efrippca
efrippca,
UCLA
B.S., Neuroscience
I wrote my personal statement about coffee
Features Included
2
Essays
11
Schools
12
Scores
8
Advice
5
ECs
0
Sports

Background

Hometown Redmond, Washington
GenderFemale
EthnicityAsian
Class of2022
First Gen College StudentNo

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
  • University of California - Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Columbia University (New York, NY)
  • University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)
  • University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
  • University of California - San Diego (La Jolla, CA)
  • University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
  • Duke University (Durham, NC)
  • University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
  • University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL)
  • University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Yale University (New Haven, CT)
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.

University of California - Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)

Applied for a B.S. in Neuroscience

Accepted and Enrolled Legacy: No

School Specific Essays

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
I walk in and take a deep breath, catching the smell of roasted coffee beans as it tickles my nose. With no time wasted, I beeline towards the queue for coffee that has formed in front of my eyes. Soon it’s my turn to order. Immediately, I realize something is different—the barista at the cash register is unfamiliar. I know all the baristas here, so who is this man? I sneak a peek at the nametag: Peter. His...
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Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
I didn't realize how much the mere presence of a person can be comforting until I became a trained active listener on 7 Cups of Tea, an online counseling platform. Being an active listener means that I have the ability to chat with people seeking counseling by purely helping them articulate their feelings, not by giving them advice. Being an active listener is not about treating diagnoses, but instead about giving people an outlet to talk about their worries and fears...
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8:40 AM—time for class. For the last time, I walk into my classroom full of tiny, screeching third graders. I had spent the previous two weeks teaching obnoxious little kids. Their nonstop mischievousness had me begging on my knees at the end of each day, pleading to somebody, anybody, that I would not have to spend another day dealing with devil children. Sure, I had shared many fun memories with them, but part of me was grateful I would not...
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Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
Music is my creative outlet. Playing music, listening to music, analyzing music, you name it-every aspect of music fosters my creative expression. There is something so beautiful about music that transcends time and space, unlocking an infinitude of possibilities for inspiration. I started playing music when I was seven. What I love about playing music is that it is open to interpretation, giving me a platform to tell a story. The plain notes come to life in whichever way I...
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Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
As usual, my family and I were watching NBC Nightly News while eating dinner. I was contentedly chewing my food, when suddenly I heard Lester Holt declaring the death of Oliver Sacks, world-renowned neurologist. I stopped mid-chew. Although I knew nothing about neurology at the time, anything brain-related is captivating to me, so I made a mental note to search him up later and resumed my chewing. What unraveled that evening was an all-nighter dedicated to reading works by Oliver...
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Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
"I'm going to die before I finish college." I used to tell myself this all the time. In my depression and anxiety-ridden brain, this recurring thought became an excuse to slack off. I did the bare minimum required to do well in school, I stopped practicing piano and violin as often because I didn't think it was important. I grew uninterested in learning, seeing no benefits of knowledge. I shut myself off from my friends and family, existing in a...
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Supplemental Essay: Diversity statement
305 Words
Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you’d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you’ve had to help us understand you better-perhaps related to a community you belong to, your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background-we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke.
Standing alone onstage with the unspoken purpose of performing to impress has never appealed to me. Yet in the cutthroat competitiveness of the music world, where exquisite playing is necessary for success, it seems as if there is no choice but to stand underneath the spotlight. This spotlight mentality came along for the ride when I signed up for orchestra as a freshman. We spent the whole year preparing furiously for orchestra competitions, so when I became feverish on the...
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School Specific Advice

How to increase chances at my school
88 Words
In the short essay questions I think it's really important to show your voice. Don't try to fit what you think their perfect applicant looks like--...
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How I chose schools to apply to
69 Words
I knew I wanted to apply to UCLA because I've wanted to go there since I was a sophomore in high...
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What might make for a good “Why Us” essay topic at my school
40 Words
Make sure your essay is specific to the school-- aka, do your...
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How to balance class with social or extracurricular involvements
95 Words
College can get really busy with balancing classwork, a social life, and your extracurriculars. While everyone has a different way of being able to balance them, I think the...
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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 I’d change about my application process
59 Words
I wish I had "gone against the grain" more when I was writing answers to short answer questions...
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How I made up for low grades in high school
73 Words
I definitely did not have super low grades in high school, but after freshman year I was in a place where there...
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How to deal with the stress of applying to college
62 Words
I think it's hard during the college application process to realize that in the end, it really doesn't matter...
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What I learned transitioning from high school to college
35 Words
The transition for me was pretty smooth, but it definitely forced...
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High School Performance

Unweighted GPA
3.91
 
Rank
Top 10%
 
Academic Performance in High School Low at first but improved
Explanation of Low Grades

Test Scores

Highest SAT
1540
 
SAT Score Details
 
Other SAT Scores
SAT Prep

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details11 classes and scores

Sports

Extracurriculars

ActivitiesSchool Jazz / Orchestra, Local Orchestra / Symphony / Band, Music: Instrumental, Model Congress / Model UN, Other Club/Activity
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work

Experience & Awards

Volunteer Experiences
Awards Received
Application Additional Materials

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