One of the most difficult aspects of the college application process is finding a way to showcase who you are beyond test scores. With the help of his writing coach, Nathan was ready to face the challenge and cultivate a unique and authentic story through essay writing.
After discovering a passion for coding in 10th grade, Nathan knew that he wanted to pursue computer science in college. Not knowing much about the U.S. college application process, Nathan turned to College Solutions for guidance. After his counselor helped him find colleges that aligned with his goals and student profile, Nathan began to recognize the challenge ahead: he was going to have to find a way to stand out in a competitive field filled with other high-achieving students.
Nathan was worried about his writing skills, especially considering the tough competition in STEM programs. Working with his writing coach at College Solutions was a game changer-College Solutions "helped portray me as a person with layers," Nathan recalls. Nathan wanted to showcase that he was more than just "a guy from across the ocean trying to get into a U.S. college."
When he first began writing his application essays, Nathan struggled to figure out exactly what he wanted to portray about himself and to keep his work clear and concise. Nathan recalls how his writing coach always asked insightful questions, encouraging him to dig deeper and reflect on various experiences. Together, Nathan and his writing coach worked to highlight unique aspects of his personality beyond his test scores and academic achievements.
For his personal statement, Nathan's writing coach helped him uncover a unique narrative that focused on an unexpected passion: terrariums. What began as a simple YouTube-inspired project became a powerful metaphor for his personal growth: "I paralleled my growth in high school with the growth of the terrarium."
With each carefully crafted essay, Nathan showcased dimensions beyond his statistics. He highlighted leadership in his choir, community service (tutoring English), and his evolving coding skills. Each essay revealed a layer of his personality, helping him "convey that I'm more than just a number."
Nathan was excited to gain acceptance to several selective colleges, including UCLA, the University of Michigan, and Boston University. Wanting to be close to family on the West Coast and intrigued by their rigorous computer science program, Nathan chose to attend UCLA.
"Writing coaches help you dig deep into what you really like, what you're doing, and who you are. Writing essays was as much a journey for me as it is for the admissions officers reading them." "Working with my writing coach helped me learn more about myself."
"I'm so proud of Nathan for how well he put his own personality into all of his applications. He was really able to differentiate himself from other strong applicants in this way." "I'm incredibly excited for him to attend UCLA and can't wait to see what he accomplishes next!"
