Sad That It's Over

Sad That It’s Over

Yale Ivy Scholars Program is simply life changing. This program exposes you to world-renowned professors, allows you to learn and live in beautiful facilities, and fosters an environment in which you can accomplish the impossible. In the two weeks at Yale, all the students coming from eight different countries typed and presented a Marshall Brief, two speeches (impromptu and persuasive), a legal essay, and listened to over eighty hours of lecture. Most of the speakers were affiliated with the United Nations in one-way or another. I am highly thinking of working in the future for the UN after hearing how exciting it can be.

The Marshall Brief is the most difficult of all challenges faced at the Ivy Scholars Program. You learn to work with peers you have just met and with people who are leaders at their respective schools just like yourself. I was fortunate to have a very hard working and dedicated group of peers to work with. We were working breakfast, lunch and dinner on our Marshall Brief!

At our graduation dinner, which was held at the Yale President’s dinning room, my Marshall Brief group was honored to hear that we were in the top three groups for presenting our Marshall Brief.

While at Ivy Scholars Program we were told that we are ambassadors to our school and that we must pass on to others what we’ve learned there. I certainly passed on what I learned shortly after I got back and will continue to do so. I presented at the freshman orientation at my school, Middle College High School, about the Ivy Scholars Program last month. Last month I went to all the sophomores, juniors and seniors and informed them of the program too. Many students were interested after hearing about it and plan on applying. My hope and goal is to apply everything I’ve learned because of this program in my term as Contra Costa Community College District Student Trustee and as student body president in my high school’s student government.

I’d like to give many thanks to, Dr. Luong, Dean Coburn-Palo, Drew Ruben and everyone else involved with the Ivy Scholars Program for the wealth of knowledge shared with us and the work they put in to provide us with this one in a life time experience!

Lastly, I’d like to thank Ivy League Connection for the tours of universities such as Columbia, UPenn, Yale, Dartmouth and Princeton.

Missing Ivy Scholars Program

Two weeks, two long intensive weeks. Where do I start? Instead of writing chronologically, which can be somewhat difficult, I will be writing in sections and sub-sections.

Social Life

Roommates/Friends/Peers:

Brandon, Marisol, Connor, and I walked into thedorm place and quickly checked in. Because we were in different rooms, we were all split up. A student mentor helped me into my lovely fourth story room where only one of my four roommates was present. I promptly introduced myself to him, Colton who is from Pleasanton not far away from my home town Hercules. I went back downstairs and then met the future “class clown”, who invited me and other people to go to lunch together. I went back up to put the fan down and in turn invited Colton to join the mini-group.

After lunch, the group of six that went to lunch together sat down on a table to fill out our seminar forms. During the course of about two hours we were there, literally everyone in the program at one point came to the table and introduced him or herself. The table served as the meeting point to everyone. After dinner I met my other two roommates, both from New York. I found out that roommates were probably the most important people in this program, even more than the Marshall Brief group. At night, I was able to just take time out off working and relax by talking and playing cards with them. The time I spent with my roommates help me to unwind a little bit and not worry about work.

Naturally at every program certain people make groups of friends. My group of friends was a great bunch that always had fun together, for better or for worse. In this program interaction between people besides the Marshall Brief groups is rare so I only spent minimal time with my friends but always had a blast with them. Like any academic environment, having a social group is essential not to go insane, especially in this challenging program.

This summer program is relatively small with only 71 students sharing the same lectures, and dorm buildings. This way everyone knew everyone. I was happy to have at least three personal conversations with almost everyone in the program. The different personalities of every student mixed well to create a very dynamic academic setting. In the program, a lot of people described me as the “the happiest person in the program”. Now I don’t know how I became to be known as that but it is certainly better than being known as the saddest person. The people I met at the program are ones that I want to keep in touch forever.

Mentors/Staff:
The student mentors and staff of the program are truly indispensable. They are the pivotal role in this program for both the students and the program overall. At first the student mentors seem a little intimidating, having so many achievements and already survived this program. But as the time progresses and more time is spent with them, they are not that much different from the students, being only two years older than us.

The mentors were essentially older siblings to the students. In addition, the director of student life was more like a father figure. He made sure we had enough sleep, did not go crazy, and did not reflect badly on the program. Without him, I think this program wouldn’t have been as good of experience. Of course this entire program wouldn’t be possible without the program director which I am sure everyone knows. He is the program which I, along with everyone else, am eternally grateful for.

Academics

Marshall Brief:
The bulk of the work is done for the Marshall Brief, which is a

group project. The basic point of this brief is to suggest a policy on a specific topic. Each Marshall Brief group consisted of 6 students. The Marshall brief group was assigned the first Monday. At first I was scared because I had heard horror stories from last year’s student that the Marshall Brief is brutal. My group’s main topic was Public Health and within this topic we choose to focus on Maternal Health in Afghanistan. Each group had two mentors. All the mentors scared everyone in the first meeting by saying “the Marshall Brief will be the hardest thing you will ever do in high school and possibly even college”. This definitely got everyone excited.

I came into this Marshall Brief with mixed feelings of fear and excitement. This project was assigned on Monday the 26th and due Sunday the 1st. Now six days for a 12 page double spaced group project may seem a long time, but the problem was that the only time to be able to work on this project was like 2 hours everyday, the wee hours of the mornings, and late at night. In addition, my group’s mentors demanded perfection in every step. Fortunately for me, my group got along great and although had a slow start, progressed fairly quickly. The days in respect for the Marshall Brief felt long and short at the same time. During the course of the Marshall Brief, I did hear some group having horror stories such as policies that were already done, or policies that plan weren’t possible. I was lucky in avoiding these many misfortunes.

The Marshall Brief is definitely one of the most difficult assignments I had ever done but it was not as bad as everyone thought it would be. The written assignment was a little tedious in the research part. Since I had a topic in Afghanistan, my group had to make sure we chose something unique and plausible. As the week progressed, the Brief became the worry of the late night. Because each deadline was at midnight, every group worked on the Brief at night.

