1. We are interested in learning more about you and the context in which you have grown up, formed your aspirations, and accomplished your academic successes. Please describe the factors and challenges that have most shaped your personal life and aspirations. How have these factors helped you to grow?

“Hello, 5th graders! My name is Ms. Campbell, and I will be your teacher this year! Please take out a sheet of binder paper and begin to write a short paragraph about yourself so we can all get to kno

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Describe an experience that caused you to change your perspective and/or opinion.

In studying the accessibility of the American Dream in AP English Language at school, I chose to read the book Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil as I have always had an interest in computer

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Tell us about one of your proudest achievements or moments and what it says about you.

On the first day of band class at high school, I entered the room ready to play with the band, shocked to discover that I was the only string player. Though I overcame that initial awkward feeling, it

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If you could meet a character from a book or a historical figure, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Given a chance to meet any figure, I would choose to meet Adam, the first man created by God as described by Judeo-Christian beliefs. He lived with Eve, the first woman, in the Garden of Eden where Go

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At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future? (Aim 250)

“Everyone can achieve the American Dream by working hard. If they are faced with a lot of difficulties, more hard work will ensure success”, I claimed, citing stories of success such as Elon Musk and

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Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in, or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests. (Please respond in about 250 words)

Headlines flashed: “How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did”. Intrigued, I read how Target used data science to observe similarities in the purchasing patterns of pregnan

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Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization, work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you. (Please respond in about 150 words)

With a high hum, the final chord of the piece was struck, and the resonant sound of the orchestra faded into the open. This was no traditional orchestra with western instruments, but rather a Chinese

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Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals. (Aim 250)

Sitting in the school library, the student that I am tutoring exclaims her understanding of how to solve a quadratic equation. In that moment, I felt great joy as I knew that I had made a positive imp

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Please tell us more about your cultural background and identity in the space below. (150 words or fewer)

As a native Hong Konger who immigrated to the United States, I have had to adjust to American culture. While this transition has made it impossible for me to completely retain my traditional Chinese c

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Tell us more about why this field of study at MIT appeals to you. (100 words or fewer)

My desire to study computer science was inspired by realizing the potential AI has in benefiting society. While browsing YouTube, I discovered artificial intelligence’s abilities to accurately predict

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Tell us about a time or experience in which you encountered failure. Here are some questions that may guide your response: How do you define failure? What was the problem you were trying to solve? What did you learn from the experience? Did you seek advice or help from others? If so, did you receive any, or did you move forward without? What contributed to your resilience as you struggled, and what motivated your persistence?

“What’s your name dude?”, my classmate nonchalantly asked. “I am [Name Redacted]. Nice meet you”, I stammered, and quickly turned away from him, moving to sit on the opposite side of the bench on the

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Tell us about a life situation, media story, or topic - beyond or outside of a classroom or formal assignment - that has captivated you, inspired your curiosity, and led you to delve more deeply into learning about a subject on your own. Here are some questions that may help guide your response: What was the situation, story, or topic? In which ways did it spike your curiosity? Down what path did this newfound interest lead you? How did the pursuit of a deeper, more focused understanding of this prove valuable or satisfying to you?

While browsing through YouTube on a lazy summer day, I came across a video of a person playing three chess games at the same time while blindfolded. Captivated, I was highly impressed by the world che

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