Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

My Sunday school classroom looked and smelled like an abandoned call center—it was the church's dusty computer lab. As Python's cryptic feedback filled the screen of my Windows XP desktop, Ms. Dunne's

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If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be?

I’d teach Kitchen Without Borders: Fusing Intercontinental Cuisine. With Sri Lankan ingredients sparse, Amma taught me resourcefu lness when cooking the food of our home. The best substitutes for Sr

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Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

[School Redacted] Economics Club ran like a seemingly well-tuned machine. I organized our peer tutoring system, [Name Redacted] coordinated our finances, and [Name Redacted] managed the club's fundrai

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Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

From times tables to the dreaded 3-by-3, my mom would whisk me to the library, where I completed an infinite flow of worksheets to ingrain the fundamental operation of multiplication. Those library se

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Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

Computer science was a tool. Through Youtube tutorials and AP Computer Science classes, I had developed my ability to wield it. To create fun online games for my economic club or to develop websites f

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What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

Immigrating from Sri Lanka, a country infamous for its financial instability, my family was eager for a sense of security in America. Our first step was visiting a [Organization Redacted] for tax assi

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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.

I belong to a community of digital storytellers who teach economics through code. While struggling to teach concepts to our Economics Club, I learned we had a mutual interest in game development. To

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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?

Immigrating from Sri Lanka, a country infamous for its financial instability, my family was eager for a sense of security in America. Our first step was visiting a [Organization Redacted] for tax assi

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We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background (your identity, your school setting, your community, your household, etc.) have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise?

From horchata to black pork curry, cinnamon—a native Sri Lankan spice—has traveled the globe, adapting to cultures it encounters. At the [Organization Redacted], we saw this transformation mirrored in

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Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.

I’m stuck in [Place Redacted], and the time keeps draggin’ on… Growing up in Johnny Cash’s notorious “prison town”, I’ve witnessed the immobility prisons cause incarcerated individuals, especially th

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Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus?

When my family immigrated from Sri Lanka, a country known for its financial instability, we were eager to find security in America. One of our first steps was visiting a [Organization Redacted] [Organ

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Explain, in detail, an experience you’ve had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else.

Immigrating from Sri Lanka, a country infamous for its financial instability, my family was eager for a sense of security in America. Our first step was visiting a [Organization Redacted] for tax assi

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Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from UIUC and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them.

Studying CS+Education: Learning Sciences at Illinois, I aim to launch an EdTech organization focused on financial education for communities excluded from traditional financial services. In User Interf

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Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington.

Immigrating from Sri Lanka, a country infamous for its financial instability, my family was eager for a sense of security in America. Our first step was visiting a [Organization Redacted] for tax assi

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Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major?

I take pride in my command of Sinhala. In Sri Lanka, it serves as a bridge, connecting me to the culture I left behind. Sinhala allows me to communicate without the loss of meaning that often occurs t

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Think of all the activities — both in and outside of school — that you have been involved with during high school. Which one are you most proud of and why?

As an immigrant, I dreaded accompanying my parents to the [Organization Redacted] center. As their Sinhala translator, I witnessed firsthand the complexities of America’s financial system—confusing ta

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Why do you want to study your chosen major specifically at Georgia Tech?

Immigrating from Sri Lanka, a country infamous for its financial instability, my family was eager for a sense of security in America. Our first step was visiting a [Organization Redacted] for tax assi

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Brown's Open Curriculum allows students to explore broadly while also diving deeply into their academic pursuits. Tell us about any academic interests that excite you, and how you might pursue them at Brown.

I’m stuck in [Place Redacted], and the time keeps draggin’ on… Growing up in Johnny Cash’s notorious “prison town,” I’ve witnessed the immobility prisons cause incarcerated individuals, especially th

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Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community.

After immigrating from Sri Lanka, my family was eager to find financial security in America. Hope led us to a [Organization Redacted] [Organization Redacted]—only no one spoke Sinhala. My parents reli

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Brown students care deeply about their work and the world around them. Students find contentment, satisfaction, and meaning in daily interactions and major discoveries. Whether big or small, mundane or spectacular, tell us about something that brings you joy.

The sun kisses my face as I feel the cool breeze bite and watch the wildflowers bloom. It’s spring! My season of Crocs, pastel skies, and lemonade-filled picnics with Stick Season on repeat. Spring, i

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What is your most meaningful extracurricular commitment, and what would you like us to know about it?

At the [Organization Redacted], cultural differences sparked debates about how economic concepts should be taught on our website. I shared stories of Sri Lankan markets where prices depend on relation

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What is your most meaningful extracurricular commitment, and what would you like us to know about it?

It's simply repeated addition!" Mom's steady mantra countered my childhood tears over multiplication tables. Years later on Intel's Graphics Team, I found myself transforming that very operation on a

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In one sentence, Why Brown?

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What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you.

Immigrating from Sri Lanka, a country infamous for its financial instability, my family was eager for a sense of security in America. Our first step was visiting a [Organization Redacted] for tax assi

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How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom?

Since 6th grade, the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) was the first link on my browser’s lengthy bookmark bar, reigning supreme over github.com and even Google.com. The guide that supported me through

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Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected.

Immigrating from Sri Lanka, a country infamous for its financial instability, my family was eager for a sense of security in America. Our first step was visiting a [Organization Redacted] for tax assi

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