What made Sena's application shine?

While working in the admissions office, I have a few students ask me what made my application shine. My answer is going through a rigorous editing process. It is scary because the stories you are sharing are about your passions, and it's daunting for someone to be critical about what you care about and love.
First and foremost, write a first draft. Just do a simple braindump, get that introduction, body and conclusion done. Your first draft does not need to be perfect, but you need to get started.
Then, open yourself up to your editors. While the stories you are telling us are personal, you have to be open to criticism. So, start thinking about people in your life who are stronger writers or storytellers than you.
What type of editor do you want? While you want strong writers, I always recommend having a few editors on standby who know your character. Ask them to poke holes in your personal statements where they feel like they are left guessing as to who you are. Ask them, “does my personal statement resonate with who I am in real life?” The people in your life know you, and you want the admissions committee to also know who you are, your feelings to your passions, how you think through challenges, your goals and why you want to go to SIPA.
I suggest having at least someone in your life as an editor as these are the people that make having vulnerable conversations comfortable. This is because when you are editing these personal statements you might feel it is a lot easier to say out loud what you first put down on paper. So, I suggest having that conversation with your editor, friend or family member while having the personal statement in front of you. Take notes and then go back and fine tune your personal statement.
If you are writing in another language, I would first read through your document in English. When you see gaps, explain it to yourself in your language first. Write that down and edit it to fit your statement.
Good luck, and I hope your application shines!