Father broke the deafening silence. I’d been preparing for this all my life. “Why?” he asked with intimidating calm. I’d always been an obedient church-goer. Every Sunday morning, I would head out to church with my family, returning home in the afternoon, despising everything for the rest of the day. I don’t share my father’s religious views; I’m an atheist. Yet until last year, I kept my atheism secret because I felt like I was...

The instructor said, Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you— Then, it will be true. —"Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes The beauty of adversity is that it’s universal, and that its ubiquity sprouts connections. Meeting next month’s rent is an obligation to tenants of any race, religion, or sexuality. The troubled yet familiar look, of eyes overworked from the strenuous effort to hide pain, and the mind shaken...

I would seek fastidious counsel regarding my application from someone who has both gone through the rigorous college application process and care about my future endeavors. There's...