Last Thursday 7pm EST. Friday morning 8am local time. I still vividly remember me frantically typing away on my laptop the night before, and clicking “save” on my half-done uchicago uncommon essay. After a full week of panic, with my heart wrung tight between equally competent Duke applicant profiles on social media, and a pile of work left open and undone for other colleges, I finally grasped onto a string of hope that everything ebbs and flows, and a sense of courage to go with the flow. Perhaps that feeling and a good night’s sleep were the signs that things would indeed be settled the next morning, when I woke up to a letter of “congratulations”.
My dream of two years, a place that only existed on my vision board, Instagram posts and students’ words of praise, is now coming alive.
Coming from a humble upbringing, I feel at once honoured and privileged. Privileged because I was granted opportunities that many around the globe would not otherwise have, and honoured because my dream school has placed the trust in me to continue to amplify my voice and apply my knowledge to do good in this world.
Now, this post is my first step to live up to that trust. I would like to offer you some tips on college application from someone who has walked the path, including excerpts of my Common Application essay and supplemental why Duke essay. Seniors, this might be of some help on your last stretch in RD; juniors, you still have a long way to go, and my words might be the perfect guide for you.
All you need to do in order to enter, is to be subscribed to this blog. Email me at treslittlebird@yahoo.com , introduce yourself and demonstrate your interest, plus a screenshot of your subscription, and you will receive my personal advice on the Common App essay. To get additional advice specific to Duke, please subscribe to our Instagram account @nature.bio.philo , and include a screenshot of story promoting any one of our pervious posts as well.
As I also need to move on in life, I am only opening up this service until Jan 5th, 2020. If you come from a lower-income, first-generation background or a developing country (China or Southeast Asia), I will also introduce you to some higher education opportunities in Singapore and ways to fund your education, to the best of my knowledge and ability.
Wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours!
Islina
Islina Shan 