50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

Looking f or Yourself
“Sometimes you need to be looking for something to find it, and a lot of 
times you won’t be looking for yourself until you try to write about it.”
—Anthony Gouw, Duke University
An Epiphany
“My essay did turn out to be largely a reflection about my experience in the 
ensemble and what I gained from it. The piece tells my story of how I changed 

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50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays
from a timid novice on stage into an enthusiastic performer—readers want to 
see this ‘Aha!’ moment, this epiphany. This shows admissions people that you 
grew in some way and you got something out of your experience more than 
just spending a summer with 70 other cast members. Then, they will know 
that you can learn from life in college, which is what school is all about.”
—Jean Gan, Duke University