Some children are afraid of monsters under their beds. I wasn't one of those children. Instead, Osama Bin Laden hid in my hamper and Hitler crouched in the back of my closet. I'd stay up late into the night concocting elaborate escape plans for any and all situations: house fires, home invasions, confrontations with costumed characters at Disneyland (who were obviously potential kidnappers attempting to trick less vigilant children). I was scared of many, many things, but more than anything...

It seemed unlikely I'd ever be one of the national circuit's top Lincoln-Douglas debaters, let alone the top-ranked girl in my grade, when I first joined the debate team. At my first tournament I lost as many rounds as I won — a record that didn't exactly scream "debate prodigy." But this summer, I was one of twelve debaters selected for the elite "Top Lab" at the Victory Briefs Institute. By October, I had qualified for the Tournament of Champions, finished...

When I visited Columbia's campus last summer, I had the best chocolate pastry of my life at a nearby restaurant. But that is not the only reason I want to go to Columbia. The Columbia students I met were extremely enthusiastic about the Core Curriculum, and I can certainly see why. Not only do the Core classes provide every student with the opportunity to study classic works of literature and art, they also bring the students together and enable them...

My interest in studying the humanities at Columbia is rooted in a desire to examine all facets of the human experience — from language to philosophy to art — looking specifically at which elements of that experience are universal. In particular, I intend to focus on Art History, Philosophy, Linguistics, and East Asian Languages and Culture. Any serious student of Art History is aware that Columbia's Department of Art History and Archaeology is the best in the nation, and I can think...

That's easy. Because of the people. The "New Curriculum" attracts students with eclectic tastes and gives them the freedom to follow their academic interests wherever they lead. Look at my own family: my dad studied Swedish, Japanese, Jazz, and Geology. My mom wrote her honors thesis about ancient mystery religions. I've met so many fascinating Brown students and alums over the years — people unafraid to follow their passions. If I am fortunate enough to join the class of 2020, I will...

The student body at my 110-year-old all-girls school in a gritty part of Hollywood provides a snapshot of LA that is far more genuine than the stereotype Alicia Silverstone made famous. The "real" LA isn't about movie lots, manicured lawns, and Beverly Hills boutiques. At Immaculate Heart, my classmates come from all over the city and their parents come from all over the world. Some speak a language other than English at home. Some will be the first in their...

Burbank, California — where I grew up — is the sort of small town where my brother's Little League All-Star game makes the front page of the local paper, but for most of my life I've ventured outside its comfortable confines. I take the subway downtown for ballet every day, and use it to explore Los Angeles - wandering around Little Tokyo, scouring the shelves at the Last Bookstore, checking out The Aquadolls at the Echoplex, or taking in some Rothko at...

My interest in studying the liberal arts at Penn is rooted in a desire to examine all facets of the human experience — from language to philosophy to art — looking specifically at which elements of that experience are universal. In particular, I intend to focus on Linguistics, Art History, Philosophy, and East Asian Languages and Culture. Penn's multi-disciplinary approach to learning is especially appealing to me, given the diversity of my interests. No matter which professional path I eventually pursue, a...

There’s this electrical box on the sidewalk outside the Colburn School. I suppose I’ve been passing it for years on my walk from ballet class to the subway, but I noticed it for the first time a few weeks ago, after an anonymous painter decided to make it his canvas. The resulting painting looked a lot like a Gerhard Richter I saw once at MOMA. I briefly reveled in the irony of the fact that this work of...

"It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view." Middlemarch by George Eliot When it comes to gun control, some people argue that banning guns is the best way to prevent mass shootings and combat domestic violence. And I can see their point. Others insist that gun laws are unfair since they are enforced arbitrarily, leading to the discriminatory conviction of minorities. After all, the first gun laws in the U.S. were...

I think the most important part of the application is the "Why [insert school here]" essay. Read up on each college and point out individual programs that pertain to your interests. You want to convince the school that you would mesh perfectly with its student body and take advantage of all the opportunities available there. These days, being smart isn't enough. You have to "match" with the school in terms of your personality and interests. So be sure to do...

I chose Columbia primarily because of its location in NYC. I've always been a city girl and I love that I don't have to sacrifice culture as I might have to in a...

To get into Columbia, you should present yourself as very cultured. They specifically ask what kind of books you've read and what kinds of lectures, shows, and exhibits you've gone to. Of course, be truthful, but you also want...

My greatest piece of advice for getting recommenders is to pick two or three classes and just really go above and beyond for those teachers. Stay after class and talk to them about current events in their subject. Talk to them after tests to go over how...

If I could change my application process, I wouldn't have submitted the same essay to multiple schools. I wrote one essay that I thought was great, and sent it to three schools... and got rejected from all...

I didn't hire a private counselor, but I have lots of friends who did. If...

I interviewed for: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Penn, Dartmouth, the Berkeley Regents Scholarship, and the USC Trustee Scholarship. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton: Amazing interviews. Each was about 40 minutes long. There were no hardball questions in any of them. They would basically ask me about myself and why i wanted to go to their school. At the end, each of them said they would give a glowing review. Brown: It was very short (about 15 minutes) since they were interviewing hundreds of kids that day. The interviewer was...

I actually got a personal note from my admissions officer about why he accepted me (likely letter perks). He said it was because I...

Apply to as many programs as possible!! You'd be surprised how many organizations will pay for you to learn a language or skill. To start, look into programs like Startalk, the Confucius Institute,...

After college, I'm planning to work for a few years to make enough money...