Achiever survivor

an update

As many of you know, over the past few months I’ve been applying to the United World College, an international boarding school system for highschoolers during their junior and senior year, and this weekend was the final step in the application process. In order to determine which of the 100 or so final candidates are fit for the UWC experience they flew us all out for one day of what I can only describe as “achiever survivor.” In the end, about ½ of us will get an offer to attend.

Here’s a run down of what happened:

Friday

Friday began bright and early at 4:45 in the morning with a drive to CVG and 2 flights to Albuquerque. Though I landed at near 10am, through the magic of time zones, I had about 6 hours of travel time. From there I hung out in the Albuquerque airport, contemplating what this weekend could entail while sipping a questionable airport matcha. At this point in the game some combination of wishful thinking and poor internet sleuthing had me convinced that this weekend was a formality. Let me assure you– it was anything but. Upon my entrance into the designated meeting spot, I made my first of approximately 300 introductions and quickly realized that I wasn’t in Kansas (Purcell) anymore. By 11am there were only 20 or so finalists congregated but each and every one of them was as (or more) extroverted, accomplished, and anxious to get into UWC as I was.

From the hours of 12-2 more and more dynamic individuals streamed out of the airport and into our introduction circle until there were about 50 finalists, half the number that would be showing up to the weekend.We then boarded a coach for the two hour journey to Las Vegas, New Mexico, and for the whole duration of the ride I did not stop talking. To some this slew of conversation and introduction may sound totally exhausting but to me it was exhilarating.

We ate dinner, and as the conversations continued I realized again and again how fierce the competition was. Person after person had parents who were diplomats, or reporters, or citizens of multiple countries. And if I thought only speaking English made me unique, I had to think again, because there was indeed a solid contingent of white girls from the midwest eerily similar to myself. Thankfully the evening was absent of imposing admission folk with clipboards and ended with a student showcase. Back at the Plaza hotel I readied myself for bed in my roommateless room, wondering what was in store for me tomorrow.

Saturday

My Saturday began bright and early, when, struck by jet lag, I woke up at 4:30am. Despite this, I felt ready for the day ahead of me. Though I was surrounded by high-achieving talkative highschoolers, I knew that I too could engage in thoughtful dialogue and pontificate on global issues with the best of them (I mean I do do Ethics Bowl). And the day was filled with just that. I jumped from session to session, switching from engineering to ethics to a memorable skit where I pulled out my Brooklyn accent all while everyone else around me did the same(jumped from session to session I mean- not talked in a Brooklyn accent) . It would have been fun if not for the constant shout in the back of my mind reminding me that every time I did something or said something I was affecting my chances of achieving one of my lifelong dreams. Though ultimately I think I did a good job on Saturday, so did everyone else, and whether my particular brand of finalist stood out is still up in the air.

What really struck me about this weekend is just how impressive everyone was. Coming from a school where many students can barely write an English paper on time, being surrounded by like minded, driven individuals felt like I was in another world… A world that was both amazing and terrifying. Yes I would love to go to school with everyone here, but to compete with them for the opportunity left me feeling (I’ll be honest) scared. Despite this I felt confident. Achiever survivor (as I’m calling it), more so than any sport or even academic subject, is my game, so to play it with decent competition was exhilarating. That’s the other part of this weekend that felt strange – the competition. Achiever survivor, UWC edition, didn’t have points, there’s no set rubric, and no distinct winner to any competition, instead we were under observation to see who is “the best fit.” Noticeably though, being the “best fit” does not include being a cutthroat, hyper competitive, leader (what I believe that can be the extreme low that high achieving individuals ultimately descend to). Paradoxically you must speak while still leaving room for others, be memorable but comfortable, care but not dominate, and you must do all this while pretending every move is not a calculated effort to get yourself admitted into the school you are at an admissions weekend for. By Saturday evening I felt a little gross, not because I was lying or even ever being fake but simply because the whole day was a performance masquerading as genuine interaction.

Sunday

By Sunday it was basically over. I woke up once again at 4:30 and packed away my compulsory lanyard and t-shirt and boarded the bus for breakfast and then to Albuquerque airport. While the camaraderie continued until I boarded my final plane to Ohio, it took on a different, more casual tone as we collectively sighed relief at the weekend being over and chatted without concern of being denied admission. With the exception of an all-too- long flight next to a fellow finalist who wanted to mansplain what Christianity means to men, I made it back home without incident around 1:30 in morning, and after a debrief, fell asleep.

I expect to hear back from UWC in 3 weeks with both the decision and (if applicable) my campus assignment. While I want to get in more than ever, everyone there was so accomplished that I’m not sure if I’ll be accepted. Because I feel like I was the best true representation of myself, if the committee decides I’m not a fit for UWC I’ll respect that (even if I disagree) and in all likelihood will reapply again next year, as that’s an option. I’ll keep yall updated!