The AlumniAnswers Podcast

Join us to learn from a very special interview with Luke Drago, a junior at Oxford University pursuing a joint-honors degree in politics and history! Tune in to gain a great perspective on the application process from an international student who spent his high school years in the U.S. - especially for all those high school seniors interested in applying for schools abroad. We talk about the unique application process that Oxford has, how it differs from the well-known Common Application, and why Oxford can be a right fit for prospective students interested in politics and history.  Our main takeaway: Feel comforted that you are not alone in the application process, and be sure to not do high school just for college. 

Join us to learn from a Yale MBA Alum '20 - Kelly Wyche! Tune in to gain insightful perspective from an amazing entrepreneur - especially for all those prospective business students and entrepreneurs out there. We talk about what she studied at Yale's School of Management, her career experiences related to her studies, her study abroad experience at London School of Economics and Political Science while being a student at Yale, the process and benefits of study abroad in general, required standardized testings for a business degree/school, and so much more. Our main takeaway: Keep your options open, just because it is a high-paying job, it does not mean that it is good for you.

Key Timestamps:
Before college & college in the US: 00:36
Study abroad: her personal experiences 05:33

• Choosing a place 17:29
• Benefits: 20:06 

LSE: 35:34
MBA @ Yale: 39:11
GMAT & GRE: 42:42
Career: 48:54
Final words of advice: 54:52

Join us to learn from a UPenn Student '22 - Domonique Cynthia! We talk about the importance of building relationships with teachers, preparing for college in high school, early decision/early action, settling in at college, how to stay on top of your work, and how to overcome imposter syndrome and burnout. Our main takeaway: As simple as it sounds, no matter what background you are from, you can get into the college of your dreams - so don't give up yet. 

Join us to learn from a Harvard Alum '18 - Abdurezak Shemsu! We talk about the importance of building relationships with teachers, counselors, and other students, the campus life at Harvard, trying to have an underlying theme with your extracurriculars, being a first generation student, and personal growth. Our main takeaway: Build good learning and study habits, embrace your classes, don't learn just for a grade, explore career options in college, and focus on what you want, not others.

• Intro: 00:00
• High school courses: 00:40
• Extracurriculars: 17:25
• College life: 23:31
• Final words of advice: 40:24

Join us to learn from a Howard Alum '19 and John Hopkins student '21 - Fatou Sow! We talk about the step by step process she took when writing her essays, advice on applying for scholarships, and keeping her mental health balanced.
Our main takeaway: A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Join us to learn from a UMich student '21 and Co-Founder of TechPod - Joseph Choi! We talk about his experience in boy scouts and eagle scouts as a high schooler, the life, and diversity at Michigan, his motivation to co-found his podcast, special programs in UMich, and much more.

Our main takeaway: Remember that you can enjoy your passions for fulfillment rather than constantly evaluating your interests based on whether you plan on continuing said passion later on in life.

Join us to learn from a UPenn student '21 and former Division 1 football athlete - Jared Noble! We talk about his childhood role models --his siblings from Stanford and Duke and his father from Harvard Business School. Jared also touches on how the adjustment from high school to college can be quite intimidating at first and how he developed his interest in business.

Our main takeaway: Run your own race and understand that failure is part of the journey to success.

Join us to learn from a Princeton student '24 - Christopher St. Hilaire! As a current first-year transfer student at Princeton, we talk about his experience in Central Piedmont College, and how that fueled him to set his sights higher. Chris also highlights how being a high school dropout never stifled his goals, and how he started developing his interests in psychology, literature, philosophy, and art combined. 

Our main takeaway: Be genuine to yourself and that will immediately translate into your work and ultimately lead you to your dream college. 

Learn. Modify. Repeat.