How Dewan Decided To Go To University of Texas – San Antonio

Dewan, a current senior at UTSA, tells us how being a volunteer at an ER and pharmacy in high school confirmed her dream of being in the medical field. 

Part 2 is here

Transcription

Kamila
Hey, college kids, welcome back to my podcast. Who cares about college? In today’s episode, I’ll be interviewing do one. So could you do one? Could you please introduce yourself?

Dewan
Yeah, of course. Hi, everyone. My name is Diwan creativa. I am a current senior at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I’m majoring in microbiology, and Immunology. I’m also taking pre health classes because my goal is to attend pharmacy school, preferably the UN T School of Pharmacy. And then I’m also a certified community health worker for the state of Texas.

Kamila
I see that’s cool. And we’re gonna talk about you know, your graduate plans a little bit later on. But let’s first start on the college process. So are you the first in your family to go to an American college?

Dewan
No, both of my parents went to college.

Kamila
I see. And did they help you through the college application process? Or was it more of your own?

Dewan
No, they helped me with every process. There were even times where you know, I’d be completing my applications, and they would be giving me advice on this is what I should be putting in my essays is why should be mentioning so you know, they were always there to support me.

Kamila
Your parents, I’m sure went to school, like probably many years. Before you did. So did you have any siblings to kind of go off of the more modern college process? Or was it just your parents?

Dewan
No, it was just my parents, because I do have a younger sibling, but he’s in high school right now. So he’s not at that stage to be attending college.

Kamila
I see. Okay, so when did you and your parents start thinking about applying for college?

Dewan
Well, I’ve always wanted to go to college, like ever since I was a little kid that’s always been ingrained in my mind. My parents, they always pushed education, as you know, the focus for everyone’s life. So I knew, you know, going into high school that, you know, I would have to get accepted into at least a couple different universities, so I could choose between them. And I actually started applying to universities. Before my senior year of high school, it was the summer. And actually, the summer before I even entered my senior year of high school. I was accepted to eight of the 10 universities.

Kamila
Wow, okay, okay, cool. But when did you start like preparing for college? Or, you know, maybe LSAT, or I think you take the AC t because you’re in Texas, right? So when did that kind of like come into your mind? When did you start really focusing on your schoolwork and making sure you got the best grades? You could?

Dewan
Yeah, so I basically started studying for the LSAT. I didn’t take the AC T. But I said, Yeah, I started preparing for the LSAT whenever I was a freshman in high school. So I use that time to really build up my score. And I basically used you know, Khan Academy to study for the LSAT. And I feel like that really helped me and helped ingrain all the materials I need to know.

Kamila
I see. Okay, and you started? Well, from the people I’ve interviewed in the past, I think you’ve started the earliest so did you do you think you had a major advantage over other people because you started in your freshman year?

Dewan
Yes, I definitely did. Because, you know, honestly, I think I should have started even earlier because you know, I keep on telling my younger brother this that you know, you should be studying ever since you were in seventh grade for the LSAT, because the LSAT, it’s a hard exam, you know, I feel like a lot of students just put it down or don’t think too much of it, but it is a very hard exam. And if you want to go to a good school, if you want to get a lot of scholarships, if you want to really push yourself, you know, the earlier it is the better it is. So I definitely think I was at an advantage but I could have started even earlier.

Kamila
So how many times did you take the official LSAT?

Dewan
So I took the official LSAT about maybe two times, and that was only because one of the universities that was applying to which is Rice University requires us to take the writing portion which is which I didn’t take the first time

Kamila
I see okay, and then what is your super score the score that you sent to all colleges end up being?

Dewan
I believe my total score because back in 2017, it was out of 1600. I believe it was out of about 1434. I remember correctly,

Kamila
yeah. Okay. Okay. So is that the average, above average or above average, or below average for the schools you applied to?

Dewan
That was definitely above average. Because for all of the schools that I applied to, even for rice, the average score for rice was about a 1410. So I did, you know, do slightly above average for how schools,

Kamila
you did mention, I saw like a little bit earlier that your finances were very important to you, you wanted to go to a school that you could afford. So, of course, you know, striving for a good LSAT score looks better on your application. But did you have the goal in mind to get some financial aid because of your LSAT score?

