Overview: CollegeAdvisor.com Client Success Stories
Welcome to our Client Success Stories, where we share the college admissions journeys of CollegeAdvisor students. Over our many years of advising, we’ve learned time and time again that each student’s journey is uniquely their own. They all have different interests and life experiences, and therefore also have different questions and needs. Still, by sharing these stories, we hope to give families examples of how our students have overcome challenges and found success.
In each of our Client Success Stories, we share the background of the students to give context about how their life experiences shaped their applications. We also highlight how they used CollegeAdvisor, so families can get a better sense of whether our services could be a fit for them. Plus, since our students are now experts on the experience, we also share their advice and best tips for handling the college application process.
For this story, we interviewed Cherish Amby-Okolo. In Cherish’s story, we will get a unique view of how our Scholars Program helped Cherish navigate her experience as a first-generation college applicant. Without the familial knowledge of the college process, having CollegeAdvisor was critical in making sure she was supported and informed the whole way through her admissions journey.
Cherish’s dedication to her goals ultimately made her a successful college applicant, and we are delighted to have had the chance to work with her.
Getting to Know Cherish
Cherish grew up in Nigeria. At the age of 11, her family immigrated to the United States, settling in Houston, Texas. Due to her citizenship status, she was legally considered an international student in the college process.
Before her senior year of high school, Cherish’s family relocated to New Hampshire to stay close to her brother, who was going to attend school in the state. This presented a special challenge and opportunity for Cherish, who had to adjust to new teachers, classmates, extracurriculars, and courses. Still, she embraced the challenge and flourished.
Academically, Cherish has always been STEM-oriented, meaning that she gravitates toward science, technology, engineering, and math courses. Her first high school, where she spent her freshman through junior years, was focused on pre-med studies and allowed students to specialize in different medical fields. Cherish loved her anatomy and physiology courses, including the labs.
Exploring extracurriculars
Outside of school, Cherish has many interests that make her a well-rounded student. In fact, her most important activity is Scrabble! Cherish is a competitive Scrabble player, having started competing when she was just six years old in Nigeria. She recently won first place at Nationals for players under 18 and will now continue to compete at the adult level. (Understandably, Scrabble became a topic of her college essays!)
When she is not studying or playing Scrabble, Cherish volunteers at local food banks. Upon moving to New Hampshire, she also got her first job as an athletics assistant. This was the first time she got to work in a professional setting and gain soft skills that will prepare her for future jobs. Even though Cherish’s job wasn’t directly related to her future career, she felt that it was “a nice way to get a little experience of something [she has] never actually done before.”
Cherish’s experience reminds us that not all your extracurriculars need to be directly related to your intended future profession. Exploring new fields and getting experiences outside of your comfort zone are all very important to your personal development.
QuestBridge National College Match Program
In addition to being part of CollegeAdvisor’s Scholars Program, Cherish applied to college via the QuestBridge National College Match Program. QuestBridge is an organization dedicated to providing students from low-income backgrounds the resources to get into top colleges.
Cherish’s journey with QuestBridge began when she joined the College Prep Scholars program as a junior. This opportunity afforded her community, guidance, and a scholarship to help with back-to-school supplies. Even more importantly, being part of the College Prep Scholars program gave her a leg up in getting into the QuestBridge National College Match Program.
How to apply with QuestBridge
To apply to Questbridge’s National College Match Program, students must be from a low-income, first-generation background. Additionally, they need to demonstrate strong academic promise via their grades and course rigor.
The application is also quite extensive. To complete the application, students must write 11 essays and short answer questions, which range in word count from 35 to 800 words. These written responses are designed to give them ample space to share their stories. The longest essay, the “biographical essay”, asks students to highlight the factors and challenges that have shaped them into who they are today. In addition to the writing section, students must also submit letters of recommendation, transcripts, test scores, and household background information.
Once their initial QuestBridge application is done, students must rank which of the QuestBridge partner schools interest them. All of QuestBridge’s 52 partner colleges are competitive, top schools, including some Ivy League schools. After submitting a QuestBridge application in early September, students wait to see if one of the schools they ranked wants to admit them. If admitted, a student is given a full-tuition scholarship to that school.
