IvyWise Scholars Spotlight: Nevaeh

IvyWise Scholar Nevaeh Shares Her Top Tips for Students Applying to College

It’s so important to have perspective when going through the college admissions process, which is why we’ve reached out to one of our own students, Nevaeh, to share some advice for future applicants.

As part of our IvyWise Gives Back initiative, IvyWise Scholars is our pro bono college admissions counseling program for high-achieving, low-income students. We caught up with IvyWise Scholar Nevaeh, a gifted student from Massachusetts, to learn more about her college admissions journey, what it’s like to work with IvyWise during this process, and get some of her college prep advice for other students.

Tell us about your background and interests.

Hi! My name is Nevaeh, and I’m a high school senior at The MacDuffie School in Granby, Massachusetts.

As a senior, I’m taking various rigorous (and sometimes fun!) courses, including:

• AP Calculus AB
• AP Modern World History
• AP English Literature and Composition
• AP Environmental Science
• Introductory Statistics
• Ceramics

I’m also a very active member of my school community. Whether it’s playing sports, planning events, or running school clubs, I try to be as active as possible!

What aspect of the college admissions process are you most excited about? What are you nervous about?

Preparing for college while taking challenging high school classes isn’t an easy feat. I’m a bit worried about the workload and the general experience of waiting to hear back from my top-choice schools. On the other hand, I’m super excited for the end reward: a college acceptance and a fantastic college experience.

There are so many schools that I’m interested in, like USC, Brown, Yale, Boston University, Stanford, Northwestern University, Occidental College, Howard University, American University, Clark University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Generally, they are all located in major cities or are very close to them. I’m also looking for schools that emphasize their commitment to diversity and inclusion through various programs, clubs, and other resources important to their student bodies.

As for my major, I’m not entirely set on any one subject yet. I’m considering various STEM majors, including physics and chemical engineering. In the future, I’d like to pursue a career in the STEM field, but I’d also like to be politically and socially active in my community. So, I’m looking for an option that will give me the technical experience I need to work in STEM while also supplementing my passion for history and community-based projects.

What are your top college prep tips for other students?

Just because I know the general path that I’d like to pursue doesn’t mean that you have to, too. For all the high school students out there, many of you are gearing up for the same arduous college process. It’s okay to not have everything figured out just yet! It’s a learning curve, and eventually, you’ll get the hang of it, even if you feel like you’re just drifting along right now.

So, take it one step at a time. Enjoy high school!

For more information on families’ experience with IvyWise, check out our testimonials page, and meet some of our other IvyWise Scholars. Want to learn more about what you can be doing now to prepare for the college admissions process? Tune in to our Just Admit It! podcast for top tips from admissions experts!

Watch as Nevaeh learns of her early acceptance to Brown University!