Dewan
I’m not really, because what I focused on was really, you know, what the campus culture is, because, you know, I was accepted to so many universities, I could afford to go to all of them. But the reason I didn’t choose some universities was primarily because of the distance, you know, I wanted to be close to my parents. And also another thing is that, you know, I realized that an undergraduate education is really what you make of it, you know, if I can be close to my parents, if I can save money, and then go on to graduate school that I can pay for, I saw that as a bigger advantage compared to going to a more pricier school.

Kamila
I see. Yeah, that’s good. And you did have, you did have in mind that you wanted to go to graduate school, right? Yes, I did. So let’s move on to the classes you took in high school. So from whenever you started, can you tell me of the APS or the IB that you took?

Dewan
So I took numerous AP courses, I didn’t take any IB courses, because my high school didn’t offer them. But for AP courses, I would say I took anywhere from AP Biology, AP macroeconomics, AP government, AP, environmental science, there were so many classes, it’s been, you know, several years, so I forgot which classes I took. And, you know, in between that I also took many research classes. And, you know, of course, dual credit classes, because my high school offered that. And I think more than the AP classes, the dual credit classes helped me more because I was able to immediately transfer the credits that I earned in my classes to my university, whereas AP classes, you know, there was also always, you know, the thought of, oh, I have to pass this exam, you know, and what if I don’t like my score, because even though I did pass off my AP tests, I feel like, because I didn’t use them, they were just a waste. But I definitely feel like my dual credit classes were more helpful for me.

Kamila
Well, let’s backtrack a little bit. What are dual credit classes? Are they college college classes?

Dewan
Yes. So um, yes, I didn’t exactly know that, you know, high schools had these sort of classes before I took them. But what dual credit classes are, is that, as you’re taking the class, you are not only a high school student, but you’re also a student at a local community college. So I took dual credit classes for my PreCalculus course, I took dual credit classes for algebra, and then some of my science classes. And basically what happened is that as I took those classes, I also gained college credits. So whenever I entered my freshman semester, I had 20 college credits, you know, in my file, wow. Yeah. And that put me you know, at a greater advantage than the rest of my class.

Kamila
I see. Okay, that that’s really good. Oh, thank you. I didn’t know about what you know, dual credits were. That’s very interesting. And then you also talked about you pass all your AP exam. So what was the average score that you had amongst your AP classes? So you know, it really depended on what class it was,

Dewan
if it was AP Bio, I got a four I believe, you know, it’s been several years since I checked my scores for AP Bio was definitely a four and then AP environmental a was a for macroeconomics and government. They were very easy classes. I got fives on both of them. And then I also took AP history, and I got a five on them. And I think the reason I didn’t use the scores from the AP classes was I really wanted to get the college experience because I know that you know, going into graduate school, there’s some material that I have to get from college And if I just like forget about it as an undergraduate that can harm me later in graduate school.

Kamila
I see. Okay. Yeah, you’re very smart. Very smart. So you’re you said you did mention a few science classes. So were you intending to, like, put science classes in your high school schedule in order to show interest on the pre health track?

Dewan
Yes. And also note, because the high school that I went to, it’s a magnet program, which is kind of like a charter school. Yes, it basically focuses on science and engineering. So most students had to take, you know, AP science courses anyway, I chose to take you know, AP Biology, AP, environmental science, AP Chemistry, because I honestly found them like, enjoy, I found enjoyment in them. And I did a little bit of research on whether or not AP courses actually have an effect on, you know, undergraduate admissions decisions. And really, they don’t, you know, the courses that you take in college, that’s what really matters if you, you know, intend on going to graduate school that is focused on the health professions.

Kamila
Okay, that’s, that’s good. And I want to talk about that a little bit later on when we talk about, you know, applying for grad school, grad school and such. So let’s move on to another part of your application, which is extracurriculars, and I saw you had a pretty good one. So can you give us a list of the extracurriculars you had in high school?

Dewan
Yes, like I mentioned, on college confidential, I was the president of a high school chapter of the Toastmasters International Club, which is basically a public speaking club. And I had a great experience because I was able to build my public speaking skills, I was able to, you know, lead a lot of, you know, initiatives that we have, that we had in that club. In addition to that, I volunteered a lot. During my high school career, I volunteered as a hospital, er aide, I also volunteered in a pharmacy, I volunteered in libraries for, you know, the city of San Antonio that I live in, and also for the high school that I went to, I was a varsity choir member. And then I was a cadet in the junior Air Force ROTC. And even after that, I still had a little bit of free time to write some poetry for my High School’s literary magazine.

