50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

Start Three Months Early
“First, start early. You want to spend at least three to four months editing 
and refining the essay to make it the best. Ask your English teacher, advisors, 
and parents to help you on it.
“Second, write the most interesting/creative introduction you can. 
Admissions officers read thousands upon thousands of essays, and if you don’t 
captivate their attention with the first sentence, they may not be as inclined 
to read on.
“Third, remember, essays are the most important element to your appli-
cation. Don’t count on SAT scores to get you into Stanford, Yale, Harvard, 
etc. They do not matter anymore, especially when you need to stand out. 
Make a good impression on the essay, and spend most of your time on that! 
remember, this is the only way for admissions to get to know you, so give 
them the chance to get to know you!
“Lastly, your essay should nOT be something you write a week before the 
deadline. College admissions officers are trained to spot out essays that were 
rushed and not well thought out. Don’t rush this part of your application!”
—Brian Aguado, Stanford University