Am I enough?

Graphic by Shivali Kanthan ’24 Photo dramatization by Natalie Chun ’17 opinions| 9

Am I enough? Standing out proves stressful in college applications

Ava Chun ’25 Arts Editor

When my oldest sister was going through the process of applying to college, she got rejected from her dream schools and some of her safeties. She started to get worried that her application was too common; they thought she was blending in with all the other applicants. In the end, my sister got into NYU her senior year of high school, one of the top schools in America. She should have been celebrating, right? Wrong. It still wasn’t enough. She transferred to Northwestern University the next year.

My sisters and I grew up thinking our best isn’t good enough. We live in a community of overachievers that set such high expectations for everyone that sometimes it’s hard to see if and when we ever are successful.

Case and point: I’m a sophomore and I've been stressed about college since I was 11. e pressure rst started when I was an 11-year-old Asian American who played violin in my school's chamber orchestra. But did any of that matter? An Asian American who plays an instrument and has straight A’s? at’s a resume that resembles a lot of other people’s applications as they apply to college. Seeing this issue, I was pushed into dance and other extracurricular activities in the hopes it would increase my chances of getting into a great school when it's nally time to apply. Today, as a sophomore, I go from math tutors to dance teachers to volunteer coordinators all so I can gure out how I’m going to stand out from every other stereotypical Asian student applying. Juggling all my activities is overwhelming. Over and over I am reminded that my grades won’t get me into the best colleges. My activities aren’t enough. My ethnicity isn’t enough. My passions and interests aren’t enough. So what will it take to prove that I am enough? Am I enough?

Sometimes it’s hard to see if and when we are ever successful.