I was born in Accra, Ghana, a city so full of joy that the ground seemed to rumble with seismic laughter. Although my hometown in Ghana was full of happiness, it lacked in an outward focus. My friends and family practiced the same culture, religion, and traditions that I did, therefore my understanding of the world was isolated to understanding the people who were the most like me. Moving to [erased the city for privacy purposes on this cite. Internet...

It’s hard being a Prince-Fox-Bear hybrid, but what’s worse is being a Prince-Fox-Bear hybrid with a Charley Horse. As a storyteller on my speech team, I have always embraced using my body to tell stories. While my teammates were busy writing serious speeches, I spent my time after school practicing how to emulate the perfect fox voice and create smooth transitions from animal posture to the stance and demeanor of a senior citizen. Although it was different from...

In some parts of Africa, menstruation oftentimes bars girls from attending school. When I learned this, I was mortified. I have since made it my personal goal to help eradicate the ‘Week of Shame’ and have already taken the primary steps in doing so. Last year, I spread awareness through my school’s student news channel with a week-long rerun of a short segment in which I, along with another passionate student, discussed the importance of school for all people—...

I choose the Weiss School of Natural Sciences because of its approach to teaching that transcends the traditional classroom setting. As a prospective biosciences major, I desire the kind of education that encourages me to become involved with research by assessing that of others and using what I’ve learned to supplement my own scientific inquiries. Classes like the Freshman Biology Research seminar will introduce me to this kind of approach while also making mentors of the graduate and postdoctoral...

The most important challenge facing my generation is overcoming the lack of desire to inform oneself about the government as well as political issues. Oftentimes, I hear my peers say that they “just aren’t interested in politics,” and use it as a justification to not do their research about the issues that influence them and the world even in the most minute ways. The amount of mediums that provide information that could help us understand the way our government...

If you're somewhat like me, you find it really difficult to talk about your achievements because it seems a...

Make sure you have a great relationship with your teachers (that means mustering up the will to stay awake in even the earliest of classes,) be attentive, ask genuine questions, and get to know what your teacher responds well to. You'll find that your teachers are actually pretty cool people that you would totally say 'hello' to if you happened upon them outside of school. Another tip is to learn how to ask for a recommendation. Teachers love email,...

In the summer of my junior year, I did more than three weeks of guided neuroscience research at a college. This not only helped me find what I wanted to do in college major-wise, but helped me stand out...

Don't psych yourself out by thinking of what other applicants will write. Be you. Write...

Tufts just spoke to my sense of togetherness in a campus. I wanted a place where competition only existed in heated games of Cards Against Humanity, and not in the classroom where I had to worry about whether I...

Be specific about what you like and if you don't know, research! These schools...