ivylani
ivylani,
MIT
B.S., Mechanical Engineering
I love anime, classical music (esp. piano), traveling, foreign languages, and cool science tricks.
Features Included
5
Essays
12
Schools
9
Scores
2
Advice
6
ECs
3
Sports

Background

Hometown Colora, Maryland
GenderFemale
EthnicityAsian
Class of2021
First Gen College StudentNo

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
  • University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
  • Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
  • University of California - Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA)
  • Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
  • University of California - San Diego (La Jolla, CA)
  • University of California - Davis (Davis, CA)
  • Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)
  • University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
  • Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH)
  • Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ)
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)

Applied for a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Accepted and Enrolled Legacy: No

School Specific Essays

I have a close friend who everyone calls a genius. He created a robot from a 3D printer, just “for fun”—who would not consider him one? What most people fail to recognize is the sheer number of days he spent in the lab, trying to figure out the best design for his robot and the tendencies of our 3D printer. He would walk back and forth from our programming teacher’s classroom to our chemistry teacher’s, asking for...
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What does one pick up at the beginning of a long flight? For me, it is the laminated sheet detailing the specifications of all the aircraft the airline possesses. I skim through the part on the in-flight services; instead, my eyes follow a path to the details of the aircraft’s wingspan, tail height, and length. Looking out the window, I notice the smooth surface of the aircraft’s wings. A smile tugs at the corner of my lips as...
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The white, frosty air of our breath contrasted sharply with the heavy black coal we carried in our hands. It was a cold winter morning when the community service project began. Following the instructions of the faculty advisor, we lined up and passed along large lumps of coal to a community inaccessible by car. As our hands began to move faster, I noticed the inefficiency of our single line: compressed as it was, not every student could participate. I was,...
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Personal Statement
250 Words
Feeling out of place, Overcoming personal struggle
The most significant challenge I have faced was the two sudden, consecutive school transfers. All my life, I saw people come and go through the military base I lived in. I never expected to be the one leaving. The first move occurred because I could no longer attend the school, due to new enrollment policies. Hastily, I contacted some of my friends who moved to the States. I received an “OK” from a friend in Arizona, and off I went....
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Going off base seemed like leaving the United States. This, in a sense, was true; legally, the military base was US property with a stateside address, yet surrounded by the busy city of Seoul, Korea. My life mirrored this duality. I held in my hands two passports of different colors, green and blue, when I left or entered a country. I had mixed feelings when I folded the two flags at school; I began to wonder which side I belonged...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
96 Words
I love that mechanical engineering is one of the oldest engineering disciplines and yet continues to expand and improve the world. Because of the long history of this field, I have seen different ways it has been used. The department at MIT clearly demonstrates the constant advancement in mechanical engineering. Hearing of the innovative gear of wheelchairs and a more ideal artificial limb developed by MIT professors, I am able to understand why engineering existed in our society; it is...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
142 Words
One of the first traditions at Georgia Tech I heard of was the climbing of the torturous "Freshmen Hill". Since all freshmen hike up the hill every day to get to class, I believe this to be a way students of the same class bond with one another. This gives me an insight into Georgia Tech's atmosphere. Although classes and other work at Tech may be incredibly tough like climbing a steep hill, the vibes at Tech encourage collaboration and...
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Supplemental Essay: Amusing anecdote
151 Words
The sun was burning down, and sweat was collecting inside my gloves. I was muttering goalkeeping techniques under my breath like a charm; perhaps I wanted them to be. I kept glancing back at the scoreboard. Suddenly, my coached shouted my name. I jerked my head back, noticing a striker ten meters away. Sliding across the field, I whispered: "Triangle hands… cut off the angles..." It's a bit too late. “Just dive!” I ordered myself. When I opened my eyes,...
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Supplemental Essay: Amusing anecdote
94 Words
All humans eat. This I know as a fact, since sufficient nutrition is biologically necessary for human processes. Cooking is an art, as a dish portrays the soul of the chef, a sense of the ingredients, and the culture behind the cuisine. Whenever able, I like to cook for others. I strive to create food that challenges the norm, pleases my guests, and shows them how I perceive the world. I am delighted whenever I try new cuisine because I...
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School Specific Advice

How I chose schools to apply to
342 Words
I chose them first by the majors they offered. After a brief introduction to engineering at a summer program here at MIT, I decided that engineering was my first choice major, and that MIT was the place I wanted to be. I didn't even consider a STEM major until then, so this was a huge change for me. My choice of major crossed off a lot of the colleges on the list. My first choice before then, UChicago, didn't even have engineering (sad!) so it got crossed off too. I took a look at the location of the colleges. I...
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More Essays

These essays haven't been tagged by school. Click school logos above to see tagged essays.

General Admissions Advice

What set me apart from other applicants
312 Words
There are thousands of applicants being read in each admissions office, and so many of them are just thrown in the trash (figuratively, if not literally). How do you make sure yours isn't turned away at first sight or even after that? How do you know for certain you'll be placed in the 'accepted' pile? You really cannot tell whether or not you'll be accepted, especially for the most competitive colleges. However, there are certain ways to increase the probability of it staying. First, make sure there are no huge red flags to get you automatically thrown to the trash...
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High School Performance

Weighted GPA
4.50
 
Rank
Top 1%
 
Academic Performance in High School Steady

Test Scores

Highest ACT
35
 
ACT Score Details
 
Other ACT Scores
ACT Prep
Highest SAT
1430
 
SAT Score Details
 
Other SAT Scores
SAT Prep

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details7 classes and scores

Sports

SportsBasketball, Tennis, Soccer

Extracurriculars

ActivitiesCommunity Cleanup / Service, Choir, Model Congress / Model UN, National Honor Society, Science Club/Team, Student Council / Government

Experience & Awards

Application Additional Materials

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