This is just a very tiny snippet of my story. I’ve been gate-keeping this for years, but I want to do my best to help all of you❤ P.S. Watch until the end to learn how to access my FULL guide on How To Get Into Your Dream School for FREE! 😊✅
Here is the personal statement for the people who couldn’t load it: My most valuable possession is my pile of paper scraps. No, not scraps made from fancy floral cardstock, but scraps ripped from simple blank pieces of copy paper. Products of quixotic brainstorms and treasures of endless pen ink enclosed in nothing more than a flimsy Whole Foods paper bag sitting under my whiteboard of messy doodles and chemistry equations. Utilizing the boundless potential of their blank space, I would scribble my mind, which was constantly punctured by endless streams of ideas I knew would escape if not written down. Although seemingly useless at first glance, these scraps served as my infinite supply of precious notes, eventually transforming into fragments that, while fascinating on their own, created a beautiful mosaic bursting with inspiration. Unfortunately, however, my scraps were not always intriguing; in fact, they were the result of a permanent fracture that left them ruthlessly scattered. it happened without warning. Gently caressing my mother's hand with my 9-year-old fingers, I watched her eyelids softly rest. In just two months, thick coats of dust replaced the laughter that brimmed our home. I became familiar with my father's frequent midnight travels and waking up to yet another bottle of alcohol and my younger sister who was once again late to school. I tried to fit the parts together, but the once radiant paper of my life had been brutally ripped to pieces. What made everything go wrong? Cancer: defined by Oxford Dictionary as "an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells." But I finally understood its true meaning through sleepless nights of wiping my sister's muffled tears as she sat outside Dad's bedroom, waiting for a door to open that never would. With Mom gone and Dad withdrawn from family affairs, my sister desperately lacked a parent. To ensure she developed into an inquisitive child, I deliberately adopted this role, checking her homework, preparing rice for our empty stomachs, and teaching her how to express gratitude for little things like sunlight. After three years of maintaining optimism, I not only learned how to mend my sister's tears but also my own - eventually recognizing tne posental of my broken scraps. Through single-handedly raising my sister, I realized that a perfect life does not exist: I have the responsibility to find hope within my scars. And so, as I began to navigate the world, I crafted my own paper, searching for the beauty within my scraps despite their external deformities. Some hosted doodles and sketches, while others detailed procedures of crazy science projects (although creating recycled paper using soaked pistachio shells wasn't going to win a Nobel prize anytime soon). My opinions on United Nations' policies, tips on practicing mindful Buddhism, and shopping lists to replicate Masterchef dishes found their place on my vacant canvases. While initially a sign of my vulnerability, these scraps became my 3 A.M. notebooks of aspiration when dreams of landscapes to draw or strategies for testing the anticancer effects of Erigeron philadelphicus stirred me from my sleep. As each blank remnant transformed into an array of words and pigments, they slowly fit together, shrinking the space of parental absence and creating my personalized masterpiece. I may not be the perfect paper, but I will mend my tears and find value in each unique fragment. My father's family presence has since grown, but I thank his former absence for challenging me to find the silver lining in me and my sister's mended papers. With Mom smiling over me, I am ready to fully uncover the potential of my scraps and help others like my sister do the same, and I will not let my loss of childhood hinder my desire to explore, learn, and create. As their bare surfaces transform into vibrant galleries of brainstorms, I am reminded that true strength does not come from having a perfect paper but rather the ability to see the future possibilities that each scrap holds.
coming from an incoming harvard student: this video is so insightful! i literally had the exact same approach with my own personal statement and our themes were identical as well! (perseverance through adversity + love for learning) great vid!
"My Everyday Life with an Economist Monk" is my essay topic. Monk + curiosity+ resilience/peace+ leadership I chose it because I'm volunteering in ISKCON, and my mentor there is a monk who was previously an economist/banker. I've learned a lot from him. Should I write about this? Also, please give me tips for my essay.
Thanks a lot i lost my dad too in freshman... life was too hard for me after that... I had to earn for my younger brother and my mom..had to look after them.. but I balanced my academics and ecs...became valedictorian as high achiever in a levels and won many awards. I though I wont apply to ivy at first but I now decided to make a shot.
I have been incredibly lucky to have found you and your channel. This video gave me the much needed assurance that, with a good essay, it CAN be possible to get into my dream college. Thanks a million for this video!💕
Thank you so much for this, I’ve been struggling trying to figure out how to structure my essay, I graduate this year and this has been so helpful ☹️❤️
I really loved your content Thanks for sharing your experience with us, you're so kind The best guide I found on the internet is you. thank you so much for this elise
To me, as a German, the idea of sharing aspects of my personal life as part of a university application seems rather strange. When I successfully applied to Heidelberg university, one of Germany's finest, I didn't share any personal insights. In my opinion, only academic achievements and qualifications should be taken into account. Perhaps this comes down to cultural differences, I don't know.
the competition at top 20 U.S. Universities is really tight and academic qualifications are not enough to set you apart. Most of the students that apply to these top schools only miss 0-5 questions on the SAT, and their GPA's lie in the same range. Everyone in the U.S. is able to take college courses in highschool so everyone at these top universities has already taken multiple college courses already - so everyone's gpa is also in a similar range. top universities then look at your personal statement and activities to choose who to admit. Most students who get into top universities like UCLA, Brown, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Princeton, etc. have done countless internships, started non profit organizations and done many extracurriculars. it's more of a "trying to stand out from the rest of the crowd" competition. at smaller schools or less selective state universities, the colleges mostly just look at your grades and activities though
What? What is meant by "Sell your soul to Academia"? I need to understand this thing. What are you talking about? If you don't reply back I will keep commenting again and again.
@@kaaviyaminumoorthi if you look it up, it’s pretty much a list of morals/valies of yourself that you want admissions officers to know. So, what I saw people do and what I’m doing now, is underlining the one that fit w m the most and that I want them to see about me, without mentioning them ofc
@@BPrashantMehto for example, let’s say a value of yours is independence. Instead of saying you’re independent, tell a story of how you gained that value (ex: moved out at 17). If it’s vourage (job a firefighter, how you’ve faced your introvert personality and tried to overcome it). Maybe it’s community and family (you work with your family, starting working to help them, your job involves working directly with your neighbours). Things like that
Wonderful suggestions Elise. I just want to know whether this format will equally work for the PhD programme? or any suggestions you have regarding this?
Thankyouuu soo much elise for your this incredible efforts to get this amazing information to us I'm soo thankful to you ....harvard is my dream university and i genuinely want to go there which is nearly a impossible dream to become true from where i belong to but thats okay i believe on myself and my lord nothing is impossible...again thankyouu my girll thankyouu soo much ...😭❤️🌷🧸🎀🙌🏻
girl, I've watched this many times and it really helped me a lot, I was wondering If there is a limit for numbers of words for application. Btw, thanks again>
i am learning to write a personal statement. Your personal statement was beautiful , but how am I supposed to write mine , i have experienced traumatic events but not the ones of your magnitude .
Hi Elise! Really sorry if this is an intrusive request but would we be able to see some more monthly income transparency vids? The newest ones that you made went down recently!
I absolutely appreciate you and i love watching your videos , but there's a question i would love to get answered that how did u figured it out yourself was it natural that u wrote or do u know something only few poeple know ?
do the very best in your classes, and try to take challenging ones if you can. if your school offers honors/advanced classes, take those! also join extracurriculars (sports, school clubs, some outside of school things like volunteering). overall just take school seriously but have fun too :)
@@nayah.2468 this is not good he wont get in any ivy league if he does this especially in every other high school years. bro listen maintain a 3.5 or higher gpa and start taking practice tests for SAT set good rep with teachers so they can give you high quality recommendation letters. start a business and do research papers and enroll in national level competitions and go varsity in some unique sport and get unique high achievement awards the other years of high school continue these and do more of them and start organizations, get internships with companies, job shadow people in your desired career and make all of these extracurriculars focused on ur desired career like if u want to be a doctor make the internships with medical companies and the organizations in the medical field and the research in medicine, but you probably want to keep a bit of ur extracurriculars in other things to show diversity and be an all rounder in your application. Start early dont make the mistake of procrastination. if you do all these + 3.7 gpa or higher + 1450 sat or higher you definitely getting in an ivy league use this as a manual for success and thank me later in four years after opening your harvard acceptance letter
What about the exta curricular part. Like i saw the other applicants adding bunch of extracurricular part where they were the president of this team or vice -priecident of that team. Blabbering about this achievement, that achievement..
My name is Tony Naeem smith I am your number one fan and I'm going to become a security officer supervisor for real okie please and I'm going to become a football 🏈 coach for real okie please 🙏🏽 for real okie 💪🏽👌🏽
em chào chị. Em đang là sinh viên năm 2 tại 1 trường đại học ở Việt Nam. Em muốn học các trường ivy leaguage thì em phải apply hệ bachelor hay hệ master ạ. Và có học bổng không ạ. Em cảm ơn chị
This is just a very tiny snippet of my story. I’ve been gate-keeping this for years, but I want to do my best to help all of you❤
P.S. Watch until the end to learn how to access my FULL guide on How To Get Into Your Dream School for FREE! 😊✅
I love your videos so much and was wondering if you could share your common app application with your classes, extracurriculars, etc.
Girl u are seriously the best love u!!!
What advice would you give to any Central American students trying to get into an Ivy League
I really need your help out
How can I get into ur group sections 😢
From Africa
I wanted to share my essay with you if you don't mind
Here is the personal statement for the people who couldn’t load it: My most valuable possession is my pile of paper scraps. No, not scraps made from fancy floral cardstock, but scraps ripped from simple blank pieces of copy paper. Products of quixotic brainstorms and treasures of endless pen ink enclosed in nothing more than a flimsy Whole Foods paper bag sitting under my whiteboard of messy doodles and chemistry equations. Utilizing the boundless potential of their blank space, I would scribble my mind, which was constantly punctured by endless streams of ideas I knew would escape if not written down. Although seemingly useless at first glance, these scraps served as my infinite supply of precious notes, eventually transforming into fragments that, while fascinating on their own, created a beautiful mosaic bursting with inspiration.
Unfortunately, however, my scraps were not always intriguing; in fact, they were the result of a permanent fracture that left them ruthlessly scattered.
it happened without warning. Gently caressing my mother's hand with my 9-year-old fingers, I watched her eyelids softly rest. In just two months, thick coats of dust replaced the laughter that brimmed our home. I became familiar with my father's frequent midnight travels and waking up to yet another bottle of alcohol and my younger sister who was once again late to school. I tried to fit the parts together, but the once radiant paper of my life had been brutally ripped to pieces. What made everything go wrong?
Cancer: defined by Oxford Dictionary as "an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells." But I finally understood its true meaning through sleepless nights of wiping my sister's muffled tears as she sat outside Dad's bedroom, waiting for a door to open that never would. With Mom gone and Dad withdrawn from family affairs, my sister desperately lacked a parent. To ensure she developed into an inquisitive child, I deliberately adopted this role, checking her homework, preparing rice for our empty stomachs, and teaching her how to express gratitude for little things like sunlight. After three years of maintaining optimism, I not only learned how to mend my sister's tears but also my own -
eventually recognizing tne posental of my broken scraps.
Through single-handedly raising my sister, I realized that a perfect life does not exist: I have the responsibility to find hope within my scars. And so, as I began to navigate the world, I crafted my own paper, searching for the beauty within my scraps despite their external deformities. Some hosted doodles and sketches, while others detailed procedures of crazy science projects (although creating recycled paper using soaked pistachio shells wasn't going to win a Nobel prize anytime soon). My opinions on United Nations' policies, tips on practicing mindful Buddhism, and shopping lists to replicate Masterchef dishes found their place on my vacant canvases. While initially a sign of my vulnerability, these scraps became my 3 A.M. notebooks of aspiration when dreams of landscapes to draw or strategies for testing the anticancer effects of Erigeron philadelphicus stirred me from my sleep. As each blank remnant transformed into an array of words and pigments, they slowly fit together, shrinking the space of parental absence and creating my personalized masterpiece.
I may not be the perfect paper, but I will mend my tears and find value in each unique fragment.
My father's family presence has since grown, but I thank his former absence for challenging me to find the silver lining in me and my sister's mended papers. With Mom smiling over me, I am ready to fully uncover the potential of my scraps and help others like my sister do the same, and I will not let my loss of childhood hinder my desire to explore, learn, and create. As their bare surfaces transform into vibrant galleries of brainstorms, I am reminded that true strength does not come from having a perfect paper but rather the ability to see the future possibilities that each scrap holds.
Thank you so much 🙏❤
this is ingenious... omg
you are a saint 😭😭❤️
I read the essay with tears on my face and realized that's what an essay that gets the reader see the situation
Do. Not. Delete. This. Ever.
Nah she needs to delete this before anyone else sees
@@dylandoggettgames8017 why?
@@emiomg_ so we can beat everyone :)
@@user-vi6nq6ic8d faxs ima save this video for when i graduate
@@dylandoggettgames8017 🤣 I see what you mean
your personal statement was sooo beautiful, i was actually with my mouth open by the time i read the last sentence 😮😮 you're so talented girlll
why do these people all write about their tragedy. "raising her sister when her mom died"
why can't we have NORMAL people?
coming from an incoming harvard student: this video is so insightful!
i literally had the exact same approach with my own personal statement and our themes were identical as well! (perseverance through adversity + love for learning) great vid!
"My Everyday Life with an Economist Monk" is my essay topic.
Monk + curiosity+ resilience/peace+ leadership
I chose it because I'm volunteering in ISKCON, and my mentor there is a monk who was previously an economist/banker. I've learned a lot from him. Should I write about this? Also, please give me tips for my essay.
Your mom would be so proud of you ❤ God bless you for these tips!
a tear dropped after the last sentence of your personal statement
Omg can't believe you actually posted a video like this, really helpful thanks Elise 😭😭
Thanks a lot
i lost my dad too in freshman... life was too hard for me after that... I had to earn for my younger brother and my mom..had to look after them..
but I balanced my academics and ecs...became valedictorian as high achiever in a levels and won many awards. I though I wont apply to ivy at first but I now decided to make a shot.
even though i'd love for her to stay lowkey because i'm not an altruist at all SHE DESERVES SO MUCH MORE AUDIENCE BECAUSE GIRL? you're amazing ❤
*Highlight only the important points*
Me: Highlights everything.
Thank you so much ma'am. It was super explicit. ❤
You are so inspiring! I’m already an undergrad in my home country but hopefully I can apply to an Ivy League college for my masters! Thank you!
I love you advice. You are so underrated, I swear! Your tips actually work
This was so helpful, especially my upcoming junior year! Thank you! :)
Could you make a video on your study methods and how realistic we should set our goals based on how much we study?
I have been incredibly lucky to have found you and your channel. This video gave me the much needed assurance that, with a good essay, it CAN be possible to get into my dream college. Thanks a million for this video!💕
Thank you so much for this, I’ve been struggling trying to figure out how to structure my essay, I graduate this year and this has been so helpful ☹️❤️
Thankyou so much! I was struggling with my college essay but this video helped me alot.
this is such a helpful video thank you so much i will be saving this for when i write my college applications ❤
Hi Elsie, please do a video about your routine, I admire it and want to learn how you make it work for you, much lovexx ❤
Bless you! This definitely was of great help
Really a great help. Keep up the good work 👍
I really loved your content
Thanks for sharing your experience with us, you're so kind
The best guide I found on the internet is you.
thank you so much for this elise
thank you so so much for this video, it's so helpful!!!
This video is very helpful, thank you for posting it!!!!
Elise Pham, i love your personal essay and your way of expressing it
To me, as a German, the idea of sharing aspects of my personal life as part of a university application seems rather strange. When I successfully applied to Heidelberg university, one of Germany's finest, I didn't share any personal insights. In my opinion, only academic achievements and qualifications should be taken into account. Perhaps this comes down to cultural differences, I don't know.
the competition at top 20 U.S. Universities is really tight and academic qualifications are not enough to set you apart. Most of the students that apply to these top schools only miss 0-5 questions on the SAT, and their GPA's lie in the same range. Everyone in the U.S. is able to take college courses in highschool so everyone at these top universities has already taken multiple college courses already - so everyone's gpa is also in a similar range. top universities then look at your personal statement and activities to choose who to admit. Most students who get into top universities like UCLA, Brown, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Princeton, etc. have done countless internships, started non profit organizations and done many extracurriculars.
it's more of a "trying to stand out from the rest of the crowd" competition. at smaller schools or less selective state universities, the colleges mostly just look at your grades and activities though
You mean they didn’t give bonus points for skin colour? How very strange!
