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.

I felt tiny; my eyes darted around but were stuck to the ground and my teeth gnawed at the inside of my lips as I listened to my friend spit personal insults at me. Two minutes ago, I was only support

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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.

I filled too many sketchbooks up as a child to count. My mother recognized my early love for visual arts and sent me to classes starting from when I was five. Since the first class, I was particularly

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What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

My greatest skill is what I initially thought to be my greatest weakness: being a highly sensitive person, better known as an HSP. As a child, I often cried in situations others would brush off; I sti

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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

I was able to take advantage of the enrichment programs offered at [Organization Redacted] since fourth grade. I was first introduced to the enriched English and math courses by my mother, but over th

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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.

I can clearly recall the day psychology inspired me to take a more specialized path in medicine. I was inclined to self-study a few Advanced Placement courses to academically challenge myself further

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USC believes that one learns best when interacting with people of different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Tell us about a time you were exposed to a new idea or when your beliefs were challenged by another point of view. Please discuss the significance of the experience and its effect on you. (250 words)

If there was anything I believed in most as a child, it was God. Though I loved His values, I was also taught that homosexuality was “abnormal” people. I had no understanding of what it meant to be ga

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Academic Interest

The first time I was given the freedom to write my own lab procedure in eleventh grade Chemistry was also when I first enjoyed experimenting. I realized that I liked to challenge myself with hands-on

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Many of us have at least one issue or passion that we care deeply about – a topic on which we would love to share our opinions and insights in hopes of sparking intense interest and continued conversation. If you had ten minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your talk be about?

“What would you say to someone who is diagnosed with breast cancer?” would be my opening sentence. I expect to hear murmurs of “We will pray for you, get well soon!” from my audience. “Okay, now woul

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