stats, ECs, + essays that got me into my schools (Georgetown, UPitt, UW Madison, Purdue, UC Davis)

Summary

The speaker, a first-generation, low-income student from Chicago, shares her academic record, extracurricular activities, personal essay, and advice for college applicants. She emphasizes that applicants do not need a perfect GPA or test score to get into selective schools—and should not rule themselves out before applying.

Background and academics

• She attended a relatively competitive Chicago high school with about 1,000 students and roughly 250 students in her grade.
• Her GPA was 3.6 unweighted and 4.7 weighted.
• She took eight AP courses in high school. Most of her completed AP scores were 3s; she earned a 5 in AP English Language and a 4 in AP Psychology.
• She took both the ACT and SAT and recommends trying both to see which suits you better.
  • Her ACT score was 26.
  • She took the SAT four times, improving from 1200 to 1350, with a 1390 superscore. She says she did not study much and does not recommend that approach.
  • Georgetown required her to submit all her SAT scores. She submitted them and was admitted.
• Testing policies vary by college and application cycle, so applicants should check each school’s requirements.

Extracurricular activities

The Common App allows up to ten activities, which she ranked by importance. Her activities included:

1. Health podcast: Started the summer before junior year to discuss health topics that can be stigmatized among adolescents, including mental health and menstruation. It helped her clarify her interest in nursing.
2. Black Student Union: Member all four years; served as treasurer in sophomore year and secretary in junior year.
3. Pep Club: Participated from freshman year; held roles as underclassman representative, vice president, and co-president.
4. Student Voice Committee: Joined in junior year to advocate for students at her school and across Chicago Public Schools. She had opportunities to speak with school-system board members.
5. Peer mentoring: Mentored freshmen by helping them navigate high school.
6. Healthcare mentorship: Participated in a four-month program at Lurie Children’s Hospital, attending monthly workshops about healthcare specialties.
7. Zoo counselor-in-training job: Worked for two summers. The experience helped her realize she wanted to work with children.
8. School-event volunteering: Helped with events such as open houses, served as a tour guide throughout high school, and accumulated 214 volunteer hours.
9. African dance club: Participated throughout high school in a club that connected her with her culture.
10. Varsity track and field: Competed as a sprinter through junior year, including in the 50-meter and 100-meter events and a 200-meter relay.

Some colleges may request a separate résumé, especially if applicants have more experience than the Common App activity section can accommodate. A résumé can include additional activities, jobs, and skills, and may also be requested for an interview. She provided one for Georgetown.

Personal essay

Her essay explores her Nigerian and Kenyan heritage through her experience with two names: Zawadi, her Swahili birth name, and Crystal, the name she adopted as a young child. She describes feeling uncertain about which name—and which parts of her identity—she could claim, especially because her Kenyan roots felt less accessible than her Nigerian heritage.

A conversation with her mother encouraged her to introduce herself as Zawadi in a new setting, giving her a sense of choice and connection. Through family, food, music, and cultural experiences, she began to embrace both sides of her background. The essay concludes that she is still working out where she belongs but wants to create space for all parts of herself.

Main advice and outcomes

• Do not assume you need a perfect GPA or test score to be competitive.
• Avoid letting online forums or other people’s judgments convince you not to apply. A school may still be a possibility, and you will not know unless you try.
• Highlight activities that matter to you and explain their significance in your application.
• She reports being admitted to Georgetown, Purdue, UW–Madison, the University of Pittsburgh, UC Davis, and several other schools.
• She offers to help applicants with essays and says she plans to make more content about mentorships, shadowing, programs, and supplemental essays.

Speakers and sources featured

• Crystal (the video’s narrator): The sole speaker; she discusses her own background, application, activities, and essay.
• Her mother: Quoted indirectly in the personal essay, encouraging her to choose how she introduces herself.
• Other named sources or interviewees: None featured.