Caltech

What three experiences or activities have helped you explore your desire to study and
possibly pursue a career in STEM? (200 words max)

Please list three books, along with their authors, that have been particularly meaningful
to you. For each book, please include a sentence explaining their influence upon you
(200 characters max). Please note that your response is not limited to math, science or
school-assigned texts.

Members of the Caltech community live, learn, and work within an Honor System with
one simple guideline; 'No member shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the
Caltech community.' While seemingly simple, questions of ethics, honesty and integrity
are sometimes puzzling. Share a difficult situation that has challenged you. What was
your response, and how did you arrive at a solution? (200 word max)

Caltech students have long been known for their quirky sense of humor, whether it be
through planning creative pranks, building elaborate party sets, or even the year-long
preparation that goes into our annual Ditch Day. Please describe an unusual way in
which you have fun. (200 word max)

In an increasingly global and interdependent society, there is a need for diversity in

thought, background, and experience in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity of Caltech's
community? (200 word max)

Scientific exploration clearly excites you. Beyond our 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio and our
intense focus on research opportunities, how do you believe Caltech will best fuel your
intellectual curiosity and help you meet your goals? (500 word max)

Case
Nothing!!

Duke
If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as a first year applicant, please
discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke.
(Please limit your response to no more than 150 words.)

(Optional) Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the
wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our
community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've
had to help us understand you better-perhaps related to a community you belong to,
your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background-we
encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our
best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 word limit)

Georgia Tech
Beyond rankings, location, and athletics, why are you interested in attending Georgia
Tech? (max 150 words)

A Georgia Tech experience and education provides you an unbound future. What will
yours be? (max 150 words)

Georgia Tech's motto is: "Progress & Service." In 25 words or less, what is your personal
motto?

Harvard
Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.

You may wish to include an additional essay if you feel that the college application forms do not
provide sufficient opportunity to convey important information about yourself or your
accomplishments. You may write on a topic of your choice, or you may choose from one of the
following topics:
- Unusual circumstances in your life
- Travel or living experiences in other countries
- What you would want your future college roommate to know about you
- An intellectual experience (course, project, book, discussion, paper, poetry, or research topic
in engineering, mathematics, science or other modes of inquiry) that has meant the most to you
- How you hope to use your college education
- A list of books you have read during the past twelve months
Please note: If you do not intend to provide a response to this optional question, you do
not need to submit the writing supplement. If you encounter any problems submitting
your application, please upload a document that says Not Applicable and hit submit.

Princeton
2015 Qs not yet available
2014:
Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences that was
particularly meaningful to you. (About 150 words)

Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or vacations between school years),
including any jobs you have held. (About 150 words)

Your favorite book and its author:

Your favorite movie:
Your favorite website:
Two adjectives your friends would use to describe you:
Your favorite recording:
Your favorite keepsake or memento:
Your favorite source of inspiration:
Your favorite word:

In addition to the essay you have written for the Common Application, please write an essay of
about 500 words (no more than 650 words and no less than 250 words). Using one of the
themes below as a starting point, write about a person, event, or experience that helped you
define one of your values or in some way changed how you approach the world. Please do not
repeat, in full or in part, the essay you wrote for the Common Application.
1. Tell us about a person who has influenced you in a significant way
2. One of the great challenges of our time is that the disparities we face today have more
complex causes and point less straightforwardly to solutions. Omar Wasow, Assistant
Professor, Politics; Founder, Blackplanet.com This quote is taken from Professor
Wasow's January 2014 speech at the Martin Luther King Day celebration at Princeton
University
3. Princeton in the Nations Service was the title of a speech given by Woodrow Wilson
on the 150th anniversary of the University. It became the unofficial Princeton motto and
was expanded for the Universitys 250th anniversary to Princeton in the nations service
and in the service of all nations. Woodrow Wilson, Princeton Class of 1879, served on
the faculty and was Princetons president from 19021910
4. Culture is what presents us with the kinds of valuable things that can fill a life. And
insofar as we can recognize the value in those things and make them part of our lives,
our lives are meaningful. Gideon Rosen, Stuart Professor of Philosophy, chair of the
Council of the Humanities and director of the Program in Humanistic Studies, Princeton
University.
5. Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years
as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of
your values or changed how you approach the world. Please write the quotation, title
and author at the beginning of your essay.

