Application Essay Excerpts

I tiptoed down the stairs, earnestly trying to remember if any of the steps had creaked on the way up. Creeping out out the back door, I stumbled through the twilight to the garage. I tested the side door – unlocked!..

I spent my summer with passionate students from eight nations at the Summer Science Program. I ate seaweed, played Turkish folk songs, and heard stories of corruption in Thailand. The problems were hard and the people were different, but we shared a love of learning...

Scraps of shale and rust-colored sandstone skittered down the mountainside as my crewmates and I left the summit. I wasn’t paying attention to the sliding pebbles underfoot or the jacket-ripping wind; I nearly fell after forgetting to dig my heel into the slope, distracted by the disappearing view...

I would rather save one old Jewish woman than kill ten Nazis.Tuvia Bielski- World War Two Partisan Growing up as a grandchild of the heroic Bielski brothers affected me from an early age...

In fifth grade, I was assigned to write a two-page fiction story using the week’s vocabulary words. I wrote twenty pages...

I like to consider myself a well-rounded student with a broad knowledge in all areas of studies. My strongest academic areas are Mathematics and Literature and Writing. I have always had a natural ability in math. Each year when I advanced to the next level, I enjoyed the challenge, but also always found success...

I have always had a hard time pinpointing a specific career that I want to pursue. From a young age, teachers have constantly complimented me on my success in almost all courses, ranging from Math to English to Art. I have always felt overwhelmed by the blessing of so many possibilities...

My ballet teacher Mrs. Jameson likes to hold class in the bathroom. I first experienced such a class when I simply could not master the grande plié. Tired of watching my quivering legs, Mrs. Jameson grabbed my hand..

Hi Janice! I’m Pauline and from SoCal. I love pastel colors and dark hues, sweet crepes, and writing. My birthday is on November 4th (hint hint), and I spend my time blogging, working with crafts such as polymer clay, and fangirling (no, it’s not a word, but it’s in the Urban Dictionary, so I’m using it)...

Writing matters to me. It shaped my character, personality, and aspirations. I did not grow up with a love for writing. In fact, my passions have always been with the sciences..