As a rising junior at UofSC, the days of college acceptance letters are still gleaming in the back of my rearview mirror. I still remember writing essay after essay for the copious prompts that laid before me. Yeah, I did okay. But high school senior Brittany Stinson undoubtedly did much, much better.
As every collegiette knows, getting into one IVY League is hard enough. So, imagine Stinson’s response when she received not only one, but FIVE acceptance letters. Stinson got into Yale, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth and Cornell. Now, I’m no math wiz, but with acceptance rates ranging from 4.69% to 13.69%, I’d say Stinson’s feat was anything but ordinary.
So, what is it that made her stand out from the thousands of other applicants? Was it her grades? her SAT scores? Did she have some insane family connections?
None of the above. All of those IVY League schools were head-over-heels because of her answer to this essay prompt: “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story.”
Stinson shared her essay in full with Business Insider, and yes, it’s about Costco. If you ever had a doubt about the direction you wished to take in life, look no further for inspiration. This girl has a way with words. Check out her essay here.