Theme Your College Application: Learn how to get an admit to top universities like Stanford, Wharton, etc.

By Looi Qin En, Oswald Yeo and Seah Ying Cong

Admitted to some of the top US universities in 2011, Qin En set out on a personal journey to help his peers craft compelling college application stories and maximize their admission chances to top US & UK universities. Over the past 2 years, he has edited 100+ college application essays and seen the most common mistakes made in those essays.

Together with Oswald Yeo and Seah Ying Cong, Qin En has compiled advice, tips and strategies on how to craft a strong college application to US universities. Collectively, they have been admitted to Stanford, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, University of California Berkeley, University of California Los Angeles and University of Pennsylvania (Wharton Business School).

For the first time ever, read the actual college application essays of Qin En, Oswald and Ying Cong and be inspired to apply to a top university today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483525877

Book preview

Background

Competition only gets stiffer. Regardless of university or scholarship application, odds are always stacked against candidates, unless they are sufficiently prepared. To be sufficiently prepared, you need to know what your assessors are looking out for. What makes you stand out from the crowd?

On 1 January 2014, more than two million Common Application forms were submitted in total for US university applications. Yes, two million. So there are about 20 US universities that Singaporeans usually apply for, including the Ivy League. Each university takes in about 1,000 undergraduates. 20,000 out of 2,000,000. 1% chance. Oh and the 1000 undergraduates consists of US citizens and PRs primarily; the admit rates of internationals hover around 10% of the entire admitted cohort. So about 100 internationals per school, 2000 out of 2,000,000. 0.1% chance. And wait! That’s not all. Singapore is a ‘little red dot’. What about the up-and-coming India and China where parents and children are fiercely determined to be admitted to an elite university? International student is not defined as Singaporean student only; it is defined as anyone who lives in the world and not in USA.

You get the picture. Competition is grim. But then again, you look around your friends and seniors who have been admitted and ask yourself I just had lunch with that guy or I was studying right next to her in Physics class and now s/he has gotten past the mind-boggling, crazy competition. How? More importantly, how do I do it?

This is a question only you can answer for yourself. There is no hard-and-fast rule. Each and every one of you is unique, so it is difficult to advise. Sounds familiar? Well, that is what many websites, books and sources say when it comes to application advising. Yes, they are all true, but it doesn’t help, does it? Such statements add absolutely no value to your application. So this short document hopes to add some value to your application and provide a perspective on how to improve your chances in application. Directly.

Then again, some skeptics will ask why in the world would I share my ‘secret knowledge’, if it even exists. Firstly, I am stating what you already know. The difference is that I remind you and put in perspective of application. Secondly, I believe in letting the best man win. I believe that everyone should know how to submit a good application, so that everyone stands a fair chance. No, I am not going to guarantee you get admitted to your Top 5 universities of choice in return for $15,000. I am simply going to tell you how to show your best, and let the universities decide if you are fit for them.

Finally, my basis of advice is derived from unconditional admissions to 5 universities in USA: Stanford, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. These universities may not be representative of the many other good universities you are applying to, so take whatever I say with a pinch of salt.

THEME-ing your Application. What is that?

Your application needs a theme. In 5 words, I have summarized the best piece of advice I can ever give you, and what this whole document is about. So if you want to drop this document now and go do something else, go ahead, but just remember those five words. Your application needs a theme.

Three little pigs went out to build their own houses. The first pig built his house using straw, and very soon, he was resting comfortably inside. The second pig built his house using mud; that took more effort, but sure enough, he was completed with the house