Taylor, a rising senior at GWU, shares her story of how she had an unexpected decision day into GWU.
Part 2 is here
Transcription
Kamila
Hey, college kids. Welcome back to this week’s episode on my podcast, who cares about college? today? I’m interviewing Taylor. So Taylor, could you introduce yourself?
Taylor
Hi, everyone. My name is Taylor crystal. I’m from New York, I currently go to George Washington University. I’m an International Affairs major, which is probably no surprise, and I’m a rising senior.
Kamila
So before we get into you know, college, and since you are an international studies major, and you obviously have access to DC, that’s going to be really interesting to talk about. But let’s first talk about your college application. So when did you start thinking about applying to college?
Taylor
Yes. So I had a bit of a unique situation where I went to a very small private school, where they start preparing us for the PSATs in seventh grade, and I took my first LSAT because I wasn’t eligible or old enough to take it. And in the eighth grade, I believe. So we’ve been kind of grown since that early age, we had an extra class dedicated to it. At the end of the day, we had professors making us to, like on our off time do practice exams. So I’ve been pretty much as it is and AC T’s and I’ve been pretty much groomed at a younger age. But I would say most seriously, end of sophomore year, beginning junior in high school is one, you know, I cared more it was less, you know, oh, we just have to do it like now. It’s just it’s, it’s very important at that point.
Kamila
Okay, so can you take us through like the progression of your scores, you know, when you took maybe the PSAT when you’re eligible? And then the your first LSAT and then if you like took a second one?
Taylor
Yes. Okay. So during my year is when they changed the scoring for the PSATs. So it was out of 2400 when I took it in like the seventh and eighth grade. And then when I took it, during like officially like beyond the PSAT is like his actual exam, it was at a 1600. But unfortunately, my public school does not give us a warning or didn’t really tell us. So my first took my official, like, first ever sh t that was going to count potentially towards college, I got 1350 out of 1600. But when I hadn’t taken the test in the previous years, I had like a 2200. So I was doing really well with it. But I thought I really failed it because I didn’t realize there was a new grading system. So I did pretty well, but I didn’t know it.
Kamila
I think you got 1350 out of 2400 Yes, I did. Oh my god,
Taylor
yes, I did. So I switched over to AC t because I was like, I’m beyond done with si t, which I shouldn’t have done a well. But then I took the SA AC T and the first score I got was like a 24 out of you know, like 34, which was horrendous. But my mom got me a tutor and I took a three more times after that over like a whole year period. And I ended up with a 29 which was you know, as good as it was gonna get for me and and by the time I took my last exam, I was over it. But it was a process. It took years and you know, it wasn’t necessarily your knowledge. It was just, you know, what I learned from taking the sh t and s AC T It’s not actually what you know, and how well you can do math like everyone has their own abilities in that but it’s like reading the question, right? Picking picking out dissecting it and then having like that critical thinking skills rather than just being like I have this flash back knowledge. Okay,
Kamila
so 29 was the score you submitted to all the schools you apply to? Yes. Okay, so and you took both LSAT and AC t so can you just give us like a quick summary of what the differences are and who you would recommend the LSAT to versus the AC t because it doesn’t seem bad to me To me, but people are like, Oh, I prefer the LSAT or I prefer the AC t. So what are the differences?
Taylor
Okay, so first things first, with the LSAT, you have, I believe less sections, because I think it’s like reading comprehension math, then I think it’s just that, but general English, you know, it’s been such a long time. But I know the LSAT, AC T includes a science portion, I see you. So the science portion, you still have the same amount of time, but you have more than like, instead of four sections, you have five, so you have less time per section, and more sections. And then the science section isn’t actually about your knowledge for science. It’s also just an additional reading comprehension with like, scientific jargon. So that’s, I think the biggest difference is less time per section, and just an additional reading comprehension slash, you know, I mean, you do need to know, like what a cell is, but outside of that, you know, that’s what it is.
