Daya Brown, an 18-year-old student at Westlake High School in Atlanta, Georgia, has stunned the world with her impressive college application season results. With 54 acceptances and more than $1.3 million in scholarships, Brown recently shared with the media her ultimate tips for getting into her dream schools.
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Universities in 4 Months - One Student's Journey of Casting a Wide Net!
Daya Brown says she spent a lot of time researching the colleges she wanted to go to during the lockdown, and then came up with her own list of goals, just a little longer than the average student’s – she chose 70 different colleges! Finding that he could no longer choose between them, he decided to apply for them all, spending three hours a day on the application for almost four months.
In the end, shewas accepted to 54 of70 colleges- and received more than $1. 3 million.
Today, she is determined to share her story to help other students who are struggling with the application process. She recently recalled to the publication: “It was a great feeling because I put in a lot of hard work.”
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Top Secrets to Successful College Applications - Revealed!
“You have to sell yourself to the university. The school values’ uniqueness’, focusing on internships and volunteering, and doing their best to stand out.”
How exactly did she do it?
First of all, the 18-year-old said the most important piece of advice for everyone is to start applying early and focus on the universities that are good for your particular major.
Second, she told the publication, the key is to focus on selling yourself to colleges, not on good grades or high grades. She said: “Realistically, these schools have very low acceptance rates, and people all over the world submit applications. To make myself stand out as much as possible, I had a good GPA, but I knew the SAT would not be the best, not at the level of many other applicants. So I knew I had to change my presentation and focus on the personal story. That’s the key for me, and I think it might be helpful for others as well.”
Daya served as student body president throughout her high school careerIn 2021, he started his own production company called Elom & Co. and co-hosted a podcast with his classmates called The Scholar Social to discuss race and religion.And other topics.She told another media outlet: “Universities like unique applications, sign up for internships, apply for jobs, volunteer activities,Colleges want to see who you are as a person.”
Speaking of scholarships, she said: “The key is to take the time and effort to find out what scholarships are available and apply for as many as possible – even if the amount is small… And it’s not easy, it takes many nights to finish. But at the same time, if it’s your passion, it won’t feel like a burden. I wake up every day, happy with what I’ve done.” 。
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The Effects of Family and Race
As for the idea of working hard, she has had it since childhood, thanks to her parents, Farrah Brown, a real estate agent, and Olujimi Brown, a ministry consultant and former pastor. “I grew up watching my dad’s public speaking, and my mom was a great role model and taught me the importance of balance in my life.”
Moreover, she knew she wanted to get into her dream school at all costs because “education was not even once an option for the black community at all.” Then, “Pain became my inspiration. I think, in terms of this achievement, it really makes me feel like I’m the wildest dream of my ancestors.”
She also credits her success to her teachers over the years, who “set the foundation and expectations for their students” and helped “shape her as a person.”
Now, Daya has decided to enroll in the fall of North Carolina’sDuke University, studying Visual and Media Studies. She told the media that stepping into the campus felt like coming home. “I was welcomed by many outstanding black students who seemed to share my dreams and ambitions.”
In terms of sharing her application experience, she is planning to hold a free seminar in the local area so that she can personally help other students with their applications. “I wanted to prove that if I could do it, so could other kids with big dreams. If they’re willing to invest the time and use every resource they can find, they can.”
