I wrote my personal statement on my passion for volunteering and the incredible lessons I have learned from my experiences with volunteer work. Rather than going into detail about all the volunteering I do, I decided to focus on one particular story of a boy with special needs that I worked with for many years. In this story, I detailed a playgroup that I used to bring him to. We worked together once a week. Through this program, we participated...

One college asked to talk about a failure and what you learned from it. I focused on a game during my soccer career in which I was brought up to varsity because their goalie was sick. The game was against out school's biggest rival, and I was incredibly nervous about it. Sure enough, the other team scored a goal within the first few minutes. I was devastated, but after watching my team struggle on the field, I knew that I...

I tried to use all of my essays as a showcase to what I would bring to the college if I were admitted. I focused on the qualities I thought would be most appealing to a college, such as my work ethic, my leadership abilities, and my willingness to work on a team. I typically tend to favor essays that are all positive rather than spotlighting a shortcoming and changing it into a positive, but I have done that before...

I asked my two favorite teachers to write my recommendation letters during my junior year of high school. I knew they were both very popular teachers, so I was sure to ask...

Although I did not personally go through this, my friend was deferred from her top choice school after applying early. She was very upset, but her advisor encouraged her not to give up. My friend made a plan from there. She scheduled...

I had very varied interview experiences. I had some that were really great. I felt prepared and engaged in the conversations and thought I gave the interviewer a good indication of myself. In other interviews, I felt disjointed and uncomfortable. For example, I had one interview at...

To choose schools to apply for, I first bought books about colleges and checked out their statistics. This made me aware of what I would need for grades and SAT scores. It also helped me look at what schools had that I might...

Oddly enough, although I came into college knowing exactly what I want to do, now I am not so sure. As I approach my senior year, I have realized I have discovered different passions. I came into BC and immediately registered as Pre-Law. I picked a major based off of what internet sites said were the most favorable for...

I ultimately chose Boston College because I knew it was the perfect fit. I was accepted into all of the other schools I applied to and received big scholarships from most of them. Even with these factors, I knew BC would be the best fit. My older brother was there, so I was...

I would definitely strongly suggest using the summer to save up money and build up your resume. I also think it is smart to use the summer to study and prep for the college application process. I took an SAT prep course while also...

In college, I try to stay very involved on campus. Next year, I will be the president of one of the largest volunteer organizations on campus. That is my main commitment, and I couldn't be any happier with my...