I felt perfectly equipped to deliver coffees. Not much more. As I looked around the conference table at the dozen MBA students, I was pretty sure I was in the wrong place. Two months prior, I had nervously interviewed for a job with a social impact startup. I was offered an internship doing office work in support of the venture’s summer MBA program. Somehow, my summer experience became something quite dramatically different. When I arrived in June, I was...

In the visual arts, rhythm refers to movement that guides the eye from one element to the next. One way to achieve artistic rhythm is to employ patterns that direct the eye in a familiar way. I find this quality in puzzles: in the clear, defined edges and in the way each piece fits in its designated spot. With puzzles, it helps to understand how a piece corresponds to its neighbors, how the image moves from one piece to the...

I’ve lived in the same town for eighteen years. It’s a place of overlapping communities, full of familiar faces and personalities. The familiarity has given my life a sense of structure and belonging that I both rely on and struggle against. It is the communities I’ve built outside these confines that have allowed me to explore who I can become. I spent three summers on wilderness trips out West, and each time I experienced this novel sensation....

The first and hardest school I ever attended was run by my seven-year-old sister. I was four. Through her rigorous grading system of gold stars for good work and timeouts for bad, my sister did not play school so much as drag me through my first academic experience. With her, I read my first book (Spot Goes to School), took my first spelling test, and learned my multiplication tables, with the result that I entered kindergarten with a far larger...

Brown is known for its liberal thinking and creative approach to curriculum. As a self-motivated, focused student, I appreciate the freedom that Brown offers in choosing one's own course of study. It's a refreshing change from the externally guided education I've had so far. At the same time, I'm seeking the rigor and excellence that I know I will find at Brown. On my visit to Brown, I was exposed to this unique environment. I found the people friendly, approachable,...

I'm interested in pursuing a career that is interdisciplinary, specifically focusing on the intersection of the social sciences, economics, and public policy. Duke is renowned for its programs that do just that. While I am interested in a liberal arts education, I also am determined to take courses that have relevance to my future endeavors. The DukeEngage program, which allows students to participate in civic engagement, lends itself to this desire. As I am interested in public policy, this opportunity...

“But I don’t want to fade away, I want to flame away – I want my death to be an attraction, a spectacle, a mystery. A work of art.” – A Visit From the Goon Squad A Visit From the Goon Squad is a meandering, time-distorting story of messy, imperfect people living messy, imperfect lives. The characters are flawed, heartbreaking, incomplete, and seemingly invincible. They are also spectacular: their experiences are sometimes legendary, and the messes they create can be beautiful...

I began taking piano lessons in kindergarten. Early on, I discovered a love for performing. I was simultaneously terrified and exhilarated by the undivided attention and the rush of nerves that accompanied each recital. Performances were satisfying, beautiful, and precise: an illusion of perfection. They had tangible payoffs. As time went on, I recognized the dynamic tension in this picture. It takes hours of slow progress and repetitive motions to achieve even a glimpse of perfection. All of my painstaking...

Freedom of speech is a right guaranteed to every American under the First Amendment. Time and again, this right has been scrutinized and debated as opposing parties seek to define the boundaries of this freedom. One such instance was the 2014 court case Metropolitan Transit Authority vs. American Freedom Defense Initiative, in which the MTA was accused of violating the First Amendment rights of the AFDI. The case examined an ad that the AFDI wished to run on MTA buses and...

I started the application process at the end of sophomore year, which meant I had basically two years of stressful practice tests, essay prep,...

I'm taking AP Art History this year and love it. It's not a required course at my...

It's important to broaden your horizons a bit before you head off to college. This doesn't mean you have to get some high-powered, intense internship, but if...

I interviewed with all the private schools I applied to on the East Coast (about half of the schools I applied to total). I was super nervous for my first...

Choose recommenders who not only have nice qualifications themselves, but also have a great opinion of you....

Hippie, creative,...

I grew up on the East Coast, in a small town outside of New York City. I love...