The first time I met Chances he was too shy to look up at me, so he smiled at his frayed shoelaces. I knelt down to his height while I asked him if he would sit with me on the bench in the classroom’s “library.” He simply nodded and walked away, shushing his friends that teased him for being with a girl. The books he laid out in front of us had one sentence per page and large pictures,...

Prompt was to describe two school related passions that you have and how Cornell would be right for what you want to pursue. I wrote about my passion for languages (Spanish and French) and how Cornell's study abroad with the University of Paris would be great. I also wrote about my passion for writing would flourish in Cornell's creative arts program.

Be very specific. Don't say things like this school would be great for me because I want...

Just because you got an A in a class doesn't mean that you should get that teacher to write you a recommendation....