By Ibne Tamim
INTRODUCTION: As MCSM’s ambitious seniors begin receiving their college acceptance letters, The RamPage shares their joy and anticipation. In the interview below, Bernice Zheng speaks informally about moving through the demanding academic process that ultimately resulted in her being admitted to Princeton, one of our nation’s top universities.
Princeton University
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Q: Hello, nice to meet you! Please introduce yourself.
Bernice: Hi! My name is Bernice Zheng and I am currently a senior. I just turned 17 years old, and a fun fact about me is that I’m obsessed with bubble tea!
Q: Oh, you just turned 17, that’s awesome! I heard you recently got accepted into Princeton University and received a full scholarship through the QuestBridge program. So Bernice, what made you choose the QuestBridge scholar program out of 100 other competitive college prep programs?
Bernice: I heard about the QuestBridge Scholar program in my freshman year of high school and my brother also participated in it, so I was already slightly familiar with it. I thought it would be a good chance even though I knew that it was really competitive. My guidance counselor also recommended that I apply, and I heard a lot of my classmates talk about QuestBridge throughout the years, so I definitely heard about it a lot. Along with being a part of the SEO Scholars program that also taught me about QuestBridge, I would say I’ve been constantly learning more about QuestBridge every year.
Q: You are also part of the SEO Scholars program? For those of us who don’t know what the SEO program is, do you mind explaining what SEO is about?
Bernice: The SEO Scholars program is an 8-year program where high school students receive help with their college application process and basic high school career, along with mentorship and guidance. But SEO is more than just academics, it’s a strong community of people who grow together … and SEO really closes the opportunity gaps that low-income students have. The SEO community is my second home, and I’m extremely thankful to all the peers I’ve been able to meet and the opportunities I got to experience through this program. I definitely recommend that freshmen apply!
Q: I didn’t really know what the SEO program was about, and now I am quite curious about it. So, how was your overall experience with the QuestBridge Program?
Bernice: I did two programs with QuestBridge. I did the QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program in my junior year and the National College Match program this year. I had to write a lot more essays for QuestBridge than my other applications, and I knew this process was going to be hard. But it was definitely worth all the stress in the long run. Due to the amount of essays I wrote in such a limited time, I was definitely feeling burned out. There were several times when I thought I didn’t have anything interesting left to write about, but as I gave it more time and thought, ideas would start arising. The whole experience with QuestBridge was really rewarding, even through all the stress. I’ve encountered a lot of amazing and hardworking people, and I was able to learn a lot from them. Even though I only “met” them virtually, I made some really close friends through this program.
Q: Wow, you are such a dedicated person. You knew it was going to be a tough path, but you didn’t let that stop you. It really shows you have the determination and courage to take on big decisions, and that you are willing to step out of your comfort zone for the better. Bernice, what made you choose Princeton University?
Bernice: At first, Princeton wasn’t even a school I was going to apply to. I wasn’t sure if Princeton was a good fit for me, considering that I wanted to be slightly far from home—yet not too far. But when ranking my list, I knew I would be happy attending Princeton after considering all the other factors. Location-wise, it wasn’t too bad, and the campus itself caught my eye as I’m a lover of pretty places. In terms of academics, I hadn’t decided yet what to major in, but Princeton has a variety of courses for me to decide on later.
Q: It’s good that you have diverse interests. You should really explore your passions and interests more before you commit to a major. Will you describe your college application process using 3 adjectives, including why you chose these words?
Bernice: I would say it was “stressful, exciting, and inspiring.” It was definitely stressful since I had a limited amount of time to work on the application. I had around ten days to write more than thirty essays and each stage of the application was more exhausting and complicated. But even though it was stressful, it was also exciting at the same time. My expectations for the QuestBridge match were realistic to the point where I was more excited than stressed about the results. My mindset was that it would be completely fine if I didn’t match any of the 12 schools I ranked, since they were all highly competitive schools. During the process, I was always motivated by the people I met. The community of QuestBridge scholars was really inspiring, because being surrounded by such high-achieving people motivated me to do my best. But of course, even with all the hard work, I would “manifest” (affirm my aspirations) every day, because saying some manifestations never hurts.
Q: It’s great to hear that QuestBridge is such a positive community where you can meet inspiring and like-minded people. What would you say is the difference between applying via QuestBridge and applying Early Decision with requested financial aid needs to your favorite college?
Bernice: Since QuestBridge has a lot more essay requirements, it allows the admission officers to get to know you more. This is a plus if you’re low income and you’re planning to rank many of the schools that they offer. But if you’re only planning to apply to one school that you like through Questbridge, it’s recommended to apply through Early Decision. It’s definitely not worth all the work to only apply to one school. Especially if you research well enough to see if you will get a good financial aid package, it’s probably best to do ED. Applying through either of these processes will require that you do your FAFSA and CSS forms. But going through QuestBridge and possibly Common App as well, your schools may need you to send in your financial forms individually to their own platforms.
Q: Princeton is really generous with their financial aid, which is wonderful for the students they select. So, what are your plans once you arrive at Princeton? Majors? Dorm? Clubs?
Bernice: Hopefully I’ll be able to get a single room, but definitely won’t mind if I get a double as well. In terms of majors, I have an interest in Business, Law, Architecture, Neuroscience, and Psychology. However, since Princeton may not offer the specific major that I want, [matching] the wide range of interests I have, I’m still unsure what I’ll major in. I’m shifting towards Business, Law, and Architecture so we’ll see what I choose later. There is also a large number of clubs that I’m considering joining, but a few [possibilities] would be the Asian-American Students Association, E-Club: Women in Entrepreneurship, Photography Club, and a lot more!
Q: You have a lot of time to decide your major. Just explore and dive more into your passions and see what you love the most. Do you have any advice for MCSM’s lower-classmen?
Bernice: Believe in yourself! There will be many people who have better grades or extracurricular activities than you, but don’t compare yourself to others! You don’t need the most prestigious activities to be seen as a good fit for a good college. No one can really say with confidence whether they will be accepted into a prestigious college, so just try your best, that’s all that matters! Be unique and just do what you really like in high school. Just remember that getting rejected doesn’t determine your worth, and that you can be amazing no matter what school you attend! Good luck!
Q: That is really wise advice Bernice. Often we are so busy comparing ourselves with other people and wanting to be like them, that we don’t understand how much that harms us, and keeps us from reaching our full potential. Thank you so much for your time and your answers to these questions. We all wish you the best of luck with your endeavors.