James C.

Five years ago, I was in your position: applying to my dream schools without the foggiest clue of how to write a personal statement. My parents weren’t familiar with the American college admissions process and I had no legacy connection. I dreamed of going to a top school, but while my academics were strong, I didn’t have the extraordinary extracurricular CV that many applicants to these schools have. Nevertheless, I was admitted to Columbia (where I've just graduated from, cum laude, as a John…