@psywar Interesting! So there is hope! Gotta make sure all of my content is top-quality from now on… not that it isn’t already… hahaha…
@mackyg sAme though. I’m a little wary of putting my fanfiction profile on the Common App though.
@gmanhax Sorry I didn’t mean to come across as rude… On the channel, I am a nationally ranked Policy Debater and I post rounds from tournaments I go to such as the Harvard Debate tournament and TOC. Again, I’m not posting the channel but I am posting my debating extracurricular, which you should do with your guitar and singing
@RoadTriptoCollege2017 Oh sweet! Congrats, that sounds pretty cool 
I decided against including that I sing and play guitar as a hobby at all… I mean there’s only 10 spots. However, if I’m deferred, I’ll be sure to write a song about it and send it to them 
@gmanhax LOL I love that idea
@mackyg I think what you are writing about will truly set you apart! It is super unique. I think the content you have is great stuff to work with, however it is how you present it that matters. For your common application essay, you need to tell a story that evidences something significant about your personality/character. So you should be addressing questions like - for your “fanfiction that addresses LGBTQ topics”, how did you become passionate about it? Why is it important for you to advocate for social justice and LGBTQ equality? What are some unique observations from your experience and what did you learn from them? What was a challenge you overcame in the process? Answering all of these questions in the form of a story will create a compelling application for you to Princeton.
Also about your 15k followers on Instagram, I think thats good to mention, but the “impressiveness” comes from the content of your page. How did you get that many followers? What was your strategy? (These are questions for you to address in your essay writing).
@gmanhax I play the guitar too!! Probably not as well as you though. But that didn’t stop me from mentioning it in my apps last year. While I might not have been the “world-class spanish guitarist”, guitar played a significant role in my adolescence, sort of as an activity to calm my mind. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment in playing my own music.
I am sure that you can craft a great story around the significance of your guitar playing. Since you have a YouTube channel already, it seems like guitar definitely has some important significance in your life. You could start your essay by brining your reader into your thought process as you strum, or even write about your progress from a (maybe) anxiety-ridden first performance to now playing in front of a camera and posting on the internet. The possibilities are endless, but I wouldn’t write off an activity simply because you aren’t world-class at it. As long as you have a unique spin on it, it should make for a compelling story.
@marcbulldog Thanks! Playing guitar is also something that clears my mind; when I’m feeling strong negative emotions, I just play the four chords and just sing what I’m thinking and make it into a crappy but hilarious song… lol.
You’re right, this could be a great essay! I don’t think I’ll make it my common app essay as it’s sort of developed over the last year or so and I’ve been acting since I was 6, so that’s a little more important to me… but it’s definitely something to consider for certain colleges’ supplements. Thanks for allowing me to approach this in a new light, really appreciate it!
Is anybody else applying EA and still needs to get their SAT score up? I do and it terrifies me.
@gmanhax Yes I do the same thing – playing late at night really helps clear my mind. Freestyle rapping is also awesome for that. You should try it sometime
And yeah maybe for your common application it might be a stretch, but you could definitely include the story for a smaller supplement essay, just to add a little spice to your application.
@Nifty88 Not SAT I… but I’ve only taken 1 SAT subject test (750 on Math II, I was positive I was going to get an 800…)
So I’m taking 3 in October. Physics, Lit, & Math II. In that order. God help me.
Hello Prospective Princetonians!
I’m a member of the Class of 2020, so I will be starting my Princeton career in just over a week (yay!). I came across this thread and couldn’t help but drop in and wish you all the best of luck during application season. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask. I was in your shoes a year ago (crazy it’s already been a year), so your experiences were my experiences not too long ago. Deep breaths, my friends. You WILL survive!
Wow thanks so much for the support! Any tips for the supplementals? @BaneOfDragons also I didn’t know move in day for princeton was so late in august which is fine with me since I don’t graduate till June
Always happy to help! @mackyg Do you mean the arts supplement or Princeton writing supplement (their essay)?
the writing supplements @BaneOfDragons
Hi @BaneOfDragons, so kind of you to drop by! What do you plan on majoring in? Also, I’m just curious, but… did you get accepted SCEA or RD?
