Personal & Academic Background
Hi, my name is Angela, and I am an 18-year-old student from the capital of Peru. This fall, I will be attending the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school in the U.S., where I plan to major in biochemistry and neuroscience. I studied at Saco Oliveros High School, located in the capital of Peru, which does not offer AP or A-level classes and operates entirely under the national curriculum. In addition to UPenn, I have been accepted to Vanderbilt University and the University of California, Berkeley. My GPA is 20 out of 20 on our national scale, and I scored 111 out of 120 on the TOEFL for English language proficiency. Also, last August, I took the SAT and scored 1530 out of 1600.
Why I Chose to Study in the USA
Since high school, I have been deeply interested in biology and other STEM fields. However, my genuine spark of interest began when an unfortunate incident occurred. My uncle became seriously ill, and we had to care for him for seven years. After observing him closely, I began to understand his condition better and learned about current treatments, such as brain stimulation, which he underwent. This experience marked a turning point in my passion for exploring biology further. Because my interest in neuroscience led me to research universities—and because undergraduate programs in neuroscience are not available in Peru—I decided to apply to international universities. Hearing that some of my friends had been accepted to UC Berkeley and learning that American universities offer neuroscience majors motivated me to pursue this path.
My Extracurricular Activities
In high school,I put a lot of effort into Olympiads, and I began participating in biology in my ninth grade. One of the activities listed on my Common App was being the founder of a STEM-related project, Sumak STEM— an NGO that works to democratize science in the field of STEM education through workshops. There, we also make donations at a national level to different organizations and offer academic courses in math and science. Furthermore,I was a scholar of Beca Cometa and included it as my first activity. Furthermore, I conducted research in neuroscience by combining it with chemistry under the guidance of a professor from a national university. Additionally, I approached my school to work as a biology tutor for Olympiads in tenth grade. Besides, another important part of my activities was volunteering at a local health center with patients, which I think helped me to craft a cohesive narrative through my activities and essays.
What I wrote in my SOP and other Essays
In my personal statement, I wrote about my passion for biology and the health sector and connected it to the story of my uncle. In most parts of the essay, I tried to link it to my uncle’s story and how it influenced me to start focusing on solving real problems for specific communities in the medical field. Another supplemental essay asked why I chose this major, and I included examples from my experiences, such as disorder centers and specific professors. Moreover, in my other essays, I mostly included emotional examples, such as expanding STEM in Latin America and how the lack of it causes people to lose their lives. In my thank-you note letter essay for UPenn, I wrote about my neighbor, whom I met when I was little and who moved to the capital with my family. This person motivated me both academically and emotionally to be brave, not to be nervous or anxious about doing things, and led me to start learning about the diseases affecting our communities. Overall, the essay was related to the community at UPenn and how it can shape me and help me to shape my own community.
My Application Timeline to U.S Universities
After graduation, I continued by taking a gap year because I still had to take the SAT and TOEFL. In high school, Olympiads took up a lot of my time and dedication, and on top of that, I started learning English more seriously in my ninth year. In our schools, we usually focus more on academics than on extracurricular activities; however, I wanted to develop a career-oriented portfolio and engaged in many activities outside of school as well. Since my 10th grade, I have been watching YouTube videos about international students, which taught me about the requirements for applying abroad. In my last two years,I started exploring opportunities and discovered Opportunity Funds and Beca Cometa, which helped me pay for expensive tests like the TOEFL and for translating documents.
How I used Borderless in my Apps
My first source of information on overseas applications was international students sharing their experiences and the entire application process on YouTube channels. I also started following some mentor programs on Instagram and then met Borderless.I used Borderless extensively, especially for my supplemental essays and for getting review feedback. In addition, I found essay mentorship through the College Essay Guy in order to learn more about how to brainstorm ideas for my essays and to narrate them effectively to demonstrate my story to admissions officers.
How I received a Full Financial Aid
When I applied to UC Berkeley, I received a scholarship called the Chancellor’s Scholarship, which is a full-tuition award. In mid-February, I received a notification about it and was invited for an interview. The financial aid team that interviewed me asked about my aspirations and future goals for the next 10 years. Following that, I received both a merit-based full-tuition scholarship and need-based aid from Vanderbilt University. In addition, I applied to Oberlin College, a small liberal arts institution that awarded me a $90,000 scholarship per year, leaving only a $5,000 family contribution. When it comes to the University of Pennsylvania, I received a fully funded scholarship that covers my tuition, food, medical insurance, visa fees, and I was placed in the category of highly aided students, which means my first travel to Penn will be covered by the university.
Advice for Students Planning to Study in the U.S
My initial advice for students would be to have their essays reviewed before submission. If you can’t afford college consulting, you can seek help from non-profit places like Opportunity Funds, Crimson Access opportunities, and Beca Cometa. Beyond that, you can try reaching out to previous students from your country who were admitted to top universities with financial aid. For example, I reached out to a student asking if he could share any resources for preparing for the application or tests, and he willingly shared them with me. What I want to say in general is: never be afraid to ask for help, because it is very important to seek help from others who have achieved what you’re aiming for if you need it.
