When your application is under review, the fragmented pdf will begin to adopt some structure. The structure makes things easier for the admissions office. It simplifies each application into a single story, which we’ll call the narrative. The narrative is simply the story of an applicant that exists in the admissions office. This makes your narrative the story of you. And it’s the only story that matters for your acceptance
The process is simple: if your narrative is appealing enough, then you will be admitted.
Parsing out the components of the narrative is much less simple. The narrative is a complex cluster of facts, incentives, emotions, and experiences. It's all-encapsulating, and also quite random at times. Your narrative will certainly be affected by things you can't control. Your narrative is subject to the quality of your subject's sleep, their taste in fashion, and their favorite TV show. The randomness of your narrative is contingent on the school you’re applying to.
It is also certain that you will contribute to your narrative with your essays, your extracurriculars, and your grades. If you are simply trying to create an appealing narrative for yourself, possibilities open. This is where we get creative.