Kamila
So basically, the science portion of the AC T or just fit in AC T in general, just test your ability to read a question and answer it. Absolutely. Okay, so 29 was the score you submitted? And you didn’t submit your LSAT score, right?
Taylor
I did not. Okay.
Kamila
So let’s move on to another part of your transcript, your let’s call this like APS honors, and your GPA. So can you give us a summary of you know, the classes you took in freshman year, sophomore year, junior year and senior year? And tell us when you started taking more rigorous courses? And how many AP did you end up taking? You know, what was the general score you got?
Taylor
Okay, so I would say, sophomore year of high school is where I really started taking AP is like AP World, AP Lit, AP Lang, AP Physics, AP, bio, AP, all the histories, I think it was World History. And then LIKE US history, I took probably six or seven, eight, maybe. But unfortunately, as many as I got actually transferred. I mean, I think I got mostly fours and five on the AP Lang. But then for my science and math APS, I got threes because I was never very strong in science or math. So the only ones that I could have transferred was like my AP, US history, my AP, human geography, and then all of my English courses. But GW has a very specific English program called UW. So they won’t allow you to transfer over any of your AP English credits, regardless of your score. So I only ended up getting two of my APS transferred out of like the six or eight I took.
Kamila
Okay, so transferring those, I mean, you didn’t transfer many APS, but they were at least some so what difference did that make in the courses? You selected? A GW?
Taylor
Honestly, None? None? It didn’t really make a difference.
Kamila
Is there really a point in transferring? Like, I understand the point in taking a piece for like the rigor and stuff. But is there really a point in transferring your credits,
Taylor
my personal experience is a no, but because of my major, all, I got to opt out of certain classes. But the thing is, you just have to take a higher level class anyway. So you’re pretty much just taking the course again, in a different, you know, instead of 100, or 1000 levels, you’re taking a 2000 level, because they require you to do the basic and then a more advanced of the same thing. I see.
Kamila
Okay, so kind of like in college, you deepen your understanding of stuff that you already learned in high school.
Taylor
Yes, but if you’re into science and your math, or you’re in STEM, and you can get out of if you can, like, test out in place out of some beginner courses, it can be helpful, because you don’t have to take stats six times.
Kamila
Oh, I see. Okay. So I don’t know the exact number of APS that GW students have when they come in. But do you think you were at the average or above average? Because I’m sure you were below average?
Taylor
I think it was at the average at the average. I think I’m actually a little bit below average, really? Yes, I actually do because a lot of my I have a son, my friend group, they did pretty well on their math and science. So they had like a full semesters worth of transfer credits, while I had like half a semesters worth, because of the English that I focused on versus like my actual AP math, like physics bio Calc. So I think I was a little bit below average, because people had a little bit more wiggle room in their schedule, and I did not.
Kamila
So let’s see, let’s move on to your extracurricular. So give us a actually give us all your extracurriculars, either outside of high school or in high school.
Taylor
Okay, so in high school, especially say the last three years of high school I wanted to be very involved, mostly because I know schools look for a well rounded student. So I was in, like the musical I was in prom committee, we had something called Vintage which is like a paper that we submit of like poems and short stories and essays. I was in something called it was like The environmental club that was a part of I was a part of track. And then outside of school I did for about a year and a half volunteering at something called North Shore animal League, which was a like a shelter for animals and like dogs and cats and whatnot, that I did on the weekends. I don’t know, I think I might have mentioned prompting me, but yeah, like, I tried to get involved. And with as much as I could, that wouldn’t, you know, kill me.
Kamila
So in all those extracurriculars that you did, were there any that you were super dedicated to? Like, for example, you said, track? So did you do that, like all four years and end up making the varsity team? Or were you? I don’t know. In prom committee, were you like one of the I don’t know how prom committee works. But were you one of like, the top people in it. So what extracurricular kind of stood out the most? I would say
Taylor
definitely track. So I came into public high school sophomore year of, you know, high school, but um, before that I was in private school. So I really, you know, for those three years, I was involved in all of those thoughts. I track, I was the most dedicated because I was daily. And then I did make the varsity team. I mean, those meats would go like twice a week till like midnight. So I tried to be as on top of that as I could. And then I’d say the environmental club was the second thing I was the most involved in.