Kamila
So let’s start from the very top again. So being a president of a club, what responsibilities did you have?

Dewan
Okay, so I had a lot of responsibilities. Let me try to think of them. So I guess the first responsibility would definitely be, you know, meeting meetings, I am a huge extrovert. So that wasn’t exactly an issue for me. I love leadership. So just getting up on the podium, you know, directing meetings, you know, telling which students to do, what tasks for the day was definitely an exciting feeling for me, I also collaborated with the sponsor that came into our class, because we had a sponsor, who would come in and check in to see you know, how we were progressing. So I would talk to them about, you know, the activities that we were doing for the day. And, you know, overall, my task was to basically lead the group I was the spokesperson, you could say,

Kamila
and then my like the one I’m most excited to talk about your ER, volunteering and then volunteering at a pharmacy. So how in the first place, did you get those kind of volunteering jobs?

Dewan
So I actually was first accepted into this junior volunteer program that a local hospital was hosting, and it’s a very competitive pool of students. And I was accepted to that for the summer of 2016 or 2017. And through there, I was able to volunteer for the emergency department, for the pharmacy for the NICU and the ICU. And, you know, as a high school student, you know, that was just eye opening for me. And from there, I fell in love with the pharmacy profession because, you know, before I started volunteering at hospitals, you know, I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to be like either a neurologist or a cardiologist. But then after I started volunteering at the pharmacy, it just opened my eyes. I was like, Wow, this profession is awesome. And, you know, my experience with volunteering at the hospital in the pharmacy has been amazing so far. And even to this day, I still volunteer in hospitals. I still volunteer for a local pharmacy.

Kamila
I see and then, let’s talk about first the ER volunteering. What exactly did you do there? And what did you learn from there like what was so eye opening that you realize? Like, Oh, this is the field that I want to spend the rest of my life in.

Dewan
Right. So for the ER volunteering specifically, in there, I directly worked with nurses like, what happened one day was that I was helping a nurse, and then suddenly, a burn victim from a motorcycle accident came in. And the nurse literally told me to help her out. So I was there literally taking off this person’s, you know, clothes, like cutting it off. And I was literally the nurse’s aide. And I was like, you know, this has to be the coolest thing ever. You know, I’m literally in the center of like an accident, there were hundreds, like, there were like, lots and lots of doctors everywhere. You know, everybody was like in that focus state. And you know, I thought, Wow, this profession is amazing. I know that I want to go into the health for like the health care field now. Oh,

Kamila
that’s really cool. So you didn’t like, freak out when the nurse was like, Okay, now you have to help me? Did you immediately, like go into the mode? Or were you kind of like, oh, this is what the field is like, Oh, my God, this is this is a real experience for me.

Dewan
No, I actually was like, in the mode. Like I immediately started helping her I immediately started, you know, cutting the person’s clothes, because, you know, we had to expose where his burns were. And it was a surreal moment for me. I don’t think that you know, any 16 year old or 15 year old, you know, has that sort of experience? Yeah. Yeah.

Kamila
Oh, that’s amazing. Okay. Wow. Okay. And I’m sure that was probably one of the biggest components of your application, too, right?

Dewan
Yes, that definitely was I see. Okay, so

Kamila
let’s go to the pharmacy that you were volunteering it I’m sure that wasn’t as intense as a burn victim. So what did you do there? Because working in the ER is one thing, but then you said you want to specifically go into the pharmaceutical pharmaceutical path. So what drew you to there?

Dewan
I think I definitely was, I feel like the pharmacy field is more laid back. Even though I love high intensity activities. Sometimes I do need to, you know, slow down and interact with others. Because I love talking to others in an ER setting. I feel like I wouldn’t exactly get that experience. So whenever I was volunteering at the pharmacy, you know, I was helping all the pharmacy technicians, I was talking to the pharmacist, I was actually creating a bond with these people. I was filling, I was helping to, you know, learn more about filling prescriptions. I was calling patients to see if you know, they needed to pick up their medications. So it was a more cohesive environment. And even though I love frantic environments, you know, like having a cohesive environment for the long term is something that I enjoy more.

