50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

Sharing the Kind of Person You Are
“I used the Common Application and selected the third topic, ‘Indicate a 
person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influ-
ence.’ The reasons were: (1) I think one of the best ways to communicate 
is through stories, (2) I think a very personal essay has great potential to 
touch people and (3) I happen to have a personal story that is suitable for this 
purpose.
“Topic 2 about an issue of personal, local, national or international con-
cern is an opportunity for one to express their thinking and make an argu-
ment. However, it could be a lot less personal. I believe it is more important to 
show what kind of person you are, rather than your intelligence. If I were an 
admissions officer, I would be much more interested in accepting a passionate 
student that has a lot more to learn, than a smart jerk.”
—Pen-Yuan Hsing, Duke University