50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

Selling Yourself
“For the Common Application essay, I decided to choose the prompt: ‘A 
range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds 
much to the educational mix. given your personal background, describe an 
experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college 
community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to 
you.’
“By choosing this topic, I was able to sell myself to the admissions officers. 
The main question that people want to know is ‘What are you going to con-
tribute if we admit you?’ This prompt allows the readers to see who you truly 
are. I really enjoyed this prompt because I was able to write about my personal 
experiences. One of the easiest things to write about is yourself.”
—Enrique Vazquez, University of Chicago

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Chapter 21: Advice on Topics from Ivy League Students