Kamila
Okay, that’s amazing. And through this, er, volunteering and the pharmaceutical volunteering, did you form any sort of connections that helped you place? I don’t know, maybe you went to some sort of program over the summer, or you did this. So were you able to create connections as well, because that is an important part of the, you know, workforce. It’s good to have connections.

Dewan
Yes, and I totally agree with that. I did network with a lot of the nurses and the pharmacists and pharmacy technicians that I worked with. And some of them actually wrote letters of recommendation for me as I was applying for colleges. So I definitely think because of this opportunity, you know, it really opened my eyes, I was able to network with all these people. And I really gained a very good experience that I feel like every student who is interested in the healthcare field should get

Kamila
that’s amazing. And you do you think that you had a kind of advantage over other people who are thinking of going into the medical field?

Dewan
Well, since I, you know, volunteer for the ER back in high school. I don’t think at that point, I was at a big advantage, but definitely as a college student now, yes, I do think I am at an advantage. Since I am volunteering at a hospital since I voluntary in a pharmacy. You know, you’d be surprised how a lot of students don’t get the chance to volunteer during their college career, especially if they are in the healthcare field. Like whenever I spoke to the local pharmacy here, I had to go through a rigorous amount of you know, documentation, testing, just to make sure that you know, I was appropriate enough to work in the pharmacy. So I definitely think as a college student now, I am at an advantage compared to other college students who want to go into the healthcare field but have no problem experience working in that field.

Kamila
So we’re going to talk about that part when we go to your actual college experience. But oh, my God, I’ve just forgotten all your extracurriculars, because we were talking about your volunteering. So can you remind me of a couple more that you did?

Dewan
Yes. So I also was a varsity choir member, and I was a cadet in my High School’s Junior Air Force ROTC. And I think the last thing I mentioned was how I was a poet. For my High School’s literary magazine.

Kamila
The one that sticks out to me is the Air Force cadet, what was that like? spontaneous thing? Like, oh, I just want to try this? Or did you actually have an interest in going into the Air Force?

Dewan
So I really don’t have like a, you know, big interest into going into the military. I think, you know, I think that’s a great option for a lot of people. But for me, I don’t think that’s the best option. But I think whenever I joined ROTC at my school, I saw it as a leadership opportunity. I wanted to, you know, talk to all of the sergeants that were in the department, I wanted to talk to all of the high ranking people I wanted to, you know, learn how to fundraise. I wanted to learn the logistics, I wanted to see, you know, how much of this course can push me. And you know, after I, you know, got out of the Junior ROTC, it just made me a lot of it just made me like a stronger person, you know, and that’s why I even tell my younger siblings, you know, that you should join the ROTC because it does make you a stronger person, even if you’re not interested in going into the military. It’s still a class that someone should take just to build their confidence in themselves

Kamila
to another you say it that sounds interesting, because I did think it was initially for people who had a serious interest in joining military, whether that’s, you know, navy or Air Force. So you said you learned a few skills in the JROTC. So can you tell me a little bit of like, how much of those skills are you using in your real life? Like, how much do you think it has impacted you? And are you using it in your health field right now?

Dewan
Yeah, I definitely think I am because whenever I was in the junior Air Force ROTC, I definitely learned how to demand things from people. Because, you know, since I love talking to people, it was no issue at all for me to lead the class. But you know, being an ROTC, I learned how to, you know, control the scene, I learned how to, you know, be the focus. So whenever, like, in any class, in any organization, and anything, I know how to control the situation. And I definitely think that in the healthcare field, that is really important, because, you know, all healthcare students are born or, you know, taught to be leaders, and to have an experience, like the one that I had in ROTC is just a stepping stone or what’s to come.

Kamila
I see Oh, that’s amazing. Maybe I should join the ROTC too.

Dewan
You should you should.

Kamila
So let’s move on to the varsity choir thing. So was that also a kind of thing you wanted to learn from, you know, experience, maybe have a leadership position, or did you do it just to enjoy like, it was something that you just, you know, it’s a hobby. I really want to do it in high school.

Dewan
Do you mean the varsity choir?

Dewan
Yeah, yeah, the varsity choir.

Dewan
Okay. Yeah. So I was in varsity choir for two years. And although I did enjoy my time, sometimes I felt like, you know, I really shouldn’t be in this program, because it’s really not aligned with my future career. But, you know, through that program, I was able to really test my abilities and you know, really see if I am good or not, I was an alto so I had a good time. I definitely had a good time being in the varsity part, because I think that you know, every student has to be well rounded. So it’s fine. If you know they do something that is not totally focused on their future career. But looking back, I wish I had taken another class. It was fun. It was really fun. You know, varsity choir was fun. But looking back as a college senior, I wish I could have, you know, backtracked to whenever I was a high school freshman and chosen something else.