The Brief overall was extremely fun to work at; it was intellectual challenging yet fun to do. One of my friends asked me that “if we woke up Monday with another Marshall Brief to do, what would you say?” My answer then was no, but it has now changed, and I would definitely do one again. In addition to the paper, a PowerPoint presentation was also needed. The actual presentation was overseen by a “murder-board” whose job was solely to ask annoying questions. Prior to the “murder-board”, my roommates helped each other in preparing for this nerve-racking moment. The presentation was nerve-racking intense but well worth it. Our group did very well, one of our group member got best individual presentation award.

Lectures:

Everyday there was about 8 hours of lectures. This may seem a lot, well, it is a lot. However, the lectures always were about interesting topics and very engaging. With the lectures, were split seminars which we were assigned to. On the first day, we were asked to rank 49 seminars. I did not have all my favorite seminars but I did get the majority of them. The seminars in my opinion were generally more engaging than the lectures because there was more personal interaction with the students and professor. For the lectures, the students had the chance to attend lectures by Paul Kennedy and John Lewis Gaddis. I appreciated that they were able to take three hours out of their busy schedule and come to speak in this program. The lectures spanned a wide variety of topics with many guest lecturers.

Other assignments:

Along with the Marshall Brief were an essay and two speeches. The essay was a response to the Speluncean Explorers, a trial case which presented a hypothetical situation for murder and cannibalism. It was assigned on Tuesday and was due Friday. Because this dilemma is presented to Harvard Law students, it was a challenging topic to write about. Me, and all the other students, grappled with this question for a while to pound out a two page response to it. The best part of this assignment for me, however, was the discussion on it. People were cold-called on to read and defend their point and frequently to argue against the opposing view. At the end of the discussion, two people volunteered to make a final statement for one point of view. I was the one to overturn and Ethan was the one to keep the judgment. In the end the majority ruled to overturn.

There were two speeches that we had to give. The first was a 5 minute persuasive speech which we chose our own topic. The second was an impromptu speech which we were given 7 minutes to prepare and give a speech on a topic we randomly chose right before the speech. Because I am one of the few science major students in this program, I did not have the same experience as most of the other students who did speech and debate. Going in with very little public speaking experience, I was extremely nervous. My nervousness was apparent in my persuasive speech, but not in my impromptu speech where I had a short spiel on teatime. I was very happy to learn that I was chosen as one of the six finalists for the impromptu speech. My roommate helped me prepare for the speech. I did not win, but one of my friends who well deserved it did. The speaking exercise helped me and the other students greatly by identifying our weaknesses and how to fix them.

Finale

The last Saturday had a formal dinner with all the students

and staff. First on the list was a class picture for which I am in the back because of my he

ight. Next was a reception where we had social time. For the formal dinner, we were seated in round tables of eight with at least one staff mentor each. The dinner was one of the best nights in the entire program because it was a relaxing and exciting mood. The food was delicious and the entire meal went smoothly. After the dinner, the entire program had a forced-fun night where everyone was forced to have lots of fun. Included in this night was a talent show where people were able to showcase their non-academic talents.

The next day was Sunday, the final day when everybody leaves. It was a sad day because I was just getting used to the program. I was saddened to hear that some of my friends left early in the morning that I missed them. Fortunately, I was early enough to see the second batch of people leave. My goal that morning was to say good-bye to as many people as possible and thus skipped both a shopping run with friends, and lunch. But it was well worth it, seeing the majority of the people leave.

Now the program is done and I am back at home. Right after I left Yale, I began to miss the program and the people that I lived two weeks of my life with. The two weeks spent at Yale was without doubt extremely intellectually challenging. It was well worth it and will be remembered forever.

I would like to thank Dr. Luong for creating and running this wonderful program and giving the WCCUSD Ivy League Connection the great opportunity to attend it. I would also like to thank Charles Ramsey and Madeline Kronenberg for setting up the ILC and letting many students go to great schools over the summer. Lastly, I would like to thank Don Gosney for all the logistical work he put to make this happen.

It's Really Over...

I had to change my computer back to West Coast time. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. It’s finally over. I made so many friends and grew up in so many ways while I was at Yale. Although I only spent two weeks there I made what feels like life-long friends. I suppose only time will tell. The academics were hard but I proved to myself I could handle it. I saw colleges on the east coast and realized no west coast school can really compare.

The first few days were a dream, jumping from one Ivy League school to the next. Although I wasn’t a fan of them all, I did find a place in my heart for the east coast. Yes, I will have to go back at other times of the year to make sure that I can handle the weather but I think that is where I want to go to school. It’s far away but I felt at home. The college towns held so many like-minded people and the cities held the kind of hustle and bustle that makes you want to be always moving foreword. I discovered that that was the sort of environment I wanted, if only for the four years I would be in college.

While at Yale I was pushed hard. There was always something important to be done and lots of reading to stay on top of. However, I powered through and discovered that I can handle the load. I even learned that I have what it takes to be a public speaker. Among all the debaters I was chosen to go on to the speech finals. Although I didn’t win, I am proud of myself for getting that far. Never before have I considered myself the type to write and read speeches. Somehow I showed the judges that I had it in me. By picking me to move on, the judges showed me I was capable.

Sometimes things got hard. My Marshal Brief group had more bumps then anticipated, the reading was hefty, and there was little sleep. However, with the amazing friends I made and my own inner strength, I proved that I could power through.

From day one it all clicked. I walked into my room and just knew it was all going to be great. I met my roommate Grace, we introduced ourselves to the people around us, and I realized that there wasn’t one person at the program who wasn’t amazing in their own rite. For once I was in lectures where everyone wanted to be involved. I had a group that all wanted the best project possible, rather then one person carrying all the work. You could feel the intelligence in the air.

