Personal Narrative: My College Admissions

“I am going to hack college admissions.”

I vividly remember thinking I was a genius. I remember thinking that everyone knew that the three main parts of undergraduate admissions are your school work, extracurricular activities, and standardized test. I remember making the conscious decision to not take anything meaningful from my high school education. Although I would still take AP classes and be active in class, I never studied; I thought in the back of my mind that because my standardized tests and extracurricular activities are “so good,” I would not have to worry about school.

The science experiment I conducted with my adolescent life ultimately proved that my hypothesis was true: I got into my dream school without putting in a genuine effort in my high school education.

In hindsight, my immaturity was lamentable at best and the summer going into college I realized through personal introspection that I was unhappy with myself over the choices I made regarding education. My desire to learn about people, culture, and the world blossomed and my passion for making the most out of my collegiate education replaced the lack of fervor I once had.

My first semester at the University of Texas at Austin, both because of my newfound desire to learn and the natural adjustments one
makes with new found autonomy, served to be a maturing experience. From having the ability to take classes that interested me to meeting people who had different perspectives than me, I realized that education genuinely is a resource to become a better individual and member of the global community. Along this journey to become a better person I became conscious of the fact that there was more fulfilling opportunity outside of UT.

I recognized during my first semester that diversity of thought and action, experiences, and unique perspectives are characteristics that I want to have. Although UT and the city of Austin holistically are phenomenal for people who have a similar mindset as me, I was not satisfied the methodology the International Relations and Global Studies Program used to develop these characteristics. Although the program is phenomenal at enabling an International Relations education, it is not flexible for my many other interests. I value an interdisciplinary education because I believe it is critical to forming divergent perspectives and having experiences that would otherwise have not occurred. The desire for a program that is flexible, interdisciplinary, and supports students through all their passions led me to look for a change.

Early in my search for new possibilities, I found the Industrial and Labor Relations School at Cornell fundamentally is exactly what I am looking for.
Through conversations with students and faculty I realized that the program prides itself on qualities and characteristics that I did not realize I wanted. I hope to earn the opportunity to grow as both an individual and a team member with the support of an administration that fosters leadership. I hope to surround myself with peers who are like minded, yet bring in unique experiences and perspectives. I hope to have an interdisciplinary social science education which I could apply to in any situation. I hope to find my home at
Cornell.