Unfortunately, Cherish’s pick of schools was smaller than other students. Not all of the partner schools accept international students, so Cherish had to focus on the ones that do. Still, she was able to apply to several top schools via QuestBridge.
One of Cherish’s main reasons for applying to college via QuestBridge was that it would be “the fastest way to get a good financial package.” As an international student, Cherish knew that getting financial aid would be more difficult than it is for a US citizen. Luckily, Cherish was still able to land a spot in a top college via QuestBridge with a full ride.
Applying as an International student
As we mentioned previously, Cherish was technically an international student, even though she had been living in the US for many years prior to applying. While international students can apply to US colleges through the same platforms as domestic students, there are additional requirements to be admitted.
In some cases, students must prove English fluency by taking exams such as the TOEFL or IELTS. Additionally, students with application materials not written in English must have them translated into English. Once an international student is admitted to college, they also must apply for a visa to be allowed to enter the United States.
For Cherish, these requirements were not applicable, since she attended high school in the US and had residency here. However, she did run into the biggest hurdle most international students have. “It’s really difficult to get aid,” Cherish shared. International students are not eligible for federal aid, such as Pell grants and loans, which can make it difficult to pay for college.
However, international students can usually get aid from universities or private corporations via scholarships. In Cherish’s case, she thought ahead and decided QuestBridge was the best chance she had at securing a cost-free education. And, in the end, she earned a full tuition scholarship.
What kind of support was Cherish looking for?
Before applying to QuestBridge, Cherish knew she would need help with her college application process. As a first-generation college student, Cherish said, “[My] mom didn’t really know much about the process, and neither did I.” She wanted to make sure she would be set up for success and knew she needed additional guidance to do so.
Specifically, Cherish was looking for guidance with her essays and her activities list. She knew that if she crafted strong essays and described her activities well, she would be admitted to a great college. However, doing so was not easy. She wasn’t sure what made a strong essay or how to best communicate her strengths and character to an admissions officer.
Instead of going it alone, Cherish felt it would be “nice having someone who’s already been through the college process” help her navigate these uncertainties. That’s where CollegeAdvisor came into the picture.
Joining CollegeAdvisor’s Scholars Program
When Cherish came across CollegeAdvisor, she also found our Scholars Program. Through our Scholars Program, we offer free advising to 80+ students from low-income, first-generation backgrounds each year. Interested students can apply to the program by submitting transcripts, responding to a short essay about why they want to be a scholar, and submitting a writing sample.
Cherish described the process as “simple” and “straight to the point.” In her essay, she wrote about how she “really wanted to have that one-on-one guidance with someone who’s recently been through the process.” Soon after submitting her application, Cherish was admitted to the Scholars Program and received several months of free college application advising.
Each year, the Scholars Program application opens in April and is due in June. High school juniors can apply during this period, and if accepted, will be matched in July with an advisor. If you or anyone you know may qualify, keep an eye on our website during those months!
How did Cherish’s advisor help her find success?
After being admitted to the Scholars Program, Cherish was matched with her advisor, Nelia Ekeji. Right away, Cherish noticed a difference in the type of advising she received from Nelia. When working on her essays, Cherish said that Nelia “got straight to the point.”
“She was like, of course, I’m sure people always say your essays are good, but I’m here to dissect your essay.” For Cherish, receiving such detailed constructive feedback was new, and welcome. “I really appreciated that someone went out of their way to literally go through every sentence and basically help me enhance my essays,” she said.
Cherish and Nelia met regularly throughout their time working together. Since the QuestBridge application is due in late September, they had to hit the ground running to get all of Cherish’s essays written. They met every week or every other week over the summer and twice a month in the fall. Through their focused and detailed work, Cherish was able to not only meet her QuestBridge deadline but also write 11 incredible essays that landed her a match.
Crafting your personal narrative
Before diving straight into college essays, students should consider their personal narrative, sometimes also called a profile or a brand. In essence, a personal narrative is a cohesive set of ideas that link together all parts of your application. Your personal narrative should be what makes you unique from other students and encompass what is most important to you. Once you have defined your personal narrative, your essays, activities list, letters of recommendation, and other parts of your application should all flow from that narrative.
