samanthapyo13
samanthapyo13,
Northwestern
B.A., Journalism
a writer who is attending her dream school
Features Included
9
Essays
10
Schools
7
Scores
5
Advice
0
ECs
0
Sports

Background

Hometown Seoul, South Korea
GenderFemale
EthnicityAsian
Class of2023
First Gen College StudentNo

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
  • Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
  • University of California - Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
  • University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
  • Emory University (Atlanta, GA)
  • Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT)
  • University of California - Irvine (Irvine, CA)
  • University of California - Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA)
  • University of California - San Diego (La Jolla, CA)
  • Tufts University (Medford, MA)
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.

Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)

Applied for a B.A. in Journalism

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.
When I was seven years old, I discovered my precious Denny unmoving at the surface of the fish bowl. It wasn’t difficult to see that he had passed away to fish heaven. I held an elaborate funeral for him, complete with a eulogy and a symphony playing in the background as I made the final flush. The mournful tribute I had written for my goldfish titled “Dead Denny” was probably the first poem I ever wrote in my life....
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What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
When I was seven, I wrote my first book. As I scribbled passionately about kids riding a magical elevator to find their lost dogs, I realized that my first great love wasn’t a booger-picking boy who shared his crayons with me. It was writing. Like all great love affairs, this one started off as a teensy crush. Writing short poems was like a few covert glances between a boy and a girl. It slowly dawned on me that words...
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Personal Statement
357 Words
Story central to identity
What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
“Why are you crying?” My mom asked, bewilderment plastered on her face. I pointed at my fishbowl; precious Dorothy was floating at the surface belly up. She had passed away to fish heaven. I held an elaborate funeral to the amusement of my mother- complete with a eulogy and a melancholy symphony as I made the final flush. I’ve always loved animals, no matter how small or insignificant they seemed. I could watch ants move a single crumb across...
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Personal Statement
365 Words
Family background, Story central to identity
Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
It’s hard to pinpoint what truly makes me different from other amazing applicants. Is it my grades and test scores? No. My eclectic extracurriculars? Probably not. But one thing that truly sets me apart is my family and how each has shaped me. My mom is small in stature but big in everything else including her voice and opinions. Her English is broken so I grew up listening to her rapid Korean. Because kids attending international schools are typically...
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Personal Statement
357 Words
Academic achievement, Extracurricular passion
Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
To the many pedestrians passing by us on the street, we must have been quite an amusing sight: a large group of high schoolers holding a giant inflatable globe, huge posters, and a teenage boy dressed up like the Grim Reaper. But to me, this strange sight was the culmination of all the hard work that I, along with all my other club members, had put into a single event. The Climate Finance Integrity awareness campaign had been a project...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
306 Words
Northwestern Statement (Optional, Strongly recommended, 300 words max) Other parts of your application give us a sense for how you might contribute to Northwestern. But we also want to consider how Northwestern will contribute to your interests and goals. In 300 words or less, help us understand what aspects of Northwestern appeal most to you, and how you'll make use of specific resources and opportunities here.
Most seniors spend countless hours scouring every resource they can find- online, in books or people- in order to choose where they will spend their next four years. For Samantha Pyo, it was a relatively easy decision. “The moment I found Northwestern, I knew I had found my soulmate. The more research I did, the more I fell in love- especially the Medill School of Journalism.” Ms. Pyo professed as her eyes lit up at the mere mention of her...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
257 Words
1. What excites you about Tufts' intellectually playful community? In short, "Why Tufts?" (200-250 words)
I can’t imagine any school, other than Tufts, being described as both “playful” and “intellectual.” But perhaps this idea of being anything and everything is the epitome of Tufts and also the reason why I belong there. Only at Tufts would the two extremities of my personality be fully nurtured. As a writer with a passion for history, social justice, and language, I can major in “International Literary and Visual Studies” which would allow them to converge. My intellectual...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
257 Words
Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests at USC. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections.
Ever since I was five and learned that mere syllables could be strung together to form intricate sentences, I’ve been a lover of words. This love has shaped my desire to tell a story and I believe that the abundant resources available at USC will enable me to do just that while also fueling my passion for learning. Having been part of the Yearbook Club all through high-school creating countless layouts on the computer and as an executive of...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
260 Words
What is something about yourself that is essential to understanding you?
I’ve never been able to hold a tune- notes that come out of my mouth always crack, wavering unsteadily in the air before dissipating sadly. My singing ability has always been the target of my friends’ constant teasing and laughter. Maybe that’s why when a six year old boy tugs on my hand and asks me to sing his favorite Disney song, I can’t help but hesitate slightly. Charlie is small with curious eyes. The Big-Buddy Program...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
499 Words
1. What excites you about Tufts' intellectually playful community? In short, "Why Tufts?" (200-250 words)
I can’t imagine any school, other than Tufts, being described as both “playful” and “intellectual.” But perhaps this idea of being anything and everything is the epitome of Tufts and also the reason why I belong there. Only at Tufts would the two extremities of my personality be fully nurtured. As a writer with a passion for history, social justice, and language, I can major in “International Literary and Visual Studies” which would allow them to converge. My intellectual...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
258 Words
Whether you've built blanket forts or circuit boards, created slam poetry or mixed media installations, tell us: What have you invented, engineered, produced, or designed? Or what do you hope to?
Tanvi is a small girl with shy eyes that don’t keep contact with mine for more than a few seconds. Her deft fingers work quickly with the slippery clay in contrast to my maladroit fingers. I attempt at my own design, gracelessly molding my own mound. The studio is filled with chatters of English and Hindi but only silence is exchanged between Tanvi and me. When I signed up to partake in one of the service trips that my...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
153 Words
What is your favorite fiction or non-fiction work (film, book, TV show, album, poem, or play)? Why?
Ever since I was a child, Matilda has always been one of my favorite books. Although the books I read have increased in both complexity and depth, there’s something about the story of a little girl disregarded by the world that still resonates with me. Maybe it was because in my mind, I could so easily be her- encountering Ms. Honeys and fighting the Ms. Trunchbulls that faced me. Like Matilda, I harbored a deep love of books as...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
152 Words
What motivates you to learn?
I ran my fingers over the thick strings of the instrument; the texture was unfamiliar. Barely over 5 feet, I was much shorter than the double bass which towered over me. I glanced at my orchestra teacher skeptically. When he had asked me to learn how to play the double bass in the school orchestra which was desperately lacking players, it seemed an impossible feat to transition from the violin to the bass in just a few months. But after putting...
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School Specific Advice

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
155 Words
I think something very evident in my application was how cohesive all my extracurricular activities were. They were all related to something very central to my identity- my love for writing. Similarly, my common app essay provided the "why" to my passion for writing while my activities...
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Recommended summer activities during high school and college
90 Words
Don't just spend your summer goofing around! These are important times for you to build up your high school resumé. Get a job or an internship or...
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What I’d change about my application process
128 Words
There's not much I would change about my application process except maybe NOT STRESS OUT AS MUCH AS I DID. There's only so much you can do and if you have tried your best in all aspects of...
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How I made up for low grades in high school
105 Words
I wouldn't say that I had worryingly low grades but there were definitely a couple of anomalies. What matters is the TREND of your grades. Downward trend = bad. Upward trend = shows that...
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How I narrowed down my essay topics
112 Words
Your essays should be an extension of your common app activities/information. It shouldn't depict a completely different person but instead should show a DEEPER side to you that a simple high school transcript...
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High School Performance

Unweighted GPA
4.00
 
Rank
Top 5%
 
Academic Performance in High School Steady

Test Scores

Highest ACT
35
 
ACT Score Details
 
Other ACT Scores
ACT Prep

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details6 classes and scores

Sports

Extracurriculars

Experience & Awards

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