Daniel Schriever

International students face unique hurdles when applying to colleges in the US. There isn’t just a language and cultural barrier, but often a barrier of expectations, since the way college admissions works in the US is remarkably different from how it works elsewhere in the world. 

One student facing the brunt of those expectations was Jennifer, who came to work with Ivy Scholars from China. Her goal was to come to study in the US, and her top choice college was Washington University in St Louis. While she was clear on her goals, the path for her to achieve them was murkier.

Jennifer began working with Daniel, and he began the engagement by getting to know her better, and introducing her to sides of American culture and idiom she was unfamiliar with. She was quite skilled at written English already, but her proficiency with the spoken version progressed remarkably through her work with Daniel. 

He then helped her organize and perfect the disparate pieces of her application. First they put together her artistic portfolio, allowing her to showcase her talent in art by selecting pieces which spoke to her passion for social advocacy. Next, he helped her prepare for and put together a video statement, which colleges accepted in place of an alumni interview to gain a sense of her as a person. Daniel advised her on drafting a script and concept, and helped her practice her diction and delivery, to make sure she presented the best side of herself. 

After this, they began work on her essays. Jennifer was a skilled poet, and artful in her use of language in Mandarin, but needed some help getting into the same rhythm and flow in English. Daniel helped her rephrase her ideas, and make the language less stilted, so it came across as a conversation with a friend. 

This effort paid off. Since Jennifer was clear on her top choice school, Daniel helped her apply early decision. She was accepted to Washington University of St. Louis early and avoided the stress that comes from an extended wait to hear back from colleges, and the trials of applying to many more schools in the regular decision round. We look forward to seeing what Jennifer accomplishes with her education. 

Jennifer’s Personal Statement

When my entire family was urging me to study computer science, I said: “The world needs butterflies.”

Like many Chinese children, my childhood was devoted to mathematics. Weekends meant 18 hours of classes and competitions, struggling with complex algebra and geometry. I preferred the butterflies outside the window.

In middle school, I finally broke away from this path. I was free to explore drama, literature, cinema, mysticism, art… For the first time I recognized my self-worth, and found the girl who didn’t catch butterflies in my childhood.

In the humanities, I discovered boundless ideas and fiery inspiration. In history, I saw the need for revolutionaries like Bruno, who sacrificed his life to bring Copernicus’ heliocentric theory to the public, and Oppenheimer, who remained steadfast and accepted all consequences while opening Pandora’s box. Reading Simone de Beauvoir, I explored how women break free from patriarchal constraints and transform like butterflies. I’m unafraid to be Juror Number 8, a lone voice in a world of angry men.

A few years ago, I was given a specimen of a Green-banded Swallowtail butterfly. Half of it was missing; people appreciate butterflies’ brokenness. As it lay quietly in its box, I considered how for many people, butterflies symbolize femininity and fragility. Thousands of shamed women are likened to butterflies, deemed guilty of their own beauty. In Zhuangzhi’s Dream, butterflies symbolize elusive beauty and unbridled freedom, the mundane blended with the sorrowful. “Am I dreaming of the butterfly,” he pondered, “or is the butterfly dreaming of me?” 

However, I see a spirit of strength in butterflies. The caterpillar breaks free from its cocoon and emerges reborn, enduring the painful transformation. During a research trip to Xiangxi, a tradition-bearer once held my hand to touch the embroidered patterns, saying that the butterfly is like a mother protecting her daughters. In Miao culture, butterflies represent the inherited power of women.

“Am I dreaming of the butterfly, or is the butterfly dreaming of me?” 

I removed the specimen from the box. I began adding wires and gears in intricate patterns to recreate the butterfly’s missing half. I wanted to lay bare the butterfly’s powerful core, the boundless potential underneath her exquisite wings.

I don’t fight for material recognition, but to achieve social justice, equality, and human rights. I do not fear being the only one in my family pursuing a literary path; I do not fear questioning authority; I do not fear being the sole advocate for bullying victims in my school.

I reject the devaluation of the humanities. Humans are not just atoms in random order; we come from stardust and exist for a brief moment in billions of years. We unfold our wings like butterflies for a fleeting breath of spring. We can love openly and be vulnerable, touch sadness and hot tears. This is our greatest privilege, something countless algorithms can’t replicate.

This semester, I’m the only senior who chose to enroll in an elective. In “Readings on Ancient Greek & Roman History,” I learned about Aristotle’s first recorded use of the word “psyche.” He describes the human soul as a butterfly: like caterpillars from the cocoon, our souls float free from the body after death. In seminars, I encountered Freudian psychoanalysis. “Analysis” in Greek means “release” or “set free,” so its literal meaning is “liberation of the butterfly.”

Everyone has a butterfly in their soul. In my poetry book, I wrote: “I love the freedom of the butterfly; I love the backbone of the butterfly; I love the butterfly spreading her wings in the fierce wind.”

I think I’ve found my own metamorphosis too.

So, if I truly walk through the gates of Washington University, I want to first sit in The Danforth Butterfly Garden. I’ll listen to the butterflies’ fluttering wings, and feel the breath of liberation.

Urvi’s Story

Urvi was a very talented student, who knew what her passions were, but were unsure how those would translate to a collegiate major. Urvi loved working with her hands, and participated in Odyssey of the Mind, and in theater constructing sets. Daniel began by helping her explore where her passions could take her.

An architecture summer program let her explore that field in depth, and decide it was not quite what she was interested in. It did open a new door, however, and led to her pursuing engineering. 

As she worked as the head of set design for her school’s theater program, she came to love not just construction, but the design process, and seeing a project through from her thoughts to a finished whole. 

Daniel helped Urvi express her love for this art of creation in her essays, as she applied to a number of top engineering programs. Her goal was to find and pursue merit and need scholarships equally, and Daniel helped her find the programs that best suited her needs. He helped her compose a college list including some top schools with generous need-based aid, and some schools where she would be very competitive for top merit scholarships.

She received significant scholarship offers, and was admitted to Honors programs at Purdue, Clemson, and Ohio State, with another major scholarship offer from Smith College. 

After some deliberation, Urvi decided to attend UT Austin, where she is double majoring in mechanical engineering and the Plan II honors program, which she received a scholarship for. We look forward to seeing great things from her in the future.