Sample reviews
Real reports, unedited — strong drafts, flawed drafts, and the clichés we see most.
memorableCommon App personal statement
The lawnmower engine
“The kid who dismantled a lawnmower at eleven, couldn't put it back together, and somehow turned that into the most honest case for engineering I've read today.”
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working againstCommon App personal statement
The torn ACL
“an essay about a sports injury and comeback — I couldn't tell you which kid”
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competentUC PIQ 1 — Leadership experience
The food drive
“the kid who tripled the food drive by surveying students first — but I couldn't tell you anything else about who they are”
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working againstWhy Us supplement (250 words)
The swappable Why Us
“a "Why Us" essay about a pre-med who wants to volunteer — I couldn't tell you which kid, or which school”
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memorableUniversity of Michigan — why this college/school (100-550 words)
The Michigan Why Us that names names
“The kid who emailed Michigan's conservation lab in October, got a conservator named Sarah to write back, and has been practicing paste-downs ever since.”
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memorableCommunity / identity supplement (300 words)
Sunday dumplings
“The kid whose grandmother said "Good. Doctors can't draw" when she announced she wanted to study art over dumplings.”
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memorableStanford — What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (50 words)
Fifty words on society's challenge
“the kid who thinks the real crisis isn't climate or AI but that nobody knows how to disagree anymore — and said it in 50 words cleaner than most say it in 650”
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working againstChallenge / adversity supplement (300 words)
The pandemic essay
“a pandemic essay — I couldn't tell you which kid”
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