Gen Tanabe - 50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

Upbeat, well-organized, and engaging, this comprehensive tool is an exceptional investment for the college-bound.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Helps college applicants write better essays.

THE DAILY NEWS

Invaluable information.

LEONARD BANKS, THE JOURNAL PRESS

A present for anxious parents.

MARY KAYE RITZ, THE HONOLULU ADVERTISER

Helpful, well-organized guide, with copies of actual letters and essays and practical tips. A good resource for all students.

KLIATT

When you consider the costs of a four-year college or university education nowadays, think about forking out (the price) for this little gem written and produced by two who know.

DON DENEVI, PALO ALTO DAILY NEWS

Whats even better than all the top-notch tips is that the book is written in a cool, conversational way.

COLLEGE BOUND MAGAZINE

Offers advice on writing a good entrance essay, taking exams and applying for scholarships, and other information on the college experiencestart to finish.

TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE

I recently applied to Cornell University. I read your book from cover to back, wrote an essay about Snorkeling in Okinawa (which most people criticized), and got ACCEPTED to Cornell. Thank you very much for your help, and Ill be sure to refer this book to anyone applying to college.

JASON CLEMMEY

If youre struggling with your essays, the Tanabes offer some encouragement.

COLLEGE BOUND MAGAZINE

A must for any prospective college student.

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

The Tanabes literally wrote the book on the topic.

BULL & BEAR FINANCIAL REPORT

Filled with student-tested strategies.

PAM COSTA, SANTA CLARA VISION

Actually shows you how to get into college.

NEW JERSEY SPECTATOR LEADER

Upbeat tone and clear, practical advice.

BOOK NEWS

Includes advice from college admissions officers and the 25 essay mistakes that guarantee failure

50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays by Gen and Kelly Tanabe

Published by SuperCollege, LLC

2713 Newlands Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002

www.supercollege.com

Copyright 2017 by Gen and Kelly Tanabe. Previous editions 2015, 2012, 2009.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of SuperCollege. This book is protected under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

Credits: Cover: TLC Graphics, www.TLCGraphics.com. Design: Monica Thomas

Layout: The Roberts Group, www.editorialservice.com

Trademarks: All brand names, product names and services used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks or tradenames of their respective holders. SuperCollege is not associated with any college, university, product or vendor.

Disclaimers: The authors and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book. It is sold with the understanding that the authors and publisher are not rendering legal or other professional advice. The authors and publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss incurred as a result of specific decisions made by the reader. The authors and publisher make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of the book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The accuracy and completeness of the information provided herein and the opinions stated herein are not guaranteed or warranted to produce any particular results. The authors and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

ISBN13: 978-1-61760-124-8

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tanabe, Gen S.

50 successful Ivy league application essays / Gen Tanabe, Kelly Tanabe. -- Fourth edition.

pages cm

Summary: Contains 50 essays with analysis from successful Ivy League applicants, tips on how to select the best topic, what Ivy League admission officers want to see in your essay, 25 mistakes that guarantee failure and tips from Ivy League students on how to write a successful essay-- Provided by publisher.

ISBN 978-1-61760-124-8 (paperback)

1. College applications--United States. 2. Private universities and colleges--United States-Admission. I. Tanabe, Kelly Y. II. Title. III. Title: Fifty successful Ivy League application essays.

LB2351.52.U6T36 2017

378.1616--dc23

2014043187

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

TO OUR READERS

WE HOPE YOU ACHIEVE YOUR DREAM!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THIS BOOK WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN possible without the generous contributions of the Ivy League students who agreed to share their admission essays and advice in order to help others who hope to follow in their footsteps.

We would also like to thank the admissions officers for spending the time to impart some of their knowledge to our readers: Dr. Michele Hernandez, former assistant director of admissions at Dartmouth College and Eva Ostrum, former assistant director of undergraduate admissions at Yale University.

We would like to express our appreciation to Chenxing Han for assisting with the analysis of the students essays.

Special thanks to the counselors: Mary Pinedo, Whitney High School, Cerritos, CA; Renee Brown, Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY; Tricia Bryan, John Marshall High School, Los Angeles, CA; Yamila Dielacher, El Camino High School, South San Francisco, CA; Stephanie Gabbard, Champion High School, Warren, OH; Linda Kimmel, Irvington High School, Fremont, CA; Lynda McGee, Downtown Magnets High School, Los Angeles, CA; Ann Meyer, Highlands High School, Fort Thomas, KY; Mary OReilly, Josephinum Academy, Chicago, IL; Lois Rossi, Uniontown Area High School, Uniontown, PA; Chris Ward, Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL; Carla Zielinski, Perkiomen Valley High School, Collegeville, PA and Carnegie Vanguard High School.

1

25 ESSAY MISTAKES THAT GUARANTEE FAILURE

FOR EVERY OPEN SLOT AT AN Ivy League college, there are 10 to 12 eager applicants vying for itand youre one of them. On paper, most applicants appear very similar. All are well qualified academically with high grades and test scores and solid involvement in extracurricular activities.

Imagine the admissions officer who must choose which of these well-deserving applications to accept. How will he or she make the decision? Often, its the essay. The essay is the one chance for you to share a piece of yourself that is not encapsulated in the dry numbers and scores of the application. It is your opportunity to demonstrate why youd be a perfect fit at the college, how youd contribute to the student body, and why the college should accept you over those other 11 applicants.