<p>So I just got invited for a TFA final interview this afternoon and found this thread by googling how competitive it is to be accepted at the final round. As I skimmed through some responses, well first off it made me less nervous about my interview, but more significantly, I felt like I should tell my story, as I am quite shocked I have made it this far and have seen a fair amount of discussion regarding the elitism of the program. I am by no means an overachieving student. I am a good student in the sense that I study a lot, I ask a lot of engaging questions and participate in class discussion, and I write papers that make my professors think. However, I am not the type of person who can impress you from my sheer brilliance. I have a learning disability, and academics have been a struggle for me, especially handling a full course load and staying on top of all my work. However, I am intellectually curious and passionate about making a difference in this world. I go to a very good public university, but not the kind of place that people are impressed by just because I got in. I have a 3.0 GPA and have withdrawn from 6 classes. TFA knows all of this. </p>
<p>At first, I never considered TFA as an option after graduation. I want to dedicate my life to public service, but I didn’t think I stood even a slight chance of a TFA acceptance and was exploring other options. However, somehow, TFA found me. I got an email from a recruiter inviting me to a webinar and realized, wow, this can really be the opportunity of a lifetime, and she obviously sought me out, so I thought I have to apply. Then I got busy with school, work, and volunteering and thought I wouldn’t apply because I felt my chances were so slim. After 3 text messages from TFA recruiters 4 hours before the application was due, I was felt the pressure and applied. I was invited for the phone interview- then moved on to the final, equally shocked at both steps.</p>
<p>Here is what I think made me stand out in my application. I wrote my essay about growing up in a dysfunctional family with emotional abuse and how that made me want to dedicate my life to better situations of other families and children. I also made it clear that I am educated on issues of educational policy and social inequality, which as a sociology major, I am, and shared my philosophies with them in my letter of intent of explained what I feel I have to offer. I advocated for my disability and explained what I have been doing better this semester to stay on top of my work. I also speak Spanish- can’t hurt for sure. And while in school, I have gotten incredibly involved in the community I go to school in, and I think they valued that. Throughout my time as an undergrad, I have always had some type of part-time job (they ask if you contribute to your education, which I do), but I only included my relevant jobs, including after-school counselor, assistant preschool teacher, and ski instructor. I also am a youth mentor in two different organizations, one of which works with children of Somalian refugee families. I am also interning right now with the DOC, researching inmates and their families to contribute to a project that will recommend policy recommendations to the state concerning family issues within the criminal justice system, in addition to volunteering at monthly “teen nights” when kids come to visit their incarcerated mothers, and volunteering at the gym in the prison to give the women the opportunity to have some fun every sat and sun night. And I do all this because I want to, not to build my resume. I always joke with my friends that I’ll be paying off my student loans until I’m in my fifties because of the low salaries I am going to take to make a difference in others’ lives.</p>
<p>The fact that TFA is interested in someone like me has given me a new found respect for the program. I’m an idealist- not a genius, not an overachiever- just someone who cares and wants to make a difference. I have no idea if I will continue teaching or not, but I am leaning towards social work- so I’m clearly not a corporate minded person either. I find it funny that my mom is bragging to all her friends about this potential opportunity, because the last thing I have ever cared about in life is prestige. So maybe I’m the exception to the rule, but I’m beginning to think that the program is not as elitist as it may seem, or that they are trying to change that by accepting different kinds of applicants than they previously have. So if you are interested in TFA and are a passionate idealist, do yourself a big favor and don’t scare yourself out of an amazing opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children who really need your help.</p>