50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

An Influential Person
“My essay was about my childhood and the difficulties I faced growing up 
in China with a single mother as well as the profound influence she had in 
my life. I chose this essay topic because I wanted to write something ‘beauti-
ful’, something that I really absolutely cared about and could pour my heart 
into. At first glance, you could say the essay topic is generic because it’s simply 
about an influential person in my life, but I made it mine because I meant 
every single word I wrote.”
—Lisa Kapp, University of Pennsylvania