50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

Choosing the Topic that Flows
“I wrote about my volunteer work, reading with children at our local li-
brary. I expanded the topic to reflect on my love for working with kids and 
the traits of children that I admire and hope to embody. This topic matched 
the requirements of a good topic—it was something I was passionate about 
and had a firsthand experience with. But ultimately I chose this topic because 
it was the one that worked the best. I made a list of many different possible 
topics. I started writing on a couple of them, and ultimately this was the topic 
that flowed the easiest for me.”
—Manika, University of Pennsylvania

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Chapter 21: Advice on Topics from Ivy League Students
A Blank Slate
“I chose the question that allowed me to pick my own topic. I thought this 
was the best way for me to express my true self, and I thought it was what 
UChicago was looking for based on their reputation.”
—Ashley Mitchell, University of Chicago