I wrote of my experiences growing up in a highly conservative and religious family and how this pushed me to grow and learn on my own. The idea of questioning what one is told and exploring what I wanted to understand is very important. Central to my essay was my development of not following my family's beliefs, breaking away from our religious institution and the people who helped me along the way.

I applied early decision to my school which highly increases your chances of being admitted. However, our early application system is binding so if you are admitted early decision, you are...

I applied to a few schools with rolling applications, these are mostly state schools. Doing this helps you calm yourself during the college admittance process, even if it is just to have an option while you apply to other schools you are more interested in. Most of these schools with rolling admissions have pretty generic common application processes that make it quite...

Don't write something that is so generic the admittance counselors will unsure if you are even interested. If you have visited campus or went on a...

I had one of my AP teachers and one of my activity advisors write my letters of recommendation. Be sure you choose people who really know you, have a good grasp on your work ethic as well as your personality. Getting good grades in a class is great, but a teacher who doesn't know you that well or see potential in you past your single class may not be the best person to...

I chose my school for the combination of great academics, a variety of programs, student size, and scholarships offered. I didn't learn how important until after I got on campus it was...

My school has a student body of very high achieving and competitive people. The student body really pushes you to be your best by being surrounded by intelligent, hard working, and creative people every single day. At the same time, Northwestern school has wonderful people who will give you a home...

Look for scholarships offered both by the school and by private institutions. Many schools offer scholarships based...