Vivian, Class of '19--Rice University

YEAR STARTED AT CONCORDIA:

2011 (5th grade)

WHICH UNIVERSITY ARE YOU PLANNING TO ATTEND AND WHAT AFFECTED YOUR CHOICE?

I am very excited to be attending Rice University in Houston, Texas! A huge factor in my decision was physically being on campus and meeting people there. Rice just felt like home. The emphasis of “unconventional wisdom”, their motto, is something I really value about the school. Not to mention that Rice has an amazing engineering program, beautiful warm weather and a strong sense of community.

WAS THERE A PARTICULAR PROGRAM THAT INTERESTED YOU? (IF YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED IN MULTIPLE UNIVERSITIES, PLEASE SHARE COLLEGES WHERE YOU GOT ACCEPTED)

Yes, I was particularly interested in bioengineering at Rice though am certainly still open to exploration when it comes to my major and possible minors. I chose Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering because of their investment in undergraduate research and interdisciplinary learning. Stepping foot into classrooms and speaking to my future professors just brought energy and ideas to life for me!

WHAT MADE YOUR APPLICATIONS STAND OUT (IN YOUR OPINION)? 

Two things I believe really made my application stand out was my personal statement and strong sense of identity. My essay simply captured who I am and what I love. And I am very thankful to have close relationships with Mr. and Mrs. Beckman and Mr. Love, who supported me throughout the college application process and who I trust understood me well when writing my rec letters.

WHICH CLASSES, PROGRAMS/TEACHERS HELPED SUPPORT YOUR INTEREST IN YOUR MAJOR?

All my classes throughout my high school career have made an impact on how I think and approach new information. For my bioengineering major specifically, I’d say the AP and fundamental STEM classes really helped me to discover my love for sciences. Also, every minute spent building, tinkering and coding in and outside of classes further strengthened my passions. Special thanks to Mr. Beckman, Mr. Klammer, Mr. Gordon, Dr. Tong and many more for igniting a fire for learning in me.

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES (CLUBS, TEAMS, PROJECTS) STAND OUT TO YOU AS HAVING ENRICHED YOUR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE?

Some activities that stand out most to me are my volleyball & track team, robotics club and the Fellowship of Concordia Athletes. Just the chance to lead and serve others and create outside of academics taught me life lessons that I could have only gained through such things. These co-curriculars not only enriched my high school experience, but also instilled an immense amount of Phoenix pride which I will continue to hold for years to come.