By: Isabella Aldridge
Going to college has always been a hard and ambitious goal for most individuals to conquer. Covid-19 has made things significantly harder for seniors specifically to pursue their dreams, but Seniors Crystal Jauregui ‘21 and Aya Aziz ‘21 both surpassed all obstacles and will both be attending Stanford University in the Fall of 2021.
To get into Stanford, the average GPA expected is 3.96. This prestigious university has a very slim acceptance rate of 4% but these two Redwood seniors along with many others have proven that nothing is impossible.
Crystal Jauregui ’21
Crystal Jauregui ‘21 is a proud Latina feminist who, “enjoys running, dancing, and painting. (She) is in the Academy of Law and Justice, a Mock Trial team member, FBLA, and many other school organizations.”
Jauregui had applied to 8 other schools, 4 being UC’s and the other 4 CSU’s before committing to Stanford.
Jauregui explained that she knew that this was the school for her because, “not only is it a great school but I know it will be academically challenging, which would allow me to grow as an individual. It is also close to home, which is something that I was looking for when applying to different schools.”
Jauregui intends on Majoring in Political Science, along with going to law school to ultimately become an attorney.
Many find applying in general for colleges hard, but for Jauregui, it was not so much difficult, rather more stressful. She applied through the Common Application, which asked for personal information, academics, activities, and a personal essay. She also had to answer additional short answer questions and short essays. Jauregui explained that at first it had seemed intimidating, but as she began to fill out the application it had started getting easier.
Jauregui expressed that it is really, “important to take advantage of opportunities and use the obstacles you face as life lessons rather than a form of discouragement. Although it may sound repetitive it is definitely true!”
Hard work and dedication truly pays off. I know life is not perfect but the way you perceive it makes a significant impact on the outcome.
Crystal Jauregui ’21
Aya Aziz ’21
Aya Aziz ‘21 is yet another senior going to Stanford in the fall.
During her time at Redwood High School, she has been involved with many things, including being the CSF Vice President, Chamber Orchestra First Chair, and Science Olympiad Vice President. She is also very proud of her Middle Eastern and Muslim heritage as she says these molded her into who she is today.
Growing up in California, Aziz says that Stanford has always been the goal for her. She began working hard for this in her Freshman year and was ready to start putting in the hard work.
Aziz would like underclassmen looking to apply to Stanford to know, “There were times when I was impatient and overwhelmed, but your hard work ALWAYS pays off, even when you think it’s not being rewarded.”
Aziz explained that the hardest part of applying to Stanford was finding the, “balance between being a thorough yet efficient writer.”
It had taken her months to write the Personal Statement, as every sentence she wrote personal and well-thought. While it was hard for her, she was able to grow from it, learn more about herself and even gained more confidence!
Aziz found the application process to be very insightful, “because I personally connected very deeply with the specific essay questions that Stanford asks. I knew I wanted to apply to Stanford as my top choice school because it was clear by the essay questions they asked that Stanford genuinely cared to learn about who I was as a human being, and that touched me so much.”
She says that each thing she has done at Redwood has taught her true grit persistence! She is very thankful for the amazing friendships, connections, and mentor-ships she made as a Ranger!
Make the most of every opportunity at RHS not to boost your chances of getting into your dream school, but to truly cherish your high school experience. It only comes once, so give it your all! You deserve that!
Aya Aziz ’21