jackieee,
Princeton
B.A., Computer Science
Unhooked Asian girl from the Bay Area! Princeton CS '22
Features Included
15
Essays
13
Schools
15
Scores
12
Advice
5
ECs
0
Sports

Background

Hometown San Jose, California
GenderFemale
EthnicityAsian
Class of2022
First Gen College StudentNo

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
  • Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
  • Yale University (New Haven, CT)
  • Columbia University (New York, NY)
  • Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)
  • Brown University (Providence, RI)
  • Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
  • Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
  • Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
  • Duke University (Durham, NC)
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Boston University (Boston, MA)
  • University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL)
  • University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.

Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)

Applied for a B.A. in Computer Science

Accepted and Enrolled Legacy: No

School Specific Essays

Egg yolks, olive oil, yogurt and a tablespoon of honey. Light filtered in through the kitchen curtains, skeining my hands silver as I stirred these ingredients together, humming along to the rhythm of my whisk looping around the bowl. Water from my freshly washed hair dripped onto the linoleum tiles, punctuating the quietness of the early morning. Such a moment of peace, unfortunately, did not last long. When mixed thoroughly, the concoction shimmered a rich translucent gold. This was my...
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Supplemental Essay: Extracurricular activity
162 Words
Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences that was particularly meaningful to you. (About 150 words)
I write magical realist stories: sunflowers dripping lemon oil, summer scraping its whiskers against bare legs, prayers spiraling out of churches as rose-lit smoke. Although this genre is as otherworldly and vibrant as blue gardens or poetry, it’s nevertheless conceptualized in hard reality. Which is why, as a Mitra Scholar, I’m researching the historical genesis of magical realism in Latin America. Last summer I've database-dived for seminal works, interviewed cultural experts, and linguistically interpreted the glitzy prose of...
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Supplemental Essay: Other
223 Words














