Background and Profile
Hi! I’m Bri (Brianne), born and raised in Palawan, Philippines, and now I’m based in Dubai, UAE. I graduated from Palawan National High School in 2024 as a STEM strand student under the K-12 Senior High School Curriculum.
My path to higher education was anything but straightforward, through a series of unexpected changes that redirected me entirely. Those changes led me to New York University Abu Dhabi, where I'll be starting my undergraduate studies.
The Original Plan
I was initially accepted into the University of the Philippines Diliman, the country's top university, to pursue Geodetic Engineering at UP and was a DOST-SEI Merit Scholar. I thought this was my path ahead, set in stone.
But eventually, my family circumstances changed, and with them, so did my plans for university. Our family situation forced me to move to Dubai, where I worked instead of starting university after graduation. I spent two years as an Information Security Specialist at Endoshred, using that time to think more about what I wanted from my education and how I'd get there.
This transition was difficult, as I’d spent my academic life working toward a linear path, so having to let go of something I'd already envisioned for myself was painful.
The Experience of Falling Behind
To be honest, I felt behind. While I was still in Dubai working and figuring out my next steps, the people who graduated alongside me had already started university. It got to the point where I deactivated my social media accounts because of FOMO.
There was definitely a lot of comparison and uncertainty that started to weigh on me, especially around the acceptances I had walked away from. Eventually, I realized I wasn’t falling behind, but rather I was being prepared for something I didn't know yet.
I wasn’t wasting that time; I was spending it productively, actively working, and diligently building my independence. Looking back, that experience taught me a lot about resilience and prepared me for where I am now.
Why NYUAD?
My mother first mentioned NYUAD after meeting someone who had studied there. I looked it up and realized applications for my cycle were still open, so I didn't waste any time. The more I learned about NYUAD, the more it felt like the right fit, especially with their global network and their generous financial aid package.
Academic Profile and Extracurricular Profile
My unweighted GPA was 98/100, and I maintained that average throughout high school. I applied test-optional because I didn’t take the SAT. As for my class rank, I placed 5th in my graduating class, out of exactly 2,002 students.
My extracurriculars were varied: not only did I take up a full-time job during my gap year, but I also authored and presented seven STEM research papers, took on several volunteering and leadership roles, and stayed active in campus journalism and the performing arts.
Of all my extracurriculars, the most meaningful to me were my research and volunteering experiences.
Coming from a research-focused Philippine curriculum, research meant a lot to me precisely because it was not something I finished overnight. I worked on these projects throughout high school, and I enjoyed the process of investigating problems, discovering new things, and presenting and defending my work to my mentors and peers.
Volunteering comes close to my heart differently because it broadened my horizons and opened my eyes to the realities and needs of my community. I ran outreach projects benefiting more than 100 children, raised funds through student-led community campaigns, partnered with local organizations, and contributed to the distribution of books, other reading materials, and food. I also initiated an independent disaster relief operation after a typhoon back home.
Looking back, I think my application reflected both my academic interests and the experiences I had pursued outside the classroom.
Financial Aid
My financial aid package is very close to a full ride. Most importantly, it covers all of my direct university costs, including tuition, housing, food, books, supplies, and health insurance. It also covers almost all of my indirect costs for personal support.
The main indirect cost it doesn’t cover is transportation. Even so, it covers the overwhelming majority of my expenses, and that level of financial aid support is what made NYUAD genuinely accessible to me.
Applying Without a Traditional Path
The process of applying was entirely self-directed. Working full-time without a college counselor helping me, I had to conduct extensive research on universities, financial aid, requirements, essays, and deadlines.
The internet and online communities served as my biggest resources. I spent time reading about other students’ experiences, including Borderless stories about students who had been accepted into NYUAD. My family and a few people around me also encouraged and helped me stay grounded throughout the process.
My workday, including my preparation and commute, typically took up my time from around 6 AM to 7 PM. Balancing that while trying to put together an application that could potentially change my life was definitely overwhelming. Nonetheless, I used my annual leave to dedicate time to completing the application.
You're Not Behind: A Note to Fellow Readers
As someone who has used Borderless to read acceptance stories about how other students got into their respective universities, and as someone who once thought she had it all figured out, my advice to whoever's reading this is simple: believe in yourself and don't measure your timeline against anyone else's.
I spent a long time convinced I was behind, simply because I wasn’t following the same path as my classmates. I was wrong. That time was essential for my growth, for building my independence, and for preparing myself for opportunities I hadn’t imagined yet.
Don't let your circumstances determine what you think you’re capable of. Studying abroad never felt like an obvious or easy path for me. I didn't even know about NYUAD until applications for my cycle were already open. But the opportunity crossed my path, and I gave myself a chance.
Don’t be afraid to go beyond what you know, ask questions, seek resources, and reach out to the right people. Having people who believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself can make a huge difference.
Most importantly, you don’t need to have your entire life figured out yet.
Explore your options, do your research, take the opportunities that come your way, and give yourself the chance to try before deciding that something isn’t possible for you. Your journey doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s for it to lead somewhere meaningful.
