I wrote to create perfection--both in me and in the world around me. As a child, I was often left to my own devices while my immigrant mother juggled university classes and a waitressing job. To pass the time, I devoured the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie--mysteries captured my imagination--and mimicked their intricate plots in my Hello Kitty notebook, where they’d be edited and proofread until deemed worthy for narration in front of my audience...

Why not? Why wouldn’t I want to attend a top school located in the heart of NYC? The College of Arts and Sciences’ College Core Curriculum is the blueprint of my ideal education; an institution that actively works to facilitate the values of thoughtfulness, critical thinking, and analysis. NYU also has a great collection of academic resources, such as the renowned Tamiment Library; I can spend hours researching radical politics and civil rights movements, both of which are relevant...

I recall my first time traveling abroad without my parents--or anyone I knew, really. I had enlisted with GlobalWorks, an organization that sends small groups of teenagers all over the world to perform service learning while experiencing new cultures. The idea seemed rather stereotypical--privileged American youth going off to help the masses--but my excitement to travel (to see the world past the barrier of tourist traps and shiny hotels!) outweighed my fear of being branded a stereotype. On the first...

150 word limit, how I spent past 2 summers The summer before junior year, I took two classes (AP Psychology and Chemistry) and spent about half of August backpacking through Japan. I made a wish at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo; bathed in natural hot springs and gazed at Mt. Fuji in Hakone; splurged on Kobe beef in the namesake city of Kobe; fed deer (and almost got bitten!) in Nara; revelled in Kodai-ji Temple’s nighttime light show in Kyoto. This past...

Once I set a goal for myself, I strive to both achieve and surpass it. The most acute example of this is my penchant for advanced computer game strategies and competitions. I discovered League of Legends the summer before high school and was immediately humbled by the game's complex mechanics and steep learning curve. Although many people pursue video games for unproductive reasons such as escaping their real-life responsibilities, I saw gaming as an instrument to develop skillsets such as...

I am a traveler, of both geography and time. My adventures began at age three, when I was shipped off to stay with my grandparents in Harbin, China. Every Saturday, my grandfather and I would stroll through Zhongyang Dajie or explore St. Sophia Cathedral, flush with Russian architecture and tumultuous history. Although never formally educated, my grandfather would do his best to read museum placards and placate my endless barrage of questions; in my eyes, Laoye was the smartest man...

Name your favorite books, authors, films, and/or artists. (50) Books: On Writing, Gone Girl, Tristan and Isolde, The Kite Runner, A History of the American People, Count of Monte Cristo Authors: Agatha Christie, Paul Johnson, Leo Tolstoy, Arthur Conan Doyle Films: Her, Saving Private Ryan, Kubo and the Two Strings, Forrest Gump Artists: Roy Lichtenstein, Miguel Blay, Edward Hopper What newspapers, magazines, and/or websites do you enjoy? (50) Newspapers: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Arcadia Weekly Magazines:...

Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate -- and us -- know you better. (100-250) Dear Roommate, You don’t know me yet, but that’s okay--I know we’re going to have so much fun in our next four years at Stanford. But before we meet in the fall, I wanted to give you some insight into who I am. ...

From a very young age, books were my solace. I started at my small local library, checking out three dozen books on Saturday, finishing them all by Sunday, and revisiting my favorites throughout the week until Saturday happily came around again. After devouring the humble selection offered by my local library, I cajoled my mother into driving an extra hour every weekend so I could start chipping away at the neighboring town’s larger collection. My life was divided into...

Please tell us what you value most about Columbia and why. (300) (300 Words) When I got a Columbia Blue viewbook in the mail, I didn’t know what to expect. Photographs of Columbia’s stunning campus immediately caught my eye, but the Core was what ultimately captured my mind. As a History major, I’m excited for Contemporary Civilization’s studies of Plato, Machiavelli, the Bible, and Qur’an--while I may not agree with all of the ideas presented, learning how...