Worst possible Princeton applicant?

sonadora09
Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:45:55 +0000

Also, geeknut, if “stereotypically Asian” things just happen to be the things you like, then I think it’s more important to express your genuine passion for those activities rather than trying to look like you have non-stereotypical interests to boost your chances of admission.

I’m Asian, female, and middle-class (not from any of the difficult states, though–I’m in GA), and I’d say that my interests fit the Asian mold pretty well: I play violin, I’m involved in math/science teams at school, I like computers, etc. I applied BSE to Princeton and got in. I wrote essays about physics and violin because I really do love them. Don’t be afraid to show Princeton what you really love to do. Being Asian might make it a little harder but if you try to act like someone else on your application, you’re less likely to make a good impression on admissions officers. But if you do happen to have unique activities, good for you! :-)

Check out this article from MIT’s admissions blog about being yourself on your application: [MIT Admissions | Blog Entry: “What Makes You Tick?”](http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/pulse/the_match_between_you_and_mit/post_7.shtml)

Good luck to everyone applying!