UCLA: Nathan

How College Solutions Helped

After discovering a passion for coding in 10th grade, Nathan knew that he wanted to pursue computer science in college. Not knowing much about the U.S. college application process, Nathan turned to College Solutions for guidance. After his counselor helped him find colleges that aligned with his goals and student profile, Nathan began to recognize the challenge ahead: he was going to have to find a way to stand out in a competitive field filled with other high-achieving students.

Nathan was worried about his writing skills, especially considering the tough competition in STEM programs. Working with his writing coach at College Solutions was a game changer–College Solutions “helped portray me as a person with layers,” Nathan recalls. Nathan wanted to showcase that he was more than just “a guy from across the ocean trying to get into a U.S. college.”

When he first began writing his application essays, Nathan struggled to figure out exactly what he wanted to portray about himself and to keep his work clear and concise. Nathan recalls how his writing coach always asked insightful questions, encouraging him to dig deeper and reflect on various experiences. Together, Nathan and his writing coach worked to highlight unique aspects of his personality beyond his test scores and academic achievements. 

For his personal statement, Nathan’s writing coach helped him uncover a unique narrative that focused on an unexpected passion: terrariums. What began as a simple YouTube-inspired project became a powerful metaphor for his personal growth: “I paralleled my growth in high school with the growth of the terrarium.” 

Nathan particularly appreciated how College Solutions helped bring out distinctive aspects of his personality and life experiences, rather than push him to write about something disingenuous. “College Solutions does something really honorable here,” he said. “They don't make you choose to write about something that might not actually be yourself.” Instead, his writing coach helped him unearth his own story.

With each carefully crafted essay, Nathan showcased dimensions beyond his statistics. He highlighted leadership in his choir, community service (tutoring English), and his evolving coding skills. Each essay revealed a layer of his personality, helping him “convey that I'm more than just a number.”

Result

Nathan was excited to gain acceptance to several selective colleges, including UCLA, the University of Michigan, and Boston University. Wanting to be close to family on the West Coast and intrigued by their rigorous computer science program, Nathan chose to attend UCLA. 

what Nathan Had to Say

“Writing coaches help you dig deep into what you really like, what you’re doing, and who you are. Writing essays was as much a journey for me as it is for the admissions officers reading them. Working with my writing coach helped me learn more about myself.”

what His Counselor Had to Say

“I'm so proud of Nathan for how well he put his own personality into all of his applications. He was really able to differentiate himself from other strong applicants in this way. I'm incredibly excited for him to attend UCLA and can't wait to see what he accomplishes next!”