I felt at home. As much as I missed my family, I didn’t want to go back to the west coast. The people at Yale were amazing. Every student put care into their work and was dedicated to school. Each and every person wanted to put his or her best foot foreword. We bonded as a class over the workload and lack of sleep. I became known for my coffee addiction and tendency to take too many pictures. However, I found my place and made friends with all those at the program. I enjoyed every minute of it. I made friends from all over the world including Columbia, London, Brazil, New York, Chicago, and right here in California. It makes me teary-eyed just thinking of them all. Thank goodness for facebook and text messaging. I hope to stay in contact with all of the Ivy Scholars. There’s even talks of a reunion in Brazil. Maybe we should shoot for New York first though.

I am forever grateful to the Ivy League Connection for giving me the opportunity to have my eyes opened to this world: one where there are students like me. I got a taste for college life and fell in love with it. Without this program none of my amazing memories would have happened.

Connor's Reflections

From the beginning I felt like I didn't belong. I thought it was a mistake that the Ivy League Connection chose me to represent the school district. I applied for the Cornell and Columbia programs and was rejected by both. I couldn't understand why I had been accepted to the most selective and rigorous course the ILC had to offer, the Yale Grand Strategy Course.

I tried to talk to people about it, but everyone said the same thing. "You were accepted! That means you're just as qualified as everyone else!"

I didn't believe that one bit.

For weeks I heard people tell me how the Yale Grand Strategy Program was the hardest, and how I wouldn't get any sleep, and how Yohanna Pepa did so well last year. My parents told my grandma and my grandma told everyone. My whole family was so proud of me. "I know you'll do well." They told me.

I was afraid that I would let everyone down.

Nonetheless, on July 20th I found myself on a plane to Philadelphia. It was a fun ride. I bonded with Brandon, Marisol and Henry, and I'm pretty sure I saw Jason Sudeikis on the plane. I forgot about how scared I was.

The next morning I woke up in the hotel in Philadelphia and remembered. The butterflies in my stomach were too much. I knelt over the toilet and waited to throw up. I didn't.

The rest of the week we toured colleges. It was a pleasant, informative distraction. I went in thinking I was set on going to college in the city, but Dartmouth changed my mind. After the tour and dinner with the admissions officers, I'd have to say it's my number one college choice. This surprised even me, since Hanover is the opposite of the big city I had always imagined myself living in.

After a week of touring colleges, the Yale Grand Strategy program started. I settled into my dorm. There was no turning back now.

I learned so much inside and outside of the lectures. I learned about Identity Politics, 21st Century Entrepreneurship, and how to cut meat in America. I wrote complicated essays and ended up presenting a proposed policy to a panel of judges who were there to tear our plan apart. I loved the academic rigor, and I didn't find it impossibly challenging. Contrary to what everyone told me, I got about seven hours of sleep every night.

However, I still didn't feel like I belonged. My Marshall Brief Group was dysfunctional, and I felt like I wasn't smart enough or qualified to take charge. At mealtimes I listened rather than participated in conversations, since I felt my input wasn't very important or substantial. I raised my hand in class to ask questions or to comment, but I would feel like everyone else had a better question to ask.

It wasn't until the end of camp that I felt good enough.

At the end of the program some students suggested that we put together a talent show. The administrators were all for it, and I took charge of putting it together. I made a list of everyone who wanted to participate, I organized practices, and I was the Master of Ceremonies for the actual show. I ended up performing a rap I wrote about the Ivy Scholars program as well (I'll upload it on YouTube soon).

The talent show was a success, and I felt just as qualified as everyone else.

It took a week for me to find my confidence, but once I did it was the best feeling in the world. People I was afraid to talk to days before patted me on the back and congratulated me.

When we left the next day, one of the administrators came up to me and said, "Wow, Connor. I didn't know you had it in you."

I wish I had proved myself earlier. I wish that I had believed in myself. However, no one could have told me that I was worth something, I had to find that out by myself.

I now know a ton of Grand Strategy tactics that I'm going to implement as Drum Major of the Marching Band and as co-President of Speech and Debate. However, I also know that I exceeded my expectations. Not my family, not my friends, not even the ILC's expectations. My own, and for that I am thankful.

This was one of the most enlightening and inspiring life experiences I think I'll ever have, and I thank the Ivy League Connection from the bottom of my heart for making it possible.

Grand Strategy - Canine Edition

On our cab trip from the New Haven train station, we learned of Yale's hero -- Sgt. Stubby -- from our cab driver. His exploits clearly mesh with our grand strategy direction -- here's his story:

Sergeant Stubby (1916 or 1917 – March 16, 1926), was the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat.

Early life

Stubby was found on the Yale campus in 1917 by John Robert Conroy. He was of unknown breed; some sources speculated that he was part Boston Terrier and part Pit Bull, while other sources state that he was in fact a pure bred Olde Boston Bulldog[1], and his obituary described him as a "Bull dog" (which was at the time synonymous with "American Bull Terrier" and "Pit Bull terrier").[2] Stubby marched with Conroy and even learned an approximate salute. When Conroy's unit shipped out to France, Stubby was smuggled aboard the transport SS Minnesota.

Military service

Stubby served with the 102nd Infantry, 26th (Yankee) Division in the trenches in France for 18 months and participated in four offensives and 17 battles. He entered combat on February 5, 1918 at Chemin des Dames, north of Soissons, and was under constant fire, day and night for over a month. In April 1918, during a raid to take Schieprey, Stubby was wounded in the foreleg by the retreating Germans throwing hand grenades. He was sent to the rear for convalescence, and as he had done on the front was able to improve morale. When he recovered from his wounds, Stubby returned to the trenches.

After being gassed himself, Stubby learned to warn his unit of poison gas attacks, located wounded soldiers in no man's land, and — since he could hear the whine of incoming artillery shells before humans could — became very adept at letting his unit know when to duck for cover. He was solely responsible for capturing a German spy in the Argonne. Following the retaking of Château-Thierry by the US, the thankful women of the town made Stubby a chamois coat on which were pinned his many medals. There is also a legend that while in Paris with corporal Conroy, Stubby saved a young girl from being hit by a car. At the end of the war, Conroy smuggled Stubby home.

