"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"--

Chapter 1

25 Essay Mistakes that Guarantee Failure

1 --

Chapter 2

Ivy League Admissions Officer Q&A

13 --

Chapter 3

Academic Passion

21 --

"Bacon"

21 --

"Beyond Plug-and-Chug Math" by Anonymous

24 --

"A Different Kind of Love"

26 --

"From Flaubert to Frisbee"

29 --

"Raising the Bar" by Anonymous

32 --

Chapter 4

Books/Literature

35 --

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern"

35 --

Chapter 5

Career

39 --

"Puzzles" by Anonymous

39 --

"Addressing Injustices"

42 --

"My Unpopular Decision"

44 --

"Healing Beyond Borders"

46 --

"Scientific Sparks"

48 --

"Researching Cancer" by Anonymous

50 --

Chapter 6

Entrepreneurship

53 --

"The Computer Doctor"

53 --

Chapter 7

Challenges

57 --

"Unshakable Worth"

57 --

"No Longer Invisible"

60 --

"Power of People"

63 --

"Self Mind"

66 --

"A Summer of Stem Cells"

69 --

"All Worth It" by Anonymous

72 --

Chapter 8

Community Service

75 --

"Music from the Heart" by Anonymous

75 --

"Precious Planet"

77 --

"Cuddle Buddies"

80 --

"Best Reader"

82 --

Chapter 9

Family

87 --

"Box of Chocolates"

87 --

"Dear Santa" by Anonymous

91 --

"Lessons from the Immigration Spectrum" by Anonymous

93 --

Chapter 10

Heritage and Identity

97 --

"Heritage" by Anonymous

97 --

"Abuelo"

100 --

"Anything Goes"

102 --

"Strength from Family Struggles" by Anonymous

104 --

Chapter 11

Humor

109 --

"Exit Door"

109 --

"Crime Scene Report"

111 --

Chapter 12

An Influential Person

115 --

"John Nash"

115 --

"Then and Now: How the Perseverance of a Working, Single Mother Molded the Persona of her Chinese-American Daughter"

118 --

Chapter 13

Issues

123 --

"Sustainable Development in South Africa"

123 --

"A Young Voice for Seniors"

126 --

Chapter 14

Leadership

129 --

"Birthing a Business"

129 --

"Beyond Dictionary Definitions of Leadership"

132 --

Chapter 15

Personal Growth

137 --

"Beauty" by Anonymous

137 --

"Keeping up with the Beat of the Drum"

140 --

"Hurricane Transformations"

142 --

"The House on Wellington Avenue"

145 --

Chapter 16

Talent

149 --

"A Dramatic Coup"

149 --

"Music as My Second Language"

150 --

"My Bedroom"

153 --

"A Special Performance" by Anonymous

155 --

Chapter 17

Travel

157 --

"Extra Page"

157 --

"Looking Beyond the Castle"

160 --

Chapter 18

Vignette

163 --

"Polar Bears"

163 --

"Moving"

165 --

Chapter 19

Why Our College

169 --

"Exploring Life's Intricacies"

169 --

"Leveraging Potential"

171 --

"Inspiration from an Energy Conversion Machine" by Anonymous

174 --

Chapter 20

Wait List Letter

177 --

"Wait List Supplement"

177 --

Chapter 21

Advice on Topics from Ivy League Students

181 --

Chapter 22

Advice on Writing from Ivy League Students

199 --

Chapter 23

What I Learned from Writing the Essay

215