Chapter 1 25 Essay Mistakes that Guarantee Failure 1
Chapter 2 Ivy League Admissions Officer Q&A 13
Chapter 3 Academic Passion 21
"Bacon" 21
"Beyond Plug-and-Chug Math" by Anonymous 24
"A Different Kind of Love" 26
"From Flaubert to Frisbee" 29
"Raising the Bar" by Anonymous 32
Chapter 4 Books/Literature 35
"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" 35
Chapter 5 Career 39
"Puzzles" by Anonymous 39
"Addressing Injustices" 42
"My Unpopular Decision" 44
"Healing Beyond Borders" 46
"Scientific Sparks" 48
"Researching Cancer" by Anonymous 50
Chapter 6 Entrepreneurship 53
"The Computer Doctor" 53
Chapter 7 Challenges 57
"Unshakable Worth" 57
"No Longer Invisible" 60
"Power of People" 63
"Self Mind" 66
"A Summer of Stem Cells" 69
"All Worth It" by Anonymous 72
Chapter 8 Community Service 75
"Music from the Heart" by Anonymous 75
"Precious Planet" 77
"Cuddle Buddies" 80
"Best Reader" 82
Chapter 9 Family 87
"Box of Chocolates" 87
"Dear Santa" by Anonymous 91
"Lessons from the Immigration Spectrum" by Anonymous 93
Chapter 10 Heritage and Identity 97
"Heritage" by Anonymous 97
"Abuelo" 100
"Anything Goes" 102
"Strength from Family Struggles" by Anonymous 104
Chapter 11 Humor 109
"Exit Door" 109
"Crime Scene Report" 111
Chapter 12 An Influential Person 115
"John Nash" 115
"Then and Now: How the Perseverance of a Working, Single Mother Molded the Persona of her Chinese-American Daughter" 118
Chapter 13 Issues 123
"Sustainable Development in South Africa" 123
"A Young Voice for Seniors" 126
Chapter 14 Leadership 129
"Birthing a Business" 129
"Beyond Dictionary Definitions of Leadership" 132
Chapter 15 Personal Growth 137
"Beauty" by Anonymous 137
"Keeping up with the Beat of the Drum" 140
"Hurricane Transformations" 142
"The House on Wellington Avenue" 145
Chapter 16 Talent 149
"A Dramatic Coup" 149
"Music as My Second Language" 150
"My Bedroom" 153
"A Special Performance" by Anonymous 155
Chapter 17 Travel 157
"Extra Page" 157
"Looking Beyond the Castle" 160
Chapter 18 Vignette 163
"Polar Bears" 163
"Moving" 165
Chapter 19 Why Our College 169
"Exploring Life's Intricacies" 169
"Leveraging Potential" 171
"Inspiration from an Energy Conversion Machine" by Anonymous 174
Chapter 20 Wait List Letter 177
"Wait List Supplement" 177
Chapter 21 Advice on Topics from Ivy League Students 181
Chapter 22 Advice on Writing from Ivy League Students 199
Chapter 23 What I Learned from Writing the Essay 215
About the Authors 230