Take a look at a successful Ivy League College application

So now I’m sharing a closer look at my college application. But first I want to emphasize that, as complicated and stressful as the college application process can be, the best application you can show others will be the one you enjoy writing the most. I know I enjoyed every second I spent writing mine.

My GPA and standardized test scores were important factors in my application

While colleges such as Yale and Dartmouth are reinstating standardized testing requirements, the reality is that academics will always be the first line of evaluation for admission.

The GPA I submitted to Yale was 98.23/100. An admissions officer praised my GPA in the context of my financially disadvantaged upbringing.

I also tried to take on the most rigorous workload possible while prioritizing my mental health, ultimately sending in six AP test scores. My SAT score was 1590.

I attribute much of my academic achievement to surrounding myself with peers who were very serious about their education.

My pre-calculus teacher’s recommendation — the one the admissions team rated highest — pointed out that I had the second-highest grade in her class over her 20-year teaching career.

I tried to highlight my passions in my extracurricular activities

My activities were a confusing mosaic of interests and impulses, but ones that perfectly captured this 17-year-old boy who was still unsure of who he was and what he wanted.

I did research on human visual perception at a local community college, performed spoken word poetry, and played about 80% of the choir notes (on a good day).

However, my main extracurricular activity was the one I connected with the most. At the start of the pandemic, I founded a language learning program for children called “Spanish Meets You”. I used the profits I made from the program, which included tutoring and pen pal services, to organize community giveaways of essential health supplies, such as masks, face shields, and hand sanitizer.

“Spanish Meets You” grew out of my childhood experience in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, which was predominantly Hispanic and Asian. I loved going to barbecues and finding a hearty spread of spicy tamales and fried rice. Despite our cultural differences, both groups were united in our challenges and mutual respect.

When I submitted my application, I was concerned that I didn’t have a cohesive theme for my extracurricular activities, nor enough leadership – but based on feedback from the admissions team, my true passion for one or two activities ultimately account.

I wanted to capture who I really am in my college essay

When I started writing my essay, I knew I wanted to capture what was inexpressible about my resume: my curiosity, my thick skin, and my mistakes.

I decided to make the topic of my college essay Chinese New Year, a holiday I celebrated with my 14 floormates in this small apartment building in Brooklyn that we all called home for two decades. Every year, I would wait for my father at the door with mandarins, only to be disappointed by his absence.

Ultimately, however, I learned to enjoy this holiday, even if my celebration was unorthodox. My 14 classmates and I are not related by blood, but I remember us gathering to eat each holiday, telling stories, and playing a game of JENGA. Their laughter still ricochets in my ears from hundreds of miles away as I now sit in my college dorm, finishing up my freshman year.

I tried not to think too much about the other essay questions

I wrote down everything that came to mind in the first 30 seconds, asking myself, “How would 7-year-old Brian answer this question?”

Every time I took too long to write a response, it was a sign that I was probably sacrificing my authenticity to give a false good impression.

One of the essays was about my favorite intellectual concept. Instead of boasting by detailing an obscure scientific theory, I went on to write about the diversity of motherhood in the animal kingdom, relating it to my close relationship with my own mother.

My application was intended to demonstrate how I would fit into the Yale community.

Colleges look for those who will enrich the lives of their peers in different ways.

Therefore, in my application, I tried to highlight all the parts of me that would prove to Yale that I would benefit their campus and their students. In doing so, I was accepted and met students who were doing just that.

A friend of mine, for example, studies law. She also likes to rap and surprise her friends with midnight ice cream. Another is a science journalist who gives the best dating advice.

I’d say Yale wouldn’t be home even if one of them was missing. Everybody is here ; everyone ends up where they are.

For students applying to Ivy League schools, I implore you to tell your dynamic, unique story – to think about how your beat will fit into the song of a community.