities a little more." Most of these interviewers...

I decided to apply to a range of schools because I was uncertain where I wanted to be in the country. I had a pretty good idea that I wanted to move away from...

All of my extracurriculars in college have been for my benefit. I was on the soccer team for one season, I am apart of a sorority, I am a member of an after-school mentoring program. In the fall of...

As a transfer student I knew that if I really wanted to transfer and keep my options open, I had to send additional materials. After I applied to three schools I decided to ask mentors who knew me well to send in additional letters of recommendation. One letter was from my priest at home and another was from...

If you are considering playing a sport or are really interested in conducting research at a school I would highly suggest reaching out to coaches and/or professors. Coaches in particular are very interested in hearing from serious athletes. They will often ask to meet with you when you are touring the campus and...

Tufts could not be located in a more perfect setting. Students still have a campus, separate from Boston but are only about 20 minutes away from all of the action downtown. Davis Square takes about 10 mintues to walk to and provides a local, college town feel. Really it is the best of all three situations. Boston itself is a fantastic city to be a student in. By having the...

For me, Tufts has it all. Like I said in my above statement, the amount of intelligence is immediately noticed when you step on campus. I love the diversity in the student population too. I like to think that Tufts is where...

I had two of my high school teachers, Honors Spanish and AP World History, write my letters of recommendation. I had done well in each of their classes and they knew me pretty well as a person. While I think it's important to choose teachers where you have done well in their class, I think it is extremely crucial...

If I could have given myself advice after junior year I would have told myself to start thinking about applications. I waited to complete my first application in mid-December. If I had started writing my personal statement or even gathered my extra curricular activities together for the Common App during the summer, I would have been much less stressed and avoided many arguments with my mom. She ended up still loving me after applying to colleges, but I would have been so much better off pacing myself in the process. It may seem like a hassle and so far away,...