Kamila
You have given me a really good, maybe not like in quantity, but quality of extracurriculars. They sound really good and you seem to be really into them. So did you enjoy all of them or did you kind of look at the, you know, possibilities for extracurriculars, and say That would look good on my application. Oh, that would probably help me when applying to this specific college. Is that what you thought? Or did you just do whatever you loved and then try to really push for like a leadership position?

Dewan
I would definitely say the second option, because I think I mentioned this before, but, you know, undergraduate institutions, they don’t really focus on, you know, your graduate school expectations. They look at your goals. Yes, they look at that, but they look at how did you implement your existing extracurriculars into the path that you want? So I basically, you know, if you notice, you know, only a few of my extracurriculars are actually health based. And that’s because, you know, in every extracurricular that I did go into, I focused on the leadership aspect I focused on, you know, how can I build myself as a person? How can I learn these skills to prepare me for college because I know that within college, I would get more exposure to the health field. So in high school, it was important for me to gain leadership experience. So that foundation would be present. That that’s,

Kamila
that’s very good. And I’m glad you actually enjoyed all your extracurriculars, too. So now, let’s see, we’ve gone through these basic stuff at high school. So let’s move on to another part of your application, which are the recommendation letters. So you mentioned you got recommendation letters from the people you’ve worked with in the ER in the pharmacy? But what about the teachers that were in school who wrote those recommendation letters?

Dewan
So I think the person that gave me the most letter recommendations was actually my high school counselor. He helped me you know, all throughout ninth, 10th 11th and 12th grade, and he was always there to give me letters, because, you know, he really believed in my potential. And besides his help, I also got letters from my AP biology teacher, because I really had a strong connection with her. I got letters from my public speaking teacher, and then I also got letters from the principal because she loved me. That’s one, that’s one way to put it. Yeah. So even though, you know, like, that’s only a handful of people, I think each of those relationships really helped me become who I am today.

Kamila
That’s amazing. And when you you, you know, you, I don’t know if you’ve seen your recommendation letters, because I don’t think everybody can see them. But who do you think, I guess, gave you the most detailed most? Like, I don’t know how to say this. But you know, a college doesn’t can’t meet every single student that applies. They rely on other stuff. And I’m sure they look at recommendation letters to see what a student is really like. So do you think that your guidance counselor give you a better recommendation letter, even though they don’t see you in a classroom setting? Or do you think it was the people you worked with at the pharmacy at the ER because they could see you in a real work life setting?

Dewan
I think my high school counselor definitely gave me the best recommendation because he saw my progress, you know, after like over four years. So even though he didn’t see my performance in class, he knew what my capabilities were, he knew how I was doing in class, he knew that since I was a 4.0 GPA student that academics was really not an issue for me. So he helped me with, you know, perfecting my essays, he helped me with, you know, preparing for interviews and any applications that I would need to complete for scholarships and all of that.

Kamila
I see. Okay, so he was really in the college process with

Dewan
you? Yes, definitely. Good, good.

Kamila
Okay, so let’s move on to the last part, which is your essays. And you did go to a bunch of schools. So I’m sure you’ve wrote a lot of essays. But let’s start with the Common App essay. What did you write that about?

Dewan
So the common app essay, I think, I applied to two universities that use that application, it was Rice University, and then notre DOM. And in there, I primarily focused on my career goals, and then all also the extracurricular activities in high school that really promoted this vision in my mind of why I want to work in the healthcare field. Because as a high school student, your goal should really be your education, and then your career that you know, you’re eventually going to face. So, you know, what they’re trying to see really is what are you doing to you know, get to your goal, eventually, you know, what are you doing to your life? Are you taking on leadership roles? Are you benefiting the surrounding areas through your volunteer work? are you gaining networking skills, they’re trying to see a well rounded person They’re not trying to see someone you know, who just got good grades, now they’re trying to see someone who can actually be benefit to society. And that’s basically what I tried to implement in my essays.

