Application Essay Excerpts

Whenever I learn, my goal is to understand every part and every connection between the parts, the sum of which makes up the whole of what I’m learning. Knowing that an equation gives me the right answer isn’t enough—I need to know why...

Academically, I value the strength of Columbia's departments in the fields that I'm currently most interested in: economics and the natural sciences. With regards to the Computer Science Department--the other field in which I'm very interested--the abundance of interdisciplinary programs that incorporate computer science into other fields is very appealing...

I’m the type of person who moves. However, it doesn’t seem that way when I’m sitting at my desk, focused intently. Whether I’m focusing on homework, a video, or an online chat with friends, my attention seems immoveable—my brain is connected directly to what I’m focusing on and there isn’t room for anything else. Suddenly, I hear someone calling my name …..

As kids, it is natural for us to point out the things that make us different from one another. In my childhood experience, this was something that happened on a daily basis. Back in kindergarden, I was one of seven children of color in a grade of about sixty students...

As a curious eight-year-old, I turned around in my seat to see an ambulance speeding by with its lights flashing and sirens blaring.“Mommy,” I asked, “what is that big white car?” “It’s an ambulance going to the hospital because someone is hurt and needs help,” my mother replied...

I was excited to watch the second Romney-Obama debate because of its main focus: the nation's current economic situation. I had learned a great deal about this topic in an economics course the year before, so I prepared myself for an interesting debate about complex economic issues. However, my excitement dwindled as the debate progressed...

Throughout high school, I have found ways to be a leader in different settings and connect with diverse groups of people. My leadership in my school’s thespian society and on the swim team as well as volunteer work at a hospital illustrate this aspect of my character...

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...

What matters to me is being the kind of person who can make a difference in the world. To me, there is an obligation to use one’s innate talents to ignite change for the better...

Dear future roommate, I wanted to share a few things about myself so you can know me better...