After the war

After returning home, Stubby became a celebrity and marched in, and normally led, many parades across the country. He met Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Warren G. Harding. Starting in 1921, he attended Georgetown University Law Center with Conroy, and became the Georgetown Hoyas' team mascot. He would be given the football at halftime and would nudge the ball around the field to the amusement of the fans.

In 1926, Stubby died in Conroy's arms. His remains are featured in The Price of Freedom: Americans at War exhibit at the Smithsonian. Stubby was honored with a brick in the Walk of Honor at the United States World War I monument, Liberty Memorial, in Kansas City at a ceremony held on Armistice Day, November 11, 2006.

DIRECTIVES

FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR STAY IN THE IVY SCHOLARS PROGRAM, OUR YALIES ARE NOT PERMITTED BY YALE TO POST BLOGS

WE ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT WHEN THE PROGRAM IS CONCLUDED THEY MAY FEEL FREE TO TELL US OF THEIR TIME IN NEW HAVEN

IN THE MEAN TIME, THOUGH, PLEASE JUST WAIT PATIENTLY AND KNOW THAT THEY ARE SOAKING IN NEW INFORMATION

A Day in New Hampshire

Today we visited a college that I’ve always been interested in since elementary school: Dartmouth. The campus is spectacular; the people welcoming and the quaint town of Hanover, New Hampshire was adorable. 

We met with Peter Chau who is a graudate of Pinole Valley High School and who also graduated from Dartmouth College. 

We also met with the Northern California Admissions Officer, Ariel Xue. She told us a lot about what good topics were for our personal statements and how to write them best. It is best to write about not only what you are passionate about, but also WHY you are passionate about it and also to inform the college or university how you will contribute to the classroom and campus.

The drive to Dartmouth from Yale was a total of about six hours (to and from). Ms. Kronenberg, Connor, Marisol, Henry and I all drove from The Omni Hotel in Connecticut, through Massachusettes, Vermont and finally got to Hanover, New Hampshire. On the way back from Dartmouth to Yale, Connor and I let Ms. Kronenberg hear the rap we wrote about her the night before. She loved it and it made the drive go a lot faster because we were having fun. We also discussed in the car about what each of our personal statements would most likely be about and by doing so we were able to understand what each other’s values and passions are.

These past few hours I’ve been reading the latest articles on world issues so that I’m up to date on my current events/politics before starting the Yale Ivy Scholars Program.

Dartmouth College

The Dartmouth Magic Fun Bus: Where Dreams and Ideas Come True

Today the four students and Mrs. Kronenberg took a trip to Dartmouth College up in New Hampshire.

Morning: The ride to Dartmouth took about 3 hours so we woke up at 7 AM to prepare to leave. Because we are all Starbucks fans we stopped by one about 30 minutes out of Yale where I had maybe my fifth Starbucks coffee. The Dartmouth ride was 3 hours so we had a lot to talk about.

Dartmouth: We arrived at Dartmouth at about 11 so we had about one hour before the campus tour. We first stopped at the bookstore where Brandon bought several books and then walked to the admissions office. An interesting thing about the admissions office was that it was closed so there was no information session. Dartmouth is in the city of Hanover which is classified as rural. However, the city of Hanover is very good city where it doesn’t have the certain feel of rural which makes the college much more appealing to urban people. The campus tour was about 1.5 hours in an unusually big group. The college of Dartmouth has a very beautiful campus. A unique aspect of this college in respect to the others is that Greek life is an essential part of it which is certainly a good thing. After the tour we had an opportunity to have lunch with a former PVHS student and Dartmouth Alumnus Peter Chau and our current admissions officer Ariel Xue.

Ride Back: After Dartmouth we had another 3 hour ride back. An interesting thing about the ride was that Connor, Marisol, and Brandon fell asleep but not all at the same time more like one at a time. Being the good friends we are all now we took pictures of each other sleeping. I was an exception because I did not fall asleep. During the ride we shared our aspirations and goals for later and life and realized more than we thought we can do.

Dinner: We arrived back at Yale at approximately one hour before dinner. At dinner we had the fortune of meeting to Brown Alumni that are somewhat local to the New Haven area. All of us had a wonderful chat with them about Brown and anything in general.

Tomorrow is the big day and I am totally excited about it. I am looking forward to the program and will end my blogging here.

Visiting the Small Town Feel

After my first night in Connecticut, our final destination, we had a very smooth morning. Due to the fact that we had only one car the group to Dartmouth was smaller then expected. Connor, Henry, Brandon, Ms. Kronenburg, and I left Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Miranda at the hotel while we took a road trip. The drive from New Haven, Connecticut to Hanover, New Hampshire was three hours. 

We took the Magical Fun Bus, a self proclaimed car full of laughter and stories. Our grand combination of personalities made everything a thousand times more fun. At the beginning of the trip we stopped at the beloved location of Starbucks. After the caffeine kick we each took turns sleeping in the car. For some reason we were naturally on a rotation; no two students were ever sleeping at the same time. The only one of us who wasn’t cursed with an embarrassing picture of themselves sleeping was Henry, who only slept for five minutes. Luckily, being the sly girl that I am, I was able to make mine disappear.

Once finally reaching Dartmouth we saw the small town of Hanover. Unlike the two urban colleges we looked at the past two days there was little going on around the college. There was a cute town with a few stores and a very rural feel. Our tour guide was fabulous and the boys really connected with the campus. I am still a little unsure but definitely enjoyed some pieces of the Dartmouth culture. Guess I’m a city girl through and through.

In Hanover we had the amazing opportunity to meet with two Dartmouth alums, Peter Chau, who now does fundraising for the college, and an admissions officer by the name of Ariel Xue. We had a relaxed lunch with them and received tons of advice and insight on the admissions process. The best part was that all the information was applicable to all the college’s processes. They were both very nice and easy to talk to.

