Why I Chose a Highly Selective School

I went to Loyola High School in Los Angeles, a private, all-male, Jesuit institution. It’s actually very hard to get into so I’ve been in a competitive environment since before I can remember. If I had not gone there, I wouldn’t even know what Brown is. I began taking a lot of Honors classes when I was a freshman. I hadn’t planned to, but all these kids were taking such hard classes that I didn’t want to be behind. Sophomore year, we took an East Coast college tour and I first saw Brown. I applied early decision to Georgetown, and when I didn’t get in, I applied to other schools, and Brown, but at the last minute. I almost didn’t complete my application because I didn’t think I could get in. I like that there’s no core curriculum; it’s a liberal school. It’s a lot more work. First semester, I had no sit-in exams, but rather take-home final papers for four classes. I ended up writing 50 pages. I was very thankful my high school prepared us.
Being here has already opened doors. Last summer I got two multicultural internships at the Getty [Center] in L.A. I didn’t realize how much of an impact Brown would have. I was going through interviews and people were very impressed. Brown has a need-blind admission policy, so it doesn’t look at an applicant’s family income. That allows for a diverse array of kids from different economic backgrounds. I work in Brown’s admissions office in minority recruitment, including inner-city L.A. schools because most of those kids don’t get the opportunity to know about schools like this. I tell them you don’t know if you can get in until you give it a shot. Tons of kids who apply are straight-A students with good SAT scores, but that’s it. Brown is looking for all-around students who are academically smart but also active in their communities or school activities, athletics, and programs.