<p>So what did you guys write for your essays? Maybe that’ll help us pass the time… 
</p>
<p>For the common app I wrote about my internal struggles with playing the violin and connected my journey to Natalie Portman’s character in Black Swan. What about everyone else?</p>
<p>@otter101 Awesome idea! My Common App was no more than a 8.5/10, about my experiences as a student diplomat in Finland- I talked about a Finnish word that could not be translated into English and how eventually understanding the word helped me understand the Finnish spirit
Princeton Supplement was a 7.5/10, about the importance of listening to people’s stories . When I interned at a microfinance NGO in China two summers ago, I was put in the position of distributing microfinance loans to villagers in Central China and deciding who should receive what by conducting multiple interviews and listening to their life stories. I chose the quote response prompt, and I admit it was kind of cheesy.</p>
<p>150 word EC and summer essays were pretty straightforward. </p>
<p>@Ambitious19 Those sound amazing… My essays kind of suck. I got so sick of editing them that they sound terrible</p>
<p>I talked about my musical upbringing, especially in a music city, in my Common App, and then my cultural experiences in my Princeton supplement. I thought they are pretty good, idk.</p>
<p>I wrote about my love for woodworking and how it acted as a platform for my creative expression.
For supplements I wrote about my dad and how he influenced me with his humour. </p>
<p>Looks like most people took the “profound” route here. I didn’t trust my writing skills enough to deliver a heavy-handed message. I think both my essays are very lighthearted, and minimally “cheesy”. </p>
<p>@Ambitious19
That sounds like an extraordinary essay topic! I went to Helsinki, Finland a few years ago, and it was lovely.
What did you like about Finland?</p>
<p>For my common app I wrote about my experiences at my favorite place, a camp that I volunteer at for kids with cancers and blood disorders. It was probably a little cheesy sounding but it was completely honest. My princeton supplemental discussed my culture and backstory about my parents being immigrants from Canada and how they do not face adversity for being immigrants because they are white. I think it was unique.</p>
<p>My Common App was about a summer program I went to at Yale. Yes, it probably wasn’t the best idea since Princeton is my top choice and it doesn’t have much to do with my major/academic interests. However, I liked it because it takes a pretty deep approach to the prompt (which…could be confusing unfortunately) and, well, it changed my life - it was the first thing that crossed my mind instinctively 
My supplement was about my strong family culture and how it contrasts with the strangeness of my town. I wrote about how I benefited from both. The engineering essay was okay. I used some cute mathematical analogies in the structure of it. And the others were straightforward.
Looking back, it took me around 3 months to do my Princeton application, and only a week or so for each of my other colleges lol.</p>
<p>@Ambitious19 Sounds amazing! I would admit you already ;)</p>
<p>@ilovethecity AHHH HELSINKI IS AMAZING!! I feel like when people think of Europe, they only think of Paris, London, Rome, Madrid, etcetc and totally ignore these awesome Scandinavian/Nordic cities! My favorite part about Finland would have to be Finnish culture. The concept of “small talk” does not exist, so when people speak, there’s always a meaning and purpose behind it-- petty, sugarcoated conversations rarely take place. </p>
<p>Common app: I did the “tell your own story” prompt as a creative writing piece with the color gray as a main theme, made oblique references to my mental health issues - 8-8.5/10</p>
<p>Princeton engineering: This was a straightforward, heartfelt essay about my love for astronomy, how the TV show Stargate SG-1 got me really interested in STEM, my STEM experiences, and how I want to emulate one of the main characters by being a woman in engineering looking to the stars - 9.5/10</p>
<p>Princeton supplement: Philosophical, about the integration of spirituality and science…I talked about a person who espoused this philosophy and their journey to the bigger picture of the universe beyond just focusing on analysis and numbers - 9-9.5/10</p>
<p>Extracurricular short essay: I managed to make this a creative writing piece about a violin recital but had to cut it down a lot to fit the word requirement - 8-8.5/10, was better in its original longer form</p>
<p>Summer short essay: I just listed everything I did, 7/10 I guess</p>
<p>Ahhh I can’t wait until admissions! I also hadn’t sent in quarter grades - though they would have helped me! Think it’s too late to send them now or should I get them in Monday? I feel like decisions may have already been decided.</p>
<p>For my common app essay I wrote about having to overcome family/personal hardship as well as having to deal with a major concussion freshman year but how I’ve worked to excel regardless of these situations.
