I wrote about having to decide between continuing to swim for a competitive club team I had been a member of for 10 years and becoming editor of my school newspaper, an organization with which I had a shorter history but for which I had stronger affections. I did not consciously decide to write a funny essay, but a couple snippets of humor snuck into subsequent drafts.

In response to "Why Rochester?" I contrasted the school's tunnel system, that sends students shuffling along the same cramped corridors each winter, with its curriculum, which allows for a large degree of freedom.

In response to "Why Duke?", I wrote about the DukeEngage service program and how it meshed with my interest in public service, and the FOCUS program, and how it would allow me to develop relationships with professors even as a freshman.

University of Rochester: I did little to prepare, and did not regret it; the interview was straightforward. The admissions officer seemed absolutely fine with me admitting one of the main reasons I had applied to U of R was its generous merit aid (I ended up being offered an $80,000 scholarship, so it definitely didn't hurt me). It was my only interview not with an alumnus/a Yale University: fine. The questions posed to me were straightforward ("why do you study what...

Here is an email I received from a friend of mine working in the Duke admissions office regarding what could be done to get my brother off the waitlist: The absolute most important thing your brother can do, which of course is true for all Duke applicants, is to keep up his grades. If he wants to be considered as...

In hindsight, I was a much stronger candidate for Ivy League schools than I thought I was. Worried I would not get into schools such...

– My newspaper adviser, who I had a total of six classes with, not to mention hundreds of after-school hours, over the course of my high school career. She's an incredible writer and writes glowing letters of recommendation for her editors-in-chief by default from what I've...

The concerns I had about Duke, especially its culture and closeness to my home, were addressed with candor by...

My own "why Duke" essay was, in my opinion, pretty boilerplate. I discussed DukeEngage and how it represented students' desire to apply their knowledge to the real world in a way that serves others,...

After writing for my high school newspaper, I wanted to take a break form journalism but soon began writing for Towerview...

INTENSE: Dukies were all the best of the best in high school, and it shows whether we want it to or not. While the academic environment is definitely collaborative, even among students taking organic chemistry and economics courses that are curved to a C-plus, everyone wants to be seen as smart, social and "legit". COMPASSIONATE: Though we all want to be The Best at what we do, students here have become increasingly aware that a perfect resume often comes at...