For most people, myself included, birthdays are consistently met with the sarcastically laced question, “Do you feel different?”. It was always absurd to me to think that a difference of a few hours could somehow make you feel significantly older, more mature, or somehow wiser than you had the day before. So like most people, I always answered the question with a shy laugh and shrugged it off - until this last August, when I turned 17. About a month earlier,...

Describe your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at USC. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections (250 word limit). When I was in kindergarten, I wanted to be a teacher on the weekdays and a veterinarian on the weekends. In fourth grade, I thought maybe I would be an architect. By fifth grade, I was thinking that I might want to work in media one day. Now, after spending the last three years...

USC students are known to be involved. Briefly describe a non-academic pursuit (such as service to community or family, a club or sport, or work, etc.,) that best illustrates who you are, and why it is important to you. (250 word limit) I was born with an extraordinary ability to think big and dream bigger. I spent the first few years of my life waiting for my most impossible dreams to come true. But, I quickly realized that if I wanted...

Emerson College - If your life was a movie, what would the title be and why? All my life I've been told how lucky I am. I'll be the first to admit, I've had some really incredible opportunities: I spent two weeks in Brazil, a video my friends and I made was on Good Morning America, I was one of only a few hundred people in all of New York City to be in the audience for The Ellen Show...

Emerson College For as long as I have been asked about what I want to do with my life, I have known that I want to be in the world of media. When it came time for me to begin my college search, I knew I wanted to find a school in an urban setting that prided itself on its communications program, in order to receive an education that would allow for the best career opportunities. It was also important...

Macaulay Honors College From what frequent activity do you derive your greatest joy? Why is this activity meaningful to you, and how does it shape your perspective on life? I fell in love for the first time when I was seven years old. I can so vividly remember every moment of the night it hit me. I went to see my first favorite singer, Hilary Duff, with my best friend and our moms. From the contagious excitement of the crowd...

The Ohio State University At 5 years old, I believed the Disney mantra: "when you wish upon a star... anything your heart desires will come to you." Born with an extraordinary ability to think big and dream bigger, I spent nights gazing up, wishing on every star I saw, and waiting for my impossible dreams to come true. It didn't take me long to figure out that it would take more than just staring up at the sky and waiting for...

Describe a setting in which you have collaborated or interacted with people whose experiences and/or beliefs differ from yours. Address your initial feelings, and how those feelings were or were not changed by this experience. Group projects are the reason for my trust issues. I like to be in control, especially creatively - so I love to work on projects on my own. I have no problem staying up all night if it is the difference between a 98 and...

We firmly believe that every person is unique and of value. Our University is enriched by embracing individual differences and creating a community that is much more than the sum of its parts. In 650 words or less, share your story with us. Tell us how you came to be the person you are today, and about your passions and future expectations. Describe how you will benefit from our community and how our community will benefit from you. Last year, my...

Most of my essays centered around my interest in media because I was applying to specific programs and I wanted to show that I was serious about what I was applying for. I also made sure to focus on my experience in media and journalism because although most kids who were applying for these same programs were probably just as smart if not smarter than I was, most of them probably didn't have the same experience I did. Knowing that...

If you know what you want to major in, definitely look for summer opportunities getting experience in that field especially when applying to a specific program. I knew early on I wanted to work...

I didn't use a private admissions counselor but in taking to admissions counselors at schools I applied to, most agreed that if you show a...

I wound up choosing USC in the very last week of April just a few days before the May 1st deadline when I visited campus for the first time for accepted students day. I visited UT Austin and USC back to back - both for the first time - that final week before the decision date. Prior to visiting I had no idea...

I love USC's location because you get the best of both worlds between the beaches to the west, and L.A. to the east. There's always something...

I didn't have a lot of preferences when I was looking for schools - I didn't care if it was a big school or small school, if it was close or far, etc. I used the CollegeBoard School Finder and wound up picking "no preference" for most questions. I knew only three things: a school with a reputable communications program, D1 sports, and that was somewhat close to a city. It didn't narrow down much but it...

Definitely do your research before writing these. These are probably the most tedious to write but they can really help your application. Look into specific...

I am taking out some loans, and I applied for scholarships almost everywhere. Definitely check with each school your applying to...

Pick teachers who know you as a person really well, regardless of your academic performance. Admissions counselors look at your application to get a feel for you as a...