Today's episode is a special behind-the-scenes look at a live application review I did with Anna, a high school senior I met last year. We recorded this about ten days before her early deadlines, and she was kind enough to let me walk through her entire application in real time: her personal statement, her activities list, and all of her supplemental essays for Yale.
Fun fact: Anna emailed me a couple months later to let me know she actually got into Yale (congrats again, Anna!).
In this episode, we get into:
What it was like for Anna to pivot away from a topic that wasn't serving her (ten drafts about her favorite socks, which started to sound like a list)
Her pivot to a new topic: Trivial Pursuit, a board game that's close to my heart
A live read-through of her final personal statement, which touches on family, curiosity, and community
How applying test-optional led her to sprinkle a few more high-level academic moments into her writing
Her supplemental essays for Yale, including her "why us" essay and an academic prompt essay
Anna is a recent high school graduate who loves cooking, sustainable agriculture, and spending time in nature. When she's not cross-country skiing with her school team, she's mentoring friends in the library or volunteering at her local synagogue.
Whether you're a student navigating this process right now, or a parent or counselor supporting students from the sidelines, I hope you find this useful.
Hope you enjoy our conversation.
Play-by-Play:
1:58 – Ten days from her early deadlines, how is Anna feeling?
2:33 – When did Anna start working on her essays, and how much time has she put in?
3:35 – What has Anna learned about herself through this process?
4:26 – Anna walks through her journey to finding a personal statement topic
8:10 – Anna reads her personal statement
12:35 – What values are coming through in Anna's personal statement?
14:26 – What questions does Anna have about her essay?
19:23 – Ethan reviews Anna's activities list and additional information section
21:33 – Anna reads her "Why Yale" essay
23:14 – What academic opportunities and programs excite Anna about Yale?
29:06 – Anna reads her "Why Major" essay
31:25 – How can Anna weave more specific, "geeky" language into her soil health essay?
38:48 – The short takes: four 200-character response
38:48 – What inspires you?
42:28 – A course, book, or piece of art you'd create
47:14 – A significant influence outside your family
48:56 – Something not included elsewhere in your application
56:44 – Anna reads her community essay
1:02:35 – How Anna might sharpen the essay with a couple more specific details?
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