On the way back there was more sleeping in the car, mostly from Brandon, and lots of talk about personal statement topics. However, the highlight was Connor’s amazing rap for Ms. Kronenburg. He and Brandon came up with a rap to tell all the highlights of our wonderful trip. It was an amazing display of a talent I completely envied.

Once back at the hotel we got ready for yet another amazing dinner. There we met two Brown alums. Although we did not get the chance to visit the campus of Brown, their stories helped paint a picture of the atmosphere there at Brown. I sat next to Guy, a Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering double major. It was fascinating to here his story. He got into Brown by accident he claims and was the first in his family to attend college.

All of the dinners have prepared us for the elite campus of Yale. I can’t wait to start to feel at home there. Tomorrow we begin the Ivy Scholars program. I am very excited and can’t wait to bring back some amazing tales of challenge and success.

Magic Bus to Dartmouth: Connor's Perspective

Woke up early this morning to begin our three-hour road trip to New Hampshire. After a brief Starbucks stop we were off to Dartmouth.

The road trip was a blast. We called Mrs. Kronenberg's rental car the "Magic Fun Bus" because that's what it was. We listened to all types of music, debated pressing issues, and laughed for long stretches of the road.

Brandon fell asleep first and drooled all over his jacket. I took a picture, but Brandon made me promise not to put it on the blog. Later I snapped a picture of Marisol sleeping with her mouth open, but she snuck into my camera and deleted it. Eventually I fell asleep and they exacted their revenge. I believe the picture is on Henry's blog post.

We arrived in Hanover, the small town where Dartmouth is located. It was a charming little city, clean and safe. I soon realized the extent of the town was about a block long and the rest of it was the college.

We took an informational tour of the campus and I realized that I no longer wanted to go to Columbia. Dartmouth is the college of my dreams. I'll explain why.

• School Spirit: Dartmouth is famous for its school spirit. They run around bonfires at the beginning of the year, they have too many weird traditions to count, and they have an awesome store of Dartmouth Merchandise.
• Location: Though Hanover is far from any major city, it is a perfect town. If you ever visit, you will understand why. The day we were there the grass was green, the skies were blue, and the people walked as if they were about to break into song at any moment.
• THE BLUE LIGHT CHALLENGE! - Every Ivy League campus is equipped with a Blue Light Safety System. These consist of telephones strategically placed across campus so that students can call for help if they are ever in danger. Since Hanover is such a safe town, no one uses the blue light system for safety. What they DO use it for is the blue light challenge.

The Blue Light Challenge is as follows: To touch as many blue light telephones as possible on campus. Naked. Without getting caught.

I told this to my dad over the phone.

"That's right up your alley!!!" He said enthusiastically.

For lunch we talked to the admissions officers over burgers. I tried to use all the skills I learned in "Never Eat Alone" to establish a strong relationship with these people, because I knew their friendship would be key in providing me the opportunity to participate in the blue light challenge.

Afterwards we rode back to New Haven. I performed a rap Brandon and I wrote the night before for Mrs. Kronenberg. Here's an excerpt:

"We got Mario Miranda, we got Ramsey, we got Don / but the sickest of the crew is this coffee loving blond / Kronenberg is quite cool because she never gets mad at me / when she buys an espresso cashiers call her Natalie."

It was filled with inside jokes from the trip, and she appreciated it very much. We brainstormed for a bit afterwards and we realized that we should write a rap and make a music video to promote the Ivy League Connection. Brandon and I will work on it when we get back.

That evening we ate dinner in New Haven with Brown graduates. It was fun talking to them, though we were all a bit sad because this was the last dinner of the ILC. Tomorrow our rigorous two week course begins, and we will be enjoying cafeteria food instead of French restaurants.

Now I'm typing my blog in the lobby of the hotel where there's free Wi-Fi, and a guy with a beer walked up to me.

"Are you playing online chess?" he said drunkenly. I shook my head.

"Isn't that what you Yalies do?" He spilled some of his beer as he pointed at me. "You look like a legit Yalie, man."

I gestured to Henry, Marisol, and Brandon. "They're going to Yale too."

"No." he said. "You're the only one who looks like an Ivy League man." He raised his fist in the air.

"Good job."

He staggered to the elevator and we all laughed. But I felt a little more confident about tomorrow. At least I won't stick out too much if I apparently look like I belong at Yale.

From Urban to Suburban

How cool was it to coincidentally sit next to a senior from Yale on the train from Philadelphia to New York?! Right off the bat we got started talking like we knew each other for the longest time; she was very amiable. She informed me of student life on campus and Yale’s total atmosphere. This was my first time in the Big Apple and I must say it was AMAZING! Ms. Kronenberg, being a New York native, was the best tour guide ever! Besides being able to go on top of the Empire State building late at night and also going to Times Square and buying an “I ♥ New York” t-shirt for just $3; we had a very informative time at Columbia University.

I would like to just make a few notes before blogging about Columbia. New Yorkers aren’t rude. It really is a stereotype. While walking, a guy bumped into me and apologized. People say please, thank you, etc all the time here. Another thing is that New York has hardly any humidity. The weather actually felt pleasant. Before going to Times Square, we had dinner at Charlie Palmer: Aureole New York. It was amazing. I had the New York strip loin and for dessert the New York Cheesecake. They were both very delicious. It was also great staying at the Hotel Wolcott because it was ideally located in between 5th Avenue and Broadway at 4 West 31st Street. Also, it was interesting to see “Sidewalk Catwalk” which were mannequins dressed with designer dresses in the Fashion (Garment) district. Earlier we met with David Buckwald, Senior Assistant Director and Admissions Officer and he was a major contributing factor that reinforced my desire to attend Columbia University.

Today we took the train from Penn Station in New York to New Haven Station in Connecticut. It just so happened that I sat next to a woman that was from San Francisco, graduated from UCLA and was attending a wedding in Connecticut. That was fun. The humidity was back and we checked in at the Omni Hotel in New Haven. The Omni is only about two blocks away from Yale. We visited Yale and attended an information session after unpacking at the hotel. The information session brought up a few good points such as reminding the student that the SAT is just a test score and that Yale weighs in on the transcript much more heavily and also that Yale requests all your SAT and ACT scores; not just your highest scores.

