emmasu
emmasu,
Stanford
B.A., Economics
Stanford '25. Passionate musician who's interested in Economics and Computer Science. Visually-impaired, Taiwanese-American, based in NY/NJ.
Features Included
11
Essays
12
Schools
6
Scores
3
Advice
7
ECs
0
Sports

Background

Hometown Ridgewood, New Jersey
GenderFemale
EthnicityAsian
Class of2025
First Gen College StudentNo

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
  • Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
  • Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)
  • University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)
  • University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
  • Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
  • University of British Columbia (British Columbia, Canada)
  • Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
  • University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)
  • Brandeis University (Waltham, MA)
  • Northeastern University (Boston, MA)
  • Columbia University (New York, NY)
  • University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.

Stanford University (Stanford, CA)

Applied for a B.A. in Economics

Accepted and Enrolled Legacy: No

School Specific Essays

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
The Crescendo Back to Light I squished the gooey substance between my fingers, hesitantly raising it to my lips. As I gently chewed on the slimy object, I caught a whiff of an earthy scent when it unexpectedly twitched. Horrified, I spat out the worm my peers had told me was candy and fled from their cruel laughter. Tears further blurring my vision, I heard a voice shout, “You’re blind because that’s what the heavens wanted for you!...
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Supplemental Essay: Intellectual interest
260 Words
The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.
“Rrrrr!” My first attempt at flutter-tonguing vibrated through my whole body with a jolting sensation as I prepared my throat to sing while playing the next flute melody and then attacking a glissando with buzzing lips. My Juilliard chamber group was selected for the Luna Composition Lab, a program which solely features female-identifying composers to combat gender inequality in the music industry. “Peace” by Joanna McDonald was my first exposure to modern music as a classical flutist and my first...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
262 Words
Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—get to know you better.
Dear Future Roommate, Polaroids of me and my family strung above my headboard, stuffed animals lined on my shelves, magnets from museums I’ve visited stuck on the wall above my desk, a Beethoven Symphony playing softly in the background— this is my bedroom. I am one who greatly cherishes memories. Whether pictures or childhood mementos, they each hold their own story. They make me smile before I go to sleep and greet me when I wake up. I hope...
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Supplemental Essay: Strong beliefs/principles
257 Words
Tell us about something that is meaningful to you, and why?
Walking into the Xin-Sheng School as a New Yorker born-and-raised, I was curious to explore the differences between American and Taiwanese elementary schools and was shocked that there were student-cleaning rotations to clean classrooms, staircases, and even restrooms. Assigned to scrub the squat toilets for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel disgusted, wondering why such jobs were given to students. I looked around at my uncomplaining peers dutifully doing their jobs: wiping down stall doors, mopping floors,...
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Supplemental Essay: Extracurricular activity
413 Words
Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (200-400 words)
“Rrrrr!” My first attempt at flutter-tonguing vibrated through my whole body with a jolting sensation as I prepared my throat to sing while playing the next flute melody and then attacking a glissando with buzzing lips. As I played music written by a freshly modern and underrepresented voice, I found myself engaging with my instrument in ways I never had. Once at a Juilliard chamber music rehearsal, our coach sat us down to discuss the Luna Composition Lab, a program...
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Supplemental Essay: Other
303 Words
Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (300 word limit)
When I moved to Taiwan in elementary school, I had already attended Tzu Chi Academy’s Taiwanese school for five years. Taiwanese Mandarin was not foreign to me, but I had anticipated a bumpy transition: an abrupt change from taking classes in English to Chinese couldn’t be easy. To everyone’s surprise, I fell in love with the subject Chinese itself. I marveled over the beauty of Chinese calligraphy and the patterned characters that formed some of the most...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
565 Words
Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? (550 word limit)
As a Juilliard Pre-College flutist and an honor student at a competitive high school, I am looking for a university like University of Michigan that would provide the best of both experiences— musically and academically— through the School of Music, Theater, and Dance and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts dual degree program. Ms. Amy Porter, flute faculty at SMTD, is a professor whose artistry has inspired me immensely over the years, especially while I was learning the...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
304 Words
UVA students paint messages on Beta Bridge when they want to share information with our community. What would you paint on Beta Bridge and why is this your message?

“Service Has No Boundaries.” Nervously walking into the Xin-Sheng School as a New Yorker born-and-raised, I was curious to explore the differences between American and Taiwanese elementary schools. One major difference I was shocked to discover was that in Taiwan, we had a student-cleaning rotation to clean classrooms, staircases, and even restrooms. Assigned to scrub the squat toilets for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel disgusted, wondering why such jobs were given to students. I looked around...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
297 Words
Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity or personal goal. Whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieve your ultimate goal. As you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience?

A successful college experience in my mind is centered on establishing long-lasting connections, a network of peers and professors spanning different fields who I can turn to further down the road (and vice versa). Having diverse interests and an international background myself, I very much value interacting with people across various fields and cultures. I believe that engaging with such a diverse community will help me learn new perspectives and become a more well-rounded individual. I would also want to...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
243 Words
The University of Rochester benefactor, entrepreneur, photography pioneer and philanthropist George Eastman said, “The progress of the world depends almost entirely upon education.” With that statement in mind, how will you use your University of Rochester experience to foster positive change in order to make the world, your community and those around you “ever better?” (250 words)
Taking AP Economics and AP Environmental Science at my high school this semester has exposed me to how these two fields intersect to make the world’s economy and the environment a more sustainable living space. Today, our environment suffers from climate change and is deteriorating largely because of poor policy decisions— a global issue that I believe could be reduced through closer communication between economists and environmental scientists. With the education provided at the University of Rochester, I hope...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
257 Words
Why would you like to attend Brandeis?
During a Brandeis campus tour with alum Alvin Liu, the stunning Slosberg Music Center caught my attention and has become a venue I hope to perform in through the many concert series the music community hosts. As a Juilliard Pre-College musician, I want to balance my academic interest in environmental studies with my passion for performance, and with Brandeis’s emphasis on social justice, I believe Brandeis is the ideal institution for me to fulfill these aspirations. Taking AP Economics...
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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

How I narrowed down my essay topics
126 Words
The best technique to know if your essay topic is the most "right choice" is to see how easily you can tell your story through a free-write. A free-write is where you sit down and just basically word-vomit...
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Recommended summer activities during high school and college
47 Words
Apply to summer programs that will support the major you are interested in. The...
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My advice about getting recommenders
58 Words
Try to get recommendations from teachers that you know will write positive attributes about you -- your...
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High School Performance

Weighted GPA
4.09
(equivalent to 3.89 unweighted)
Rank
Top 25%
 
Academic Performance in High School Steady

Test Scores

Highest SAT
1570
 
SAT Score Details
 
Other SAT Scores
SAT Prep

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details9 classes and scores

Sports

Extracurriculars

ActivitiesMusic: Instrumental, Music: Instrumental, Foreign Language, National Honor Society, Tutoring/Mentoring, Community Cleanup / Service, Academic
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work

Experience & Awards

Volunteer Experiences
Awards Received
Application Additional Materials

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