Kamila
Did you end up just curious, did you end up doing track when you went to high school? College?
Taylor
I did not. So I did track just for you know, basic health. I was never anything. I wasn’t the top of the pack. I was just a sprinter. And I just enjoyed it because I had a good group of friends. And it was a good way to stay healthy. And it was good to look on the resume.
Kamila
I see. Good. So let’s see a few more components of your transcript, your high school transcript. So what did you do? Did you get your recommendation letters from other than your guidance counselor,
Taylor
I got, I had three other recommendations. I had one for my calculus teacher, just because not necessarily for calculus. But she, we we had a very nice connection like we were we were pretty. Like we knew a lot about each other. And she liked me. And then I did it for my Spanish will not professor, my Spanish teacher, because you know, GW is a you need a language requirements. And I was gonna go into Spanish. And we also happen to she also happened to like me, it was a good student. So I used her and then I had an internship during my senior right before my senior year of high school. So I had my boss write my last recommendation letter. Oh, that’s
Kamila
interesting. So would you recommend if your school the colleges you’re applying to if those colleges say that you can submit another recommendation letter other than, you know, core class teachers, which I think a lot most colleges want? Would you recommend doing that?
Taylor
Absolutely. If you have that opportunity? I don’t see why not. It can only help wouldn’t hurt.
Kamila
I see. So you think that your boss said stuff about, you know, a good work ethic, how you’re like maybe always on time or something? Well, I
Taylor
hope so considering I did try to be on time. He agreed to it. And I didn’t see it. I’m not allowed to see you. But he must have said something right, because I got into school.
Kamila
Good. Okay. So if you’re comfortable with sharing, can you tell us a bit about what you wrote your common app about your common essay about?
Taylor
Yeah, not a problem. Okay. So also a little bit different from usual, I’m adopted from Russia. So I definitely put in my theme for my college essay was adaptability. And I pretty much wrote a letter to like my future self kind of situation where I’m like, I’ve come from a foreign country when I was an I was adopted when I was four. So I had, you know, no language experience with English. I didn’t know these peoples go into a foreign country. So I was like, I can adopt adapt to that my parents got divorced, adapted to that. I’ve been to a million different schools, I was in and out of private school, my entire childhood, I went to like five schools. I adapted to that. And I was like, if you can handle that tailor, you can handle anything, and this is why I’m a good candidate for school.
Kamila
Okay, so I’m just curious here. Is that kind of why you chose International Studies?
Taylor
Yes, actually, it is.
Kamila
Okay, good. Yeah. That’s so so let’s see, what about your more supplemental essays? Let’s target specifically GW because that is the school you got accepted into and you are attending right now. So what did you write for your GW? Supplemental essays?
Taylor
Okay, so for my supplemental essay, sophomore year, when I actually transferred to public school, I got very sick, and I had been attacked, like, my immune system was really bad. And I was attacked by a lot of viruses. And I had very bad grades. So my supplemental essay I wrote about how, like, through it all, when like, all hope was lost, my mom was my anchor, and she got me through it, and she kept pushing me and she also like, saw the best of me. And she’s like, my hero, and like, that was someone I aspire to be. So my supplemental essay was about my mom and also trying to explain like, Hey, if you see a si in my second year in high school, that’s why Yeah, okay,
Kamila
so that’s actually thing I’m curious about. So how did that exactly affect your GPA?
Taylor
Um, it definitely brought my GPA down. You know, I think I could have done. I mean, my GPA in total when I graduated was a 3.8. But that’s because when I say I slaved away for the next two years, I slaved away like I wouldn’t let myself go out ever like I had no life, like my social circle was pitiful, but I knew I had to make up for for the damage I did from sophomore year. Luckily, I’ve recovered since then. And I’ve been able to work that hard. But you know, it was a it was like it was the game was it was a long run. You know,
Kamila
that’s very admirable. So you were secure like entire sophomore year.
