50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

  Are there any topics or approaches to topics that students 
shouldn’t write about?
A:
 Any approach works if it works. Writing is so fluid. There are no 
hard and fast rules except to be honest about yourself. The magic for-
mula is that there’s no magic formula. The truth is that you don’t have 
to be a fabulous writer either. The admissions officers are reading the 
essays more for content. They’re almost speed reading them for con-
tent.  remember that this is not your chance to be Faulkner. This is 
your chance to write about something you’re interested in. It’ll be a lot 
more vivid if it’s something you’re interested in. This may sound obvi-
ous, but so many kids obsess about the writing style instead of worry-
ing about the actual content and that’s a mistake.
Q: