It’s not often students share their college application essays in such a public way. What stood our to me in Cassandra Hsiao’s essay were the narrative qualities. She gave the story of her family’s English language a beginning, middle, and end. While some of her essay is about her mother, I think Cassandra did a good job of keeping the focus on herself, both what she thought about parts of the story, and highlighting her role in her family’s language. The essay felt well-polished and every sentence added something new. While no one but the admission committees can say how much of an impact an essay had on the final decision, I feel confident in saying that a well-crafted essay like this would certainly be a strong addition to any application.

Congratulations to Cassandra, and best of luck to her in deciding which university to enroll in!

Read more about her story and see the full essay here.