The Ivy League Playbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Winning Admission Essays

By Athena

Elite American admissions systems seem shrouded in mystery. Plummeting acceptance rates suggest that even the most stellar academic record no longer suffices to differentiate a candidate from the rest of the applicant pool.

The personal essay is an exercise in self-marketing, in underscoring your authentic value-add to a college campus. Without the right frameworks and insights on how to approach this task, many applicants miss the opportunity to convey something profound about themselves.

After a decade of studying what works for the world's most selective admissions committees, we've crystalized the elements that distinguish winning essays from those cast upon the dreaded "rejected" pile.

Through in-depth analyses of 25 Common Application Essays that have succeeded at Ivy League and "Ivy+" (Stanford, Caltech, UChicago) universities, you'll discover the transformative journey of composing an outstanding college essay that leaves a lasting impression. And beyond the samples, you'll gain actionable tools and concrete exercises in our workbook to compose your very own.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143464388
• ISBN13: 9780143464389
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: India Penguin
• Length: 288 Pages