Taylor
Yeah, I had around like 40 absences, because I was in and out of like, into like a, what’s it called? When you go to urgent care, or like I would have to go into the city. I lived in New York. So I went into Manhattan for a lot of testing. They wanted to keep me there. So I missed a lot of school.
Kamila
I see. Okay, well, it’s good that you jumped back. So your unweighted GPA was a 3.8. What was your weighted GPA?
Taylor
I want to say four 4.0 4.1.
Kamila
I have another question about a supplemental does GW require a wide GW supplemental?
Taylor
I believe so. Yes.
Kamila
So what do you think you wrote on that
Taylor
one? I don’t, I think I only ended up writing one supplemental. So I think that the supplemental was about you know how I was older. And that time my mom got me through it. And then it paid off because I worked hard and got better grades the following years.
Kamila
Interesting. So does GW not require you to write multiple supplementals? Do you get to like choose,
Taylor
I think you, I think what it’s optional if you’d either wrote two supplementals, and I don’t remember one, or you only require to do one and you could do more, if you choose.
Kamila
That’s very interesting. Okay. Cuz that’s, and they only have like, if they require you to do one. That’s interesting, because other schools require you to do like a bunch. So that’s why like, I hear a lot of people saying, you know, they’re so stressed about the college application process, because they have all of the supplementals too. Right. So it’s interesting. Yeah.
Taylor
I mean, they gave you a list of questions like prompts, and then you follow that prompt as best as you could. I’d think there might have been smaller questions, but I know there was like one essay that was like 500 words.
Kamila
Okay, I see. So like, a kind of bigger. Yeah, I see. I see. Okay. So let’s talk about the colleges you apply to in general, whether you got accepted, deferred or rejected from.
Taylor
Okay, so I ended up doing early decision for GW, but I sent out other applications. So I sent out to NYU. I did Miami, just because my mom wants me to be in Florida, which I didn’t really, it wasn’t my passion. I tried to do San Diego, San Francisco, Bryant in Rhode Island, because they actually have a pretty good international relations. Major think where else know how to feel, um, Maryland, I applied to
Kamila
a UMD. Yes. Um,
Taylor
I think that’s all I didn’t have to to um, yeah, that’s all. Okay. So,
Kamila
one quick question before we talk about, you know, your acceptances and stuff. Did you get to tour any of these colleges before you actually decided to apply to them?
Taylor
I toured all of the ones on the East Coast, except GW actually, because GW was under construction. I didn’t have tours when we were going. So I completely was like, I know it’s necessary, I’ll be happy. So I actually never saw GW before I even got in my first time seeing it was during orientation. Yeah, I didn’t get to go to the ones in California.
Kamila
So why don’t you decide on the ones in California and, you know, ultimately, GW if you weren’t able to see them?
Taylor
So, but before I decided going into IA, I was considering business. So San Francisco and San Diego so I applied to like schools that had both or some that have stronger business than IA and whichever I decide going into is which major I would have pursued. So the ones in California were like heavily had pretty good business programs. And I definitely you know, love California. I haven’t, I didn’t see the schools but I did love I do love the state. So I was like, I would really consider it. I looked at tuition I looked at you know, what was realistic for me with my GPA with my AC T. Some of them I applied to that were sh t, AC T optional. Okay, so that was actually a leading force. And then you have what’s that thing that you can use where you can, it’s a program that people like you put your college application through, and you can put in like your GPA and then you can put in your AC T or si t scores and then type in whatever school you’re looking at and see if you have like a somewhat decent chance at getting in.
