This book is written by five students of the Class of 2020, all attending undergraduate universities with a full-ride scholarship. Coming from various backgrounds, including first-generation low-income, people of color, and immigrant upbringings, these writers hope to create a new resource to ease the college application process in its whole. As a one-stop-trip, the book covers each step of the college application process including essay writing, scholarship finding, filling out applications, preparation for interviews, and much more. Each writer also shares their testimonies, mistakes, supplemental essays, and overall journey in their process. There is no one way to apply to college and the writers’ various paths hope to not only show, but embrace the diversity when applying. Verified by college counselor. / About the Authors: Steven Li was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota but raised in Chicago, Illinois with a family of immigrants from China. His parents’ sacrifice to provide him a life in the United States has fueled his passion for entrepreneurship, an opportunity to express his ideas and projects into the real world. In high school, he was the Intern President of the Economic Awareness Council of On the Money Magazine and environmental researcher winning Illinois awards. His involvement within the community has helped him combine his passions of entrepreneurship and youth impact. He is enrolled at Stanford University studying Management Science & Engineering. / Sebastian Duque was born in Pereira, Colombia, and immigrated to the United States when he was 6 years old. Since then, he has lived in Kendall, a suburb of Miami, Florida. Inspired by his parent’s sacrifices, Sebastian worked to succeed throughout high school and was president of the Science National Honor Society chapter as well as the secretary of the International Thespian Honor Society. He is also a regional Science Bowl champion and he has been recognized by the National Hispanic Recognition program. In the future, he hopes to combine his love of science with his love for politics and public relations to study environmental policy. As of now, Sebastian is enrolled at Yale University as an Environmental Studies major. / Santiago Alvillar was born and raised in El Monte, California: a Hispanic community on the outskirts of East Los Angeles. He is the youngest of three sons and comes from an Indigenous, Southern Mexican, immigrant household. He has gained multiple national titles including Gates Scholar, Coca-Cola Scholar, Edison STEM Scholar, National Horatio Alger Association Scholar, and Elks Top Male Winner; Santiago has been recognized regionally and interviewed by LA news stations. Currently, he’s enrolled at Stanford University hoping to graduate with a Bachelor’s and Master's degree in Engineering Physics. / Narvella is a first-generation American, born to a family of Ghanaian immigrants. Narvella was born in Chicago, Illinois but was raised in Montgomery, Illinois. Narvella is enrolled at the University of Chicago, studying Global Health/Global Studies on the pre-medical track. In high school, she served as the President of National Honors Society, Student Council, and Medical Club. As Narvella continues to pursue her goals, she hopes to inspire other Black girls, and people from all backgrounds, to continue to give back to their communities, appreciate education, and to shoot for their goals no matter how far away they seem. / Dayanna Salas was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador but immigrated to the United States at the age of 6 to live in Chicago, Illinois. Her immigration story have fueled her passion to be involved in Ecuadorians politics and she hopes to make positive contributions to her country in the future. Her mixed-race background has sparked an interest in the representation and intersectionality of different identities. She is currently enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania planning to study international relations and economics.
