For Northeastern, I was fortunate enough to interview Sophia! She is so sweet and worked extremely hard to provide amazing responses to help you if you're interested in Northeastern! She also provided extremely beneficial information and advice on college life at Northeastern and I would highly recommend you check it out at the colleges' page for Northeastern! Thank you so much Sophia for offering to help and writing these beautiful responses!
What are some extracurriculars you did during your high school years? Did you win any awards?
"I played varsity soccer for all four years of high school and was the team captain for my junior and senior year. I was also a member of the National Honor Society and acted as the Treasurer during my senior year. Additionally, I was a peer tutor, captain of the science team, and a Harvard Model Congress participant. In terms of volunteering, I planted and maintained vegetable gardens as part of the National Green School Society and acted as a student-helper who would assist teachers with their classes at local elementary schools. Finally, I co-founded my school’s Rotary Interact club and led various volunteer projects to improve cultural literacy in my city. As for awards, I achieved high honor roll every year, became a commended student of the National Merit Scholarship Program, was recognized as a National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar, and won the Wellesley College Book Award. During my time in high school, I also worked as a waitress, a youth soccer referee, and a lab assistant at a biotech company."
How would you describe the common application process and what is one thing you wished you would’ve done more research on before applying to college?
"For the most part, the college application process through Common App is relatively straightforward and easy to maneuver, even if you’re not really sure about what you’re doing. The materials that are required of you for each school you apply to are generally made pretty obvious on the website, but you should always do research on each school’s website to see if there are any additional documents or test results that should be sent over with your application. If anything, I wish I had done more research on the schools that I applied to and all of the opportunities they have to offer, because writing the “Why This College” essay can be kind of tricky if you don’t have anything to say that will really set you apart or show that you are especially committed to attending the school. One thing I learned from this process is to never underestimate the power of the Common App essay and any school-specific supplemental essays, because those are what truly set you apart from the rest and either make or break your chances of getting in. Everyone applying is already so smart, so really put the time and effort into your personal and school-specific essays to show why you are a well-rounded and valuable individual to have at their institution."