After the Yale information session we had much needed rest time at the hotel and later had dinner with Dr. Luong, Associate Director of the Brady-Johnson Center in Grand Strategy. We had a great time and discussed our pleasant time so far in the East Coast and expressed our excitement for the Ivy Scholars Program, which starts this Sunday!

It's the Big Apple, I wish for everything

First of all I apologize for missing a day of blogging due to the lack of Wi-Fi in the previous hotel in New York. And to make up for it, this blog will be long.

Morning: Morning was usual, woke up at around 7:30, packed and got ready. The group made its way to the station in Philadelphia, ate a quick breakfast and hopped on the train to New York. We got to New York at about 11:30. Because it was Marisol’s and Brandon’s first time in New York City they were completely thrilled to finally be in The Big Apple. New York City is the most populous city in the United States and can often be confusing to navigate through. Fortunately, Mrs. Kronenberg is a native New Yorker, which made walking through NYC much easier. After landing in NYC we quickly checked into our hotel, the Wolcott, and started to head of to Columbia.

Columbia: Although Columbia is in the heart of New York City, the campus has a feel that makes a person think as if he/she is in a completely different city, which gives a good feeling in Columbia. We attended the information session in 1 PM and the campus tour right after. What makes Columbia slightly unique compared to the other private schools is that it has a set of required courses that every student in every major must take. For some people this is a major positive for Columbia. I, however, did not find the courses particularly appealing to me (but I’m sure they are all good classes) and like a very large degree of freedom of class chooses. For our campus tour we had an exceptional tour guide by the name of Dane who presented Columbia well. After the tour we had the great opportunity to meet with the admissions officer for Northern California, David Buckwald who is a great guy and definitely a contributing factor to the appeal of Columbia. Overall I felt like Columbia is a great school, especially for people that like the urban location in NYC.

New York City: After visiting Columbia we headed back to the hotel and subsequently to a semi-formal dinner in the city. Because this was Brandon’s and Marisol’s first time in NYC we all decided to go out to the city after dinner. The first destination was Times Square where the NYC nickname the city that never sleeps became obvious to us. Although it was close to midnight the city center was still thriving with people. 

After Times Square was a trip to the top of the Empire State Building. We were very fortunate in the weather with very clear visibility. We arrived back at the hotel at about 1 AM.

New Haven: Mornings are usually the same. Waking up in the morning and heading off to a train station to move on to the next city which in this case was New Haven. We arrived in New Haven, checked into the hotel and headed off to Yale.

Yale: We arrived at Yale just in time for the information session. Yale, unlike Columbia has a more suburban setting to it which is slightly more appealing to me. The information session gave out most of the general information about the college. After the session we had a badly needed lunch. This day we had the most free time so I had a much needed nap. This night the group had the chance to again have a dinner with Dr. Luong. During the dinner we discussed many current political dilemmas including the prisoner exchange. Since it is late I will end my blog here.

Two Days Wrapped in One

Due to the unfortunate lack of internet in the Wolcott there was no blogging being done yesterday. That means I must combine two days into one blog. Lets go.

Yesterday we went to the Big Apple. It was my first time in the city and I was in awe. There is no place like it. From the tall buildings all around to the rush of people, I have never been in an environment with the same hustle and bustle.

To get to New York we took the train from Philly. We rode on Amtrak, taking the long ride. The length was that of a short plane flight, however, the similarities ended there. Train travel is a different experience. Although BART comes close, it’s not the same. We arrived in Penn station (confusingly not part of UPenn) and we walked through New York. Towing overweight luggage is a hard task in the hectic city of NY. I even have the blisters on my hands to show it.

From the Wolcott we took the subway to Columbia University. The best moment was when a full cohort of five to eight year olds came on with their teacher. They were adept New Yorkers and rushed on, knew the right station to get off at, and rushed out. I was slightly jealous of their ease.

Once we arrived at Columbia I was unsure of my feelings. The campus was beautiful but I didn’t feel like I was in the city. The info session didn’t catch my interest and the tour was focused mostly on humanities. However, as soon as we reached one of the classic libraries at Columbia, my views began to shift. The personal meeting with our admissions officer David only helped elevate Columbia in my mind. He answered all of my very specific Engineering questions and shared in depth about the Columbian philosophy. I went from being unsure of its connection with me to positive that the environment was perfectly in sync with my style. I can’t wait to apply.

After the amazing meeting with David we went to dinner at another fabulous restaurant. The New York cheesecake was to die for; even our native New Yorker, Ms. Kronenburg, agreed.

From there we went on the most amazing experience so far! Our exploration of NYC only lasted one night but hit all the important landmarks in our area. The lights of Times Square left me awestruck and the view off the top of the Empire State Building is something everyone should see in their lifetime. I immediately fell in love with the city and didn’t want to leave! I would love to live there. Columbia could be my way to do that.

Today we took the train from the beloved Big Apple that I will miss dearly. We had a slight separation once on the train because of spacing issues. Henry, Connor, Mr. Miranda, and I ended up being moved to first class because of spacing issues. The chairs were a dream.

Once in New Haven we got ready to immediately head to Yale, no time for lunch. Throughout the info session Brandon and I could smell the sandwiches we ordered. It was slightly torturous. However, that made the sandwiches all the tastier when we finally did eat.

Due to the timing of everything we got a few hours to relax and decompress in our hotel rooms. After a night out on the town in the city that never sleeps it was nice to have the chance to relax.

Tonight we were fortunate enough to dine with Dr. Luong once again. We had a lovely meal followed by one of the most delicious chocolate mousses I have ever tasted!

Columbia and UPenn are at the top of my list so far. We’ll see if that changes after our Dartmouth trip tomorrow.

