From the day I first laid my eyes on a computer screen, I have been absolutely fascinated with technology. I can still remember sitting in my father's lap as a toddler peering into his old laptop and trying to grab the delicious-looking red trackball in the middle of the keyboard. Yes, at the age of two I had an eye for technology. In kindergarten, when I returned home from school, I would enthusiastically run to the now ancient computer and...

Every name tells a story: Tell us about your name--any name: first, middle, last, nickname--and its origin. (Dartmouth) On January 2nd of 1999, my father decided that he would name his first born child Mira Ram. Both the first and last name were of equal importance, and laced together they carried an even greater meaning. With all the greatness and power the name promised, the name also brought its owner frustration and annoyance. The recipient of this name was me. To...

Describe two or three of your current intellectual interests and why they are exciting to you. Why will Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences be the right environment in which to pursue your interests? Throughout my life I have been interested in both computer science and art, but have never seen a way to integrate them. Most universities see the two fields as completely separate, but at Cornell I will be able to merge their disparate natures within the College...

We know that colleges ask a lot of hard questions on their applications. This one is not so hard and we promise, there is no hidden agenda – just have fun! We have all heard the saying “laughter is the best medicine.” Recount a time when something really made you laugh. (Smith) After my grandfather passed away, my grandmother started living with us. The way she would scrutinize my every behavior, I felt like I was living under a microscope. Soon,...

While the first and third essays were unique to their respective colleges, the second essay I actually used for multiple colleges (though I changed some of the wording a little bit). Overall, college essays are very personal, but I think looking at other essays can give you an idea of what you should talk about when it comes to your own personal experience.

At one point, I tried using a private admissions counselor. PLEASE do not use private admissions counselors as they are a huge waste of money. While they do give some useful advice, it's not worth it to spend the money (or your parents' money) on private counselors and tutors, for that matter. If you're looking into private counselors, I'm guessing you probably don't have the best high school counselor. That's okay, basically what private counselors do...

I honestly never got a break throughout high school! With the exception of the summer before 9th grade when I took a trip to India to visit some family, I participated in programs at colleges every other summer in high school. I strongly suggest applying for the Stanford High School Summer College program...

I've interviewed with many of the schools on my list (including Dartmouth), and overall my interview experience was varied, but good. While it can seem scary at first, it's really not! (At least, I was a little scared because I'm quite shy and introverted). The interviewer always wants to help you, from what I've learned. If they didn't want to help you, and if they weren't nice, they wouldn't want to spend their afternoon with some...

Getting recommenders is pretty easy as long as your teachers don't hate you and you're involved in some extracurriculars....

Now, I'm not a particularly amazing student. I'm not genius or athlete, yet somehow I made it into some pretty amazing schools, if I do say so myself. I like to think that the best part of my applications were my essays. It's incredibly important to develop your writing skill and be able to portray a sense of your own personal voice in these essays. They're called "personal statements" for a reason. This is because admissions officers seldom get...

Oh boy, this is important. I was deferred from Dartmouth and U-Chicago, and as my friends often like to joke about, I was "waitlisted at every college in the country." While this is an exaggeration, I was waitlisted at quite a few institutions, but I only ended up keeping myself on one (UCB) after seeing some admissions decisions on March 31 (Ivy day). Both Dartmouth and U-Chicago were essentially my top choices,...

Man, did I hate the "Why Us" question colleges threw at you. Luckily, there IS a way to answer them. Basically, talk about what YOU want to do (what you'd normally write about), and just apply it to the college, if that makes any sense. If you're interested in art, talk about your love of art, and...

The college decision process is really tough if you've gotten into a lot of schools. While it's an honor to have been someone who had that dilemma, it was still a problem regardless. I...