Furman University

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? I slowed my car outside of the soup kitchen and looked at the parking lot. There was … Read moreSelfishness

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. I stared down at my bowl of coarse, mushy oatmeal as everyone surrounding me at the table began to devour their overflowing plates … Read more10 Days of Veganism

Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. He reached out, unfurled his hand, and looked up at me with what can only be described as a look of … Read moreComing Full Circle

A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you. For the past three years, I have been … Read moreReligious Diversity

Common Application: General topic of your choice. “Click. Click. Click. Click.” sounded the metal balls as they ricocheted off one another. I had just begun to play with my “Newton’s Cradle”, a gift that my father had given to me moments prior. A bug-eyed, eight-year-old version of myself thought, “This is amazing. I need to … Read moreFigure It Out

In his inaugural speech in 2005, Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch praised the University for its commitment to liberal arts education, character development, and diversity, and described Wake Forest as “a vibrant learning community, one that weds knowledge and experience.” How might your education, background, values, and life experiences contribute to the Wake … Read moreThe Power of Pain

Common Application: General topic of your choice. I’m sure I have the visiting team’s attention by the time I finish my first lap around the soccer field. Standing in a circle, contemplating my presence, they venture guesses quietly, “Cross country? Lost? Girl’s soccer?” Finishing my second lap, I can always feel them looking at me, … Read moreWatch Me

Describe a time you dealt with a moral problem that you treated differently the second time you faced it. St. Augustine tells us, “It is not true to say that a thing rightly done once should not be changed.” I know this is true because of my experience with my grandfather’s failing health. My grandfather, … Read moreIgnoring Apples