Noor Haideri, 12

Which Ivy League schools did you apply to? Harvard, Yale, Brown, Princeton

Which ones did you get into? “Waitlisted at Princeton, and I got into Harvard and Yale.”

What major did you apply as? “Biomedical Engineering.”

Where are you planning on attending? “I committed to Harvard. Interactions with both faculty and students were friendly and insightful [and] Harvard has a variety of opportunities from clubs to research. I’ll also be able to take classes at neighboring universities. I like the location in Boston, and the campus is beautiful.”

Did you think you would get into the Ivy schools you applied to? “I wasn’t sure.”

What was your reaction when you got in?

“I was really happy when I found out.”

What was your dream school and why?

“My dream school kept changing, honestly. I didn’t just have a single one.”

What are you looking forward to in college? “Meeting new people and the ability to see new things and try new things.”

What advice would you give to underclassmen applying for college? “Try your best and whatever happens, happens. At the end of the day, the college doesn’t define you.”

Johnny Perkins, 12

Which Ivy League schools did you apply to? Harvard, Yale

Which ones did you get into? “Somehow I got into both, which is very exciting.”

What major did you apply as? “I applied as a Statistics and Data Science major and also put an interest in the history of science programs.”

Where are you planning on attending? “Harvard University. Getting to live in Boston for the next four years really appealed to me, whereas the location of Yale did not excite me as much. I also thought as similar as Harvard and Yale are, Harvard seemed to have more well-rounded academic offerings, especially in STEM fields.”

Did you think you would get into the Ivy schools you applied to? “I did not. I decided to open it in the parking lot after the Royals game because I was just like, ‘I’ll rip it, I’ll open it.’”

What was your reaction when you got in? “We were freaking out — it was really surprising. We went to Shake Shack and celebrated it, so it was good. We were also just talking about how there are all kinds of jokes made about these schools — it’s weird, now, living in the moment.”

What was your dream school and why? “My dream school was Stanford. I love the campus there, and they had a program called Science, Technology, and Society that I liked, but I was fine to move on. I knew that even though I liked it so much, some of it was for really random reasons. I knew I’d find somewhere else I was happy with.”

What are you looking forward to in college? “I’m looking forward to knowing everything you do has a purpose and that everything you’re doing really matters. Sometimes in high school, it’s hard to feel motivated if you don’t think what you’re doing is getting you anywhere. It’s exciting knowing that in college, you make connections with people who will determine your career and you really become an adult.”

What advice would you give to underclassmen? “Do what you think sounds fun because I think some people get ahead of themselves by forcing themselves to do something. What schools want to see is that you do what you like, and you go as far as you can in whatever you do. That’s a good mindset to have — not only to get somewhere they’ll enjoy but also to just enjoy high school and have fun.”

Eddy Jiang, 12

Which Ivy League schools did you apply to? Princeton, Harvard, Yale

Which ones did you get into? “I was accepted to Princeton University, waitlisted at Harvard, and Yaled protected by Yale”

What major did you apply as? “English and Economics.”

Where are you planning on attending? “I chose Stanford University because both my siblings will be in the Bay Area with me. I [was] deciding between Princeton and Stanford because Princeton’s academic rigor and intense focus on undergraduate education really appealed to me, but I love the weather at Stanford.”

Did you think you would get into the Ivy schools you applied to? “Yes. What, like it’s hard? I’m kidding. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever even imagine getting into an Ivy League school.”

What was your reaction when you got in? “AHHHHHHHHHHHH — I screamed. I was very surprised. When you think of Ivy League, you don’t think of Eddy Jiang. You think of students with no lives who spend 40 hours a day studying, you think of depression, you think of students with no friends and you think of students with no social life. Just hard work, all day every day. On the other hand, me? My parents would often worry because of how much fun I was having. I was hardly working, not working hard.”

What was your dream school and why? “My dream school was Mogwarts to study Rizzology, but unfortunately, I did not get accepted.”

What are you looking forward to in college? “I am looking forward to having fun.”

What advice would you give to underclassmen applying for college? “Just have fun.”

Mundeep Kaberwal, 12

Which Ivy League schools did you apply to? Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UPenn, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth

Which ones did you get into? “Got into Columbia, waitlisted at Yale, Penn, Cornell and Dartmouth [and] rejected by Harvard and Brown.”

What major did you apply as? “I applied as a pure Computer Science major, and a few as Computer Science and Econ.”

Where are you planning on attending? “I am not planning on attending Columbia or the Ivy waitlisted schools because I’m set on being a CS major, and I want to go to one of my other options with better CS programs. They have core curriculums, and while that’s important for gaining a well-rounded education, it would be overcompensating for factors secondary to me. I chose Carnegie Mellon University over Georgia Tech because its focus on theory provides a stronger foundational understanding of CS.”

Did you think you would get into the Ivy schools you applied to? “I didn’t think I would get in. While there may be a bunch of BV kids that got into Ivies in years past, I didn’t think I worked as hard as they did to warrant an acceptance. This goes to show how you shouldn’t be comparing yourself to others.”

What was your reaction when you got in? “I found out through an unexpected email, which was my likely letter for admission. I was genuinely shocked, dumbfounded and happy. The likely letter also made me somewhat optimistic about the remaining decisions.”

What was your dream school and why? “I didn’t really have a dream school because I didn’t want to get obsessed, and likely disappointed. However, MIT and Stanford would’ve been crazy and are probably my ‘dream schools.’”

What are you looking forward to in college? “I’m looking forward to the bright people I’ll get to meet who are cracked in their passions and being able to work with them in class and for how I’ll be able to grow as a person.”

What advice would you give to underclassmen applying for college? “Put [in] your best effort and don’t worry about the outcomes — you can’t be disappointed in yourself if you tried your best. Brainstorm your Common App essay and supplementals so you can have amazing essays you’re proud of. Be sure to get help from others, especially for essay editing, and reach out to others to seek more perspectives.”