50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

Showing What Makes You Different
“There were four options to choose from and a fifth option to write your 
own prompt. I chose the first essay option: ‘Chicago professor W. J. T. entitled 
his 2005 book 
What Do Pictures Want? Describe a picture and explore what 
it wants.’ I chose this topic because I thought it was pretty interesting, and I 
felt this option would allow me to express my creativity the best and perhaps 
show why I too was uncommon. The other options were also pretty interest-
ing but I chose the one I felt I could write the most about.
“For the personal statement I struggled a lot more to find a topic. My 
counselor and college advisor always told us to write about what makes us 
‘different’ from all other students. At first I thought that piece of advice was not 
helpful but looking back on it now, I think it’s the best way to start brainstorm-
ing. I had to reflect on my high school years and recall the experiences that 
impacted me the most and contributed to the person who I had become.”
—Angelica, University of Chicago