Very excited the moment I got the call, and somehow I asked if I was the first one he called (in retrospect wish I had asked sth more important :-)   Anyways he said no.  But still am I just toooo lucky!

I started out the process as a confident (maybe too much) applicant, thought I had a decent shot @ the top schools and ended up applying only harvard and stanford. (had no luck at harvard btw ;-)    

my stats: gpa 3.8 at top school with exchange experience, G760, T113

Those stats dont look bad but they themselves wont get me in. Many of my peers and other applicants would have similar/more impressive grades.  What really makes me stand out as an applicant, I would guess, is the way of presenting myself in essays, recommendations, and interview.  

I worked hard at my essays - wrote several versions and finally satisfied myself with an essayA that is sincere, personal, uniquely mine and written from the heart. At the biginning I just can't get the tone right, almost always attempting to say "look how good I am...." Writing about what matters to me most kept me from doing that. 

My recommendations are quite good, in the sense that they were written by people who knows me well and tried to capture who I am/ what is special about me.

Interview was with a young alumni, who had similar experience and background, and therefore can understand where I come from and my goals.  That's how I think I am just so very lucky, and I do believe luck plays a very big part in the application process.

That's all about it.  Wish everyone the best results in pursuing your goals!   

In fact I didn't talk much about WE in the essays, only mentioned it quickly in essayB in explaining my goals.  Didn't talk about it at all in essayA-- I can't get my passions thru by talking about the job and it doesn't in anyway represent who I am.  But maybe it's just me  :-)

恭喜LZ，希望给自己今年的申请沾点喜气！