The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? (650)

December 2019 Stumbling out of the hospital bed, I shuffle down the fluorescent-lit hallway and into the dingy bathroom. I close the heavy wooden door behind me and find myself looking into a slightl

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Why Dartmouth? (100)

On a deserted highway leading to Hanover, I marveled at the steam that rose off the mountains which shot up on either side of the road. Then, as I strolled across the quaint campus, I chatted with the

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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. (250)

The bedtime stories of my childhood were found in the Rush Revere books—Rush Limbaugh’s take on American history. After dinner, I would watch the news—Fox News—with my family. And my Grandparents woul

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What excites you?

Whenever my mom describes me, excitable is the first word she uses. Which I always thought was strange, why not funny, adventurous, or passionate? But, without fail or hesitation, she says that I am e

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Why Columbia-Trinity Dual BA? (1000)

Standing on the northwest corner of a four-way intersection, I see four different subway entrances—one on each corner. The one that will lead me to 116th street is a complete mystery to me. After stud

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Why Duke? (250)

Duke feels like home. Every April, my mom and I stroll through Duke Gardens and west campus with a cup of coffee to see the blooming cherry blossoms. Duke is the backdrop to my grandmother’s physical

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Intellectual Experience (250)

Naive and undaunted, my freshman-year self checked the box that read “AP Capstone” without a second thought. As I stood to leave my counselor’s office, I was completely unaware that I just signed myse

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Academic Interest (650)

Curiosity would be my guide at Cornell, but it has been the bane of my senior year. “What do you want to study?” “What do you want to do after college?” And the list of questions continues. The only t

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Personal Quality (250)

Sitting on the sideline with my back to the scoreboard that read home 0, away 1, I watched the seniors collect their bouquets from the stands. The stadium lights reflected the tears that streamed down

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Gratitude Question

To Gretchen, When I couldn’t bear the ongoing arguments or living room yelling matches, you made your home my home. Your door was always open and not just to me. At your kitchen table, I met Iranian

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