Supplement about summer: I wrote about my time at a summer program at Princeton and this last summer at Harvard.
Supplement about theme: I choose the one about Woodrow Wilson’s speech and the motto, tying it back to how I feel it’s relevant to my life. How community service through interact and a trip to Guatemala to build water purification plants for the indigenous people of the area, works toward what Wilson had in mind when he made the speech and how it ties to my own aspirations </p>
<p>@Ambitious19 You mentioned you from Northern Cal? I am always amazed by how supremely qualified most northern cal applicants are. </p>
<p>@mcfrankshc I am! Yeah SF Bay Area students are always competitive, which is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I’m constantly inspired by all the brilliant people around me, but on the other, I’m constantly intimidated by everyone. Also, most of the Bay Area applicants tend to be strong STEM students (which could be attributed to the proximity of Silicon Valley and the heavy Asian American population), while I’m the exact opposite, unfortunately. </p>
<p>Common App: Learning to see my culture through my parents’ lens rather than my peers’ narrow lens and then learning to appreciate and not resent it </p>
<p>Supplement Essay: Picked the one about the influential person and wrote about how my aunt shot down my dream of entering STEM after grade school and responded with “Girls don’t need that kind of education–only boys do” and how it fueled me through all of my hardships </p>
<p>My WHAP teacher (and Speech & Debate coach) reviewed both essays and stated both were “beautiful” and “incredible.” </p>
<p>@Ambitious19 I wish you good luck - I think all of us need it. Maybe we’ll even become classmates, who knows. My schools sends 2~3 kids to Ivy’s each year, so this could be my chance. </p>
<p>Hi everyone! </p>
<p>I just wanted to start by saying that I have been following this thread since it was created, and it seriously has been the only thing that has kept me sane throughout this crazy application process! I am so nervous about my decision, but it really is comforting to know that there are a bunch of people out there who are in the same boat as me! I seriously hope we all have the best of luck when we find out Dec 15, and no matter what happens, I am sure that we all will end up in the place that is best for us!</p>
<p>Ok, so the reason why I am suddenly posting now is because we are talking about essays (gasp)! I really want to know what you guys think, so here it goes!</p>
<p>Common app - I wrote about how I used to straighten my hair every single night as a symptom of what I called “Curly Angst Syndrome.” When I finally decided that other people’s impressions of my appearance weren’t so important to me anymore (and that I truly love my curly hair), I put down the blow drier, and as a result I became a much more productive/content person because I was then able to spend my time on what was truly important to me. </p>
<p>Princeton Supplement - (Influential Person) I wrote about how I have always struggled reconciling my love of science with my commitment to my religion (I am orthodox Jewish). I had always thought that the two domains were hopelessly at odds, and therefore I could not excel in either. Discovering Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (who is seriously the coolest Rabbi in the whole world) helped me to overcome this struggle, and to realize that the two domains don’t have to hinder each other, rather they can greatly benefit each other when combined. This essay was super hard to write, but I think it came out great in the end.</p>
<p>So what do you think? I feel like my essays are a bit more simplistic then what you all wrote, but I would definitely love some feedback! All my best!</p>
<p>Common App: One about a background story - I talked about how mine had to do with a trait that others saw as negative when I was younger, that eventually led to me being successful today.</p>
<p>Supplement: Culture - I spoke of how I’ve been different my whole life - basically my thoughts on what different meant.</p>
<p>I don’t wanna give away the essays but those were the rough ideas ^ my AP language teacher loved them though so here’s hoping that’s a good sign!</p>
<p>Really wish you all the best of luck - so interesting to think that some of us may end up as classmates in the future!</p>