Update! Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National Medal!

Being in high school, the college application process is a topic that has been of much significance to me. From choosing the classes I take to how I want to spend my summer, the influence of the prospect of college is wide-ranging. At the same time, I have also been interested in the effects and meaning of the admissions process on many students and their families. In the last few years, I have done research on the process as a whole through many readings and visual media, giving me insight on the big-picture of this issue. I found that many students and parents place unnecessary levels of stress on rankings and stereotypes, creating an unhealthy relationship between these individuals and the college admissions process. This problem is highlighted in particular by the 2019 college admissions scandal. I wanted to explore the meaning of success in college admissions in a dynamic way.

Over the last several months as a rising senior, I have been taking a gap year from my regular homeschool curriculum to focus on some independent study and personal projects. Taking this into account and my passion for writing, I found it to be a perfect opportunity to write about my topic of interest - the college admissions process. Once completed, I submitted my piece "Degrees of Success: Redefining College Ambition" to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition in the Critical Essay category. Earlier this year, I found out that I received a Regional Gold Key award for my work, moving it to the National level. Yesterday, I found out some great news that I received a National Silver Medal, placing the piece in the top 1% of the 320,000 submissions this year. This experience has encouraged me in pushing forward my writing. I am so grateful for this opportunity!

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Amy Wiles, who has been a wonderful teacher and mentor to me throughout high school. She has been my trusted academic advisor in this competition as well and I could not do this without her support! Thank you, Mrs. Wiles!

I also want to thank my dearest family, especially my parents (Aparna Joy Nair and Hari Nair), for all they do to care, love, and nurture me every day. I cherish their presence in my life and their help in my writing is just one of the many things they do to help me grow as a person. Amma and Achan, I love you both immeasurably!

Lastly, if you haven't yet read my essay already, do check it out here. I hope to share more of my work via this platform and thank you for your support.