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Born and raised in Norway, Line dreamed of exploring the world ever since she was a young child. Now, she’s on her way across the globe to Rice University with a financial aid grant that meets 100% of her demonstrated need.
For Line – even as a gifted student and an award-winning writer – the path to college seemed filled with obstacles.
Neither of Line’s parents had finished high school, so the college application process was new to the whole family. Line’s high school also lacked the robust resources to which many other applicants had access. Additionally, as a low-income international student, Line faced a particularly competitive applicant pool within an already unpredictable admissions season.
When Line first approached her high school guidance counselor about her interest in college, she was told not to even apply. According to her counselor, attending college in the United States was far too expensive, and Line’s chances of getting in were much too slim.
By the time application season rolled around, Line was the only of her friends that set out to apply to college. That’s when she learned about CollegeAdvisor.com (previously known as Bullseye Admissions).
“I went to YouTube and saw a video made by a person who had been admitted to college,” says Line. “There was a link to Bullseye [in the video]. “
From there, Line scheduled a call with Brian, Founder and CEO of CollegeAdvisor.com. “He walked me through the service and reassured me that I was in the right place to get help with applications.”
CollegeAdvisor.com‘s Advisor Matching Team then paired Line up with Anya, an Admissions Expert and Duke University graduate.
Line’s favorite part of working with CollegeAdvisor.com was chatting online through video calls with her mentor. “I was very confused and had so many questions,” Line recalls. “Those conversations were very helpful for me to become less stressed and improve my mindset.”
Throughout the application process, Anya helped Line discover colleges that would give her the financial aid she required. Line also appreciated how Anya reassured her in her own abilities. Most of all, Line says, Anya helped her learn to “trust in the process.” And indeed, with Anya’s help, Line was able to craft a stellar application, from building a school list to submitting her final essays.
“I really struggled when it came to essays,” Line reflects. “I had never really written those types of in-depth reflection essays, and I hadn’t had that sort of reflection within myself yet.” Throughout their video calls, Anya guided Line through the process of brainstorming, drafting, and editing. She provided her with helpful feedback to ensure that Line’s candidate profile stood out in the application pool.
Not too long after, Line received her first acceptance from the University of Minnesota.
“It was 10 PM Norwegian time, and I was about to go into my room and watch a movie,” she recalls. “When I checked my email and saw the acceptance, I ran into my parent’s room, woke them up, and told them that I was going to college. We just laughed a lot…it was a very happy moment.”
When Rice University’s decisions came out, Line decided not to check her application portal.
“I didn’t dare open it. I thought, ‘I’m just gonna get rejected,'” Line says. Then, the very next day, on her 18th birthday, Line got an email with a link to Rice University’s admitted students’ Facebook page.
When she realized she had been accepted, she ran into the living room to notify her parents. She told CollegeAdvisor.com, “They were crying, and I was crying…it was an emotional rollercoaster!”
Looking ahead, Line is excited to experience the new social scene at Rice.
“I’m very excited about meeting people from other countries because I live in a very homogenous town. Being able to connect with people from all over the world is something I look forward to,” she says. “I’m also excited about the academic flexibility — that was a primary factor for why I decided to apply to the USA.”
When asked what advice she’d give to any students currently thinking of applying to college, Line says, “Just go for it. I had so many concerns going into the process. I was new to all this. But CollegeAdvisor.com helped guide me through it.”
This success story was based on an interview with CollegeAdvisor.com mentee Line. If you want to learn more about CollegeAdvisor’s programs or get 1-on-1 help with your college applications from a CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Expert, register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.
