With a stroke of fate or maybe just mere coincidence, you will find a peculiar old newspaper, hoping to find something worth reading. After skimming through a couple of tedious articles and glancing at a few irksome advertisements, you might just read it: my obituary. Your eyes will scan the list of my accomplishments, glaze a bit when you read the names of my grieving family, but linger at the line where the death notice is printed: Ms. Malik passed...

In the summer of 2013, I attended an institute with The Opportunity Network that focused on career and professional development. I delved into everything from proper email etiquette and professional dress, to interview procedures and the structures of companies. During my favorite workshop, "Marketing your Assets," I watched Amy Cuddy's enlightening TED talk on how we can change peoples' perception of ourselves, our body's chemistry, and our confidence levels by simply changing our body positions. I never realized how crucial my...

At exactly 8:30am, armed with shovels, buckets, paintbrushes and wheelbarrows, I trekked into the Costa Rican rainforest with my study abroad group, sloshing through puddles of reddish brown mud and leaping over orderly trails of leaf-cutter ants. Our destination: El Silencio's Wildlife Reserve. Our aim: To restore the animal cages- a task that required everything from mixing cement to scrubbing moss. We greeted the gregarious scarlet macaws, waved at the little raccoon named Lila, and grinned at the vivacious white-faced...

The only sounds that can be heard in the dimly lit corridor are the constant drumming of my fingers against the pale blue wall and the distant sound of heels clomping on the floor in an almost rhythmic pattern. A series of ancient plaques and awards adorn the walls in neat lines and an array of trophies are lined up like soldiers in a glass case across from where I am tensely standing. As I uncrumple my index card, which...

Essay One Prompt: Describe last 2 summers Essay Two Prompt: Describe meaningful extracurricular Essay Three Prompt: In addition to the essay you have written for the Common Application, please write an essay of about 500 words (no more than 650 words and no less than 250 words). Using one of the themes below as a starting point, write about a person, event, or experience that helped you define one of your values or in some way changed how you approach the world. Please do...

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