Over the next few weeks, our Class of 2021 will graduate, marking the end to a strange and difficult senior year. Our seniors, like many others, have had to make sacrifices because of the pandemic.
When the pandemic first hit, our hearts hurt for the things our students would miss. A cancelled school dance, performance, or tournament may not seem significant in the grand scheme of things, but these are the moments our teens live for. High school should be a time of new experiences, friends, and fun—especially your senior year. Instead, our 12th graders had to grow up faster than anyone wanted.
But despite the challenges, our students persevered. They started nonprofits and businesses. They continued to focus on their academics and extracurriculars. They found new routes to reach their goals.
We always talk about how amazing our students are, but this class really rose to the occasion. If you have students, family members, or friends that are graduating this year, take a moment to congratulate them on a job well done. They deserve it!
And for our seniors who are reading this, we hope you can breathe easier now knowing that you’ve come this far. College is a new beginning—one filled with exciting opportunities that will help make up for those that were lost. It can be scary starting a new chapter in your life, but you’ve spent years preparing for it. We know you are ready.
Congratulations to the Class of 2021!
We asked a few of our students to share where they’ve decided to attend college this fall.
Shreya
Washington University in St. Louis
Why did you choose this college?
“WashU offers a flexible, comprehensive interdisciplinary curriculum, and its unique philosophy-neuroscience-psychology program will allow me to develop my interest in the humanities while also delving into more technical science-focused fields. Beyond academics, though, WashU’s student and faculty community is unparalleled—there is a strong sense of collaboration that I am looking forward to engaging in this fall!” Shreya says.
Katherine
Rice University
Why did you choose this college?
“I first visited Rice in 7th grade, and from the moment I saw the campus and its greenery, I knew I wanted to attend college here. I’m most excited to spend time at Fondren Library and join their award-winning newspaper. However, beyond academics, I knew the residential experience at Rice is unparalleled. Through the Duke TIP program, I had the chance to experience just that when I spent three weeks at Rice. I fell in love with every aspect of Rice: from the student-run coffee shop, their residential college system, the bustling city awaiting outside, and even their orientation traditions. Rice’s campus culture is what sets it apart from every other college, and I can’t wait to experience it,” Katherine says.
Caroline
Florida State University
Why did you choose this college?
“To pursue a track in Pre-Law and because of the great academic atmosphere and beautiful campus,” Caroline says.
Rishab
Duke University
Why did you choose this college?
“Duke University is the perfect blend of a vibrant community integrated with distinguished faculty and education programs. The campus itself is gorgeous and seems so peaceful, and living in the Research Triangle Park is sure to provide a plethora of opportunities for internships and work experience. I can’t wait to be a Cameron Crazy and be a part of the wonderful community at Duke!” Rishab says.
Meghna
University of Texas at Austin
Why did you choose this college?
“I love the vibrancy of Austin, and the college itself has so much to offer! Given that the university has one of the best business programs in the nation, I couldn’t pass up the offer!” Meghna says.
Alexandra
Baylor University
Why did you choose this college?
“After trying to choose between Northeastern University and UT- Austin, Baylor University gave me a great scholarship…Their school traditions are amazing and really pushed me to choose Baylor University!” Alexandra says.
Blaine
Stanford University
Read more about Blaine’s college admissions journey.
Tiffney
Brown University
Read more about Tiffney’s college admissions journey.
Pratyush
Harvard University
Why did you choose this college?
“Harvard has incredible resources for almost any breadth of academic or extracurricular pursuit. From Government to Journalism, I chose Harvard because of its unique ability to shape a student’s intellectual and personal journey through limitless opportunities,” Pratyush says.
Fiona
Texas A&M University
Why did you choose this college?
“It has an amazing engineering program!” Fiona says.
Alyssa
University of Oklahoma
Why did you choose this college?
“I chose the University of Oklahoma because of the amazing opportunities within each program, their goals to make diversity inclusion a priority, and how they’ve truly made each student a priority instead of just another number,” Alyssa says.
Kiara
Austin College
Why did you choose this college?
“I like the size of the college and the fact that the school has a motivating and homey environment. I also like the opportunities this college has to offer,” Kiara says.
Dave
Columbia University
Why did you choose this college?
“Good physics program and great location in NYC,” Dave says.
