MIT: What attribute of your personality are you most proud of, and how has it impacted your life so far? This could be your creativity, effective leadership, sense of humor, integrity, or anything else you`d like to tell us about. (200-250 words)

248-word version: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
...Every time I complain about them, my friends and family remind me that flat-footed people can indeed succeed with persistence and determination...

Stanford: Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development. (2000 characters)

1976-character version: Stanford
Jisung Park, a world-class athlete of the English Premiere League soccer team Manchester United, and I share many common traits. We both hail from Korea, love playing soccer (not that I play as well as him), and have flat feet...

Harvard: Occasionally, students feel that college application forms do not provide sufficient opportunity to convey important information about themselves or their accomplishments. If there is something you would like us to know, please inform us below. If you wish to include an additional essay, you may do so.

Possible Topics:
- Unusual circumstances in your life
- Travel or living experiences in other countries
- Books that have most affected you
- An academic experience (course, project, paper or research topic) that has meant the most to you
- A list of the books you have read during the past twelve months

414-word version: Harvard
Jisung Park, a world-class athlete of the English Premiere League soccer team Manchester United, and I share many things in common. We both hail from Korea, love playing soccer (not that I play as well as him), and...we both have flat feet...

Princeton: If you are interested in pursuing a B.S.E. (Bachelor of Science in Engineering) degree, please write an essay describing why you are interested in studying engineering, any experiences in or exposure to engineering you have had, and how you think the programs in engineering offered at Princeton suit your particular interests. (4000 characters)

3028-character version: Princeton
Jisung Park, a world-class athlete of the English Premiere League soccer team Manchester United, and I share many things in common. We both hail from Korea, love playing soccer (not that I play as well as him), and...we both have flat feet...

U of Michigan: 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? (500 words maximum)

452-word version: U of Michigan—Ann Arbor
Jisung Park, a world-class athlete of the English Premiere League soccer team Manchester United, and I share many common traits. We both hail from Korea, love playing soccer (not that I play as well as him), and have flat feet...

400-word version: U of Michigan—Ann Arbor
Every time I complain about them, my patrons would coax me to recall that flat-footed people do succeed with persistence and determination. But even such pep talks would only rid of my inferiority complex momentarily...