Newest College Application Essays

As I finished reading the last page of “We Need to Talk About Kevin” by Lionel Shriver, my first thought was, “I can’t wait to review this on my blog.”

I started my blog in the summer before sophomore year, when I’d moved from India to Singapore....

I am a simple person. My dad works with computers, my mom works with food, and ironically, my two favorite things are computers and food. Yet, no matter how hard I try to convince myself that I’m that simple, my thoughts always wander into the...

When I look back at the videos of my so-called dance performances as a 5-year old, I feel my soul cringe. Little 5-year-old Tara had herself convinced that even Beyonce couldn’t hold a candle to her dance moves. Why did my mother allow me to make...

“Alright, let’s go again. No sleep till it’s perfect.” A collective groan filled the room when our music Guru asked us to practice the beats for the tenth time in the past two hours. We were exhausted from continuous practice and little sleep;...

This summer, I fell for someone. Her name? India. This is our story:

In line with the classic enemies-to-lovers trope, we started as haters. Growing up, I dreaded the trip my family took to India every five years. I hated how dirty it was. I hated...

“But I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake!” we screamed at the top of our lungs as we danced and shook our bodies to the beat of the music, realizing we had just been on a three-hour long roller coaster of song, dance, emotion, and wonder with...

"Are you sure you want that one? You might not like it, and I won't be getting you another book this week." It was getting late, and my mother was making her final attempt to convince me to get a more age-appropriate book.

Nevertheless, I was...

In 3rd grade, I used to carry a copy of my passport to school. My after-school program teacher once asked me where I was from. “The US,” I replied. She dismissed my answer, insisting “Where are you really from?” Tired of the constant dismissal and...

I pushed with all my might, exhaling slowly as my arms trembled, but I still couldn’t complete the pushup. I was embarrassed; I felt weak—physically and mentally.

Searching for tips for building strength and getting into shape, I was surprised by...

I was completely relaxed in the silence and darkness that surrounded me underwater. Holding my breath for minutes, I pushed past my limits, fighting the urge to emerge, knowing this was my only chance. When I eventually surfaced from the water, I...

A globe of diverging genres. An all-encompassing haven that houses birthdays, family time, dates, anniversaries, or simply satisfies a cinephile’s weekly cravings. My thirst for continual experiences within the realms of comfort and tranquility...

“Pass me a new toothbrush please!” I heard my father shout. As I opened the bathroom drawer, I was taken aback- why does it look like my family owns a toiletry business? Our drawer was stacked with a range of toothbrushes, soaps in different...

While we discussed how the Roman empire helps examine identity, I was disheartened that ToK lessons were coming to an end with the course of IBDP. This was until I discovered Columbia’s core curriculum. Divergently debating external focalization...

I carefully pour matcha into my glass mug, watching as the mug’s ice cubes go from reflecting sunlight to deflecting tea. The matcha rose latte I perfected consists of three clean stripes: red from the homemade rose syrup at the bottom, white from...

Overtime, I witnessed the story of my mother's hands, paintings of the Mekong River map, etched with the scars of countless knife cuts. Layered upon these scars were rugged patches of skin, evidence of hours spent toiling over heavy chores. Her...

Growing up in Vietnam, I witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of unchecked industrial growth on the environment. The widespread pollution and its impact on my community ignited a deep desire within me to seek solutions that could...

The classroom was abuzz with whispers as I entered, an outsider in this unfamiliar setting. A poised, fashionably dressed girl eyed me up and down, her gaze dripping with disdain. "And how did you manage to find your way here?" she sneered, her...

As the plates clicked and voices grew louder, our heated debate overshadowed the familial bond that had always brought us closer at the dinner table. Once again, my mother and I found ourselves entangled in a recurring discussion regarding gender...

Growing up in a family that owned a hotel, I was immersed in the business world from a young age. Witnessing my parents build their business from the ground up instilled in me a deep fascination with the intricacies of business management. As I...

“It was a poor election campaign from Lionel Jospin.” I narrowed my eyes in skepticism at the latest sentence in my History essay, searching for a more precise phrase. “It was a consistently underwhelming campaign from Lionel Jospin.” Satisfied...

Angry Bohemian citizens throw their government officials out the window not once, not twice, but three times to protest rights violations. A future French Prime Minister escapes an enemy army besieging Paris by hot air balloon. A disgruntled...

“All Level 5s, gather in the middle of the parade square!”

As the oldest members assembled, I noticed how compact of a circle we formed. There remained no more than 11 of the 120 rowdy 12-year-olds that had packed four classrooms so long ago. Yet,...

I know you might’ve been wondering. Yes, the “C” is silent. You can call me Cajabo, Sophia, Cajabo-Sophia, or some nickname. You can switch back and forth, too (underrated option). Having one of the most common names and a name most people haven't...

As we biked past our neighborhood’s many red and blue election signs, my friends began relentlessly mocking the uselessness of voting in the upcoming election when the same old parties win every time. We left the signs behind in the dust, but my...