I had many enemies as a child. Spiders, nail clippers, eye drops - such were the demons that set out to ruin my life. But none - not one single thing - did I despise as much as I did vegetables. My hatred toward vegetables wasn't the shallow, momentary fear of a child, nor was it a short-lived attempt to be rebellious. It lasted over a decade: 11 long years that resulted in both the deterioration of my health and a...

"I don't want to be just one thing." Tobias Eaton's declaration rings clear and defiant in Veronica Roth's bestseller, Divergent. However, though spoken by a rebellious, fictional character from a dystopian fantasy novel, these words hold real meaning. Growing up, I've admired my father for his knowledge: not only its depth, but also its breadth. While we stargazed, he would teach me about the mythology of constellations or the physics of light particles. While we hiked, he would explain the...

PROMPT: Choice 1: “Scientific research is human endeavor. The choices of topics that we research are based on our biases, our beliefs, and what we bring: our cultures and our families. The kinds of problems that people put their talents to solving depends on their values.” - Dr. Clifton Poodry - How has your own background influenced the type s of problems you want to solve? ************************************************************ "I hate Japan." My mother's face twitches slightly as she represses a scowl. She's been...

I guess the first step to my essay process was simply coming up with the topics - as anyone would. However, in my case, I was so keen to be different: to stand out. I wanted to be funny, I wanted to be dramatic, I wanted to be heartwrenching and emotional. I wanted to be everything that I saw in those "incredible Ivy League essays" and yet, I wanted to be different. It took me a long while to realise...

I'll be entirely honest - at first, my top choice was Stanford University. It had always been my "dream school", and with its grand campus and even grander reputation, it was fitting. On top of that, with my confidence in my test results and essays, I was all set to apply to their Early Admission pool. And yet, some 3 weeks before the Early Admission deadline, I decided to...