One could say that my college application process began the moment that our family came to the United States when I was nine years old. My parents dreamed of raising their kids in America and sending them to the top schools here. I think that this is a shared trait that is predominant among Asian immigrants, but I am sure that this is the dream that all immigrant families have (well, maybe not Orlando Hernandez).
By the time I reached high school, I tried to position myself (correction: my parents tried to position me) to have the best opportunity to attend a top program. With the exception of English (my weakest subject), I tried to take the most difficult classes. In hindsight, getting Bs and Cs in middle school in tough classes was better than if I had taken easier classes and gotten better grades. To be fair, I was one of those child prodigies in math. I won state-level and national competitions. For this reason, my story might not be a “Hey, this guy is going through what I am going through” story. But I hope that the lessons that I learned can be helpful.
When I reached high school, I took the most difficult classes because being surrounded by equally ambitious students naturally foster a competitive environment and really forces you to challenge yourself. For the most part, I got As and Bs. I also participated in many extracurricular activities including math and science competitions, football and golf, and some social clubs. I also took it upon myself to talk with upperclassmen to get their insights about applying to college. During summers, I went to various different summer school programs. In hindsight, I don’t believe that there were helpful. I would dare say that these programs have almost no bearing on the application process.
