Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Purdue Engineering, Georgia Tech, UC Berkeley & more

Saumya was a fantastic writer, but like many talented seniors, she was stuck with a topic that did not showcase her strengths in an authentic way. At first, she started with a superficial topic about an embarrassing incident that happened when she was 10. From a strategic standpoint, the essay seemed a little juvenile and didn’t tell us anything about her except that she’s matured since she was 10-years-old, which is to be expected eight years later. The overall lesson of becoming more confident is a good one, but most of the essay was based so long ago, which is not the best approach to show the admissions officers who you are now (which is what they'd like to see).

Once we figured out the new topic (relating to her Indian heritage and American identity), we focused on how to make that story unique and authentic. We did this by adding that deeper layer of vulnerability that takes any tension and makes it relatable. Without showing us that vulnerable side, the reader can’t appreciate how far the student has come in order to triumph. I recommend old-school journaling with a pen and paper when you’re relaxed (like at night in bed before you go to sleep) to access that deeper self-reflection. Something magical happens to your creativity this way and helps you avoid cliche.

After we finished our edits, she wrote: “Thank you for your incredible help! I've really enjoyed working with you and I greatly appreciate all of your fantastic feedback and help. This essay is so polished and sophisticated, I couldn’t have achieved such a high level of writing without you. Once again, thank you. You've really helped my application process run smoother and I'm grateful. I'll be sure to keep in touch :)”

So I asked her to write something about working together and this is what she sent over. I’m so touched by these beautiful words:

“The Common App and Supplemental essays I crafted with Yelena's help helped me achieve my dream of getting into UC Berkeley! When I contacted her last summer, my essay had several bumps. Yelena suggested starting from scratch with a completely different prompt, and while the task seemed daunting to me, I'm thankful that she was with me every step of the way. We had many phone calls and brainstorming sessions, and her advice was incredibly thoughtful, detailed, and personalized for my needs. One thing I loved, in particular, was the Thought Starters activity she gave me to brainstorm which I continue to use today.

During the essay-writing process, I found it impressive how, after I literally dumped my disorganized thoughts onto paper, she was able to connect them into a cohesive and compelling essay. My final products were a lot more polished than I could have ever accomplished on my own. I was forced to think and reflect every step of the way, and I admire how she pushed me to write everything in my own words. Whenever I go back and read my essays, I find myself consistently proud of them, and that's all thanks to Yelena's help.”
-Saumya, accepted to Georgia Tech, UCLA, and Carnegie Mellon, Berkeley, and Purdue Engineering