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.

The Pope exploded. This was, of course, not the Vatican-approved phrasing. But embalming fluid is a delicate thing, and when improperly mixed, it has a tendency to... well. Pope Pius XII learned this

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Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

My reputation as a fraud started, appropriately enough, with a stone tablet that had never seen a century, let alone a millennium. It began in the middle of what I had deemed a guest lecture at Brown,

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Macalester is one of the few highly selective liberal arts colleges located in the middle of a metropolitan area. Students benefit from the strong sense of community on campus and opportunities to engage in academic, social, and civic engagement options in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Identify one way that Macalester’s urban location would enhance your academic, social, and/or community experiences? (300 words)

The most important rule of my childhood road trips was this: never take the fastest way. My parents regarded highways with little enthusiasm. If there was a scenic route through Wisconsin hills or pra

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Reflect on "The Offer of the College": Generations of students have found connection and meaning in Bowdoin’s “The Offer of the College,” written in 1906 by Bowdoin President William DeWitt Hyde. Choose a line from "The Offer" that resonates most with you and reflect on its meaning in your life. (250 words)

“To carry the keys of the world’s library in your pocket, and feel its resources behind you in whatever task you undertake;” As fall term began, I spent some two weeks tracking down a 1908 exhibition

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Lafayette College "Why Us?"

Before I can complete my 50-state hot sauce map, I need Pennsylvania peppers. This is inconvenient, as the plants I’ve met so far are uncooperative, and the ones I need seem to be hiding somewhere bet

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There are over 8,200 accredited colleges and universities in the U.S. alone. You have chosen to apply to Washington and Lee University. Please describe how you have familiarized yourself with W&L and what aspects of its community are most exciting to you.

I spent my first week with Georgia Anne arguing over whether she could sit in my chair while I worked. Georgia Anne is my chinchilla. I lost miserably. That lit a fire in me. I developed an instinct t

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Colgate University "Why Us?"

A fat, unsuspecting squirrel died mid-air in front of my very eyes. It had made a calculation error in its tiny mammalian brain, misjudging a leap between branches, and I watched helplessly as it plum

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The mission of Seton Hall University is to form "servant leaders" for a global society. Describe how the skills you have gained through community service will be beneficial to Seton Hall University and to the specific program to which you are applying.

When the U.S. government slapped sanctions on the country where my friend’s photo magazine printed its first special edition, I didn’t expect my community service to include - let alone consist primar

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Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged. (250 word limit)

Two hours before the biggest Friday night football game of the year, between the highest-ranked teams in Texas and set to be streamed nationally on ESPN, I was sitting cross-legged in full uniform, hu

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Introduce yourself.

For all intents and purposes, I am a time traveler. I seem to drift backward through history the way others drift into sleep. This tendency became evident the day I sat in my brother’s totaled Lexus,

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Why us? (Max 100 words)

My ex-girlfriend, the infamous “Green Monster,” wore green daily, dyed her hair emerald, and even ate green loaves of bread. I won’t admit to missing her, but walking across the Green during my week i

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"It's not easy being green…" was the frequent refrain of Kermit the Frog. How has difference been a part of your life, and how have you embraced it as part of your identity, outlook, or sense of purpose?

I grew up in a world where every adult was an "uncle" and every child a "cousin," raised in a Chicago-Italian family so large I never learned half of their names. Nearly everyone at our family gatheri

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At the University of Michigan, we are focused on developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future. In your essay, share with us how you are prepared to contribute to these goals. This could include the people, places, experiences or aspirations that have shaped your journey and future plans.*

In the fluorescent glow of my cousin’s basement in Illinois, we declared ourselves the founding members of the “Exclusive Space Aged Conspiracy Club.” Over peeled grapes, we considered the possibility

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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? (500 words)

A meaty, overweight squirrel erupted before my front windshield like a grenade, shards of fur scattering across the road below. Having been half-fatigued and still roused by morning thoughts, I was st

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Why Government/International Relations?

Democracy died next to the vending machines. Posters drenched in glitter hung over candidates who shamelessly handed out cupcakes. Somehow, our Band Council elections, dutifully declared “democratic”

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Share more about a personal academic interest or career goal.

Limbs flew in every direction as our human pyramid collapsed, leaving my brother, our self-appointed strongman, standing at the bottom in guilt-tinged disbelief. No one was injured, unless you count m

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Background/Identity

I grew up in a world where every adult was an "uncle" and every child a "cousin," raised in a Chicago-Italian family so large I never learned half of their names. Nearly everyone at our family gatheri

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