Alex Munoz
Staff Writer
The College application period is easily one of the most difficult and taxing times for students.Whether you are currently a college student or a dual enrollment high schooler, applying to universities can be quite stressful. In order to advise students through this process, College Academy alumna Taliah de Miranda held a Q&A session to discuss several aspects of higher education.
De Miranda is currently completing a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology at Nova Southeastern University, or NSU. While she was in high school, she loved helping the community and volunteering in whatever ways possible. She earned over 1700 service hours from extracurricular activities throughout the years.
Within school, she kept good grades and maintained a strong GPA. All her hard work made her a strong candidate in the eyes of NSU admissions officers. And ever since joining, she has completely enjoyed everything.
Nova has a wide variety of benefits, making it a strong candidate for any possible applicants. The school provides various opportunities for financial aid, tuition waivers and scholarships. She was able to cut her tuition down from $18,000 per semester to just $2,000 through some of the scholarships she earned. One of the major ones offered is the presidential scholarship, which covers the entire cost of tuition.
There will be several opportunities to interview to obtain the award. If applicants do not win the Presidential Scholarship, don’t worry, there are plenty of chances to win smaller scholarships. De Miranda was able to use a great number of these to full effect. She earns over $1,200 a semester from various micro scholarships, some of which she won “just for asking.”
The university is also renowned for its academics. A useful path offered by the school is the Dual Admissions Program. At the cost of a simple interview and written statement, students can reserve their seat in a multitude of graduate programs. NSU offers over 30 different tracks, ranging from medical fields to economics to the humanities.
They allow exceptional students to gain a head start on their future graduate degrees. Aside from academics and education, de Miranda recommends that applicants choose universities that offer a vibrant community. For example, she truly connected with Nova because of all their activities and experiences. Attending an institution with engaging students created an exciting environment that kept her motivated. She says: “Don’t just be a student body, be a student person.” In other words, having fun and personality will make college life much more enjoyable.
Similarly, she strongly suggests that students make the most of their school’s population. Interacting with students, staff and faculty can create long-lasting connections that could be beneficial. It is easy to meet a future professor or a student club leader while walking around any university. She gave an example of a time when networking helped her out. She visited a police psychology event on her campus.
Through the event, she was able to meet one of the psychology professors at the school. It allowed her to gain favor with the instructor and a seat in one of their selective psychology courses.
By following de Molina’s advice, the college application process doesn’t have to feel quite dreadful. Her experience demonstrates that it is possible to overcome any difficulties along the road.
And after college life begins, it is crucial to make use of every available resource—whether it’s finances, academics, social life or networking—to get the most out of the university experience.
caption: Psychology Student, Taliah de Miranda
Photo courtesy of de Miranda
