When I first came to this country, I knew not a word of English. My mother’s diligent (and successful) efforts to teach me to read at three suddenly dissolved in the face of American preschoolers who could not understand my Spanish. The situation was simple to this teary-eyed toddler. This new American life was defined by walls: barriers of language and culture. The walls of our home in Mexico City were the color of maize, not the dingy gray...

"Write an autobiography of the letter M" Throughout my life I never stood out much. Even in the song, I’m stuck in that fast part that little kids think is its own letter: “ehlemenohpee”. I’m one of 20 consonants (or 21, depending on the kind of day Y is having). Being the 14th most popular letter in written English keeps me in the middle, and I’m okay with that: mediocre, median, middling. Honestly, I don’t like a lot...

Brown University: I experienced Brown University at Summer@Brown's leadership institute. For two weeks I lived in Perkins Hall, took classes, and explored campus. The names of campus streets immediately peaked my interest: Prospect, Hope, and Benevolence. My experience at Brown, as well as my research of the university, corroborated these values. Learning about leadership for social change taught me about global causes and methods of social justice mobilization. At Brown University I see passion, development, and community. For example,...

In my life, I hope to become a bastion of everyday kindness. I want to be the stranger in line who pays for your coffee, the holder of doors on a rushed morning. Life lies in the details; I believe in the importance of small gestures. I’ll be the one to answer my phone in the early morning hours, just because you need to talk. I’ll listen. I’ll do it with no expectation of reward or favor....

Driven, Internally Motivated, Outgoing, Confident ...

Harvard knows it's one of the top universities in the world. If you want to go there,...

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Used an admissions counselor provided by my school. She was supportive and realistic. She...

The campus environment can seem a lot like home, depending on who...