Please Chance Me, Poor Student.

Bigmish
Mon, 15 Feb 2016 05:56:26 +0000

Okay, so upfront, I’m gonna say this: I’m poor. Hella. I know this isn’t ideal for Wustl, but my application sort of uses it as… leverage, I guess. Check it out.

College of Arts and Sciences, English Major.

ACT: C33 E36 M28 R36 S31 (One sitting)

GPA: 4.0 UW

Rank: 16/300

I took the hardest classes my school has to offer. Even though I’m more of a fan of English, that meant taking heavy math and science that even some of my engineering buddies stayed away from.

ECs

Head writer for school newspaper for 3 years.
Member of Creative Writing club for 3 years.
*National Art Honor Society - 4 years.
***Online Freelance Writer for 2 years.

Founder of school’s first STEM club, and engineering team. (ironically enough.)

Honors
*Washington (D.C.) Youth Tour Representative - Earned through a state wide essay contest. Basically just an all expense paid trip to the capital, but it filled an otherwise empty spot.

Essays: I mainly focused on my freelance writing. See, I’ve grown up rather poor since I live with my mom and she’s disabled, and one summer 2 years ago, it was particularly bad. The electric bill was sky high, and our only car stopped working. I called every place in our small town and filled out applications, but no one was hiring. That’s when I took matters into my own hands. Within a month, I had enough to pay off our bills and fix the car, and within two months of that, I had enough to buy a car of my own. I still work online, though I take it down a notch during school months. Basically, the essay focused on how I’ve learned that I am not limited by the opportunities available to me, but by my own willingness to seize opportunity, and work hard to wring it out for all it’s worth.

Recommendation letters: I got one from my Pre Cal teacher, and then one from my Journalism teacher. My journalism teacher is an absolute ray of sunshine, and she loved me. My Pre Cal teacher seemed to have a begrudging respect, if that makes any sense. She made me fight for complements, but she made sure I knew she thought I was going places.

Interviews: I can’t afford a trip, and there weren’t any local interviewers where I live out in the sticks. I’ve tried my best to let them know I was interested by opening every email within an hour of getting it and putting them at the top of my ACT score send list, but those seem way too subtle.

Additional Information: I explained that my lack of school related ECs is not because of a lack of ambition, but because of a lack of transportation. Until just recently, I didn’t have a way to drive to school. I have an 1.5 hour bus ride every morning and afternoon. Poverty in the south doesn’t play, lol. In fact, I’ve only taken the ACT 2 times because that’s how many wavers the state gives out. I couldn’t apply ED because I needed the extra month to make sure I got a decent score.

PS, Should I email them and explain why I couldn’t interview? Or would it seem desperate/whiney? I’ve always tried to not use my poverty as a crutch, and I don’t want them to think that’s what I’m about, because it’s not, ya know?