If the college application is a fine dinner, a student's extracurriculars and accomplishments are the crucial ingredients, and the Personal Statement is the main course tying them all together. This is where admissions officers will spend the most time, and it's a student's primary opportunity to stand out from the crowd. There's a lot riding on a mere 650 words! Whether you're putting finishing touches on an Early Decision application, or in the early stages for later deadlines, you don't want to miss out.
In this interactive online workshop, students in grade 12 and their parents will learn from Adam Nguyen — a Harvard Law and Columbia grad, former reader in Columbia's Office of Admissions, and Ivy Link's Founder — what elite colleges are looking for in a Personal Statement. Plus, we'll share key strategies that have helped hundreds of Ivy Link students gain admission to their dream schools:
How to pick the best prompt for your narrative;
How to tie together extracurriculars, measurable accomplishments, and goals for the future;
How to execute the "humble brag";
How parents, counselors, and tutors can help;
How to make the Personal Statement and supplements complement each other;
How to approach essays for colleges that don't use the Common App;
How to break out of the "academic essay" mold.
Adam will also share actual student essays from previous admission cycles, and break down what worked and what didn't.
A portion of this workshop will be devoted to answering questions. Attendees are encouraged to submit their questions ahead of time.
“Every autumn before college applications are due, I hear one thing above all else from parents and students: ‘I wish I had known about that sooner…’”
Presented By:
Adam Nguyen, the founder of Ivy Link, has over two decades of experience helping students at all levels in admissions, test preparation and academic coaching. He has served as an academic advisor at Harvard and a reader of applications and interviewer in Columbia’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. He is a member of the U.S. National Association for College Admission Counseling and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Columbia and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. Adam is a frequent speaker and commentator on admissions, standardized testing and other education issues, appearing on Bloomberg TV and at Columbia University, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and the Parents League of New York.
