“Tackled on the play by… Yang?” That’s been a phrase that I’ve come to love over the past four years. Hearing it over the loudspeakers at away football games makes me strive to prove myself even more. And hearing those words said emphatically over the loudspeaker at home games reminds me of the setbacks I faced to get there. I remember the incredulous look on my math teacher’s face at the end of 8th grade, when he...

On one knee, I take a hand on each side. To my left, our starting Left Tackle from Nigeria mutters “Amen,” shapes a cross on his chest and looks up. To my right, Phil, half Indian and our starting Linebacker, squeezes my hand and stands up. This is what I have gone through every Friday night in the fall for the past three years. The football coaches and players huddle together before kickoff and we pray, silently, each in our...

Unlike the other parts of your application, your essay gives you the opportunity for your personal voice to shine through. With this in mind, have a few of your select family/friends edit your essay, but always ensure that your voice shines through in the writing. In addition, it is often best to follow the mantra of "show, don't tell." More specifically, it is possible to claim that you show good leadership skills, persevere, or don't give up in the...

"Depth, not breadth" was a phrase that I heard from my mentors over and over throughout high school, but it did not truly resonate until after I had the chance to look back on my college application process. I became deeply immersed in all of the activities that I was involved in, allowing me to secure leadership positions in them (captain of track & field and football...