The News: York and Haven

Like smiles, Wi-Fi should be free, but in New York neither are, so we were unable to blog about all the things that happened yesterday. Here's the recap:

We took a train from Philadelphia to New York Wednesday morning. On the train, I put my wallet in my front pocket instead of my back as a safety measure, and I refrained from carrying a bulky camera around my neck. I didn't want to look like a tourist, since I plan to live in New York City one day.

We disembarked at Penn Station in New York. Though I tried to look unimpressed and nonchalant, inside I was screaming.

We walked down the street to our hotel, which was an adventure in itself. We checked into our rooms then made our way to Columbia.

I had a hot dog from a hot dog stand in New York. I liked it so much I had two.

We walked onto the Columbia campus and the city disappeared. It was strange to look around and not realize you were in the biggest city in America. It was serene and clean, and I loved it.

We sat through the informational session and took a tour of the campus with Dane, a short, muscular young man who I really wanted to be friends with. All of the tour guides, who are current Columbia students, seemed like the kind of people I would want to surround myself with in college and in life.

That night we ate dinner at Aureole, a Charlie Palmer restaurant. I didn't know who Charlie Palmer was, but Mr. Ramsey pointed out that he was the man taking our orders and bringing us bread.

Since I was in New York, I had a NY Strip Loin as my main course and a NY Cheesecake for dessert. They were both fantastic.

Afterwards, Mr. Ramsey went back to the hotel to sleep and the "cool kids" (Mrs. Kronenberg, Mr. Miranda, Marisol, Henry, Brandon and I went out to explore New York City at night.

We walked up and down Times Square which was lit like it was daytime. Again, I tried to control my composure. I had my hands in my pockets so I could hold my belongings at all times, especially while we were shoving through crowds of people.

Then Mrs. Kronenberg took us to the Empire State building. It was midnight, so the lines were short but they were still lines. Mrs Kronenberg joked that it was "The City That Never Sleeps."

I compared it to home. "Pinole: The City that Sleeps in the Night."

We reached the top of the Empire State. I looked over the edge for the first time in my life.

I don't want to get all gooey and poetic, but the view was beautiful and I fell in love. I had that swelling feeling in my chest and I felt both happy and sad at the same time. I was happy because I was here and sad because I had to leave. I could've stared at the skyline until morning.

I know for sure that I will live in New York City at least once by any means necessary. Whether I live in a penthouse or a poorhouse, it will be in NYC.

We returned to the hotel at 1:30 AM and went to sleep an hour or two later.

We woke up at 8:00 AM and rode to New Haven. After getting sandwiches, we attended an information session about Yale. My favorite part of the session was when they spoke about the Anti-Gravity Club, which is not a group of rebellious nerds but a juggling troupe.

"They juggle balls, clubs, torches... they even breath fire. No experience is necessary to join."

I want to join this club. If the college I end up attending does not have a club like this, I will start it, and it will be amazing.

Lastly, we ate dinner with Dr. Luong. Until this point in the trip, I've been nervous about the course I'll be taking at Yale. I wake up feeling nauseous, butterflies in my stomach. I'm afraid that the course and the elite students from all over the world will eat me alive. Figuratively.

Talking to Dr. Luong eased my fears, and for the first time I'm excited about the course rather than anxious. Dr. Luong is an intelligent, eloquent dinner guest, and he gave us a taste of what we are to expect on Sunday.

Tomorrow Brandon and I are going to buy thick notebooks for the course. I'm pumped.

The past two days with the Ivy League Connection were very enlightening. I discovered where I really want to live and I learned that there isn't too much to be afraid of. I realized at dinner that I am having one of the best times of my life right now, and that this will affect my future forever.

Philly: Day 2

Based on just seeing the two universities we visited today, I whole-heartedly agree to the importance of actually visiting schools that you will invest four years of your life to. I've realized that the University of Pennsylvania is an excellent fit for me. I love how the university is integrated into the city and how the buildings have a variety of designs and color schemes. 

Our tour guide, Teresa, told us how college life truly is. She didn't shy away from telling us of all the parties on campus and how to survive college by taking easy classes. I appreciated her honesty.

After multiple exciting and fun train rides (my first time riding a train) and a taxi ride to Princeton, we attended an information session of the college in the Inner Sanctum. This was a gorgeous building and the inside had a very similar design of where British Parliament is held. It also had huge portraits of some of the greats of Princeton such as Woodrow Wilson. In comparison to UPenn, Princeton was made up of Gothic and Greek architecture and the campus itself was very secluded. Not really where I would want to go to school, but of course it obviously attracts students that don't want to be in an urban academic environment.

After taking more than one train back to our hotel, we were left with 15 minutes to get ready for dinner at Le Bec Fin. It was tres beautiful and very chic. I was thrilled to have dinner with Dr. June Chu (UPenn Pan-Asian American Community House, Director) and Mr. David M. Toomer (Multicultural Recruitment Program at UPenn, Director). They both were very helpful in informing us about UPenn and reinforced the fact that UPenn is a need blind/need based university. This is an important fact since UC's have increased their tuition fees by more than 30% and that UPenn hasn't even increased their tuition by 5% in recent years! It was a long, but very beneficial dinner. We made it to the hotel around midnight and I started to pack right away since we leave for NYC later this morning at 10 AM. Currently about 6½ hours away from that time. zZzZz.

*Photos of our hotel room in Philadelphia at the Sheraton and Princeton:

And The Winner Is...

I woke to the sound of three different alarm clocks. I wanted to be sure that I was on time to breakfast. We ate at the hotel restaurant and coffee was readily available so no complaints from me.

Right after breakfast we, the students, walked with Ms. Kronenburg to the campus of UPenn only a few blocks away. The info session was followed by a tour led by a rising senior who was studying language at UPenn. She was wonderful at explaining the feel of campus life. I loved hearing of the unique traditions. At football games the students throw toast onto the field in order to keep their age-old fight song alive. An engineering student even invented a Toast-Zamboni to clear the thousands of pieces of toast off the field. I was impressed with the architecture and level of academics they claimed to have. I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful tour.

