AlumniAnswers

Check out our latest special feature with MIT student, Elaine Liu '26! 💫

We cover many topics in this article such as college interview advice, essay tips, choosing colleges, formatting your extracurriculars in the CommonApp based on the college you're applying to, etc.

This is one you don't want to miss—head over to our bio, (with a coffee in hand, of course) and gain some helpful insights!

Join us to learn from a UNC-Chapel Hill Student—Ritushree Dutta ‘24!

Dutta is double majoring in Neuroscience and Medical Anthropology with a minor in Spanish, and is the Founder and CEO of the Neuroscience Foundation, an international non-profit organization that makes neuroscience-related opportunities available for young students. At UNC, she researches the effects of cancer treatment on cognitive function and is working on developing methods to measure these changes. In her spare time, Ritu plays tennis competitively on the UNC Club Tennis team, likes to record song covers, and enjoys time with her friends and family.

- A key quote: “A year ago, I got a chance to sit down with an admissions committee member and look at the comments and feedback that were written by my application reviewers about my application to UNC. So, what is it that sealed the deal to my admission? Drum roll please...The admissions officers who reviewed my application were fascinated by my life experiences. Pretty cliche, right? Not quite..."

Check out her full interview with the link in our bio!

Join us to learn from a Georgetown Student—Rushil Vashee ‘25!
Vashee is a sophomore at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service studying International Political Economy with minors in Journalism and Spanish. With a keen interest in the intersection of people and politics, especially as it relates to U.S. constitutional law, economic statistics, and data analysis, Rushil has worked with these issues at the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center, on a competitive U.S. Senate campaign, at USA TODAY's Sports Media Group, and through a published research paper.
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A key quote: “I would encourage high school students to explore different student organizations and find what feels the most fulfilling! While extracurricular activities can help prepare students for a college major, they are also an outlet to find and explore a passion or hobby."

Check out his full interview with the link in our bio!

Join us to learn from a Dartmouth Student - Aleemah Williams ‘24!

Aleemah was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated from North Carolina Cyber Academy. At Dartmouth, Aleemah is currently pursuing a modified major of Government (with a heavy emphasis on International Relations and Comparative Politics) and Physics while minoring in International Studies (and potentially Public Policy).
During her high school career, Aleemah has held several internships with Superior court judges, private attorneys and state representatives. Aleemah is currently on Dartmouth’s varsity women’s rugby team where she is both a player and a member of the of the leadership team and participates in multiple organizations on campus such as Al-Nur, Dartmouth Women in Law and Politics, serves as member on the DP2 Inclusive Excellence Council, and has participated in the Leadership Lab at Dartmouth. After graduation, Aleemah plans to attend law school and become a practicing international attorney.

A key quote: “For me personally, I tend to not stress. I like to just relax and understand that things happen even if I’ve worked for it. And If I don’t get it, I can always work harder next time around, which is kind of what I did being admitted regular decision as opposed to early decision.”
Check out her full interview with the link in our bio!

Releasing our 3rd Alumni-Angles Article! Huo discusses the insights he’s learned after his freshman year at UNC-Chapel Hill. The topics he discusses range from the apparent learning curve to how to make the most of your time. Check out the full article by clicking the link in our bio!

Here is our July Quote of the Month from UCLA alum Joyce discussing her writing strategy and approach when it comes to college essays. She mentions how brain dumping helps you figure out the potential ways you could take your essays, and then prioritizing that list of topics to hone down on one is the best way to go. Check out her interview and more on our website!

Releasing part three if our three-part series with Matthew Hurst, a recent master’s graduate of Oxford University!
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Surrounding yourself with the right people is perhaps one of the best things you can do in life. Not only do they provide you a positive experience in both college and beyond, they also serve as resources that can help you in time of need, or perhaps develop yourself into the best person you can be. If this is something you are struggling with, Matthew’s article is for you.

Releasing our June Myth vs. Reality post! As rising seniors prep their essays this summer, we thought discussing about this seemed fit. Common app essays for college are very stressful to write. Oftentimes, you may want to get as many people’s opinions on your essay as you possibly can - your teacher, your friend, your parents, you name it. However, the simple reality is you don’t need everyone to read your essay. In fact, it may not be the best way to go. If you are struggling with how to revise your common app essay and debating between who you should ask for advice, check out this week’s edition of myth vs. reality!

Releasing part two of our three-part article series with Matthew Hurst, a recent master's graduate of Oxford University!
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Hurst discusses research at a graduate level and explains how it is different from undergrad and high school. Furthermore, he stresses that developing your own hypothesis, asking the right questions, and analyzing the right sources are key to successful research. If you are interested in learning more about research and how you can start getting involved yourself, check out the link in our bio.