I am a hardworking perfectionist; however, I also constantly misplace my homework and have a creatively distinct, sometimes illogical rationale. I dare to fail, to forge my own opportunities and, most importantly, to pursue my dreams and aspirations. My parents were always at the top of their classes throughout their academic careers. Their academic achievement is a common household topic. I almost considered academic success to be a gene I inherited, as my eighth-grade-self excelled in all things scholastic. I...

A car swerves to the left and into the shoulder of the road, where it continues at a speed that I think is probably just below that of what you would see at a NASCAR event. Another car squeezes into our lane, a few inches behind our car's bumper. Police are setting up flares about 100 feet in front of us. I am unfazed. I am one of a few hundred thousand people who commute across the San Francisco Bay on...

This was from a UC essay prompt: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are? I also used this essay for a University of Texas essay prompt. I decided to write about the creation my daily commute routine. Figuring out what to do with an hour in the car every day was a...

Rank is most important by far. Try to write the best essays you can possibly write...

UT had an excellent (top 10!) program in my major--chemical engineering. I was actually admitted to colleges that technically had better engineering departments and chemical engineering rankings, but I decided that UT was the best fit for me. The students and Austinites are so friendly and welcoming. You don't feel like your classmates are going to rip out your eyes and sabotage your work like in many other top-tier schools. Students are very collaborative. UT also has a great...

I thought it would be a good idea to make one of these. Lots of people ask me why I declined UC Berkeley. There's no doubt that it's programs are top-tier, and it was cheaper for me to go there in-state as well. My answer is fit. You want...

First, I looked at rank. I wanted to go to a school with a good program for my major. Look at multiple sources and check their methods for scoring, because some sources will weigh factors that may or may not be important to you. Then, I looked at student reviews. College prowler was a great website for this. You can get to know...

I was initially deferred at UMich (along with most of the early applications). I...