List the books (if any) you've read this year for pleasure. Choose one and in a sentence describe its impact on you.
- Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs) - When Jobs talked about how a calligraphy course he took inspired the typography that was later carefully built into the Mac, I realized the full extent to which technology depends on non-scientific endeavors such as art, English, and philosophy to truly flourish. - The Goldfinch (Donna Tartt) - The Girls (Emma Cline) - Fault Lines (Nancy Huston) - War of the Foxes (Richard Siken) - Cien años de soledad (Gabriel García M...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
258 Words
What about being a student at Boston University most excites you?
As an engineering intern at Boston University under [REDACTED] last summer, I loved the opportunity to probe the cutting edge of single particle tracking with BU’s advanced research facilities. My project, which involved computationally analyzing the trajectory of fluorescent quantum dots in collagen fibers, was team-based and multi-disciplinary, predicated upon fields ranging from biology to physics to computer science. As such, I was able to interact and work with a dazzling array of individuals from different scientific backgrounds, united...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
109 Words
List a few words or phrases that describe your ideal college community.(150 words or less)
Bubbling with quaint historical charm. Situated in a dynamic city. Foundational liberal arts curriculum backed by extensive research opportunities. Innovative. Quirky Tree Lighting and Yule Log traditions—who doesn’t love winter? A vibrant mix of backgrounds and ideologies. Always busy: something to do, to see, to be. Mysterious tunneling systems. An inclusive, supportive student body. Well-read. Interdisciplinary seminars. Bustling, populous, exciting—as the Chinese idiom goes, people mountain people sea. Opportunities in the literary arts. Supportive student advising. Challenging...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
169 Words
List the titles of the required readings from courses during the school year or summer that you enjoyed most in the past year. (150 words or less)
- The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison) - A devastatingly gorgeous narrative. When I read about Pecola’s attempts to satisfy the Western beauty standards by praying for blue eyes, I remembered my mother sticking on double eyelid tape to look less Chinese. I definitely cried then. - The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) - Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools (Alfred Aho et. al) - “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (Joyce Carol Oates) - “The Lottery” (Shirley Jackson) ...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
173 Words
List the titles of the print, electronic publications and websites you read regularly. (150 words or less)
- The Adroit Journal - Strong, eclectic aesthetic. Poems about ugly things told through pretty words, from cherry pits to phantasmic family reunions to glow-in-the-dark jellyfish. - PANK Magazine - Wired Magazine - The monthly technology update that covers both the science and the social impact of new phenomena. - The Claremont Review - The New York Times - Science Magazine - Quanta Magazine - TIME Magazine - I’ve looked forward to the rectangular red border in our mailbox...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
160 Words
List the titles of the films, concerts, shows, exhibits, lectures and other entertainments you enjoyed most in the past year. (150 words or less)
- National YoungArts Week Writers’ Readings and Visual Arts Exhibition - Experience of a lifetime. Coming from STEM-obsessed Silicon Valley, I’ve never seen such wild enthusiasm for the arts until then. - [REDACTED] Artstravaganza Writers’ Readings - “Priceless Pork Belly” exhibit from the Asian Art Museum - IBM 1401 Demo Lab from the Computer History Museum - “Kahlo and Her Circle” gallery from the Museum of Fine Arts - Saturday Night Live (1975-) - Politically incisive yet relatable! So hilarious...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
102 Words
While arguing a Dartmouth-related case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1818, Daniel Webster, Class of 1801, uttered this memorable line: ''It is, Sir…a small college. And yet, there are those who love it!'' As you seek admission to the Class of 2022, what aspects of the College’s program, community, or campus environment attract your interest?
As a programmer and a poet, I love to create. The Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Engagement is thus the perfect opportunity to synthesize my interests in English and computer science. Additionally, with the uniquely flexible D-Plan and the College’s substantial undergraduate focus, I can’t wait to closely research the transnationalism of magical realist literature under Professor Sam Moodie. Dartmouth’s English Department stands out for its strength in both literary criticism and creative writing—I can engage my analytical...
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Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
255 Words
Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests at USC. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (250 word limit)
As an engineer and a writer, I love to create. There is as much an artistic infusion to coding as there is a rational progression to poetry, which is why the USC Sidney Harman Academy for Polymathic Study, with its focus on cross-disciplinary connections, draws me in. Combined with Engineering+, USC truly emphasizes the renaissance value of exploring the full academic spectrum. I’m eager to delve into fascinating classes such as Video Game Design at the Viterbi School of...
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Supplemental Essay: Issue of personal significance
40 Words
What inspires you?
There’s a potted catnip on my desk that I obsessively guard from my cat, who’s forever intent on chewing up the leaves. The plant’s mangled and mottled but the fact that it’s still alive is inspiring.
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Supplemental Essay: Other
30 Words
Yale’s residential colleges regularly host intimate conversations with guests representing a wide range of experiences and accomplishments. What person, past or present, would you invite to speak? What question would you ask?
For writer Ning Ken: To what extent did your personal life contribute to your creation of chaohuan, or “ultra-unreal,” the literary genre that explores the absurdity of modern Chinese life?
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Supplemental Essay: Other
11 Words
You are teaching a Yale course. What is it called?
print(“Hello, Writers’ World!”): Analyzing Language in Modern Prose and Code
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Supplemental Essay: Other
32 Words
Most first year Yale students live in suites of four to six students. What would you contribute to the dynamic of your suite?
I’m the compulsive home decorator armed with succulents, fairy lights, and inspirational wall art who’ll remodel and optimize your living space each month. I also write love sonnets upon request.
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Supplemental Essay: Other
170 Words
Princeton University Short-Takes:
Your favorite book and its author: Home, Toni Morrison Your favorite movie: Spirited Away (2001) Your favorite website: http://emergencycompliment.com Two adjectives your friends would use to describe you: Hilarious, honest Your favorite recording: “He Paints Because He Likes It” - Kaffertorsk Your favorite keepsake or memento: A jar of caramelized banana jam that is the right shade of burnt amber. Your favorite source of inspiration: A potted catnip on my desk that I obsessively guard from my cat, who...
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School Specific Advice

