Newest College Application Essays

“Stop interrupting! Before opening your mouth, see if the adults are in the middle of a conversation,” my dad reminded me for the hundredth time. What I couldn’t have articulated at the time was that I was too lazy to ‘watch’, and I couldn’t hear...

I had been standing in the scorching sun for 90 minutes, collecting data using the illuminance sensor. Sweat dripped down my forehead and sunlight reflecting from the three computer screens blinded me as I observed the graphs. They showed no...

Marhaba! Biweekly at 6:15 pm sharp, Arabic class begins. We are a community with few similarities - I am the youngest by fifteen years, and the eldest is 65. Yet, we are united in pursuit of an ancient Semitic language. This is a downtown...

Dear Roommate:

I was born to a family of six children – three older adopted siblings, me, my younger brother, and my younger sister. Living in a house full of people, I've never known what it's like not to have a roommate. When I was five, I...

One afternoon, I bought a cheap Lego kit off the street. The bright colored blocks fitted naturally, forming a miniature Qutub-Minar, leaning like the real one. That marked a life-long marriage between me and Mechanical Engineering.

My interest...

As a toddler, days at Grandma’s house were a colorless blur of television and snacks--that is, until naptime. Once the clock struck noon, I scuttled promptly into my aunt’s room and jumped under the covers, eyes screwed tightly shut in semblance...

“Frances Perkins!” I yelled as our car sped past the U.S. Department of Labor Building. Constitution Avenue! The Smithsonian Museum of American History! I was in utter ecstasy as I walked past the flag that had inspired the national anthem and the...

One of the communities I belong to is the Vistamar Theatre Program. We're a very tight group, because at a small school, the number of theatre kids is limited. The theatre community here is just like a family. While there is competition for parts...

It’s hard to choose from my many passions, but I would pick ice hockey. Not only does hockey provide me with great exercise and fun, but the leadership and responsibility that comes with playing on or captaining a hockey team are important skills...

My greatest interests and passions are immunology, allergy, and epidemiology. These areas have evolved throughout the years. My fascination with pathology started in the first grade with a basic science fair project on environments conducive to...

My childhood included everything from waking up to my mom’s dramatic wake up calls in the mornings, eating ice cream from the carton with my siblings, rough-and-tumble play with my father, to family dinners at our Chinese restaurant, filled with...

An issue I am deeply concerned with is the environment, because without a stable environment, humans simply cannot exist. My junior year, I took AP Environmental Science, and many of the things I learned in that class sparked my interest in the...

An issue I am deeply concerned with is the stability of our environment, because without a stable environment, life as we know it will be deeply affected on a global scale. In my junior year, I took AP Environmental Science, and many of the things...

I express my creative side through theatre. The entire rehearsal process leading up to a production is exciting to be involved in, and I love to watch the show come together bit by bit. It’s fascinating to see how many different aspects have to...

I discovered the philosopher dormant in me when introduced to TOK in grade 11, where we learned about the means of acquiring knowledge. Both science and philosophy, as I realized, aim to unravel the basis of our existence. String theory proves its...

Acting has always been one of my passions. Upon entering high school, I was excited to continue the acting I came to love in middle school. Unfortunately, I quickly hit a roadblock.As a freshman, I auditioned for the first play of the year, but I...

Having a positive, caring impact on people is a priority in my life, and I pride myself on being friendly and approachable, no matter the situation. These traits are important not just socially, but also in team environments. I believe that in...

“And that,” said my allergist, pricking my back before moving a couple inches, selecting a new vial of food particle and repeating, “is why you react to nuts so strongly. We’re trying to see now if you’re allergic to anything else.” My back itched...

It was uncomfortably hot, when we climbed the last bend of the mountain; another 25 minutes added to the 2 hour drive from base camp- an excruciating journey. I was leading an expedition in Almora, a rugged terrain known for its dangerous, steep...

I can still remember my teacher announcing an external physics examination to be conducted at school. A self-proclaimed science enthusiast, I signed up for it, little expecting it to spawn a love for HAM Radio.

My form mates warned me of the...

Home-schooled. For the longest time, I assumed that all children, like me, were homeschooled by their mothers. I attended Chinese school and art classes, but my mother delivered my first history lesson around our kitchen table––with an Odyssey...

I find the Core irresistible. No, not just the famous Core Curriculum, though Columbia's central philosophy excites me as much as it does for so many others. I'm referring to The Columbia Organisation of Rising Entrepreneurs, which would allow me...

In today's food-centric culture, different cuisines give communities and regions distinct identities, from the wine and brie of France to the beignets and Chicory coffee of New Orleans. Yet for all the conversations we have over food, we rarely...