When Cherish was working on her QuestBridge essays, she found that crafting her personal narrative was a new and challenging experience. Luckily, she had Nelia to help her.
Nelia worked with Cherish to brainstorm all the potential ideas and topics she could discuss in her essays. Then, they strategized about where to include them on her application. Cherish shared, “Sometimes she would read some of my essays, and if I’m trying to condense too many points at once, [Nelia would] be like, ‘But you have three more essays left, maybe you take something out and move it there.’ Or sometimes when I was stuck…she would say, ‘What would you want them to know about you, in this essay?’”
One of the main ways we build strong applications is by helping our students highlight the most important parts of themselves and their experiences. Our advisors serve as a mirror for students, reflecting the best parts of them and helping them decide how to effectively communicate those qualities in their applications.
What was Cherish’s favorite part of working with CollegeAdvisor?
Cherish found that the most helpful part of working with CollegeAdvisor was the feedback she received on her essays. While many teachers and advisors previously had simply told her that her essays were good, Cherish got very detailed feedback that helped her make her essays great.
She told us she loved “receiving all the commentary [and] knowing that my advisor dedicated a significant time of her day to ensure that my essays were on par.” Cherish’s advisor was as dedicated as she was to ensuring Cherish got into a top college. And, we’re happy to say their hard work together paid off!
Cherish’s admissions results and the road ahead
In total, Cherish applied to six or seven schools, including a few Ivies. After an intense writing and application process, Cherish was notified that she was matched with Washington University in St. Louis.
She told us she was excited to be matched with WashU given the caliber of its education and the fact that via QuestBridge she would be attending on a full tuition scholarship. Plus, as a QuestBridge student, Cherish will have the opportunity to find even more support through WashU’s QuestBridge Scholars Network and Taylor Stars community.
What will Cherish major in?
Even though Cherish was not required to apply to a specific major at WashU, she plans to major in neuroscience and be pre-med. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she hopes to attend medical school and become a doctor.
With WashU’s comprehensive PreHealth program, including opportunities to jump right into research and volunteering during her first year, we’re confident Cherish will have all the resources she’ll need to one day reach that goal.
Cherish’s advice to future applicants
Cherish has some excellent advice for future college applicants. First, she reminds us that “introspection is important…everyone has what it takes to showcase themselves in a good way.” Indeed, Cherish had to engage in a lot of self-reflection while writing numerous essays for the QuestBridge application.
Cherish also highlights that applicants should “humble brag” when sharing their personal narrative, stating that “it’s important to show off. Of course, don’t be too cocky, but…understanding the art of humble bragging could get you really far.”
Another piece of advice Cherish shares is to seek out help. Whether you ask someone to read an essay, help you brainstorm ideas, or edit your resume, remember that you don’t have to go through the process alone. As Cherish so eloquently states, “It does take a village to raise a person. Take advantage of your village.”
Why CollegeAdvisor?
For Cherish, seeking help from a reliable source was paramount to her success. She knew, coming from a first-generation background, that having a knowledgeable advisor who could give strategic support and essay feedback would transform her application. After finding CollegeAdvisor’s Scholar Program, Cherish was able to curate a strong QuestBridge application which landed her at one of the nation’s top colleges on a full-ride scholarship.
While your story may be very different from Cherish’s, there are parallels we can draw. Almost every student can benefit from one-on-one guidance, regardless of their familiarity with the admissions process.
In particular, writing college essays is a common challenge for many students. This is why, no matter who your advisor is, CollegeAdvisor makes sure that every student gets copious feedback on their essays. From the first draft to the last, the difference is often day and night.
Lastly, many students benefit from an advisor’s help in crafting an application narrative that showcases their strengths. With an advisor’s trained eye, every part of an application is used to the fullest degree. Just as Cherish’s advisor, Nelia, helped her make the most of every essay she wrote for QuestBridge, your CollegeAdvisor can help you maximize the real estate on every application you submit. With that strategic approach, you are bound to find yourself admitted to a wonderful school, just like Cherish.
This article was written by Courtney Ng. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.
