<p>as the application date is approaching and almost everything (like GPA etc) is more or less fixed, what can i do now to increase my chance to get in?</p>
<p>Approaching? Ack, no, not yet! It’s July. The application isn’t due until November 1st for SCEA!</p>
<p>Write reflective essays and think of some teachers who can write your recs.</p>
<p>Haha now I feel in 4 months i cannot do a lot so I have a feeling that the date is approaching. I hope to do something other than essays and recommendation letter :)</p>
<p>sparkle gives you the best advice and you’d be wise to heed it. Most applicants to schools like P will be decided upon by essays and rec letters once their academics are up to par. Like you realized, the academics are out of your control. You are 100% in control of your essays and 90% in control of the contents of your rec letters (by whom you choose).</p>
<p>One longtime parent poster (gibby?) mentioned how the regional admissions officer for Harvard attended daughter’s local Harvard admit reception. By name, she could tell each student aspects of their essay that were memorable. What does that tell you about the importance of essays?</p>
<p>Essays are phenomenally important. Make sure yours REALLY stand out. Most of the admits to a top school like Princeton got in b/c of essays - over half the applicants have the stats/APs/GPA etc to get in.</p>
<p>Become a better person.</p>
<p>^^agree.
As you begin to write your essays think deeply and honestly about how YOUR values have been shaped over the years…how you, along with your FAMILY unit, continue to grow and INTERACT with the environment on a daily basis…how you react to adversity, how you develop integrity by choosing to do the right thing when no one is looking, how you become the peacemaker when no one dares to step in to stop a fight, how you stand up for people being bullied, how you choose to lead when others cower, how you challenge the status quo if the status quo is WRONG, how you admit to making mistakes and learning from them, how you grow each day to become a better person…</p>
<p>…essays can be of any style…but the most successful essays bring out the true authentic VOICE and CHARACTER of the INDIVIDUAL in an INSPIRING manner that cannot be explained anywhere else in your application…</p>