Case study: Zulaa’s acceptance to Duke
Context: Zulaa had parents who attended university in Mongolia, but did not have anyone in her family who studied abroad. Though she decided very early on in high school that she wanted to study in the United States, Zulaa realized she could not rely on her parents or older sibling for help in the application process. In fact, Zulaa would be the one updating and teaching her parents about the college application process.
Student profile: Academically, Zulaa is an excellent student. She has a 4.0 GPA, took 3 AP classes (receiving 4s and 5s), and is currently enrolled in 2 more APs. In terms of extracurriculars, Zulaa is a self-starter. She had 4 self-initiated extracurricular activities that demonstrated leadership and environmental activism in her community. She also has a YouTube channel on study habits and bullet journaling for fun! Awards-wise, she has a few national-level awards in physics and environmentalism competitions, and was a semifinalist for the climate science Olympiad. She got a 1470 on the SAT but did not report that score.
Why Zulaa joined Cohort: she had no idea where to start! Plus, she needed substantial financial aid support which, combined with her status as an international student and her interest in a very selective STEM major, really narrowed down her choices to universities that could accommodate both.
How Cohort helped: 1) With her essays, 2) with discovery of other schools, and 3) with the support of her student/mentor relationship.
Cohort completely transformed her essays on the advice of her mentors. She had many fascinating stories to tell, but struggled to tell them concisely. Her mentor helped her understand what she was trying to say so that her narrative was a crisp representation of who she was and what she wanted to accomplish in college.
Cohort helped her discover many other schools that met her selective criteria. This adjustment in application strategy helped her mitigate risk, as her mentor was able to identify some less selective schools that could meet her need for financial aid.
Without the support of Cohort’s community, Zulaa thinks she may not have ended up applying to any US colleges. Zulaa often found herself discouraged by the process. She frequently thought it would be much easier to study in her home country or take a gap year. However, her mentor boosted her confidence, reminding her of all the hard work she had put in, and that what she wanted was within reach. It was this student/mentor relationship that helped her get her applications over the finish line, and ultimately an acceptance to Duke University!
