Inca-Viking I closed my eyes, shielding myself from the harsh brightness of the La Paz hospital lights. The last few hours were a blur. Sleeping in the back seat, long, dark road, then jolting, dirt, rocks under the tires -- blackness. A dark ambulance ride, “No se duerma!” -- don’t sleep. Now, flat on my back in the ER, all I was wondering was how soon I could get back with my group, to finish my marine biology trip...

Why are you here and now somewhere else? I am here because I can’t be in two places at once. That’s definitely a law of physics or some kind of science I don’t know much about, but that’s the short answer to why I’m not somewhere else, or lots of other places. To know why I’m here, on Earth, in America, in California, in Berkeley, at my house sitting on my favorite worn leather...

University of Chicago combines everything that I could hope for in a school. The liberal-arts curriculum, plethora of distinguished professors, location, housing system, intellectual rigor, and quirkiness there all convince me that UChicago is the perfect school for me. I am very interested in Economics, and it would be it would be amazing to study under Nobel Laureates such as Lars Peter Hansen or Eugene Fama in the renowned Economics department. I hope to eventually work in an international field,...

I was lost. Utterly and completely lost. After wandering the narrow, cobblestoned streets of Viterbo, Italy for almost an hour, I could confidently say that I had no idea which way was home. On this second day of school in a new country, I had yet to learn these winding, medieval streets; the city’s labyrinthine design was intentional, to confuse invaders and outsiders. At that moment, that was me -- an outsider. Eventually I found my way home, to...

What are some of your favorite things? I would say that some of my favorite things are raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, white copper kettles, and warm woolen mittens. In all seriousness though, The Sound of Music is one of my favorite musicals. When I was younger, my family sat down countless times to watch and sing along to it. As I grew older, I started understanding the sobering circumstances surrounding the plot, which only made me appreciate it...

For my personal statement, I chose to cover a couple different topics: my car accident, subsequent experience in Italy, and my family and culture. Since I was also applying to UCs, I split my essay in two and then expanded upon each piece. I think this was a successful strategy. Recycling essays, or pieces of essays, can make applying to various school easier. More advice for writing essays that I incorporated: -Open with a moment, an experience: put the reader...

Traveling abroad, especially with service programs, is a great idea. Not only is it super fun, it gives great experiences to write about for college essays. If that is...

Research the school! Look up professors and classes you want to take, maybe read a book that the professor...

Although I started my personal statement the summer before senior...

Pick someone who knows you well. If it's a teacher that might not know you as well outside the classroom, either write up a little about yourself or talk...

These all factored largely into my decision: -Money. UChicago offered me my full tution covered, and student loans haunt you for years. -Location. I'd grown...

UChicago has a very different feel and personality than most of the other elite schools -- UChicago was actually invited to join the Ivy League...