Kamila
I see. Okay, and then what about the little supplemental essays that you write for colleges? So I guess I’m specifically talking about the why us because a lot of colleges do have that. So how did you structure those essays? And did you know that you had to, like show really demonstrated interest in the college, you know, point out specific things that you like? Or was it kind of just like, Oh, I like this program like that program?

Dewan
It was definitely a mix of both. Because for some universities, you know, they say, you know, why would you pick us there are so many other universities that could provide you the same experience? And two that I wrote, well, not every university is the same, yes, you may provide the same programs. But have you looked at the culture at the university, the reason I go to UTSA, which is my current university is because of the culture and demography that is there, it is, you know, mostly filled with minority students, and being a minority student, I wanted to be in that sort of atmosphere, because that is a atmosphere where I feel, you know, most accepted. And, you know, that’s what I really focused on for some of my universities, especially the universities that are in San Antonio, and then in Texas, in Austin. And then other than that, I think I also focused on how the school helps the student, because, you know, a lot of times, you know, you think that okay, you know, I’m going to do this for the school, I’m going to do that for the school and all of this, but really, how is the school going to help you are, you know, are there any advisors that are going to help you out specifically with your degree program, because that’s what I focused on, you know, I wrote in my essay, that, you know, the reason I am choosing this college is because this university has these amazing people who are here to support me and really help me grow as a person and prepare me for graduate school. Because, you know, as a senior, I’ve had the same advisor for the past four years, and I love talking to her, she’s, you know, she’s an awesome friend of mine. And, you know, I’m so glad that I attended University, where I really, you know, was able to check all the boxes that I had on the essays that I wrote,

Kamila
you sound like a 20, like, you’ve been a college coach for like, 20 years, and you’re guiding someone on how to make like the perfect application. Wow. Thank you. So you did mention that you like the diversity, especially in the colleges located in San Antonio, so was that a? How would you say, like a priority when you were choosing the colleges? Was that something that you really were like, I am not going to go to this college? If it does not offer me this?

Dewan
Yes, that was a priority for me. Because, you know, although, you know, I would love to go to a university that doesn’t really meet my requirements, you know, that that would be fine. But I feel like as an undergraduate student, you know, coming out of high school, I wanted to be in a very welcoming environment, because I know that for graduate school, you know, graduate students, you know, they could come from all over the United States, all over the world. So that’s fine. But as an undergraduate student, I wanted to be in an environment where I felt accepted, because I went to a high school that had a diverse environment. So I wanted a college that also had a diverse environment.

Kamila
And were there any well let’s move on to how you created your college list or you know, the colleges you want you wanted to apply to. So diversity was an important factor. And what else was on your mind? What checkboxes that what boxes did you need to check in order for you to say like, yes, I want to apply to this college.

Dewan
I guess the proximity to my family was another thing that I was considering, because I definitely want to be close to my family. Because I know that you know, whenever I go into graduate school, it will definitely be you know, like hundreds and hundreds of miles away from them. So the distance to my family was important for me. Also, another thing that I focused on was, what kind of programs do they have? You know, do they focus on the health professions? Do they have any extracurriculars that are focused on it? Do they provide like specific roles in hospitals because the university that I go to UTSA it has like over 100 partnerships with local hospitals, local hospices, and healthcare institutions. And that was a huge plus for me, because you know, which College has hundreds and hundreds of partnerships. And it’s just there to like connect you with one.

Kamila
Yeah, that’s right. That’s right. So you’re you’ve made this college list with all these factors. And you said that you applied and got accepted into eight out of the 10 universities before your senior year even started, why did you choose to do that?

Dewan
I chose to do that because I am a textbook example of what you call a pre cast inator. So a procrastinator are people who have an urge to complete everything in advance. And I believe that’s actually to my advantage. Because you know, as a college student, you literally have tons of exams and quizzes every week. So the fact that I can get everything done as quickly as possible, is something that I really, you know, like strive for, and really appreciate about myself, and I was actually the only student in my graduating class to have been accepted to all these universities, even before the year started

Kamila
to Okay, that’s amazing. And what were the the colleges that you applied to at a later date during your senior year.

Dewan
So I definitely applied to, you know, UTSA, and then the universities in San Antonio, before I applied to the universities outside of San Antonio. So the other universities that I applied to which were still before, you know, my senior year started, including UT Austin, and then Texas Tech, UT, Dallas, Texas a&m, and then Bryce and University of Notre DOM.

