Old Dominion 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? At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, Japanese runner Shizo Kanakuri dropped out midway through the marathon after feeling … Read moreKeep Swimming

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. My hand is moving with a mind of its own in a stream of creative consciousness. It may as well be … Read moreDoodles

Describe an event that exemplifies your life. This year, my family had a surprising new addition: an eleven year-old Chinese boy. No, he isn’t a product of an affair one of my parents had at the Number One China Buffet years back, as joked by various friends. After coming to the U.S. in August, Zhang … Read moreMeet Zhang

Describe a new situation and how you made the best of it. The day I moved to Norfolk was fairly typical of Hampton Roads in the summer: hot and humid. I remember that specifically, probably because our air-conditioning hadn’t yet been turned on in our house. That morning, sometime in mid-July, my sister and I … Read moreMove-In Monopoly

Describe your family. Baseball has taken over my life. I don’t play it, but the game has imposed itself in a different way. With two brothers who play on two teams each and a father who coaches, I seem to be living, breathing and eating baseball every day of my life.Each weekend morning, I awake … Read moreDescribe your family.

Describe yourself as a student. I’m sick of myself. After writing countless drafts of college essays on everything from extreme poverty to playtime in elementary school, I’m sick of the word “I”. Sure, I write a column every month, an editorial here and there, and update my personal blog every few days. Expressing my opinion, … Read moreI’m Sick of Myself