My girl you nailed it ✨
Thank you so much for posting this!! ❤
You have helped me out a lot, thank you so much!
Wonderful advice!!
Alternate title: How to Commodify Your Personal Values and Sell Your Soul to Academia feat. English Composition
exactly
how exactly is this selling your soul to academia? 🤔
What? What is meant by "Sell your soul to Academia"? I need to understand this thing. What are you talking about? If you don't reply back I will keep commenting again and again.
@ZephyrSterling the modern world is a dystopia. Academia is a huge part of that
@@wakemeup38 Thanks for replying. Can you describe more clearly please?
i love everything about you man you're an icon 💗
For step one, I really recommend Berne Browns list of values!!
What’s that? Pls Explain!!
@@kaaviyaminumoorthi if you look it up, it’s pretty much a list of morals/valies of yourself that you want admissions officers to know. So, what I saw people do and what I’m doing now, is underlining the one that fit w m the most and that I want them to see about me, without mentioning them ofc
@@emmasophpi ohh kk
tysm!!!
@@emmasophpiI've a doubt. How can I tell about my core values to Admission office, without mentioning them. Any idea?
@@BPrashantMehto for example, let’s say a value of yours is independence. Instead of saying you’re independent, tell a story of how you gained that value (ex: moved out at 17). If it’s vourage (job a firefighter, how you’ve faced your introvert personality and tried to overcome it). Maybe it’s community and family (you work with your family, starting working to help them, your job involves working directly with your neighbours). Things like that
Bet that the admission officers cried as much as I did while reading her essay.
I cried as well
she said not to use a sob story, but she did a sob story....
@@r22gamer54 yes, but she also noted how she overcame that situation which is more important
@@r22gamer54 She is one of the strongest women I have ever seen
@@artsymie7231 Exactly
im forever thabkful for this. thank you
Superb. Appreciate you share this. May you filled with joy ❤
I might get into Stanford or Harvard because of you
THAT IS WHAT I NEEDED. ✅✅✅
If TH-cam had an unlimited like button, I wouldn't be able to stop hitting the button for this video. Thanks for the great video!
This is just what I need
THANK YOU FOR THIS
Gosh this video is well made
Usefulll and amazing tips thank you so much u really helped me throughout my ADmission process, super happy and grateful cause I found you🥺🥺🥺🥺
Thank you!! This helped a lot!
you are the goat!!
Would calling yourself smart be seen as boastful/arrogant? It's not a main part of my story, just like self discovery of my identity
Thanks!
you know that you motivate me so much
1:31, no 5 resembles me. I'm actually writing it. Just a draft, I'll make it a masterpiece!!!!
i bet it’ll be great ❤
@@eersatzz thx
"...waving a tapestry of classical compositions..." - ChatGPT
Wonderful suggestions Elise. I just want to know whether this format will equally work for the PhD programme? or any suggestions you have regarding this?
Thankyouuu soo much elise for your this incredible efforts to get this amazing information to us I'm soo thankful to you ....harvard is my dream university and i genuinely want to go there which is nearly a impossible dream to become true from where i belong to but thats okay i believe on myself and my lord nothing is impossible...again thankyouu my girll thankyouu soo much ...😭❤️🌷🧸🎀🙌🏻
i love your videos!
Why is her personal statement so bluuuury. I can't see it 😭😭
real shi
Thank you Queen
Thank you and GOD bless you.
Thank youu, I love you
Why am I watching this if I’m not a student anymore 😂
The personal statement is really blurry so I don't have the opportunity to see it like everyone else in the comments 😥
Screenshot and amplify
Me too even if I amplify the picture 😕
Thank you so much ❤
Great video! Was your essay a response to the first question?
Hey, Love your video!
What prompt should I select if I take the chronological approach and discuss multiple life events?
this is Golden
girl, I've watched this many times and it really helped me a lot, I was wondering If there is a limit for numbers of words for application. Btw, thanks again>
650 words is the limit I think
I love ❤️ u for this
I loved your SOP. Do you offer editing help for SOP
Please 🙏
Hey Elise I had this question, did you make a club or sort in school before you got accepted into any ivy league? Ex: Art club, baking club.