Why I ultimately chose my school
655 Words
Upon making a college list, I wanted a balanced school where STEM isn't the overwhelming focus. That crossed off Stanford, MIT, Caltech, GaTech, etc. from my original college application list. I also didn't like large schools like Harvard or UCB, where the focus falls more on graduate students than the undergrads. Unfortunately, LACs weren't something that most people at my school applied to, so I didn't look there. Admittedly, I put very little research into making my list and picked schools based on hearsay from other people. I didn't bother to figure out the cons of each school I applied...
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How I chose schools to apply to
90 Words
I chose to apply to Yale in part because of "That's Why I Chose Yale," and also because I heard that Yale tends to favor STEM applicants....
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How I chose schools to apply to
99 Words
I chose to apply to Princeton because it has the most gorgeous campus, haha. It's also the only school out of HYPS that I could imagine myself choosing over Yale....
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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
194 Words
10/10/20 Update: School-specific essays were much, much easier since I reused a LOT of my essays, with various tweaks for each school. I really tried to portray myself as a unique applicant with dual interests in the sciences and the humanities. In no particular order, I wrote about: brownie-specific baking blunders, Winnie the Pooh, sparkling quantum dots, my...
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What set me apart from other applicants
121 Words
I think my extracurriculars set me apart, especially given my demographics (unhooked Asian-American, female, no legacy, from a hyper-competitive STEM-oriented private school in California). Although I applied CS to the majority of my schools, I had...
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Post-college plans
202 Words
Updated 12/15/2019: I was honestly torn between English and CS when I was applying to colleges, so I went for different majors to many of my RD schools depending on which program I preferred. For instance, I loved the Creative Writing program at Columbia College over its CS program in SEAS, but I couldn't pass up Princeton's CS program either....
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How I made up for low grades in high school
73 Words
My grades weren't terrible, but they weren't at the tippy-top either. I definitely had a downward trend. I focused a lot on...
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Misconceptions I had about college before attending
158 Words
Writing is a singularly useful skill - not just when it comes to college applications, but later on in life as well. In terms of college applications, you have to write not only persuasively but also creatively. Think about what sort of narrative you want your college...
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My advice about getting recommenders
133 Words
Pick teachers who truly know you as a person. I picked my junior year H. English teacher, who has encouraged me to enter my creative writing to competitions and had also written me a recommendation for Iowa Young Writers'...
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What I learned transitioning from high school to college
132 Words
Being in a completely new environment can be very tough; it's okay to take things slow. I just came out of senior year second semester (a notably senioritis-prone time), and I'm trying to pick up my motivation for things. I'm...
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What I’d change about my application process
226 Words
Probably start my research earlier. I didn't know what colleges to apply to aside from the US News Top 20 Colleges and threw together a list willy-nilly. I would've spent more time looking into LACs, since I prefer a smaller, more undergraduate-focused college setting. Also wouldn't apply to so many safeties (UIUC, BU, UCLA, etc). I submitted all my RD schools along with my SCEA, which probably wasn't...
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Whether I took out loans or applied for scholarships, and my advice
98 Words
In junior year, I was selected as a National YoungArts Finalist in Writing (Short Story). I got a couple thousand dollars in scholarship money and was able to pay...
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High School Performance

Weighted GPA
4.44
(equivalent to 3.97 unweighted)
Rank
N/A
 
College Classes In High School
Academic Performance in High School High at first but got worse
Explanation of Low Grades

Test Scores

Highest ACT
36
 
ACT Score Details
 
Other ACT Scores
ACT Prep
PSAT Scores

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details13 classes and scores

Sports

Extracurriculars

ActivitiesDebate Club/Team, Academic, Computer / Technology Volunteer, Research, Music: Instrumental
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work

Experience & Awards

Volunteer Experiences
Awards Received
Application Additional Materials

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