50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

Evaluating My Goals
“The admissions essay provided a great opportunity to evaluate my goals 
and to really understand my passions in life.”
—Jackie Liao, Stanford University
Believing in Myself
“I think the most important thing I learned from writing this essay is to 
stop doubting, believe in myself, and trust that I am making the right decision. 
When some of my family members read my essay, they scoffed at it and told 
me that if I wanted to get into Stanford, this was far from being good enough. 
I remember them saying this was nothing to be proud of, because there are 
millions of people in the U.S. and around the globe who speak Spanish, and 
having this ability is nothing unique and out of the ordinary. Usually, I was 
very keen on listening to what others had to say, but this time, I was sure that 
they were mistaken and that my love for Spanish would get me far in life. So 
despite their objections, I sent in my essay and proved them wrong.”
—Oana Emilia Butnareanu, Stanford University