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Ivy Walls: America’s Best Colleges

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Isabella Nga Lai, Harvard College Graduation 2009
Isabella Nga Lai, Harvard College Graduation 2009

If you’re Asian, more often than not, you’ve probably heard the phrases, “Don’t end up working in a nail salon!, “Get into college!” “Be a doctor!” or something to that effect. College is on the minds of many students and worried parents. From the time a child speaks his first words to the age of 18, this topic probably arises thousands of times. To address these issues, I want to dedicate a series of my blog posts to the topic of colleges: the path to top universities in the nation, the personal challenges, the rewards, and how to succeed in an academic environment.

Today’s blog post will summarize some of the topics. Stay tuned for other articles which will focus more in depth on the college application process and the college experience!

Everyone’s experience and path to college is different, but I hope that my “Ivy Walls” series can clear up some ambiguities and questions about America’s Elite Universities.

My Story in a Nutshell

Getting into my top choice college undoubtedly took a lot of hard work and dedication to my studies. I do not claim to be an expert at anything because life is long, success is perseverance, and luck plays a major factor in all areas of life. I merely hope that the stories and advice I share through my series of posts will help you as you apply to your top choice college.

The Path to the Top Universities

Stanford
Palm Drive, the path leading into Stanford University, Source: http://www.stanford.edu

Getting into these top universities is not impossible, but it does require dedication.

So is it all about the stats and scores? The answer is yes and no. Yes, because you should have the bar level stats. No, because stats will not be the only thing that will get you that big envelope in April.

So what does it take? PASSION! I was driven by passion: passion for what I’m doing, passion to help others, passion to better my life and help my family, passion to give back to my community, and passion to learn.

If you do things just for the sake of getting into colleges, then admission committees can see through your lackluster efforts right away. However, if you do things because you like to and give your all to what you’re doing, everything will work out in the end.

So study hard, work hard, do what you’re passionate about, be dedicated, and everything will fall into place.

The Top Universities

Be it Harvard or other Ivy Leagues, Stanford, MIT, Caltech, Berkeley, etc., many students set their sights on these

Columbia University Library, Source: Picture taken by me

schools.

These schools are amazing because they open many doors for you and teach you things beyond your imagination.  However, you have to understand that education is what you make of it.  Anyone can screw up if they don’t know how to capitalize on the opportunities presented to them.

The experiences and opportunities available at these institutions introduce you to many other venues.  They allow you to travel abroad, to do funded research, to spend holiday breaks in internships, and much more!  These colleges give you exposure to different fields that you never knew existed. They allow you to see your potential. They push you to your limits. However, they can only do these things if you make the most of them.

Less well-known universities also have these opportunities, but sometimes they’re harder to come by and you have to actively search for them. Top private institutions and highly ranked public universities have a better developed network of alumni and more resources that can help students in their endeavors into whatever field interests them most.

The Challenges and Rewards

http://fas.harvard.edu
Annenberg Dining Hall at Harvard, Source: www.fas.harvard.edu/~memhall/annenberg.html

If you want to attend a top institution, you have to be prepared to compete with top students. Adapting to mediocrity may be challenging for students who are used to being at the top of their class. Furthermore, you may be lost in the myriads of opportunities.  It is hard to know what you want to do when all the opportunities are new and exciting.  However, again, diligence and dedication will make it possible to succeed.

The rewards are plentiful.  You get to learn from people who have changed the world.  You get to be part of history.  Your family will be happy that you are doing well. You will be happy that all your hard-work during high school paid off. There is nothing better than the gratification you get from a job well done.

Isabella’s Comments:

So to sum up this summary article, college is something that many young students strive for, and attending these universities can really change your life.   Check back in two weeks for my next article entitled, “Ivy Walls: How to get into Harvard and America’s Best Colleges.”

Until then, browse our blog to see if there are any topics or opportunities that interest you.  Taking part in any of these activities can broaden your horizons and make you a more diverse candidate for colleges.

Comment below if you have any questions for me, and tell me if there are any topics on which you want me to particularly focus.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Yo, Go Bears. It's on my list of America's Best College Values. Show a bit of mercy for ol' mom & dad. Assuming, of course, tuition's still fairly meager (comparatively speaking). Number one on this list is a no-brainer: West Point (tied with the other service academies). And why not, Free tuition, free room and board, free extreme summer vacations. and quite honestly a damn good education. It's a sheepskin that'll open doors like the best of 'em. You will graduate on time BTW. These top college lists are such a raw nerve for me. "America's Top Colleges" probably accommodate fewer than one tenth of one percent of America's college bound HS grads. For every admission there's surely than 10 rejections, replete with wailing or screaming parents, profound depression, & deep scars. Parents pounding square pegs into round holes-something's got to give-and usually it's the 17 year old peg. BTW how's the meatloaf?

