Sarah O'Neill Blog Pennsylvania

  Sarah O’Neill Chester County, Supreme Editing The Common App essay is your primary writing sample within the Common Application, a college application portal accepted by more than 900 schools. The Common Application has said:  https://www.commonapp.org/blog/common-app-announces-2024-2025-common-app-essay-prompts “Our decision to keep these prompts unchanged is supported by past research showing that overall satisfaction with the prompts exceeded 95% across our constituent groups — students, counselors, advisors, teachers, and member colleges. Moving forward, we want to learn more about who is choosing certain prompts to see if there are any noteworthy differences among student populations and incorporate feedback into future decisions.” All prospective schools accepting the Common App will read this essay to understand your character, background, and value as a potential student. Since many colleges read the essay, avoid mentioning any college names or programs; instead, sav...

  Sarah O’Neill Coatesville, Supreme Editing, Chester County Common Application Essay Admitted by Wellesley College I’ve dreamed of being a  Wuxia  hero ever since I read the novels in sixth grade. In the world of Chinese martial arts, a  wuxia  master is someone with unparalleled skills, fights against all opposition and eventually restores justice. The story of Wuxia aroused an adventurous spirit in my heart and I became eager to venture into the world. Although it is logistically unrealistic for me to train to be a martial artist, its code of chivalry resonates with me to make a difference in people’s lives. My first opportunity arose during the summer before high school: a volunteer trip to Gansu, China. I convinced my parents to let me, at fourteen, travel into the mountains alone, and I boarded the train with high hopes that I’d improve the lives of people as rough as the bumpy roads leading there. I tried my best to engage my students’ curiosity, yet few ...

  Sarah O'Neill Chester County, PA, Supreme Editing University of Chicago Application: The Unfiltered Guide What UChicago Wants:  The University of Chicago is less about the standard “here’s why I’m amazing” pitch and more about “here’s my quirky, totally honest story.” They want to know  you  — your passions, the weird and wonderful activities that make your weekends unique, and why you dove into certain opportunities. Translation: drop the gloss and bring on the genuine. Their World-Changing Mission:  UChicago is obsessed with asking impossible questions, diving deep into transformative research, and creating a hub of brainy people who, together, make serious waves. Writing Tips from UChicago Admissions:  The admissions team says your Common App personal statement should vibe with  everyone , so keep it classy yet “you.” Give them the real stuff — how you think, what drives you, and what quirks make you unforgettable. Sure, they’ll assess if you can ...

  Common Application Essay Admitted by Stanford University I shield my eyes from the dazzling stage lights as I curiously peer out from behind the curtains. The Theater Hameln is packed, the audience murmuring excitedly as they wait for the Viktoria-Luise-Gymnasium summer concert to begin. Backstage, restless students practice their parts under their breaths or on imaginary instruments, and teachers anxiously call their classes together to give just one more piece of advice. One would think that I would be even more nervous. As an exchange student, performing in front of so many people thousands of miles away from home, my heart should be pounding against my ribs. Yet I find myself content, as I turn away from inspecting the audience and navigate through throngs of people to return to the dressing room. In my short lifetime, I have already performed on countless stages, from school auditoriums to Carnegie Hall in New York City. Rather than nervousness, I feel a growing satisfaction...

  Sarah O’Neill Chester County Supreme Editing Common Application Essay Admitted by Harvard University Clear, hopeful melodies break the silence of the night. Playing a crudely fashioned bamboo pipe, in the midst of sullen inmates-this is how I envision my grandfather. Never giving up hope, he played every evening to replace images of bloodshed with memories of loved ones at home. While my grandfather described the horrors of his experience in a forced labor camp during the Cultural Revolution, I could only grasp at fragments to comprehend the story of his struggle. I floundered in this gulf of cultural disparity. As a child, visiting China each summer was a time of happiness, but it was also a time of frustration and alienation. Running up to my grandpa, I racked my brain to recall phrases supposedly ingrained from Saturday morning Chinese classes. Other than my initial greeting of “Ni hao, ye ye!” (“Hello, grandpa”), however, I struggled to form coherent sentences. Unsatisfied, I...

How to Write the MIT Essays / Sarah O’Neill Chester County, Supreme Editing MIT Excerpt “Be honest, be open, be authentic — this is your opportunity to connect with us.” “You should certainly be thoughtful about your essays, but if you’re thinking too much — spending a lot of time stressing or strategizing about what makes you “look best,” as opposed to the answers that are honest and easy — you’re doing it wrong.” MIT is looking for a connection between you + MIT, primarily. An MIT student is: a risk-taker, hands-on, and optimistic towards others. Most essays are varied in topic — dismissing the notion that MIT only looks for one type of person or one activity. According to MIT admissions  ( via their website ): Personal essay: Although we can’t give you an opinion of what your chances are, we can give you a sense of what we look when selecting students for admission. Basically, we’re looking for students with broad interests, both academic and non-academic, who have taken a rigor...