The place in which I am most content is the kitchen. I spoke of cooking as a means of experimentation and building upon failures as well as the exploration of cultures.

I wrote about specific opportunities at Penn that intrigued me. I also elaborated on how I would leverage Penn's resources to create an impact. Most importantly, I connected my experiences and aspiration to Penn.

I personally think that, along with a strong display of extracurricular interests, an applicant's essays can make the most impact on an admissions officer. While GPAs and standardized test scores are important for the purpose of showing colleges that you can handle the rigorous academic environment, what set you apart from the thousands of other applicants in a pile are your essays. My personal statement, about cooking, exposed an ability and passion not found anywhere else in my application. Moreover,...

I did use a private admissions counselor. I'm a rather last minute person,...