Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Sunny days, sweepin’ the clouds away. I wondered if it was sunny in Korea, with the sun shining brightly on everyone below. On my way to where the air is sweet. I wondered if my birth mom was breathi

Unlock profile to read full content

A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities? Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family?

I appreciate the individual connections I have made with my Mock Trial teammates, mentoring underclassmen and cultivating relationships with coaches. I saw how a collaborative mentality can strengthen

Unlock profile to read full content

A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone? If you’re currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, “How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends or with my family?”

Sustaining three concussions within the span of 8th to 10th grades was extremely challenging. I struggled to balance school and extracurriculars with my recovery periods, advocate for myself, and comm

Unlock profile to read full content

Many students have a passion for one specific academic subject area, something that they just can’t get enough of. If that applies to you, what have you done to further that interest? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom — such as volunteer work, internships, employment, summer programs, participation in student organizations and/or clubs — and what you have gained from your involvement. Has your interest in the subject influenced you in choosing a major and/or future career? Have you been able to pursue coursework at a higher level in this subject (honors, AP, IB, college or university work)? Are you inspired to pursue this subject further at UC, and how might you do that?

I have always been pulled towards books - falling head-first into another’s story, following a life and its challenges as if I am an intimate witness, feeling pure joy, crushing sadness, unquenchable

Unlock profile to read full content

Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place — like your high school, hometown or home. You can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community? Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community?

I glanced down at Ivan as he held up his shoe. “Can you tie my shoe, Miss Morgan?” When I knelt down to tie, I noticed the duct tape holding together worn-out sneakers. I studied his small face and th

Unlock profile to read full content

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?

Unlock profile to read full content

How did you spend your last two summers?

Unlock profile to read full content

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?

Unlock profile to read full content

Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.

Unlock profile to read full content

Name one thing you are looking forward to experiencing at Stanford.

Unlock profile to read full content

The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.

When I read Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, the beauty and complexity of her words brought me closer to Pecola’s loneliness, self-loathing, and despair. My heart even ached for Pecola’s abusers - her

Unlock profile to read full content

Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate -- and us -- know you better.

Hello Roommate! How you doin’? Sorry, bad Friends reference. You will find, I’m a kid at heart, love to have pillow-fights, be goofy, and lose myself in happy moments. I want to go to the roof to watc

Unlock profile to read full content

Your intellectual life may extend beyond the academic requirements of your particular school. Please use the space below to list additional intellectual activities that you have not mentioned or detailed elsewhere in your application. These could include, but are not limited to, supervised or self- directed projects not done as school work, training experiences, online courses not run by your school, or summer academic or research programs not described elsewhere.

During my internship at the Boys & Girls Clubs, I saw children putting food in their backpacks to bring home. I knew our demographic and purpose, but the connections I had made somewhat masked the rea

Unlock profile to read full content

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.

My initial interest in working at PG&CC was to become more financially independent. However, through my work, I met a variety of people that I grew to respect and admire. I remember Anthony, who ensur

Unlock profile to read full content

What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?

Unlock profile to read full content

What brings you joy?

Unlock profile to read full content

What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

Unlock profile to read full content

At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future?

“You are racist,” my friend angrily texted my friends and me. How had a well-intentioned conversation about the Black Lives Matter movement turn into insults and personal arguments? A few months ago,

Unlock profile to read full content

Please share with us why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something in particular about Duke’s academic or other offerings that attracts you?

At Duke, I see how interdisciplinary learners thrive, exploring majors and courses that allow students to combine tracks that may not inherently seem to go together. I have a personal interest in the

Unlock profile to read full content

Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better-perhaps related to a community you belong to or your family or cultural background-we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke.

rman roots. My parents’ families immigrated to America, yet they maintained an appreciation for their cultures and traditions. My family is part of the group of immigrants who experienced cultural ali

Unlock profile to read full content

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

We are a multi-ethnic family; my mom is from South Korea and my dad has strong Hispanic and Irish-German roots. Both of my parents’ families immigrated to America, yet they maintained an appreciation

Unlock profile to read full content

Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?

In high school, I have explored many topics I’d like to pursue in college: the power of literature, the complexity of America’s election process, and the nuances and subtleties of Spanish translations

Unlock profile to read full content

If you could go back in time, what advice would you offer yourself at the beginning of secondary/high school?

Remember that time you thought you could study for that huge math test in two days? Start studying earlier. You’ll thank me later. Know when to ask for help. It can be overwhelming, especially with yo

Unlock profile to read full content

What work of art, music, science, mathematics, literature, or other media has surprised, unsettled, or inspired you, and in what way?

When I read Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, the beauty and complexity of her words brought me closer to Pecola’s loneliness, self-loathing, and despair. My heart even ached for Pecola’s abusers - her

Unlock profile to read full content

Rita Dove, UVA English professor and former U.S. Poet Laureate, once said in an interview that “…there are times in life when, instead of complaining, you do something about your complaints.” Describe a time when, instead of complaining, you took action for the greater good.

“Can you tie my shoe, Miss Morgan?” Ivan asked. When I knelt down, I noticed the duct tape holding together worn-out sneakers, his clothes hanging off of his tiny frame. How had I missed this? During

Unlock profile to read full content