Welcome to New York: Ethan Xu

This past year, Ethan Xu submitted one single application to Columbia University with low expectations for the outcome. To his surprise, he was admitted. 

“That was my main school. I applied there early decision so if I didn’t get in for the regular decision round then I probably would’ve applied to like other schools just to see what would happen. I did not expect to get in honestly I didn’t even tell my parents that I was opening the application,” Xu said. “But yeah everyone was really excited for me.” 

As one of the eight ‘ivy league’ schools, Columbia University is considered one of the best schools in the country. With a great atmosphere and opportunities for students, Xu knew that this was the place for him. 

“The main thing was that I wanted a taste of the city life so that’s the main reason I applied, but also I applied specifically to Columbia because they have a lot of really good programs and they have really good resources for students there. But the main thing was that I wanted to be in New York,” Xu said. 

After serving as the President of HOSA, interning at Saint Louis University’s Biomed lab over the summer and taking multiple AP science classes, it is no surprise that Xu has an impressive resume. However, he believes that what really set him apart from the other applicants was his essays. 

“A lot of people when they’re doing college applications are worried about what everyone else is doing,” Xu said. “You have to do what’s right for you. I guess what set me apart I would say is my essays. I feel like a lot of people are worried about their ACT or standardized test scores but that only matters up to a certain point. Past that colleges are looking at who you are as a person and that shines more through your essays, what you do in your extracurriculars and who you present yourself to be to the colleges.” 

When Xu was in the process of writing his essays, he discovered that the key to success is valuing one’s own opinion above everyone else’s. 

“I think the biggest advice is to know when to take other people’s advice. This is a little contradictory but when you’re writing an essay in the end it’s your essay. It’s not your parent’s essay, it’s not your teacher’s essay, it’s not your friend’s essay,” Xu said.  “When I was writing my essays I got a lot of advice on things that I might want to change but I ended up sticking to what I wanted to write about and I think that worked out better.” 

However what really sets Xu apart is his wise words of advice about what high school should be. He strongly believes that balance is necessary for success and has allowed him to accomplish all that he has.

“I have friends at other schools who are on that hard core academic grind and they only care about their academics and I do not encourage that at all. I think it’s important to have that balance because from a college standpoint, colleges aren’t just going to look at your academics. They want to see who you are as a person, not just a robot that goes to school. They want to see more of the personal side of you too. I feel like it’s important to balance and to do things not because it’ll look good for college, but to do things because you find them fun and enjoyable,” Xu said.