Before I started working with Dr. M and Ms. Ingerson, I was paralyzed by the seemingly insurmountable process that is applying to colleges: I had to decide (definitively, as I believed at the time) what path I wanted my future to take. And then I had to find, amongst hundreds of thousands of possibilities, what schools best lent themselves to that future. And then I had to market myself to said schools, writing essay upon essay and resumé after resumé. Until finally, I would await, in feverish anticipation, the decisions that would determine everything in my life to come.

At least that’s how I understood it as a teenager in high school.

However, Dr. M and Ms. Ingerson helped me realize that although I would go through many of these steps I had envisioned, it would be all part of a far more important process: that of self-discovery. With their guidance I was able to determine what exactly I want for myself, what motivates me academically and socially, and what aspects of myself I see as intrinsic strengths or weaknesses.

It is undeniable that Blue Star’s logistic and technical help was incredibly useful. But I think the most beneficial part of working with Dr. M (something that often goes more unappreciated) was the way she translated the seemingly obtuse and arbitrary college application process into a journey of self-reflection that is, ultimately, useful to me beyond just the scope of applications.