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. (Max 650 words)

Instead of traditional bedtime stories, my dad entertained me with tales of math, from the genius of Gauss to the enigmatic seventeen cows riddle. Math became an invigorating yet familiar part of my d

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MIT: How has the world you come from—including your opportunities, experiences, and challenges—shaped your dreams and aspirations? (Max 225 words)

Instead of traditional bedtime stories, my dad told me stories about math, from the genius of Frederich Gauss to the perplexing seventeen cows riddle. For years, math remained a solitary adventure, co

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MIT: How did you manage a situation or challenge that you didn’t expect? What did you learn from it? (Max 225 words)

In eighth grade, after my performance on the MathCounts Chapter Competition almost cost us our qualification to States, my teammates kicked me off the team for our next competition in a 3-1 vote. I fe

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MIT: What field of study appeals to you the most right now? (Note: Applicants select from a drop-down list.) Tell us more about why this field of study at MIT appeals to you. (Max 100 words)

Through my decade-long journey with math competitions, I’ve experienced the fulfilling problem-solving nature of math. The MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge introduced me to another side of math’s bea

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MIT: We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it. (Max 150 words)

In freshman year, motivated by the prospect of a free T-shirt, I entered my first-ever merchandise design competition. With no experience in visual art, I initially struggled immensely. However, as I

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MIT: MIT brings people with diverse backgrounds together to collaborate, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to lending a helping hand. Describe one way you have collaborated with others to learn from them, with them, or contribute to your community together. (Max 225 words)

Through my school’s newspaper, tjTODAY, I cover the vibrant experiences of our student body, from cultural celebrations to an Instagram account featuring the adventures of two stuffed animal pigs arou

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UMD: If I could travel anywhere, I would go to… (300 characters)

If I could travel anywhere, I would go to… Zion National Park. Zion’s towering slot canyons, carved by the rushing Virgin River over millions of years, remind me of nature’s enduring impact. I’ve deve

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UMD: The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was... (max 300 characters)

The most interesting fact I ever learned from research was… Simpson’s Paradox, a statistical phenomenon where a trend in data reverses or disappears when the data is grouped differently. I find it fas

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UMD: In addition to my major, my academic interests include... (max 300 characters)

In addition to my major, my academic interests include... journalism. Each article I write for The Teen Magazine introduces me to new perspectives. My interview with the Youth Climate Action Team reve

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UMD: My favorite thing about last Thursday was… (max 300 characters)

My favorite thing about last Thursday was… building a human pyramid with my school’s varsity math team (VMT), a tradition I began last year. We achieved our first-ever four-level pyramid, a testament

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UMD: Something you might not know about me is... (max 300 characters)

Something you might not know about me is… my passion for graphic design. I self-taught myself how to use Adobe InDesign, creating t-shirts for Math Kangaroo and my school’s math team, computer team, a

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UMD: Because we know that diversity benefits the educational experience of all students, the University of Maryland values diversity in all of its many forms. This includes (but is not limited to) racial, socio-economic, gender, geographical, and sexual orientation. We are interested in hearing about your own individual life experiences. In a few sentences, will you please describe how you have learned, grown, been inspired or developed skills through one or more components of diversity. (max 650 characters)

Throughout my decade-long journey with math, I’ve often felt isolated as one of the only girls in a class or competition. To combat the lack of female math communities, I became involved in Athemath,

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UT Austin: The core purpose of The University of Texas at Austin is, “To Transform Lives for the Benefit of Society.” Please share how you believe your experience at UT-Austin will prepare you to “Change the World” after you graduate. (max 300 words)

For a long time, I grappled with the question, “Why does math matter?” I was always more captivated by math’s elegance and creativity than its potential applications. However, the MathWorks Math Model

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UT Austin: Describe how your experiences, perspectives, talents, and/or your involvement in leadership activities (at your school, job, community, or within your family) will help you to make an impact both in and out of the classroom while enrolled at UT. (max 300 words)

Throughout my decade-long journey with math, I’ve often felt isolated as one of the only girls in a class or competition. However, in middle school, I encountered the blogs of older female mathletes.

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UT Austin: Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major? (max 300 words)

All in, I confidently slide my poker chips to the center of the table. What are the odds my opponent has a hand higher than my queen-straight flush? According to my calculations, a 1/50*1/49*4 = 0.001

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UT Austin Turing Scholars: Describe your significant activities, employment, and achievements, particularly those relevant to the study of computer science. Also describe your educational and career goals. (max 500 words)

I first encountered CS through Angry Birds. In Hour of Code at my elementary school, I created Scratch programs to help Red Angry Bird capture the Green Pigs. The code blocks in Scratch laid the found

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UVA: 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. (300 words)

Throughout my decade-long journey with math, I’ve often felt isolated as one of the only girls in a class or competition. However, in middle school, I encountered the blogs of older female mathletes.

Unlock profile to read full content