- Nora Sun
Tags: WashU
Institution: Washington University
Study: Major in anthropology with a concentration in global health and environment, minor in medical humanities
High School Experience
I didn't like high school because my school district already lacked a lot of resources, but the school I went to hoarded resources but was pretty segregated. In a lot of my classes, I was the only black person and I felt ostracized in a lot of ways. they were also very biased in letting certain people take certain classes
Course choices
I didn’t really have a particular academic interest. I was all over the place.
AP/IBs
I took 7 AP classes: AP human geography, AP psychology, AP chemistry, AP english language, AP US history, AP world history, AP computer science principles. My school didn’t offer IB.
GPA
3.8 unweighted, 4.4 weighted
Standardized Testing
ACT superscore: 34
Extracurriculars
My biggest extracurricular activity was the a step ahead foundation which provides free birth control to all people in Shelby county and educates the public on sexual health. I had a leadership position. I was the member of the youth council.
Recommendations
I didn’t really have a strong relationship with any of my teachers. They just knew me by my face and name, but I didn't really have the time to get to know them individually. We had large class sizes.
Essays
I was a QuestBridge scholar so I talked about my upbringing as a low-income, black girl and how I want to translate that experience to help others through medicine.
Strengths
I think it was my essays and perseverance. In junior year, I was hospitalized but I still maintained my grades.
Advice
Don’t worry about keeping up with the Joneses. Take classes you want to take. Be mindful of your limits. don’t overload on APs because you think it would look good. Don’t be afraid to drop a class. Your reasons for dropping classes are valid. If it’s a teacher, if it’s your mental state, if it’s literally anything, it’s your reason for dropping a class and you shouldn’t have to justify it to anyone. do what’s best for you and you will find your perfect college fit.
Circumstances
I am first generation, child of a single mother, and I lived in extreme poverty.
Why?
I did a pre-med summer camp at WashU the summer between freshman and sophomore year. even though I was the youngest student there and I didn’t really know what anyone was talking about, the staff and current students there were so welcoming and resourceful. The campus was beautiful, there’s lots of research and study abroad opportunities, there’s world renowned professors, an amazing medical school, and great food. WashU also provides generous financial aid packages and I got a full ride. Even for students without full rides, WashU provides so many resources to their students like rental cars, free bus/train passes, and small scholarships for summer research, study abroad, or internships!