Suggest edit — Princeton

Title

Name

Note

---
title: Princeton
visibility: public
---

# Princeton Essays

## Dory Fish - Biology, Yale 2015

**Acceptances:** Princeton, Yale

### "Not Cute At All"

The essay explores the author's relationship with her one-day-old sister. Initially disappointed by the infant's appearance versus her idealized expectations, the writer gradually discovers profound lessons through siblinghood.

**Key themes:**
- Initial disillusionment transforms into appreciation
- Teaching moments become mutual learning experiences
- The sister's uninhibited joy teaches resilience and unconventional thinking
- Personal growth through observing childlike wonder during activities like stargazing

## Hieronymus - Undecided

**Acceptances:** Princeton

### "Pain and Perspective"

This philosophical essay examines pain and perspective through concrete examples: a broken wrist from martial arts and the satiation of eating excessive cake.

Pain exists as mental experience rather than physical reality. The writer discusses how perspective -- influenced by Stoic philosophy and the concept that "this too, shall pass" -- enables resilience through life's challenges.

## Anatolia - Undecided, Princeton 2016

**Acceptances:** Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Penn, Columbia, UChicago, Northwestern, Duke

### "Vagary"

Describes an impulsive decision to travel to Europe instead of returning home as planned. The author, typically characterized by routine and anxiety, follows an advertisement's invitation to "Let Yourself Go."

The spontaneous journey from pragmatic constraint to liberation. The essay emphasizes how deviation from expectation led to unexpected self-discovery and reclaimed autonomy.

References Kierkegaard: "To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself."

### "Balancing Acts"

Explores bicultural identity through a Taiwanese childhood memory of riding a Styrofoam boat her uncle constructed from scraps, accompanied by his wisdom: "Beauty lies in the balance."

Growing up as an "ABC" (American-born Chinese) created tension between cultural expectations. The essay reframes this conflict through the lens of the American Dream -- understood not as cultural assimilation but as personal agency and self-definition.

The author adopts a philosophy combining parental ambition with personal experience, celebrating heritage while embracing individual potential.