Stanford: 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. (250 word limit.) 234-word version Hey, roommate! ...Despite my ardor for computer..

Cornell: What are some of your most notable awards, honors, or achievements in academic or extracurricular areas? If any is especially important to you, tell us why. 131-word version: Receiving two commendations for being an honor student during my senior year was one of my best academic achi..

Cornell: Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. 292-word version: Undecided or Liberal Arts-oriented – Cornell Mathematics was my ardor, life, and goal. In childhood, I did not go to private tutoring classes for math that were and sti..

Columbia: Please tell us what you find most appealing about Columbia and why: 212-word version: I initially thought of Columbia as a tough school where no one would stop to hold my hand and ask me what I wanted... In terms of academics, Columbia’s incomparable Core Curriculum attrac..

NYU: Many students decide to apply to NYU because of our New York City location. Apart from the New York City location, please tell us why you feel NYU will be a good match for you. (750 characters) 620-character version: I decided to apply to NYU for several different reasons. First, which s..

Johns Hopkins: If you had a full day with no commitments, no homework, no home responsibilities, and only the money in your pocket, what would you do? Where would you go? Whom would you take with you? 212-word version: If money―and, as a matter of course, time―were no object, I would build..