Socio-economic status is often one of the confounding variables in statistical studies of educational performance of diverse students. In the case of some, economic hardships can detract from the ability – and in some cases even the drive – to perform optimally in academics. For a few, however, that obstacle is overcome through great effort and with the support of those who care. It is in the latter of the aforementioned categories that I have come to find myself, and in which...

housands of schools all across the country. Thousands of schools where students are fighting to get in. Thousands of schools fighting to get some students to come in. Thousands of schools, but only one Yale. Only one place where world-renowned education and a joyful undergraduate experience aren’t mutually exclusive. Only one place where I could truly expand both my knowledge and my horizons. When it all boils down, there are thousands of schools in this country, but Yale is...