Introduction

Hey guys! My name is Ken Lam, and I’m excited to be blogging about my college journey as a current junior at Hamilton College and sharing some insights about the college application process. 

Growing up in a first-generation, low-income family, applying to college was initially a whole new world to me as there were so many terminologies that I had to get accustomed to while trying to figure out how to stand out amongst a highly competitive applicant pool. The stories I heard from my senior friends applying to colleges scared me even more. The stress they had to endure from perfecting their personal statement and writing countless supplemental essays gave me chills as a high school junior who was about to embark on that same journey. 

It was not until I got into my high school’s opportunity program called Chicago Scholars that I started to learn the ropes of this long and intimidating process. From understanding what a personal statement means to recognize that financial aid plays a huge role in choosing a school, I realized that this process, which was supposed to be extremely stressful, has a distinct pattern. The more I looked into what people on YouTube and sub-Reddit posts have to say, the more I noticed a formula that has been reused. This formula has, throughout time, proven successful and gives applicants a competitive edge in standing out from other applicants. 

Thus, this blog and the upcoming blogs will be an opportunity to share the insights I have gained throughout my college application process so that, hopefully, I can contribute to AccessPoint’s mission of bridging the gap between talented students from all socio-economic statuses and quality higher education.