By Irene Hong
Lynbrook High School, Grade 10____11/1/10 — On October 23, The Korea Daily’s third annual San Francisco College Fair was presented by McDonald’s at Korean Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in San Jose, CA. Inspirational guest speaker James Kyson-Lee, also known as “Ando” on NBC’s hit show “Heroes” shared his perspective on the impact high school and college had on his life.
“I actually wish I got to do more extracurricular things in high school,” Kyson-Lee reminisced. “My encouragement is, when you have the chance, just go for it.”
So participants took the first step and “went for it” by attending the college fair where Ivy Leagues, UC’s, state universities, liberal arts universities, and the military were all under one roof at this parent-student-oriented event.
According to the McDonald’s press release, the free workshops “help students [to] reach their full potential and to achieve success in school and in life with the launch of a series of nine college workshop programs in six metro cities.” Workshops in California, Washington, New York, and Illinois were great opportunities for participants to pick up informational brochures, speak one-on-one with actual admissions officers and ask alumni about their respective schools.
Many students may feel like they are juggling school, tutors, approval of parents, extracurricular activities, and social life on a daily basis. But just what exactly does a top-tier college look for in the average freshman?
“The important thing is to find something you’re interested in,” George Chen, a Yale alumnus, noted. “One thing we look at is athletics. Not necessarily that you can play professionally, but that you have taken the time to be involved…but you should keep an eye on academic kind of stuff, too. [High school] is not just a social thing.”
UCLA, which uses a holistic review, also sends a similar message to potential applicants.
“We’re not just about the numbers,” UCLA representative Cindy Cho said. “We don’t have an admissions formula that says if you have this GPA and this SAT, you’re gonna get in.” Students need to not just know, but believe that colleges take into account all aspects of the application in an effort to admit students who would be the “best fit.”
Similarly, with a plethora of higher education available, many students strive to pick a college that is their “best fit.” College recommendations, a high GPA, and a strong set of extracurricular activities may get a student into a great school, but it all comes down to what the applicant really wants to get out of college.
“I don’t know which college would fit my needs,” Grace Kim, a junior at Prospect High School said. “I just want it to be a place where I feel like every one of my ambitions could [be met].”
