<p>So my ultimate goal is to be accepted to an ivy league (preferably harvard, princeton, yale, columbia, cornell, upenn). I have written my common app about how my family and I have taken in 10 foster children over the past six years and how it has affected me. However, I don’t know if that is enough to get me in. Do you think that should be ok? Or any ideas on how to spin my essay in a different direction more suitable for the ivies?</p>
<p>imo, I think that’s a good topic. From your post “more suitable for the ivies” it seems like you’re thinking you want to cast yourself in a more academic, elite light, but your resume/activities list will have adequately describe those aspects of you. Your essay topic, if written well, shows a distinct, unique quality of you that will make you stand out among applications. However, I would have to read the essay; if it implies that the foster care was mostly a parental choice/passion, and you simply went along with the exposure, then that’s obviously not impressive. </p>
<p>Of course, I’m just another applicant and have never worked with admissions; this is just my personal opinion.</p>