Gabriella, a senior at Bellevue East High School, doesn’t shy away from new opportunities. Since her freshman year, Gabriella has been actively engaged both within her school and her community. She is a founding member of the green initiative at her high school, captain of the cheer team, president of National Honor Society, and president of the Key Club, just to name a few. Gabriella has managed to juggle several activities while keeping exceptionally high grades and working a part-time job, all to give herself the best shot at success after high school.
Approaching her college applications with the same vigor, Gabriella has cast her net wide, applying to over 20 colleges and universities across the country. Many of these institutions are very prestigious with acceptance rates under 25%. When asked why she was applying to so many schools, Gabriella cited a few reasons, the first being that she didn’t want to put all her eggs in one basket. “I see students in group chats for UC Berkeley saying that if they don’t get in, they just aren’t going to go to college,” Gabriella shares. She knows that she may not get into every school she applies to but remains confident she’ll end up in the right place.
By diversifying her options, Gabriella aims to maximize her chances of admission to top-tier institutions. Gabriella also cited her love of travel and visiting new places when discussing why she applied to so many colleges and universities. “I know all of the schools I’m interested in offer a good education, I’m just excited to see where the road takes me.”
Throughout her college application journey, Gabriella acknowledges the invaluable support provided by College Possible. Gabriella has known for years that she wanted to attend a college outside of Nebraska to get out of her everyday routine and to explore different perspectives. She shared that while her high school provides a multitude of resources for students who want to stay in-state for college, the resources for students wanting to venture out-of-state are limited. Gabriella credits her coaches for offering essential resources and being her cheerleaders throughout the entire college application process. She shares, “It was nice to have someone saying, ‘it is okay to want to leave Nebraska’ for a change.”
Gabriella’s future will no doubt be as bright and exciting as she is, no matter where the rest of her college admissions process takes her. While she mentions favorites like Northwestern, UC Berkeley, Colorado College, and Scripps College, her preferences fluctuate daily. Regardless of the outcome, Gabrialla envisions herself studying psychology and ultimately working with teens in the mental health field.
This story was written by Katie Engel, Gabriella’s high school coach and AmeriCorps member at College Possible Omaha.
