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By: William Espiritu 12th
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With its gothic architecture and storybook atmosphere, Yale University has a way of feeling otherworldly. And while Yale is no Hogwarts (though it looks strikingly similar), Angelly Nguyen, one of KSJC’s most astute seniors, will have the next 4 years traversing a magical experience. Facing financial barriers and burdens, she applied through the Questbridge program, and we wanted to document her unique college application process:
What’s your background (race, income, first-generation)?
Angelly is a Vietnamese student who is first-generation and low-income.
What’s your major and your interests/ future career aspirations?
Angelly’s major is the History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health, with an alternative major of psychology. She is committed to a career in the healthcare field, but is unsure as to what to specialize in.
How did you form your college list?
Because Questbridge is a binding process, Angelly had to be very picky in which schools she would seriously attend. She ranked her schools based on their location, resources, and community:
Brown
Yale
Penn
Harvard
Princeton
JHU
UChicago
Columbia
Cornell
USC
Do you have any advice on forming a college list?
Because we come from a very small school, Angelly emphasized the importance of researching programs and community resources that can help you adjust to college life. Additionally, she advised against forming a college list based on prestige; it’s good, but it shouldn’t be everything.
What do you look for in a college?
Angelly loves a tight-knit, college town community with close student-professor relationships because it allows her to attain letter of recommendations, internship opportunities, and community resources easier.
What extracurriculars do you plan to do at Yale?
Angelly plans to join Yale’s student radio, WYBC, as it allows her to express her creativity and interdisciplinary love. She also hopes to join a health clinic and research lab.
What was your weighted and unweighted GPA?
Weighted: 4.37
Unweighted: 4.0
How many AP Classes did you take, and what were your scores?
AP Computer Science Principles (4), AP World History (4), AP English Language and Composition (5), AP Human Geography (5), and AP United States History (4).
Any advice on AP Classes?
She advised religiously to practice active recall and practice problems.
Did you take any dual enrollment classes at KSJC or at a community college?
In her sophomore year, she took a dual enrollment class at Arizona State University and Brown University focusing on poetry and literature.
What were your ACT and/or SAT scores, and how much time did you spend on studying?
She only took the ACT, and received a superscore score of 32 (28 math, 29 science, 35 english, 34 reading).
Any study tips for the ACT?
She emphasized completing as many practice problems as possible using free resources such as Khan Academy.
What were your main extracurriculars, and how much time did you spend on them?
On the Questbridge application, she was only allowed to list her top 5 activities:
High School Democrats - Chapter President
During her time, Angelly encouraged the City to pass legislation involving school safety. She also canvassed for the Harris-Waltz campaign.
Health, Science, and Medicine club - Club co-President
She spent her time teaching students about numerous research and medical opportunities. She also organized health-related field trips and hosted a club-wide CPR class.
Mini Cat Town - Volunteer
She volunteered at Mini Cat Town down by Eastridge. She worked with rehabilitated cats, with her many duties including front desk work, sales, customer service, and taking care of kittens.
Radiology Oncologist Shadowing
In the summers of her 10th and 11th grade years, Angelly shadowed a radiology oncologist, learning how to do SOAP notes, take vitals, and greet patients.
Kaiser Permenente - Volunteer
Angelly escorted patients, greeted members, and did front desk work.
How have those extracurriculars influenced your future aspirations?
Angelly’s extensive work in High School Democrats as well as her other health-related extracurriculars drove her interest in public health.
How did you rank your extracurriculars?
Angelly ranked them in order of the impact she created, duration of time, and order of importance.
Do you have any advice on your extracurriculars?
Angelly emphasized the importance of doing extracurriculars that you are truly passionate about. Admission officers can tell if your extracurriculars are done for the resume.
What did you write your essay about and why?
In her three first-round essays in Questbridge, angelly wrote about her experience in High School Democrats, her work in understanding and overcoming cultural differences within her family, and a meaningful bracelet displaying the different values she holds:
“I opened my eyes and locked my gaze on the jade bangle on my left wrist. In that moment, I prayed my life would reflect the virtues promised by the charm forever interlocked with me; harmony and growth.”
How much time did you spend on your essays?
Angelly spent 2 weeks grinding her essays.
Do you have any advice for writing your essays?
Angelley recommended starting early. Specifically, she suggested writing down any topics that could be the main focus of your essay well before you start writing.
Who were your letter of recommenders and why?
Angelly’s recommenders were Ms. Vo and Mr. Quintero. She had very close relationships with both of them, being “best friends” with Ms. Vo and having lively conversations with Mr. Quintero
Do you have any advice for choosing your letter of recommenders?
She suggested making sure to have close connections with two of your teachers as well as choosing teachers that can write about different aspects of your personality.
What awards (if any) did you put down in your application.
Dual enrollment - National Equity Education Lab Honor Society
Quarter Awards
AP Scholar with Distinction
What do you think was your strongest part of your application?
Angelly believed it was her extracurriculars because of her high impact.
What was a barrier you faced during the application process, and how did you address it?
Angelly struggled with the lengthy and confusing financial aid process. She also struggled with writers block, but she overcame it over time.
If you were to restart your high school career, what would you change?
Angelly aims to fix her study and writing procrastination. Additionally, she wants to learn how to balance life, school, and fun at an earlier age.
Any final thoughts?
“Be a teacher’s pet”
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