Blood is thicker than water, but it can drown, destroy, and ruin just as easily. Fighting the tide of one’s blood has two options alone: you become swept away and conform into whatever destiny awaits you in the waters, or you reach the shore a fighter, emerging a victor with every ache and bout of fatigue. Defying family is bittersweet, you are fighting those who raised you to become the person you are. It is a struggle I fight,...

I am applying to the College of Arts and Sciences intending to major in Visual Studies with a double minor in Consumer Psychology and Fine Arts. The Visual Studies major is unique and unlike any major I have come across in my college hunt; I am fascinated by the program and the courses it entails, and since I want to pursue a career in the graphics and digital communications field in the future along with illustration and other freelance work,...

I am applying to the College of Arts and Sciences intending to major in Visual Studies with a double minor in Consumer Psychology and Fine Arts. The Visual Studies major is unique and unlike any major I have come across in my college hunt; I am fascinated by the program and the courses it entails, and since I want to pursue a career in the graphics and digital communications field in the future along with illustration and other freelance work,...

If you are writing about specific programs or research opportunities that draw you here, make it personal....

I had an interview for Georgetown and UPenn, both were very similar in the fact that they were very casual and laid-back, as I was repeatedly told by both interviewers that interviews were never meant to be "make or break" and are meant to only get a sense of who you are, of your interests, etc. Interviews are supposedly supposed to only help you. I was lucky to have two...

Ambitious. Driven. Intelligent. Diligent. Self-conscious. In order to get into Penn, of course you must be a driven and self-motivated student with big dreams, someone with big dreams eager to tell their story. Everyone here, to some degree, whether they know it or not, strives to be at the top and prove their worth or to demonstrate their prowess. Yes, the students here are all intelligent and smart in their own rights, to varying degrees and in differing fields, and so the competitive nature is high. Diligence...

Greek life, cultural clubs/communities, and business/law/pre-med/healthcare...

I did not use any private admissions counselor and researched schools entirely on my own. As someone who did not know where to begin in even researching schools towards the end of my junior year of high school, I can definitely say the...