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.

I can confidently claim responsibility for nearly every one of the 193,000 kilometers on my father’s VW Polo’s odometer. This little car has led a tough life ever since it turned my daily routine into

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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.

Overconfidence, ego, and a know-it-all attitude once defined my concept of leadership. I had mostly seen leaders acting like commanders, dictating actions and methods. Consequently, I believed leaders

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Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

The most impactful projects I've worked on often begin with a "What if?" question. At The Knowledge Society, a global accelerator for teens, we practice moonshot thinking -an approach that encourages

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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.

When I entered seventh grade, my friends and I were excited to begin middle school, anticipating a new chapter in our lives. However, we soon realized that the quality of education in my local public

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Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

Since I can remember, I've been surrounded by books about Greek mythology, memorizing their stories and admiring the courage and ethos of their heroes. Compared to mythology, my life seemed mundane -n

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List a selection of texts, resources and outlets that have contributed to your intellectual development outside of academic courses, including but not limited to books, journals, websites, podcasts, essays, plays, presentations, videos, museums and other content that you enjoy.

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race; The Man that Mistook his Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales; Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone

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A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community.

In A Wrinkle in Time, Meg explains the beauty of sight to an eyeless creature. The creature responds, “It must be a very limiting thing, this seeing.” Meg took the time to truly listen. But what if sh

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In college, students are often challenged in ways that they could not predict or anticipate. It is important to us, therefore, to understand an applicant's ability to navigate through adversity. Please describe a barrier or obstacle you have faced and discuss the personal qualities, skills or insights you have developed as a result.

Where I grew up, high school research was unheard of, and education remained confined to the classroom. I struggled to channel my curiosity; textbook descriptions felt inadequate, and I longed to turn

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Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia.

Engineering brain-computer interfaces for neurodegenerative diseases requires an interdisciplinary approach, integrating neuroscience, hardware/software development, patent creation, and FDA approval.

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What attracts you to your preferred areas of study at Columbia Engineering?

The brain is one of nature’s most enigmatic and beautiful creations, yet its engineering feels “flawed.” Take its refusal to repair itself. In both papers I published, I explored how minimal neurogene

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Communities Essay

Growing up in a small city with limited exposure to scientific fields, I found myself seeking out online programs, mentorships, and self-guided learning to explore my interests. But as I grew, I reali

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Why that College or School?

My passion for Biomedical Engineering was ignited after an enrichment course at Case Western where I learned about how spinal cord stimulation can help paralyzed individuals walk again. Such groundbre

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Community Essay

Growing up as an only child in a large, extended Greek family, I've always felt a unique responsibility as the sole young representative of joy and energy. From a young age, I embraced the role of "fa

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Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Our brains often don’t have our best interests at heart. For one, they’re more focused on survival than thriving, which is why they prefer a TV show over homework—less energy required! Worse still, ne

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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.

Growing up in a small city where exposure to scientific fields was limited, I had to be resourceful, seeking out online programs, mentorships, and self-learning scientific concepts. Excited by what I

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Short Takes

Describe yourself in three words: (Com) Passionate, Driven Daydreamer, Adventurous What is your favorite snack? They say chocolate boosts intelligence—I hope that’s true, given the huge quantities I’

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Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections.

Spinal cord stimulation can help paralyzed individuals walk again. My passion for Biomedical Engineering was ignited after an enrichment course at Case Western where I learned about such groundbreakin

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The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and their 14 Grand Challenges go hand-in-hand with our vision to engineer a better world for all humanity. Engineers and computer scientists are challenged to solve these problems in order to improve life on the planet. Learn more about the NAE Grand Challenges at http://engineeringchallenges.org and tell us which challenge is most important to you, and why.

Artificial Intelligence often wishes it were made of neurons. This realization first struck me when I learned that a single neuron can correspond to up to 2,000 nodes in a neural network. Machine lear

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The student body at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is a diverse group of unique engineers and computer scientists who work together to engineer a better world for all humanity. Describe how your contributions to the USC Viterbi student body may be distinct from others. Please feel free to touch on any part of your background, traits, skills, experiences, challenges, and/or personality in helping us better understand you.

The most impactful projects I’ve worked on always start with a simple “What if?” “What if we could 3D bioprint organs in space to make organ transplantation easier?” For this project, my team and I a

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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.

