In the over-scheduled haze of adolescence, many teens long to go back to the simpler days of kindergarten, but few actually get to live out this fantasy. However, I am lucky enough that once a week I get to spend my morning in kindergarten and I even get paid to do it. To clarify, I do not just sneak into my synagogue every Sunday morning to relive my childhood; rather, I am a teacher’s aid. As part of my...

(University of Pennsylvania Writing Supplement) I cannot find one sole reason why I decided that I want to become a speech therapist. At first I believed that it came from my love of working with children. Then I thought that maybe it had more to do with my interest in languages and language acquisition. My decision was further reinforced by the Teen Assistance Program through Jewish Learning Venture, a program in the Philadelphia area to teach teenagers how to assist...

(University of Delaware Honors Program Supplement Prompt: Wallace Bacon, an eminent literary scholar, wrote that the liberal arts, or humanities, "are concerned with the question of what makes life worth living." In light of this, tell us about a meaningful work of literature (poetry or prose), piece of music, or work of art, and describe how it illustrates Wallace's point. What is its significance to you personally and/or academically?) No book captures the struggle to answer the question of...

(Dickinson College Writing Supplement) I cannot find one sole reason why I decided that I want to become a speech therapist. At first I believed that it came from my love of working with children. Then I thought that maybe it had more to do with my interest in languages and language acquisition. My decision was further reinforced by the Teen Assistance Program through Jewish Learning Venture, a program in the Philadelphia area to teach teenagers how to assist children...

Two things ensured my acceptance to my top choice school and they were my legacy status and my interview. Not all schools put a lot of weight on being a legacy (having family members who also attended the college you're applying to), but the University of Pennsylvania does. I am actually the third generation of my family to attend Penn: both my mother and her mother attended as well. My grandmother even got three degrees there: her bachelors, masters, and doctorate. That's not to mention my mom's siblings and cousins and other relatives who also attended Penn. Since this is...

To get the best possible letters of recommendation, ask teachers or other adults who have known you for an extended period of time. If you have had a teacher for multiple classes or multiple years, ask them because they have had the opportunity to see you grow as a person. If you can, find recommenders who have seen you in different environments so they can give the colleges you apply to a good idea of not only your academic ability, but also your personality. For...

I did a ton of research on programs and opportunities for each school for which I had to write this type of essay. The more you know about the school, the better an essay you can write about why you actually want to go there. It doesn't just have to be about academics either; if you find that one school has a very green campus for example and that is important, write about that (or whatever makes the college...

Since I was so busy throughout my senior year, I just assumed that I didn't really have time to look through scholarships. I applied to a few, but I found the process of weeding through scholarships...

One thing that I learned after I was accepted at Penn was that the advising program is really incredible. Since it's such a big and illustrious school, I assumed that there would be a less individualized experience and I would be left to fend for my self. I couldn't be more wrong. At least in the College of Arts and Sciences, you get not one, but two advisors, plus a contact in the advising office. One advisor is a member of the faculty or the advising staff and they are your pre-major advisor. You get them the summer before your...