First-Generation Mexican-American Woman Awarded Scholarships to Berkeley Goldman, Chicago Harris, American University, and George Washington University, Accepted to Georgetown
A first-generation student, Lola studied History and Women’s Studies at Hofstra University. As a Mexican-American, Lola was certain that she wanted to work with the immigrant community after graduation and had law school in mind. However, she was concerned that her anxiety around standardized test taking and being a candidate straight from undergraduate would prohibit her from getting into a good school. She started researching options to improve her chances, found The Art of Applying®, and scheduled a Breakthrough Call.
Lola shared, “I honestly thought [the Breakthrough Call] was just going to be a sales pitch…and it wasn’t that at all. It was more [about] seeing if it was going to be a good fit for me and if I was going to be a good fit for the program.”
Fortunately, Lola was a great fit for The Art of Applying®! After making the decision to work with us and walking us through her goals, we helped her find a graduate program that was an even better fit for her. With our help, Lola shifted gears and decided to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy.
During the Application Accelerator®, Lola found comfort in connecting with other Latinas in public policy, including her consultant as well as a former client of The Art of Applying®, Karla. Lola shared, “[Karla] was so, so helpful…we set up a call and she just answered all my questions and gave me so much advice…And it just made this experience a lot more easy-going because there were just so many resources.”
When it came time for Lola to take the GRE, she did not meet the minimum target score we set for her. Despite her trouble with the GRE, Lola was accepted to all of the schools she applied to! Beyond being accepted, Lola also received scholarships to Berkeley Goldman, University of Chicago, American University, and George Washington.
Lola has some advice for other first-generation students starting their graduate school journeys: “Coming from a family of immigrants and people who didn’t attend college…having that support is unparalleled….Definitely consider looking into The Art of Applying®.”
Start Date: July 2019 | End Date: May 2020
Applicant Information
- Age: 23
- GPA: 3.82
- GRE: 306
- Work experience: 0 years (entering straight from undergraduate)
- School: Hofstra University
- Major: History, Women’s Studies
Acceptances
- American University School of Public Affairs
- George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Policy and Public Administration
- Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy
- University of California Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy
- University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy
Scholarships
- University of California Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy – $20,000
- University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy – $10,000
- American University School of Public Affairs – $30,000
- George Washington – $10,000
Attending
- University of California Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy
Notable Quotes
Why Lola decided investing in The Art of Applying® was worth it, and how it paid off for her:
“I was very concerned about not being a very good test taker and how that would affect my ability to get into law school after going through all those months of LSAT prep. Or just getting into law school and not getting any money…My dad or my mom didn’t go to college, let alone grad school. So, [my dad and I] were both just kind of very unsure about the process and a little bit worried. We just felt that this would really be…an investment…I got into all the schools I wanted and I got money from [some] of my top choices.”
How Lola connected with her consultant and why she enjoyed working with her:
“I loved my consultant…I really, really, appreciated the fact that she was also Mexican-American… [She] had very similar experiences to myself, and she was also a public policy student. She was always just very responsive and would answer all the questions I had truthfully with more than what I asked for. If I had one question, she would go all out and answer to the best of her ability.”
How The Art of Applying® can help other first-generation applicants navigate the admissions process:
“Coming from a family of immigrants and coming from people who didn’t attend college, it really, really pays off to just have a support group throughout this entire process. From when you start studying for your test to when you start writing your essays…having that support is just unparalleled…You’re not going to get that with your parents or with your family or with your friends, because [The Art of Applying®] is just there with you every step of the way. So definitely, definitely consider looking into The Art of Applying®.”
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