<p>I an admissions consultant. I have worked in Japan and Thailand helping clients get into top ten US schools. Before being an admissions consultant I attended Exeter, Stanford, or Yale.</p>
<p>Asian clients tend to think grades and test scores mean everything. In actuality they are just gate keepers. Overemphasizing grades and not understanding the role of passion is what kills more Asian applicants than any other mistake</p>
<p>Also, the admissions application is about telling a great story. Great stories can be about really shameful and embarrassing things. They are not neat or nice. They are often bloody, horrible tales about overcoming shame and humiliation. I have had clients who were sexually molested, had alcoholic parents, were bullied in schools, felt ashamed of their social class, and it was these stories they used to define who they were. Rather than being in poor taste, these stories generated sympathy, showed strength of character, and showed the ability to overcome adversity. It is not what you achieve, it is how far you come. However, many Asian clients do not want to tell these stories. They are ashamed and create a rather boring substitute “good face” story. Bad mistake</p>
<p>There are millions of eager little kids trying to get good grades. How many kids have any real passion, how many kids have taken any real risks to help anyone, how many young kids have any real original ideas?</p>
<p>Write your essay like its the last day of your life and you really don’t care. Worrying about getting into a school will make you overcautious and boring. Ironically, you cannot care to much. You must have the inner confidence to believe it is going to be okay no matter what.</p>