Kamila
I know prep scholar has that you don’t have to necessarily type it in but if you search up like prep scholar and specifically a school like NYU or something, you can in their stats like essay, average AC T average sh t for NYU, you can see all down and then you can adjust your own stats. And then it tells you what the acceptance rate is. So it starts with the average, which is, and the acceptance rate will be like, you know, the actual overall acceptance rate. And then based on that you can move it and see.
Taylor
Yeah, so I use things like that when I was applying for schools, because I’m like, I’m not gonna spend somebody dollars, just to know I’m not going anywhere with that. I tried to be as realistic and humble as possible.
Kamila
So did you find it kind of like annoying to dis is not college related? Really. But did you find it annoying to pay for like all of this, you know, you have to pay for your AP test, you have to pay for the college applications. Did you find it kind of limiting and restricting?
Taylor
I did find it annoying. And I felt bad for my mom, because I’m paying out she’s Yeah, she’s paying. And she’s a single parent. So she’s just absolutely financially supporting me through it all. So I felt it felt a little hard. And we’re in that bracket where we just, you’re just cut off or that like, we’re not going to waive your fee. But you know, we’re not there. We’re like, Oh, easy. 10 100 colleges. Let’s apply not a problem.
Kamila
Yeah, I’m kind of worried for that. Because I plan to take a lot of APs and I know that’s kind of costs so much.
Taylor
Yeah, it’s it does it that’s the hardest part. I think it’s you know, everything. It’s a corporation, all of this is just big businesses that are just, you know, shrouded in education doing what’s best for you. But I think you know, in the future, pretty sure AC T’s and essays are not going to be a thing anymore. I hope so. I hope so too. Like that was an unnecessary amount of work and stress on top of just you know, high school, high school was brutal. It’s hard. Yeah, I’m
Kamila
not sure about like the LSAT and a CT like my opinion on it. But it’s it’s just kind of you know, how to read a question. Can you think like the people who made the test for you?
Taylor
Oh, yeah, it’s absolutely, you’re not actually testing your knowledge of anything. It’s just testing your ability to take a test half decently? Yeah, I
Kamila
see. Okay,
Taylor
I’ve walked away and retained no new knowledge from that,
Kamila
I’m sure. And it I took the PSAT and it was kind of like a breeze for me. And then I realized how many stupid mistakes I made on there. And I was like, Good lord, please.
Taylor
Oh, I get that. Yeah.
Kamila
Okay. So let’s go back to your colleges. Which ones did you get when you said you applied? Ed? So when you got accepted into GW did you have to pull out all your other applications?
Taylor
So no, I Ed, like early decision, I just meaning you don’t want to pull out your applications. You just can’t if you get in somewhere else, you just can’t accept that offer? Yeah, so I didn’t pull any my applications. And I just because I did if I didn’t, Ed, obviously, I can only do to one school, but I did early action for others. So my whole philosophy is when people start applying regular decision in like jet like December, November, maybe January. I wanted to be done with that. So I got everything in by early October,
Kamila
obviously. So you wanted to like chill the rest of your senior year? Yeah, mostly
Taylor
because I knew I had to make up, you know, for last time and you know, work hard my grades. And I know how long application process take. So I just wanted to knock that out, have my applications and focus on getting good grades? Because I know colleges do look at your senior year.
Kamila
Yeah, I know. I went I was at a he was Notre Dame. And they were talking about like, you know, you send your application that you finished with your senior year. If your senior year application like the second semester of senior, if your transcript sucks, then they can rescind your application. Absolutely.
Taylor
And I’ve seen it happen. I went to a small public school that was predominantly wealthy. So there are kids kids having Mercedes as their first car pulling up like it was that kind of school. And there have been some kids who got into, I mean, pretty good schools, I would say. I mean, once you got into Emory, which no offense good to him, I don’t know how. But he got kicked out. He got his application was rescinded because he got like three days in a row. Yeah, and he just completely didn’t care. And he had a took. I think it took a gap year. But then like reapplied,
Kamila
I see. Okay, watch out kids. They still look at your senior year. Yeah. Painful. Yeah. Okay. So I assume you got accepted into GW. So how did you feel when you got accepted?
