The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

"The Doors Are. Closing. Please. Remain Seated," the automated announcer’s voice crackled intermittently over the intercom.  The steel doors rolled shut and Train 715 whizzed down the railway, blurrin

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Why Yale

Three girls surrounded me, and their words, "Ugly, blackie, twig” suffocated me. Throughout those years of bullying, I can’t remember a day when I did not walk with my head held down, afraid to meet m

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Essays

When I was four years old, I fell in love for the first time. Instantly, game shows solidified their prowess as matchmaking services. Yes, my beau of choice was Alex Trebek, and I eagerly watched Je

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(B.) 

My fingers know instinctively. They glide against the iPad in a familiar rhythm, until the order fills the screen and the prompt boxes’ demanding reds are supplanted with the details of a Chick-fil-

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Most significant challenge society faces

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Last two summers

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Historical moment or event

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Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.

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One thing you are looking forward to at Stanford

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Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you excited about learning

When I was four years old, I fell in love for the first time. Instantly, game shows solidified their prowess as matchmaking services. Yes, my beau of choice was Alex Trebek, and I eagerly watched Je

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Note to future roommate

Ndewo enyim! Aha m b? [Name Redacted] na enwere m obi ?t? ?h? g?! Don’t worry if you don’t yet understand what that means. I’ll be more than happy to translate it for you when we finally do meet in

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Something meaningful to you and why

From the strawberry square of Ms. Pires’s fruit salad rug, I watched the window light curve around the lot. Inside that room, I stacked my legs to form a makeshift writing desk, superimposing over my

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Penn Main Essay 1

Anthropology’s human-centered approach to the variety of disciplines (life sciences, history, cultural evolution, and linguistics) that I am most interested in appeals to me as a student with diverse

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Penn Main Essay 2

The eyes may be the window to the soul, but psychologist Michael Kraus affirms that the ears are the route to the heart. To explore the community at Penn, I will use my ears: listen attentively and cu

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Arts and Sciences Response

Anthropology’s human-centered approach to the variety of disciplines (life sciences, history, cultural evolution, and linguistics) that I am most interested in appeals to me as a student with diverse

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Why Duke?

Three girls surrounded me, and their words, "Ugly, blackie, twig” suffocated me. Throughout those years of bullying, I can’t remember a day when I did not walk with my head held down, afraid to meet m

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Share a Perspective Response

When I was four years old, I fell in love for the first time. Instantly, game shows solidified their prowess as matchmaking services. Yes, my beau of choice was Alex Trebek, and I eagerly watched Je

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Extracurricular Activities

My fingers know instinctively, without a thought.   They glide against the iPad, just as they have hundreds of times before, until the order fills the screen and the prompt boxes’ demanding reds are

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Tell us why you plan to choose the major(s) and minor(s)listed above.

Anthropology’s human-centered approach to the variety of disciplines (life sciences, history, cultural evolution, and linguistics) that I am most interested in appeals to me as a student with diverse

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How do you plan to utilize your college education? (e.g., future career plans or professional goals)

After graduating with my Bachelor's degree, I will attend graduate school to get a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. My goal is to support mentally ill patients through their severe mental health crises an

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The Cooke Scholar community is a thriving group of talented individuals from around the country. Click here here to listen to some of our Scholars and alumni describe what the community means to them. What excites you about becoming part of this community? What do you believe you would contribute to this community?

The aspect of joining a united, supportive family most excites me about the Cooke Scholar community. As an immigrant child who will be the first in my family to attend college, I know that, despite my

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Tell us about an academic pursuit that you listed on your resume or in your application (e.g., an internship, project, or research with a teacher or professor). How were you selected for the opportunity and what did you learn from the experience?

I participated in sardine migration research with the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa in Portugal and developed a new understanding of what research is and what it can achieve in the realm of social justi

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Briefly describe a problem you have solved or an obstacle you have worked to overcome. Explain its significance to your educational journey and the steps you took to identify a solution.

For the first half of my sophomore year, my family was homeless. I had to transfer to a school 70 miles away in a neighborhood that my family would be able to afford. During the months that my family

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Please write your response to the question you selected above. Be mindful of the word limit and take the time to compose a thoughtful response.

Over the 389 days that I have worked at my local Chick-fil-A, I have had 16 first days; fifteen of which belonged to the new hires I have coached as a Hospitality Trainer. As someone in both a teachin

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EC Essay

Over the 389 days that I have worked at my local Chick-fil-A, I have had 16 first days; fifteen of which belonged to the new hires I have coached as a Hospitality Trainer. As someone in both a teachin

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