Purdue
Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (25 word
minimum)

How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom?
(Respond in 100 words or fewer.)

Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected. (Respond in 100 words
or fewer.)

Stanford
Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.

Briefly respond to the following seven inquiries so we can get to know you better. Do not
feel compelled to use complete sentences.
Name your favorite books, authors, films, and/or artists. (50 word limit)

What newspapers, magazines, and/or websites do you enjoy? (50 word limit)

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (50 word limit)

How did you spend your last two summers? (50 word limit)

What were your favorite events (e.g., performances, exhibits, competitions, conferences, etc.) in
recent years? (50 word limit)

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 word limit)

What five words best describe you?

Short essays
Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been
important to your intellectual development. (100 to 250 words)

Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate
that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate and us know you better.
(100 to 250 words)

What matters to you, and why? (100 to 250 words)

The Ohio State University

University Honors and Ohio State Scholars: How would your five-year-old self see you
today? Considering your past experiences and your future ambitions, who do you feel you are
becoming now? In what ways are those two images congruent, or divergent?
(350-500 words)

Office of Diversity and Inclusions Morrill Scholars Program: Diversity is dynamic and
inclusive; a destination and a pathway we travel to model 21st century global citizenship.
Diversity matters because the exchange of ideas matter and because no one person or group
has all the answers; it helps us to know ourselves in all our multiple dimensions and know each
other better.
Based on your own knowledge, awareness, and experience, in what ways is diversity important
to your personal, academic, or career goals and how have you successfully leveraged,
enhanced, and promoted diversity and other cross-cultural relationships among your peers and
non-peers. (To learn more about the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Morrill Scholars
Program visit odi.osu.edu.)
(350-500 words)

University of Chicago
Choose one of the seven extended essay options and upload a one- or two- page response.I
In the spirit of historically adventurous inquiry, to celebrate the University of Chicagos 125th
anniversary, please feel free to select from any of our past essay questions, available at
http://pastessays.uchicago.edu

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind
of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and
how they relate to UChicago.

(Optional) Share with us a few of your favorite books, poems, authors, films, plays, pieces of
music, musicians, performers, paintings, artists, blogs, magazines, or newspapers. Feel free to
touch on one, some, or all of the categories listed, or add a category of your own.

University of Michigan
If you could only do one of the activities you have listed in the Activities section of your Common
Application, which one would you keep doing? Why? (Required for all applicants. Approximately
100 words)

Essay #1 (Required for all applicants. Approximately 250 words)

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things)
shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual
heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community
and your place within it.

Essay #2 (Required for all applicants. 500 words maximum)

Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School
(including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the
University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?

University of Southern California

USC students are known to be involved. Briefly describe a non-academic pursuit (such as
service to community or family, a club or sport, or work, etc.,) that best illustrates who you are,
and why it is important to you. (250 word limit)

Describe your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at USC. Please feel free to
address your first- and second-choice major selections (250 word limit).

One liners:
Describe yourself in three words.
First Word:
Second word:
Third word:
Favorite food:
Favorite fictional character:
Greatest invention of all time:
What do you like to do for fun?
Role model:
Favorite book:
Best movie of all time:
Favorite musical performer/band or composer:
Dream job:
While scientists yearn to discover the world that exists, Engineers and Computer Scientists seek
to create the world that never was. Our faculty and students believe collaborative teams are the
key to great accomplishments. Please describe a time in your life (academic, co-curricular, or
otherwise) where you had to collaborate to accomplish more than you could alone. (250 word
limit)

Vanderbilt University
Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.
Upload resume

Yale
2015 Qs not yet available
2014:
Please answer the following question in 100 words or less.
1.) What in particular about Yale has influenced your decision to apply?

Please respond in 250 characters (roughly 40 words) or fewer to each of the questions below:
What excites you intellectually, really?

Think about a disappointment you have experienced. What was your response?

Suite-style living - four to six students sharing a set of rooms - may be an integral part of
your Yale College experience. What would you contribute to the dynamic of your suite?

5a.) In this essay, please reflect on something you would like us to know about you that we
might not learn from the rest of your application, or on something about which you would like to
say more. You may write about anythingfrom personal experiences or interests to intellectual
pursuits. (Please answer in 500 words or less). Before you begin, we encourage you to go to
http://admissions.yale.edu/essay, where you will find helpful advice.