Taylor
Okay, so my exception, like that whole story is kind of wild ride. So strap in a second, I will end when you do early decision, you get your answer by late November, early December. So it comes in waves, you have three waves of acceptance. Wave one is like the earliest and you know, it goes chronologically. And I was told I’d be in wave three. So I was waiting. I think it was it was literally my birthday. That’s when I was supposed to get my acceptance letter. And I would say three other kids in my high school also was waiting for their early decision application. And we all had like a group chat, and December 10 rolls by my birthday, and I refresh the page and nothing happened. And I don’t see it. And I was like, oh, okay, I have to wait. You know, it’s 5pm I’m refreshing. 6pm Refreshing all night. Nothing has been updated. Nothing from my emails, no mail. I text my friends. I’m like, did you guys get the decision that like, oh, yeah, we all got in. So I’m flipping out. So I’m like, Oh, my God, I just got rejected from GW. But they don’t tell you, they reject you. They just don’t update you. So I thought that’s what’s going on. I called the school the next day. And I was like, Hey, guys, you know, I was supposed to get a decision. This is the third wave. I know it was supposed to be in that. What’s going on? And they’re like, oh, we’ll check it. We’ll check it out. You know, we’ll call you back. Three days pass. And I’m literally beside myself. I’m like, hysterical crying. No one’s telling me anything. This is my dream school, just beside myself. And everyone was asking me like, did you get it? I’m like, I don’t know. And they’d be like, Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie. It’s like, No, literally, I just don’t know yet. They were like, Oh, it’s okay. There are other places for you. Like, okay.
Kamila
Did you get accepted into other schools, though? Because you said you applied early for basically everything.
Taylor
Yeah. But she was the first one that I actually heard back from. Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah. So I was I had no idea. So about three days later, I got a phone call from the Dean of Students. And he was like, Oh, hi, we just wanted to apologize. Apparently, you’re the only person in the tri state area who had a technological difficulties with their acceptance process, but we just wanted to personally welcome you to GW res high congratulations. And I was just, you know, emotionally drained. And I was like, thank you so much. It was like a 6pm. And I went to bed.
Kamila
Oh, my God, I was just
Taylor
absolutely distraught. But I was thrilled. But here’s the thing, they only told me gotten to GW I also applied for the Elliot school, cuz that’s a separate application as well. Yeah. So that’s a set that’s a school within GW. And they didn’t tell me got into the Elliot school. So it’s like, Darn, I’ll have to apply once my freshman year. And then like, over the holiday over like Christmas break. That was like the 27th. Then I finally got the email saying, Oh, welcome to Elliott School. I was like, Oh my god.
Kamila
Good. You got like, kind of birthday present and a Christmas present.
Taylor
I did. But I was like, oh, man, I hope this entire school isn’t run like this. I hope this is going to be the last time I have this kind of issue.
Kamila
That’s amazing. You’re like the only person that got that mean, this happened to only you right? Damn, yeah, I would have been I know of, yeah, I would have been like a mess too. If it was my dream school and
Taylor
distraught. I can’t if I was to start, like crying every single day. It was so bad. My mom, my mom, my guidance counselor, my principal, they were all on the phone with GW like how dare you let this happen to a student you can check her records right now. And they’re like, sorry, we can’t authorize us. Like, she’s been waiting for three days. And she has no idea. How do you treat students like this, like everyone was going off?
Kamila
Is your GW experience? Do you forgive GW for that?
Taylor
I forgive GW for that. I mean, you know, every school has their challenges. GW certainly does. But I’ve, you know, the city, the professors and the people I’ve met, some of them are phenomenal. So, you know, I definitely don’t regret it.
Kamila
Yeah. That wraps up part one of my interview with Taylor, PR two will be coming out very soon. So make sure you subscribe, so you’ll get the notification when that comes out. But other than that, I’ll see you guys then.