Aditi
University of Texas at Austin
Why did you choose this college?
“It’s been my dream school since middle school and since McCombs is one of the top business schools in the state I was really interested in attending,” Aditi says.
Riley
Baylor University
Why did you choose this college?
“They have a good pre-medical program and college community,” Riley says.
Olivia
Tulane University
Tyler
Washington University in St. Louis
Why did you choose this college?
“Great academic school and [I] will play on the football team!” Tyler says.
Campbell
Arizona State University
Why did you choose this college?
“Best fit for a big college with a film degree,” Campbell says.
Noreen
Texas A&M University
Why did you choose this college?
“I chose Texas A&M because of their tradition and their campus. I feel like I could personally thrive there when I apply myself in the fall,” Noreen says.
Kelly
Cornell University
Why did you choose this college?
“Cornell’s strong engineering program and freedom to explore a plethora of fields throughout one’s education appealed to me,” Kelly says.
Annie
Rice University
Neel
University of Texas at Austin
Why did you choose this college?
“Cornell’s strong engineering program and freedom to explore a plethora of fields throughout one’s education appealed to me,” Soumyaneel says.
Sylvia
Southern Methodist University
Why did you choose this college?
“Beautiful campus, great music program, [and it has] almost best business program in the country,” Sylvia says.
Lauren
Baylor University
Why did you choose this college?
Lauren chose Baylor University because of its “academic rigor and school spirit.”
Tyler
Texas A&M University
Nikolai
University of Alabama
Why did you choose this college?
“Merit-based scholarships that were a direct result of my SAT/ACT score (thanks KD!)” Nikolai says.
Avani
University of Texas at Austin
Why did you choose this college?
“UT has the best Computer Engineering program in Texas and Austin is a fun city,” Avani says.
Juliette
Oklahoma State University
Why did you choose this college?
“National Merit® finalist package and the electrical engineering program,” Juliette says.
Ryan
University of California San Diego
Why did you choose this college?
“Strong biology program,” Ryan says.
Raiyan
Baylor University
Why did you choose this college?
“Great law school and they covered 100% of my tuition fee,” Raiyan says.
Lauren
United States Naval Academy Prep School
Jacqueline
Southern Methodist University
Why did you choose this college?
“SMU has been my dream school,” Jacqueline says.
Jaden
University of Texas at Austin
Nina
Creighton University
Why did you choose this college?
“It was a great fit. Small enough in size [and] great psychology program,” Nina says.
John
LeTourneau University
Why did you choose this college?
“Engineering program, faith-based,” John says.
Kerri
United States Military Academy West Point
Why did you choose this college?
“To serve our country,” Kerri says.
Sarah
University of Texas at Austin
Why did you choose this college?
“I chose UT because of its renowned science program and multitude of research opportunities. I am looking forward to living in Austin the next four years!” Sarah says.
Tanner
Baylor University
Why did you choose this college?
“Legacy, health programs, [and] merit scholarships,” Tanner says.
Trey
University of Oklahoma
Why did you choose this college?
“Good for my major,” Trey says.
Rohan
University of Texas at Dallas
Why did you choose this college?
“For its finance program,” Rohan says.
Natalia
Loyola University Chicago
Why did you choose this college?
“Excellent in justice and community outreach. [I] received nearly $40k in merit-based scholarships [and was] accepted into honors program,” Natalia says.
Anirudh
New York University
Why did you choose this college?
“NYU’s Stern School of Business has a unique program for business, technology, and entrepreneurship which is inline with my educational and career interests,” Anirudh says.
Rachel
Dallas Baptist University
Why did you choose this college?
“DBU became my first choice after visiting their beautiful campus. It is such a supportive Christian environment with excellent academic programs. I plan to study Computer Science (Business) and Communications. I was very pleased to receive the Presidential Scholarship, the Christian Leadership and Christian Service Scholarships and the Honors Scholar Academy Scholarship!” Rachel says.
Abhinav
University of Texas at Austin
Why did you choose this college?
“It’s ranked #5 in the nation for undergraduate business and #1 for undergraduate marketing, making it the perfect university for my future career goals as an entrepreneur. Additionally, it’s located at Austin, one of the fastest growing cities in the US and home to many startups. As a bonus, I get in-state tuition as well,” Abhinav says.
