I don’t remember the first time I learned the word war. From the stern photos of my father in uniform to the glimpses of the South Vietnamese flag, war was an ever-present fixture of my childhood. War tore my country apart. War exiled my family to an unfamiliar land. And yet, war gave me the greatest opportunity I could ever hope for here in America. In my memory, war is personified in the character of my father, the quintessential...

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. (500 word limit) * As humans, we are born with the inner desire to take the path of least resistance, to seek that which gives us the greatest reward for the least amount of work. In the current generation, this biological drive has grown into a national epidemic. The new strain? Cheating. In my high school career, I’ve often felt the...

“Is this where students live?” I asked my tour guide, stunned. He replied in the affirmative and went on to describe Yale’s famous residential college system. As he described the 12 colleges, each with its own crest, motto, and history, I was reminded of the houses of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I began to see a more familial side to the cold exterior that I’d always associated with the Ivy League. Being able to know and live...

What would you do with a free afternoon tomorrow?: Given a free afternoon, I would most likely be found at the local YMCA, swimming laps in the pool. In high school, I first developed an interest in swimming as a member of the Swim and Dive Team for two years. Yet by Junior year, schoolwork, service commitments, and my job forced me to quit what my father deemed an “unnecessary” use of time. However, I still tried to find time...

If you could witness one moment in history, what would it be and why?: Though it is a moment that has passed in my lifetime, I would have wanted to witness the inauguration of President Barack Obama firsthand. Admittedly, I am not a Democrat. And if I had been able to vote in the past election, my ballot would not have been for out current president. Yet as I watched the inauguration from an outdated screen in my AP US...