Research

 

Reflecting on my previous work 

 

Research

Columbia University Admissions

Hello there! I was thrilled to return to my WordPress today after way too many hours of coding to see some new follows. As a thank you, I will publish some new posts! 

For this post, I want to discuss a topic that is currently in the season for this summer: Ivy League Admissions. I was appalled by the colossal crowds of high school students I saw today on the campus of Columbia University in NY. Most of these students were either taking notes as they are under the impression that these could possibly help them during admissions time or posing by Alma Mater. A good friend of mine finds the owl hidden in the drapery of this famed statue far too amusing.

While leaving lab today, I directed so many lost parents towards the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.  I am currently a student at Columbia University and I remember visiting that same building during our orientation weekend. I remember the tour guide that was with us saying “this is where the magic happens.” In actuality, it is only magical for a lucky few of us. Columbia University, along with fellow Ivy League Universities, is one of the toughest schools to gain acceptance to. My dad tells me that people would be happy to wait on a line to get into an Ivy League in the same way you do for Black Friday sales. 

Seeing all the hopeful faces on campus today made me appreciate Columbia so much more. We really are so lucky. 

Looking back, the college admissions process was quite awful for me. I had never seriously thought of college until my senior year in high school. And so I had to face reality and decide on which schools I would apply to. The high school I attended limits us to 8, as we have quotas for how many students from our school can attend most prestigious universities. I am almost positive such quotas exist. My parents were disappointed in my list because they thought it had too many elite schools and that I didn’t stand a chance. We were under a lot of pressure at the time too due to a difficult family situation. The large picture was very overwhelming for me. I swallowed my tears and sucked it up. And I set a timer on December 28, 2010 at 8 PM for 20 minutes for each essay to write for Columbia University. I submitted them that same day. I remember being quite sad because I didn’t have the time to edit it or polish it as much as I would have wanted to. I was also in an intense personal situation. With a whole lot of luck, I was accepted to numerous elite universities in addition to Columbia University. 

My parents were really shocked. And the delight soon followed. 

Sometimes I forgot how dear you are to me, Columbia. I’ve met some of the most amazing brilliant people in my life here. It is here I have had my heart broken and once again fallen in love. It is here I have learned that nothing in life will be handed to you and that you have to work for what you want. It is here I have met the biggest inspiration in my life, my P.I. (Principal Investigator). 

And I do not regret my decision to attend here. Good Luck, kids! I wish you all the best and just remember, be proud of wherever you end up going to college. It will shape you and mold you in ways you never imagined.