  3. Don't worry Neil, Berkeley holds a really special place in my heart. I almost went to Berkeley for undergrad, and it's my sister's Alma mater. I will definitely feature it in my blog series. Go bears!Stephen, yes, fewer than 1/10th of college bound HS grads attend these universities, but maybe the high school students that read OneVietnam's Ivy Walls series will be part of that 1/10th 😀

  10. Hi! my name is Oscar Sierra and I'm from Honduras. I majored in Marketing and International Business here in my country with a 4.0 GPA and Summa cum Laude distinction (top one in my major and in the top 5 of the whole university class 2010), since I'm from a minority (3% Central and South America in the class profile) do I have a chance in getting into HBS MBA? I'm doing the best I can but I really need to have a clue…

    • Hi Oscar,

      My focus is more on undergraduate and medical school admissions. We have a “Graduate School” series coming out. One of our core team members (Brian Luong) at OneVietnam Network will be enterring HBS this fall. He's very intelligent, and he'll shed light on the admissions process at HBS and business schools around the US. Look out for that article in the next couple months! 🙂

      Are you applying this fall?

      Best of luck!

      • Yes! I'm applying for the round 3 for this year. I heard the GMAT is not that important if the group you represent is not that big. I'm doing the GMAT on monday and I need to make at least 700 to be calmed about it. How do they take the “minorities” topic regarding admissions? (at least what you know, experienced or heard)

        • Diversity is big deal at HBS. Therefore, your “minority” background will be an asset for you. Play with that concept and make it your X-factor. Just do it in a logical and meaningful. GMAT average for HBS is around 700, but the range is quite wide – dipping even below 600. What this means is you should aim for the highest score you can possibly get (given your time constraint) and work really hard on those essays and rec letters. Diversify those rec letters and make sure they (the writers and organizations they represent) cover your resume and personal statement in a meaningful way.

          Hope this helps.

          • I have minor work experience, My recommendation letters were made by my university's Dean and Secretary General (both were my teachers in two classes). and the third one Im thinking on one Harvard Lecturer who was minister of culture in my country or my former boss on my internship at Walt Disney World. does my GPA count? are my extra curricular activities significant? (GPA and extracurricular activities are shown up in this page on my first comment)

  11. One thing I would add is that many overachieving Asians often overlook the 3 service academies: US Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs, CO), US Military Academy (West Point, NY), US Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD) and to a lesser extend the US Coast Guard Academy (New London, CT), and the US Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, NY). The 3 academies are often ranked amongst the top undergraduate educational institutions in the US are known for producing more presidents, senators, astronauts, CEOs, and generals per capita than many Ivy League schools. In exchange for receiving a full-ride $250K scholarship + living stipend and a guaranteed job, you must serve your country for five years as a US military officer (10yrs for pilots)—a unique leadership opportunity unmatched anywhere else. To a lesser extent, you can also gain the same experiences by having an ROTC scholarship pay for your way through a normal civilian university (including the Ivys). I’m glad our community produces so many doctors, engineers, scientists, and lawyers. However, it would be better if we can produce LEADERS of character and competence who will leave a mark on history. Are you up for the challenge?

  12. Several comments:

    1) The best college in America as ranked by Forbes is not one of the Ivies nor is it any of the “big” schools on your list. It’s Williams College—a small college that most ppl have never heard of and that most first-generation college students frown upon. Other lib arts colleges include Amherst, Ponoma, Claremont Mckenna, etc.

    http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/94/best-colleges-10_Americas-Best-Colleges_Rank.html

    2) The college with alumni earning the most money (as ranked by Forbes) is also Williams College.

    3) Working at a nail salon ain’t bad if you don’t have a reason to go to college. There are so many ppl who go to Berkeley who have no idea what they want to do with their lives, get into really bad habits–then drop out–with debt. Thus, the situation is different for everyone.

    4) Going to any accredited, “non-annoying” school that makes you happy is fine–as long as you’re learning as much as you can and are happy doing it–because seriously, over the long term, that’s what counts the most.

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