50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

Shaking Hands with the President
“When I applied, there were two essays—an optional one and a 500-word 
one. I wanted to communicate a lot, and having an optional essay was great. 
For the 500-word essay, the topic was to describe the world you come from. 
I wrote about being from Egypt, the macro perspective of the current situa-
tion in Egypt, my vision for where I wanted Egypt to be and how that it could 
be accomplished. In the last paragraph, I said that the issues require a lot of 
problem solving and leadership skills. I couldn’t think of a better place than 
MIT to prepare me for that. I think the end of the essay, the punchline, is very 
important. That’s the last thing the reader is going to see.
“The first line is also very important to attract them, to get them to pay 
extra attention. The admissions officers read tons of applications each day. If 
you make them enjoy your essay, it will definitely pay back.
“For the optional essay I wrote about a camp I attended, the Seeds of 
Peace. The program brings together youth from regions of conflict such as 

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50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays
India, Pakistan, the Middle East and the Balkans. Through the program, I met 
Israelis for the first time. It was a very moving experience.
“For the first line of the essay, I wrote that I still remembered when I shook 
hands with the most powerful man in the world. The admissions officers were 
probably thinking, ‘Why is he meeting the President?’ They probably wanted 
to read more. I linked the experience with my grandfather who had a strong 
role in my development and passed away after a 13 years struggle with cancer. 
The last paragraph was about learning I had won a scholarship from Egypt 
that would allow me to apply to top colleges in the U.S. I ended with visiting 
my grandfather’s grave and realizing that he was smiling from up above. It’s 
important to make the essay as personal as possible. really be yourself.”
—Anonymous, MIT