My common app essay went viral when I got into all 8 Ivy League Universities and every other college I applied to (17 total). I chose the best one-Yale University-& graduated in 2021 with a double major in Ethnicity, Race & Migration + Theater Studies.
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Fun facts: - diehard SoCal 626 foodie - kickboxer, pole dancer, pickleballer & Expert+ on Beat Saber - pursuing TV & playwriting - fav kid reporter interviews: Chris Evans, Lin Manuel Miranda, Lana Condor, Emma Watson, Austin Butler, & Kermit the Frog - visited 11 countries in my Amsterdam study abroad semester-all on Yale's dime - offer 1:1 college essay coaching: cassandracollegecoaching.com - Luke 1:45
My dad did this. He asked where his old high school was (it gave the right answer) and then when he asked what the acronym meant it completely made some random guy up.
White people are so crazy over this Ivy leak and these popular higher universities. My husband went to a community college and get his associate and transferred it to a four year and working with people who went onto the top universities and making the same or more salary. Need to realize that after all, your work ethics matters when you’re in real life not you to get your degree
I absolutely love how much you bring up how God has helped you and given you these opportunities. How much did you include your faith in your application (and do you have any advice on where to include it)?
I wrote about it in my UC apps--volunteering in Sunday School! www.cassandracollegecoaching.com/cassandraessays/uc-essays One of my students this past year also talked about his leadership within our church's high school youth group as well as his school's Christian club for one of his PIQ's and he got into UCLA :) I think faith/beliefs can come up quite naturally in any question that asks about an "element" of personal experience! Or perhaps even in a leadership/community question.
I want to go to artificial intelligence at UPENN from iran and I've done few arduio projects and as i did them by my own and not going to classes i learned them from youtube do i have a chance?
I dont understand people whp over apply themselves and then think they NEED to get into an ivy league dchool to do 4 more years [or more] of suicide inducing lectures, classes, papers, ans stress. Live your damn life. In the end, we're all dust and bone.
Getting into all the ivies is quite a feat and I must say reading and listening to you read your essays you really have a way with words. As a writer myself, I believe one major flaw of students’ writing comes down to them not being taught how to write conversationally. As a result, they struggle with college essays and also cover letters for jobs. They don’t know how to express themselves in writing because of the strict nature of academic writing which is what students are taught in high school and middle school.
Thank you! I totally agree--the "five paragraph structure" has really narrowed students' perceptions of what writing can be. I think the students who write well READ a lot outside of school and get a broader understanding of what good writing looks like.
Here’s what I mean: Good storytelling doesn't tell us what to think at the end. Good storytelling allows us to come to our own conclusions. Trust that your college admissions officer is smart enough to know the lessons you learned from the story you're telling in your essay. And if you're unsure about their takeaway-that probably means the way you told your story isn't strong enough! Beware of sentences that summarize what you've learned or how you grew. They're often redundant and cliche-if anyone could've written those sentences, it's a sure sign to reevaluate that sentence to make it more specific to you and your situation, or toss it entirely! Of course your essay needs a conclusion. But not like the type of conclusion sentences that we are often taught in school!
what if i feel like my conclusion paragraph helps wrap up my essay? like i kind of use my conclusions to emphasize my diverse experiences and the lessons i learned through what i described. does that still make it bad?
I don’t love a conclusion paragraph because in my opinion it undercuts the work of the entire essay itself! If the esssay is truly show not tell, readers should implicitly walk away with what you learned. Think about your favorite stories and characters-authors don’t usually summarize what they learned, because we see it/experience it with them throughout their journey!
i applied to 3 dream schools, 7 safety schools and 2 schools which you can say are below safety and a backup incase even safety doesnt happen ˘which was a low probability considering my 9.6GPA and electronic keyboards and athletic certifications yes but i'm not a risk taker) result: i got into 1 of 3 of dream schools, 6/7 safety schools and both the extra ones. obviously chose my dream school.
Sometimes I regret it bc a lot of my friends have ended up in long term solid relationships they formed during college! But I also don’t regret it because I was able to live a fulfilling single life in college: learning independence, making the best friends, getting comfortable w being by myself and getting to know myseld
Singleness I think is a gift! Of course there are periods when I’m lonely but it’s a good time to get to know myself and take myself out on dates like to the movies or Broadway or restaurants so my enjoyment isn’t dependent on the company of others! So I regret being tunnel visioned focusing on my studies but I also loved my time being single in college