Unfortunately, those who didn’t join us on the tour did not have as wonderful a time. In a sad turn of events Mr. Miranda’s wallet went missing and he and Mr. Ramsey got wrapped up in the process of replacing all the necessities that were in that wallet. Looks like between spillage and potential theft our luck hasn’t been too good.

However, the train rides to Trenton and then Princeton were rather fun. For the first time on the trip we took Amtrak. It was a fun experience and the five of us, the other students, Ms. Kronenburg, and I, had a wonderful, laugh filled ride.

Once arriving at Princeton it was clear that the feel was very different. With gothic architecture and a different type of info session, I did not feel the same connection as I did with UPenn. The tour guide was fabulous but the university didn’t fit my style.

Fitting with our train adventures we took four different trains back to our hotel. Since there were so many different connections to make we really became a team, laughing, taking pictures, and sharing music along the way. Unfortunately we took a little longer to get back to Philly then we had planned…

With only fifteen minutes to get ready for dinner it was a race against the clock. However, it was all worth it once we got to the amazing restaurant Mr. Ramsey had chosen for us. We had two amazing guests from UPenn that were wonderfully open and willing to answer any questions we had. I was blown away by the food, especially the desserts! I thoroughly enjoyed every bite.

Leaving the restaurant we were shocked to find it was raining! Luckily our first encounter with the east coast summer rain was quite short. Hopping into a cab we zoomed back to the hotel.

After a brief meeting Ms. Kroneburg joined Brandon and I on a stroll around Philly at night. It was great to finally see the late city lights. I can’t wait to see the famous New York skyline for the first time tomorrow.

All in all it was a wonderful double hitter of a day where UPenn came out on top in my book. Although both colleges were lovely I was much more impressed with UPenn. I felt the connection to the campus and loved the culture of city life as well as student involvement. I hope to be as impressed with the colleges coming up in the week.

Trains, trains, and even more trains

Today, well yesterday actually, was a really busy and a great adventure through UPenn and Princeton.

Meeting time today was 8:30 at the lobby. I woke up early, got ready and headed down to the lobby, nothing exciting. Breakfast was a small buffet style restaurant at the hotel where we ate and talked about the plans for the day. It was decided that the four students and Mrs. Kronenberg would attend the tour at UPenn while Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Miranda would buy the train tickets for Princeton.

Penn: At Penn the group attended both the information session and the college tour. I have actually been to Penn before but that was six years ago when I was not even thinking about college yet. But six years later I have gained a new perspective and paid much more attention. I felt that the info session was really informative (as it should be) because it covered everything from the history of the school, to the application, to the student life. And what the info session didn't cover the college tour did. My impression of Penn changed slightly since I first visited six years ago. For me the setting in the middle of a large city is not optimal for me. As for the academics, the restrictions because of the four colleges and the many requirements make less than an ideal situation for a student like me that wants to take classes in an extremely broad range of subjects. But other than that, Penn still seems like a great school with many opportunities, especially for studying abroad and I would not mind attending this university.

During this trip tragedy struck Mr. Miranda. While in the train station buying the tickets for Princeton he lost his wallet. As a result Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Miranda had to stay in Phily to resolve the dilemma while the rest of us went to Princeton. Fortunately, everything was straightened out by the end of the day.

Princeton: After Penn was a mad dash to Princeton. After a train ride to Trenton followed by a cab drive to Princeton we arrived at our destination at around 2:40, 20 minutes after the information session started. Right before we joined the info session we visited the admissions office where, according to Brandon, I "stole a book" which was actually a free course booklet. Our group caught the end part of the info session where the person talked about eating clubs which was quite interesting. The eating clubs are not really clubs. They are only open to juniors and seniors as alternate meal plans. They are Princeton's substitutes for fraternities and sororities. After the info session was of course the college tour and the Princeton campus is definitely one of the best I have seen in my many college visits. What I liked about Princeton was the flexibility students had. Unlike Penn where there are many required courses Princeton students have less restrictions and more freedom in the classes they take. And guaranteed housing for all four years in one of the most beautiful campuses in the US doesn't hurt either.

Unlike Connor, Brandon and Marisol who all liked Penn I felt a better feeling for Princeton. What we all think was the main factor for this reason was the difference in the town setting. Penn was right in the middle of Philadelphia while Princeton is based in a small town.

On the way back from Princeton to Philly we had to take a total of four trains. The first train was from Princeton to Princeton Junction which we found out along the way were actually two different stations. Then we went from Princeton Junction to Trenton and Trenton to Philadelphia. The entire trip back took a good two hours because of the unexpected difference in stations and the waiting time. But one good thing about the time we spent from Princeton to Philly is that we got to know more about each other including some funny quirks (which I don't think I'm allowed to say). 

We finally got back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at about 7:15 so we only had about 15 minutes to prepare. I went back to my room and got fully dressed in a suit in about 8 minutes, the fastest I have ever been.

Dinner: Tonight's dinner was at Le Bec Fin which was mentioned during the Penn info session as a popular fancy French Restaurant. Joining us were two people who worked at Penn, June Chu, a professor of East Asian studies and David M. Toomer an undergraduate admissions officer both of whom I had the pleasure to talk to. During the dinner, the other students and I had the opportunity to talk to both of the Penn people about our future plans, who we are, and ask any other questions we had about Penn. Both of them are great people that I will definitely keep in touch with.

Now for the food part. The food was a six course meal consisting of a lot of food. The menu was certainly interesting consisting of regular beef to the more French food of Foie Gras. The best part of the dinner, however, was the all you can eat dessert of which everyone ate a lot of. The dinner began at 8 and we finished at around 11:30 and arrived back at the hotel at about midnight.

Tomorrow (today) we will head of to New York City and visit Columbia. It's been awhile since I've been to New York City so I am really excited to experience The Big Apple again. Well I'm off to bed now.