Why I Applied to MIT, Cornell, Harvard, and Caltech

Currently, on my journey to graduate school, I have applied to four of the most prestigious schools in the world. Cornell, Caltech, Harvard, and MIT are some of the schools I have submitted my applications to.

Why then do I seek to apply to these great institutions while I could simply choose to apply to others? Well, not that these are the only schools I would apply to, but I seek to apply to these schools for one reason: HOPE. Many more reasons abound but this is one of my strongest reasons.

What is the context or meaning of hope in seeking admission? I am seeking admission to these schools with the intention that I would be able to give hope and inspiration to anyone who has the same background like me to also aim for the best. Due to our upbringing, some of us choose to follow the least difficult path, leaving the higher paths for others we think are better than us.

But it does not have to be like that. I pray and hope to secure admission into all these schools so that anyone who thinks he/she is disadvantaged because of their background can think twice. Your current conditions should only determine your past, not your future.

I am the first child in my family to attend the university. This would inevitably give hope to everyone in my family and my community to believe that if I did it, then they can also do it. Graduating with a first-class is another motivation that they can also do it.

One of the events I remember most during my secondary schools days is having to be sent home because of my school fees payment. All these conditions and much worse happen to a whole lot of people and I want to be able to give them hope.

Imagine how it would feel if you realize that I finally get into my dream school. If my background was not too favorable. That would give you the hope and drive not only to apply for a better school but to also pursue whatever it is you want in life.

So when I get asked why I applied to these prestigious schools and would still apply to more, my answer is so that I can give hope to that child who thinks any of his/her goals are impossible to attain.

Right now, getting into these schools seem such an arduous task that the only thing that keeps me moving is the faith that I would get in.

Whatever it is that you want to achieve, no matter your background, you can reach it. Never be intimated by anyone.

You can only know when you try.

Thanks and God bless.