" personally in my personal statement "
Can you do the English tuition for my boys who are in 8th grade now.
Stats reveal pls 😭
hey Elise. this video was extremely helpful. i wanted to ask do you help students for free by providing some guidance
the personal statement is blurry… so i can’t read it
Literally same idek what to do
i did the survey but i still didn't get the written course
i am learning to write a personal statement. Your personal statement was beautiful , but how am I supposed to write mine , i have experienced traumatic events but not the ones of your magnitude .
Hi Elise! Really sorry if this is an intrusive request but would we be able to see some more monthly income transparency vids? The newest ones that you made went down recently!
hi! i removed them because I want my focus to be more on impacting others rather than personal income
@@ultimateivyleagueguide That makes a lot of sense I understand! Sorry again for the request :)
Hi Elise, is it necessary for us to take the most rigorous academic subjects even if some don't align with our passion?
Are you on scholarship? Did you take SAT or ACT exams?
How to write an essay as a renaissance person 😭😭😭plzzzz
what was your prompt?
I absolutely appreciate you and i love watching your videos , but there's a question i would love to get answered that how did u figured it out yourself was it natural that u wrote or do u know something only few poeple know ?
I wrote this at 2am while I was in bed. Late night thoughts
tips on freshman year of high school??
do the very best in your classes, and try to take challenging ones if you can. if your school offers honors/advanced classes, take those! also join extracurriculars (sports, school clubs, some outside of school things like volunteering). overall just take school seriously but have fun too :)
don't take advice
@@nayah.2468 this is not good he wont get in any ivy league if he does this especially in every other high school years. bro listen maintain a 3.5 or higher gpa and start taking practice tests for SAT set good rep with teachers so they can give you high quality recommendation letters. start a business and do research papers and enroll in national level competitions and go varsity in some unique sport and get unique high achievement awards the other years of high school continue these and do more of them and start organizations, get internships with companies, job shadow people in your desired career and make all of these extracurriculars focused on ur desired career like if u want to be a doctor make the internships with medical companies and the organizations in the medical field and the research in medicine, but you probably want to keep a bit of ur extracurriculars in other things to show diversity and be an all rounder in your application. Start early dont make the mistake of procrastination. if you do all these + 3.7 gpa or higher + 1450 sat or higher you definitely getting in an ivy league use this as a manual for success and thank me later in four years after opening your harvard acceptance letter
DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO, or otherwise, you will have a big chance of creating a great Personal statement essay. THANK YOU Elise.
Is it possible to incorporate 2 metaphors instead of 1?
What is the prompt for this essay?
Hey, I just discovered you through a YT recommendation. Awesome video. You're also very attractive. Awesome! Hope we meet in irl one day 😎
What about the exta curricular part. Like i saw the other applicants adding bunch of extracurricular part where they were the president of this team or vice -priecident of that team. Blabbering about this achievement, that achievement..
girl's a organic super computer lmao
Can I use little bit of Artificial intelligence to write my personal statement, along with changing some phrases and paragraphs by myself?
My name is Tony Naeem smith I am your number one fan and I'm going to become a security officer supervisor for real okie please and I'm going to become a football 🏈 coach for real okie please 🙏🏽 for real okie 💪🏽👌🏽
Wow ❤❤❤
You mind if I ask what A levels you took?
What if somebody copies her personal statement??
Admissions will detect it
hey elise, I filled out the form for your course multiple times but didn't get a response
em chào chị. Em đang là sinh viên năm 2 tại 1 trường đại học ở Việt Nam. Em muốn học các trường ivy leaguage thì em phải apply hệ bachelor hay hệ master ạ. Và có học bổng không ạ. Em cảm ơn chị
bruh i was gonna write about my love of post its but now it’s gonna look like i was copying you - do you think i should still write it?
i was going to talk about how hoarding post its displays my love for ideas bc i’m applying as a phil major
Can it be used for uk unis?
Elise can you help me an example if my theme is the passing of my grandma and music (ps. She thought me karnitick music
I thought i English language gcse 💀