50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

  Can you think of an example of when an applicant wrote about 
an ordinary topic in an extraordinary way?
A:
 One Yale applicant wrote about how every day on her way to school 
she passed a building where the pigeons rested. You would think that’s 

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50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays
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a ridiculous topic, but it was so well written and engaging. It was about 
something mundane, but it really grabbed my attention.
It’s important to tell a good story. Think about the stories you listen 
to in your life that your relatives tell or your friends tell. If they’re well 
told, that’s what catches your attention.
Q: