Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. An Education I was filled with an unexpected sense of apprehension as I knocked on the pastel-yellow door. With a drenched black raincoat and beat-up sneakers muddied...

Other CommonApp essay: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. Spines It started with a visit to the principal's office. My bus was late, so instead of rushing out as the bell rang, I trudged leisurely down the colorful elementary school hallway, pigtails swinging and sneakers squeaking. When I reached the front desk, Mrs. Blake...

Rerhceseras say it’s siltl plisbsoe to raed txet wtih olny the frist and lsat ltteres in palce. This is beaucse the hamun mnid can fnid oderr in dorsdier. Give us your best example of finding order in disorder. (For your reader’s sake, please use full sentences with conventional spelling). Collision Theory 2:08, 2:09, 2:10 – the bell rings, and I’m off. I head over to the Blue Room (auditorium lobby turned gathering place for the cross-country team), and change into my...

(Optional) Share with us a few of your favorite books, poems, authors, films, plays, pieces of music, musicians, performers, paintings, artists, blogs, magazines, or newspapers. Feel free to touch on one, some, or all of the categories listed, or add a category of your own. A Hall of Mirrors You brush your fingers along the brass plate. Welcome to the Hall of Mirrors – inscribed into the metallic flesh simply, unassumingly. You are unsure if this is the newest exhibit in...

I’m a sucker for beautiful libraries. By some stroke of fate, UChicago’s Mansueto Library is among the finest. Although not quite of the Hogwarts variety, Mansueto has a charm that stems from its spontaneity, from its paradoxical mix of old manuscripts and futuristic technology. In my mind, the underground labyrinth of millions of books housed in steely caskets is as elegant as any Rembrandt painting. This deep-rooted diversity is something that permeates every sphere of life at UChicago,...

Chopsticks I eat rice with a fork instead of chopsticks. My parents used to tease me about it – lightheartedly – but I often wondered if their jokes held a shred of truth. Sitting at a dinner table at my grandparents’ home in rural China, surrounded by dozens of relatives, all wielding a set of wooden batons, I felt like a foreigner. I awkwardly picked up my chopsticks, like a toddler learning to walk, and pecked at the “mifan” with no success....

What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way? (about 250 words) When my violin teacher first showed me the score for Ravel’s Tzigane, I balked. It was a monster of a piece. The first page was entirely on the G string, the second a landmine of double-stops, and the remaining six a fusion of harmonics, pizzicato, and impossibly fast notes. Mrs. Ma grinned toothily at me. “You’ll have...

(UPenn) I’ve always loved searching for connections. When I was younger, I looked to the stars and sketched the wispy lines of The Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. At school, I imagined my classes on a drawing board and linked English to math, science to history. But for the past year, I’ve been preoccupied with one bond: the one between psychology and education reform. Last winter, I visited Loving Arms, a shelter for homeless and runaway youth. I still...

I re-used and re-adapted a LOT of essays. I found that even for different prompts, the same essay topic often worked out. For those of you applying to a good deal of schools, this may prove very helpful. It not only saves time, but also lets you talk about a topic you really WANT to talk about in each of your apps. I also found that over-editing is generally a negative thing. I thought my regular decision essays were leagues...

I interviewed with UChicago, UPenn, Harvard, Princeton, Northwestern, and Yale. I also went through three rounds of interviews for the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA. I had extremely positive experiences at all of them except for Yale's (it was my first interview and I was...

Choosing a teacher based solely on how much they like you may not be the best idea; make sure they are also good writers. Higher level English teachers are often a good bet. I asked for letters of rec from my English 11 teacher (we're pretty close and she's nominated for several...

Small exterior scholarships are always a good idea but many people don't realize certain much-larger opportunities available. One of the main reasons (perhaps THE main reason) I chose to attend UVA is because of...