College application season is starting all at once.
When I woke up on August 1, 2025, I had received over 100 emails from universities informing me that their applications were being accepted. I applied to 27 universities. Two of the schools I was confident of getting into, four I had a realistic chance of getting into, and 21 were highly competitive schools, including four Ivy League schools.
I was wondering if I had prepared enough. But to my surprise, in early spring, I was accepted into three of the four Ivy schools: Yale, Pennsylvania, and Dartmouth. This fall, I will be attending Yale University.
Among those accepted was a full-tuition, merit-based scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he was accepted to five of the top 10 liberal arts colleges in the United States.
If you ask me what inspired me to join the company, my answer is simple. It’s a battle between parents and their technology. That’s the story I told in my college essay, and it’s an important part of my application.
How my father’s struggle with technology shaped my college essay
College applications typically include several essay prompts, all of which are intended to help students present themselves.
I grew up in an immigrant family where the children assumed responsibility early on. I served as the family’s “secretary”, handling translations, invoices, and documents using my strong English and technical skills.
Growing up in Guatemala, my parents were forced to leave school at a young age to work for a wealthy family. When they came to the United States, they worked long hours in manual labor jobs. For as long as I can remember, I have woken up under the hot sun to the roar of my father’s truck heading off for a long day.
In order to receive paychecks, customers had to be billed, and paper invoices weren’t enough. His limited education did not provide him with the tools he needed to understand the intricacies of digital invoices.
At first, I learned how to create a simple invoice. Then I started navigating a system I didn’t fully understand at an early age and finding solutions without a roadmap. This experience shaped how I approach the entire application process.
1. I learned how to use my resources
The first time I used a computer was in an elementary school laboratory. In between classes, I would open Excel and try out some basic math templates without anyone noticing, then get back to school work.
However, my teacher noticed that I was clicking the mouse a lot and offered to help me. When I was in an after-school computer club, when I wasn’t working on a project, I would go back to Excel and invoice templates.
When I entered high school, I knew I wanted to go to a top school, so I put the skills I had developed to use. I met with a guidance counselor to plan my freshman course schedule and ensure I had support as I tackled difficult courses.
I developed a close relationship with a college counselor who encouraged me to apply to a summer program that would strengthen my resume. These connections also led to more personal and detailed letters of recommendation. By leveraging the resources around me, doors opened that wouldn’t have existed otherwise.
2. I learned research methods by myself.
I learned more about online forums, Reddit, and Google during the application process. Thanks to my father’s understanding of technology at a young age, I can surf the Internet with ease. A few years later, my research skills really took off during the college application process.
When I finally set my goal of attending a top university, I spent hours researching what it would take to do so. After some research, I found an application for a summer program that would make my resume stand out. This led me to work with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in Washington, D.C., and landed a paid internship at a nationally recognized law firm the summer before my senior year.
Research has become an invaluable tool, making it easier to find answers to your biggest questions.
3. I took advantage of every opportunity.
Once I understood what was available to me, I applied it to every aspect of my life.
I applied to every program that supported first-generation students, applied to every scholarship, and took advantage of every free advising resource I could.
I learned to push myself outside of my comfort zone, and as a result, I became more comfortable with failing. I have grown both academically and personally. That’s what I tried to make clear in my admissions essay.
I combined the previous two skills and took advantage of tuition waivers to apply to as many colleges as possible for free. Now that I have received my acceptance letter, I plan to attend law school in the future and take advantage of all of Yale’s resources.
What admissions officers are really looking for
I’m not a professional college counselor, but through my own application process, I learned that admissions officers value perspective and passion.
The offer of admission to the University of Pennsylvania said in a note to me: “Your response to our community’s call has been so powerful… I love how excited you are to continue supporting the Latino community here in Philadelphia. It’s clear that you value the two-way street of building relationships with others, reaping the benefits of being surrounded by your community, and paying it back by “showing up” for them as well. ”
For older adults who are growing up, take a quote from Oscar Wilde. “Be yourself. Everyone else is accepted.”
Ohanna Carrascoza is a senior at William Howard Taft Charter High School in Woodland Hills, California. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley and plans to attend Yale University in the fall.
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