Writing Feedback / 'International Baccalaureate senior' - Tell us about yourself [2]

Tell us about yourself, highlighting those attributes that will make you successful at Mercer University
Well I'm a High School senior at Central High School in the rigorous International Baccalaureate Program. I'm not in the top 10 percentile of my class or top 20 percentile of my class, due to decisions I have made. In the spring of my 8th grade, I made the conscious decision to take the International Baccalaureate Program entrance exam with the notion in the back of my mind that I wouldn't be accepted because I wasn't smart enough. Much to my surprise towards the end of my middle school career, I received a letter from Central High School International Baccalaureate Program accepting me into their pre-IB program. Since I took the entrance exam I had been anticipating a letter of rejection but instead I found a new sense of confidence in the letter. I had alot of self-doubt about high school and not being able to graduate. As an pre-IB student you are no stranger to the rumors that surround the program. "IB sucks" "IB will make you question your intelligence" "IB will consume your life". Having gone through middle school without having put much effort to making good grades, High School became a challenge and to make matters worse I was in a pre-picked curriculum which I had no say in. I started having self doubt about if I would be able to cope in not just the IB program but in high school. I heard rumors that not everyone in your pre-IB class would be able to stand the rigor of IB. In the back of my mind I always believed I would be one of those individuals who would drop out or fail out. With the support of my family and friends I was able to survive my first year of High School and pre-IB as an honor student. In my pre-IB class of over 70 people, I am one of only 25 individuals who survived the pre-IB program and is still in the International Baccalaureate Program. In my high school career I didn't take the easy rode out, I stuck through with the International Baccalaureate Program, I worked hard to pass all my classes, with the support of my friends and family, hard work, and dedication I am able to say I am an International Baccalaureate senior. I know that I will be successful at Mercer because I am determined to get the best college experience out of Mercer; I won't take the easy way out and with the support of my family and friends I know I have the support i need to keep me grounded at Mercer and be successful.

Undergraduate / Why are you interested in attending Oglethorpe University?location, school size, and acade [3]

Well, location, school size, and academics are the main reasons I want to attend Oglethorpe. My freshman year of high school I wanted to attend a big University to have that big college experience far away from home but as I have matured I started to think about my future, and came to the realization that I don't want to get lost in the shuffle of a huge college campus. I want to make connections. Oglethorpe is a relatively small university located in the suburbs of Atlanta. Oglethorpe's small class sizes would be more beneficial to a student like me because of my experience in my small IB classes, which allows me to better interact with my teachers and classmates. Unlike big universities with impersonal lecture halls full of hundreds of students, Oglethorpe's smaller classes are more suited for me because I value classroom discussion, exploring new ideas, and becoming fully engaged with the subject matter. I want to know my classmates and professors. Additionally, Oglethorpe has a great and well-deserved reputation for its internship opportunities, studies abroad program, and career networking. These opportunities would enhance my college experience and beyond college help me with my future career as an Attorney. Oglethorpe would be a great fit for me not only because of all the great opportunities the school will provide me but because of what I have to offer to the school a love of learning, the desire to be a strong contributor to campus life, my commitment to community service and not to forget my capture the flag and ultimate frisbee skills!