I chose to attend Columbia University because I knew I could never turn it down. It was the first school I ever visited, at the ripe old age of 13. My older sister was beginning her college search, so we stopped...

I would advise you to get a recommendation from the teacher in your intended field of study, a recommendation from a class you enjoyed or in which you excelled, and a supplemental recommendation from a teacher or mentor who has worked with you in an extracurricular activity. I asked for recommendation letters from my Junior year Precalculus and English teachers. I asked my English teacher because I was planning on majoring...

The full name of the university is Columbia University in the City of New York. They know they're in New York City. They know you know that too. Since everybody knows where Columbia is located, I'd advise you to skip over the vague "I want to go to Columbia because I love New York." We're notorious for lacking a student cohesion, so telling the admissions officers that you're more interested in what's happening outside the gates than in the classroom...