Congratulations on your acceptance. There are many great universities here in the USA, but Princeton really stands out to me (and to ~30,000 other applicants, every year). I’m specifically excited about the extensive independent research that Princeton students conduct senior year. Got any ideas for your thesis yet? I KNOW, I am thinking way ahead. I guess that’s what happens when I imagine what being in your shoes must feel like.
Anyways, I do have one question about Princeton. My friend who is going to Brown said that they sent him a “pronouns guide” in his acceptance package. Does Princeton do the same thing?? Sorry, I know it’s irrelevant; but asking you ‘how you got in’ is pointless too, as we all have our own life stories, interests, specialties, etc… there is no magic formula.
Hope I didn’t overwhelm you with all of these questions. Go Tigers!
@mackyg The writing supplements should be only one essay followed by two short responses regarding your past two summers (and much shorter questions). Basically you just want to be as honest as you can with these. I know their essay prompts may seem overwhelming and complex at first. Don’t be intimidated by that! I advise that you give yourself plenty of time to mull over the prompts and really formulate a well thought-out response. While I obviously cannot tell you what to write, I will suggest that you need not be afraid to express your opinions on certain matters. Be as personable and open as you can. Show them your personality! Most applicants make the mistake of hiding behind pretentious diction or collegiate-level vocabulary. They think that’s what these Ivies want. While your essay should be well-written, don’t let your focus on that hinder any chance of showcasing your true personality. Also… most importantly… DO NOT SETTLE ON YOUR FIRST DRAFT. Have as many people as you can (teachers, counselors, relatives) look at what you wrote. Proofread, accept feedback from others, and rewrite if you have to (which I encourage). You want the best possible version of your essay/responses. As for the shorter supplemental questions, please be as honest as you can. I cannot stress that enough. If they ask you your favorite song, you don’t have to say it’s “Canon in D Major” if it’s not. Heck, I put boredbutton.com as my favorite website. Wow, this turned out to be longer than I expected. I hope this was helpful at least! Let me know if you have anymore questions or concerns!
@gmanhax No worries! You haven’t overwhelmed me 
And thank you so much for your congratulations! Much appreciated. I want to major in English, and I’m thinking of doing a creative thesis (writing a novel, play, screenplay, etc.). I’ve always been an English guy and a writing addict, so that’s where my passion ultimately lies. I was actually hoping I could use the senior thesis as an opportunity to conduct a creative project on a much larger scale. By the way, there is no shame in thinking ahead about the thesis! I was totally doing the same when I was in your shoes! As for the “pronouns guide,” I have not received anything of the sort in my package. I can’t say I’ve heard anything about that. Also, I applied SCEA. I must admit, Princeton was my dream school since fourth grade. :-B
@BaneOfDragons You’re very welcome! That’s really cool; English majors always seem to be the most interesting people. You should write a screenplay; I’m an actor, so maybe if I end up at Princeton I can help act out your play! I’m very passionate about music/theater/speaking, business, and exploring new languages & cultures (especially China). However, I recently also became very interested in computer science… I’m too scattered. I’m not sure what I want to major in yet, but I do know that I want to go for an MBA after college and become a consultant (at least for a few years). I’m hoping to conduct some research in China itself for my thesis and research a problem that their businesses are having, or that the country is having, or something like that. I don’t really know yet.
At my school, over half of the people (5/8) who applies SCEA for the last three years got in… but I know that at least 3 of them are athletes 
Hope I can make some magic happen in those essays (excellent tips btw)!
@BaneOfDragons My question about the Princeton supplement – or any supplements that have a version of the following question – is how to approach the question that asked to describe your last two summers. My school adviser told me to just not include things that would otherwise show up in activities/my resume. I presume you agree with that. However, is it ok to just focus on one activity you did part of one summer? How did you respond to this question? Thanks in advance
I hope we can elaborate on things we’ve put on our resumes… I spent the vast majority of the last two summers at summer programs which are also mentioned in the activities portion of my Common App.