“Pit-a-pat pit-a-pat pit-a-pat,” the approaching footsteps motioned across the hardwood floors of the dormitory. “What on earth are you doing there!” the dorm mother Ms. Chen screamed as she banged furiously and adamantly against the wooden door. The dorm rules were that lights were to be turned off by 9:45 pm, and that everyone was supposed to be in bed after that time. But here I found myself, at 11:30 pm, reading my AP United States History textbook with the aid of...

Why Cornell. It was in 1865 that the philanthropist Ezra Cornell emphatically proclaimed, “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.” And with this bold statement he endowed several colleges in state of New York. Fast-forward a century and a half, and Mr. Cornell’s vision of this paradigmatic institution has undoubtedly come to fruition in the form of Cornell University. At Cornell, more so than many of its Ivy League counterparts, its academic prowess...

MIT Short questions: 1. We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do for the pleasure of it. (*)(100 words or fewer) Its one in the morning, and as I stare at the pile of assignments on my desk, I am engulfed with helplessness. Instead of allowing the tasks at hand to overwhelm me, I am able through Yoga Meditation to rein in any sort of negative emotional...

Fashion Design Holding two brushes in my hand and one between my teeth, I stood in the bedroom-turned-studio, adding the final touches to my “masterpiece”. After 25 hours of nonstop work, my normally pristine room had morphed into a hopelessly cluttered space. But I, scruffy and sleep-deprived, felt great. On the drawing board lay my entry for China’s 2nd Fashion Design Competition–a denim jacket with a zipper off-center, seven others adorning the pants, and a brown belt adding a...

I received a full scholarship from the University of Rochester. This generous grant comes with an opportunities to closely bond with other award winners and the school's high admission officers. As a personal friend of the Dean of Admissions, we often talked about current trends in the applicant pool and especially about the thousands of applications we receive each other from my native country - China. ...