To become an auxiliary officer, applicants must be at least 17, be able to read and write English and have no previous arrests.

Expert tips to help grant applicants write strong applications.

First, applicants are asked to research and write a report and a comment.

One recent applicant wrote: "Low-rent apartments, quality public education, people-friendly police, no rats and Barneys back downtown."

For the essay and performance exam portions, applicants traditionally wrote them using pen and paper or typed them on a typewriter.

Traditionally, applicants were required to take written and oral exams in both mathematics and physics, write an essay, and have an interview with the faculty.

One applicant wrote: "My bag is packed and I'm ready to go.

To protect the security of the credit card number, the applicant must not write the credit card number on the registration application.

The applicants then write essays about which two studies best suit them.

College admission officers counsel that successful applicants write entrance essays detailing how they overcame adversity.