Kamila
And you said, you got accepted into nine out of those 10 colleges. So can you either give me the nine colleges you got accepted into if you can remember all of them, or the one college that you did not get accepted into?

Dewan
I? So on college confidential, it says that I was accepted to nine of the 10. But it’s actually eight of the 10. Ad Manager. Yeah, I think he made a mistake on there. But that’s totally fine. So I was actually not rejected by any of the schools that I applied to I was waitlisted, by rice, and by the University of Notre DOM. And the reason I didn’t choose to, you know, wait for rice or notre DOM was because, you know, I really just wanted to settle on a school and, you know, have everything completed, because some of the things that I looked at was that if I did wait for rice, or notre DOM was, you know, I could miss up on, you know, a whole lot of scholarships, I can miss on, you know, programs that were given to students after they enrolled in a specific university. So I didn’t want to miss those opportunities.

Kamila
I see. Okay, so you didn’t wait for those and and that’s fine, because you ended up a really good school. So. And I also read that the choice came down to UTSA, University of Texas, San Antonio, or u and T. So, and I also saw somewhere that will I read on college confidential, that you had a interview to get a scholarship at UNC. So can you tell me a little bit about how that interview went?

Dewan
Yes. So that scholarship, I forgot the name of the scholarship, because it’s been a few years. But it was a very prestigious scholarship, it was for a full ride opportunity for four years. And I was chosen out of hundreds of students to attend. And I went there, and it was a panel interview. So I sat in front of about seven people who were of different professions somewhere, the actual admissions director, wait

Kamila
for a second pause for a sec. So how did you get selected out of hundreds of applicants?

Dewan
Honestly, I do not know. Because, you know, I all I put on my personal statements. All I put on my, you know, extracurriculars was you know exactly what I mentioned. And I think what they really liked about me was how I articulated my essay, because since I love writing, I love talking, they also made me do a little video essay. So I had to record myself talking. Somehow, maybe they liked that. And from the one hundreds and hundreds of students, they picked me to participate in this interview, and I think I was one of 30 students to get picked for that year.

Kamila
Okay, okay. Okay. Now you can go back to the actual panel interview.

Dewan
Okay. So, for the panel interview, like I mentioned, there were seven people and they were, you know, of different professions. And they basically asked me, you know, like, why I’m interested in un tea. And you know, I told them that I really liked to be environment of UN tea that I enjoyed the fact that they supported their students. And, you know, they were there for them. They also asked me, you know, like, what sort of impacts have I made to the community where I talked about my experience as a volunteer at a hospital where he helped with fundraising drives, where I helped lead different events where I was the speaker at a ceremony. So I guess, I spoke to them about all of those events in my high school career. And then from there, they chose to, you know, give the scholarship to me. But I gave it to you. Yes, they, they did give it to me. But the thing is, I also got a full ride at UTSA.

Dewan
Oh, that must have been a really difficult decision. It was

Dewan
it was, yes, I had to choose between the two universities. And you know, I ended up choosing UTSA, because I just thought UTSA was a lot more advantageous. And shortly after I got after I enrolled into UTSA, it was like the March before I would matriculate into the university. I was accepted into a health professions program that I was basically contracted to be in for one and a half years. And then in that program, I received my certification as a community health worker. And I definitely think, you know, choosing UTSA over you auntie, despite the scholarship is still a better decision that I made.

Kamila
I see. And for the health program that you got into at UTSA. Was that a, you know, how in different colleges they have? Well, in different universities, they’ll have like colleges, you know, the engineering college, the arts, college and stuff. So is that what the pre health program was? Or was it like you needed to apply and they looked over your, you know, certifications and whether they should accept, you

Dewan
know, so what happened was that after I enrolled into UTSA, the UTSA, they have a College of Public Policy, they directly contacted me to see if I was interested in their program. And just after a short email, they were like you’re in based on your GPA based on all of your experiences, we talked to, you know, the admissions directors, they really liked you, you know, we want you to be in our program. And they also told me the stipends that I was going to get the research opportunities that I was going to get the certifications that I’m going to get all the experiences, you know, through that program, like I was able to do so much. I even hosted and directed my own health fair, and it was just a huge stepping stone for me.

Kamila
Wow. Well, that’s it for part one of my interview, do one per two is coming, so make sure you subscribe to know when that comes out. But other than that, I hope to see you guys then