As a child, I read A Wrinkle in Time, where Meg tries to explain the concept of sight to a creature without eyes. The creature responds, “We do not know what things look like, as you say... We know wh

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Short Takes

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (50 words) Imagine a mouse with part of its brain replaced by lab-grown human tissue, leading to cures for diseases like dementia. Yet,

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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.

For me, the brain is nature’s most enigmatic and beautiful creation, yet its engineering feels “flawed.” Take, for example, its prioritization of survival over thriving—it favors watching a TV show ov

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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 – get to know you better.

Dear Roomie, I can’t wait to meet you and share a room! As an only child, I’ve always wondered what it’s like to have a sibling. Think of me as your new “roommate-sibling.” (Fun fact: my bed at home h

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Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

The most impactful projects I’ve worked on always start with a simple "What if?" "What if we could 3D-bioprint organs in space?" This question emerged while practicing "Moon-Shot Thinking" at The Kn

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Rice is strengthened by its diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders and change agents across the spectrum of human endeavor. What perspectives shaped by your background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity inspire you to join our community of change agents at Rice?

In A Wrinkle in Time, Meg tries to explain sight to an eyeless creature. The creature replies, “It must be a very limiting thing, this seeing.” Meg listens to the creature’s concerns. But what if she

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Why Major?

The brain is one of nature's most enigmatic and beautiful creations, yet I believe its engineering is “flawed.” For me, its reluctance to repair itself is especially concerning. In both papers I publi

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Why Rice?

Dear Rice, I felt compelled to write this letter because it’s not every day you find a place that so perfectly aligns with your bioengineering aspirations. Here’s why I believe we’re meant to be: 1.

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As you seek admission to Dartmouth’s Class of 2029, what aspects of the college’s academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? How is Dartmouth a good fit for you?

Dartmouth offers the unique opportunity to pursue both a BA and a BE in Biomedical Engineering Sciences, providing the well-rounded education I need to tackle complex medical challenges. The collabora

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There is a Quaker saying: Let your life speak. Describe the environment in which you were raised and the impact it has had on the person you are today.

Growing up in a place where high school research was unheard of and education rarely strayed beyond the classroom, my curiosity had no outlet. Late at night, I entertained myself by turning Fibonacci

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Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta recommended a life of purpose. “We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things,” she said. “That is what we are put on the earth for.” In what ways do you hope to make—or are you already making—an impact? Why? How?

In A Wrinkle in Time, Meg explains the beauty of sight to an eyeless creature. The creature responds, “It must be a very limiting thing, this seeing.” Meg took the time to truly listen. But what if sh

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How has your life experience contributed to your personal story—your character, values, perspectives or skills—and what you want to pursue at Hopkins?

As a child, my dad—a physicist—turned his field into bedtime stories—from strange to dark matter—that left me awed by the unknown. I feared that reality might pale in comparison to my imagination. But

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What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there's something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well.

My dream is to engineer brain-computer interfaces to combat neurodegenerative diseases, building on my high school research into spinal cord injuries. This vision requires mastering neurophysiology, d

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We recognize that not fully “fitting in” a community or place can sometimes be difficult. Duke values the effort, resilience, and independence that may require. Feel free to share with us circumstances where something about you is different and how that’s influenced your experiences or identity.

I had no idea how to define my identity. Growing up in a place where high school research was nonexistent and education rarely extended beyond the classroom, my curiosity had no outlet. While I spent

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We believe a wide range of viewpoints, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community.

In A Wrinkle in Time, Meg explains the beauty of sight to an eyeless creature. The creature responds, “It must be a very limiting thing, this seeing.” Meg takes the time to truly listen. But what if s

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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.

For me, the brain is nature’s most enigmatic and beautiful creation, yet its engineering feels “flawed.” Take, for example, its refusal to repair itself. In both papers I published, I explored how min

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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.

For me, "joy" is the process of endless exploration and discovery, especially when it’s self-driven, impactful, and shared with others. But how did I arrive at this definition? Growing up in a place

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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.

In A Wrinkle in Time, Meg explains the beauty of sight to an eyeless creature. The creature responds, “It must be a very limiting thing, this seeing.” Meg took the time to truly listen. But what if sh

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

The brain is plastic; knowing it rewires after every experience helped me pursue personal growth and build a healthy lifestyle. To share this transformative concept “Engineering Neuroplasticity: Rewir

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

During the Stanford-Neurodiversity-Project, I studied the wiring of ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. The more I learned, the more I questioned whether neurodiverse people perceive the world more accurately

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Why Brown?

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3 words that describe you

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