Leander High School's online student-run newspaper

The Roar

Leander High School's online student-run newspaper

The Roar

Leander High School's online student-run newspaper

The Roar

Get the Facts Straight: SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strike
Just Keep Swimming
Get the Facts Straight: Fentanyl
Things You May Not Know About LHS

Things You May Not Know About LHS

February 7, 2023

New Years Resolutions

New Years Resolutions

January 30, 2023

Joel Eichelberger
Joel Eichelberger
Photojournalist

Senior Nadia Urrea Follows College Dreams

  Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, teachers and parents have asked students: When you’re older, what do you want to do and where do you want to go to college? Senior Nadia Urrea has an answer.

  “My number one is Duke. I’d love to go to Duke, but I’m still waiting to see,” Nadia said. 

  Duke University is in a small city called Durham, North Carolina. It is a private college currently attended by 6,697 students, and has 400 registered organizations. There are 85 possible majors, one of which includes Nadia’s hoped for degree.

  “I want to go into marine biology and their marine biology, just biology program in general, is really good,” Nadia said. “I’ve always been interested in the sea and the animals.” 

Story continues below advertisement

  Out of 30,000 applications, only 4,203 are accepted (14.01%). That small amount of accepted applications means high standards, so it’s best to have a back-up plan.

  “As of right now, I’m applying to eight different schools, so there are definitely other schools I’m interested in. I’m interested in some in-state schools such as UT and Galveston that I’m going to apply to, and then there’s several others outside of the state of course,” Nadia said.

  Applying to colleges can be difficult. Some colleges require teacher recommendation letters, SAT and/or ACT scores, essays, interviews, campus visits, and the Common Application. Not only that, but there’s an application fee as well. There are deadlines for the applications; some schools require the application during junior year of high school. In times of need, some students turn to their guidance counselors. There is a College Resource Center across the hall from the guidance counselor’s office where you can research on the computers about the college(s) you want to go to.

  “You should definitely start filling out the applications beforehand; you can always go back and fix them. Procrastination will beat you,” Nadia said.

  As she waits for her letter from Duke, Nadia does her best to make sure she remains in the top two percent and stays hopeful that she’ll be accepted into her number one college.

View Comments (5)
More to Discover
About the Contributor
Siandhara Bonnet, Editor-In-Chief
Siandhara Bonnet, Editor-In-Chief, is an ecstatic senior with a full calendar. Along with her passion for Journalism, Siandhara keeps her schedule busy with meetings and activities for Student Council, C-Squared, Green Paws, and Tutors Inc. That doesn’t stop her though, from being a top-notch student enrolled in the IB Program. After high school, Siandhara has plans to attend Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma after she graduates, with a major in Journalism and a minor in Photography.

Comments (5)

The Roar intends for this area to be used to foster healthy, thought-provoking discussion. Comments are expected to adhere to our standards and to be respectful and constructive. As such, we do not permit the use of profanity, foul language, personal attacks, or the use of language that might be interpreted as libelous. Comments are reviewed and must be approved by a moderator to ensure that they meet these standards. The Roar does not allow anonymous comments, and The Roar requires a valid email address before a comment will be posted. The email address will not be displayed but will be used to confirm your comments.​
Comments are Closed.
All The Roar Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest
  • D

    dianna arellanoOct 5, 2012 at 8:01 am

    I hope you make it into Duke!(:

  • A

    alexandria f.Oct 5, 2012 at 7:56 am

    i kinda know nadia, she seems like a really nice person and considering shes in the top two percent of her class she definitely deservives to be able to go to duke university!!:)

  • J

    Jack DensmoreOct 5, 2012 at 7:52 am

    I think it’s great that she is following her dream. Hopefully she’ll get accepted.

  • A

    Autumn COct 4, 2012 at 10:05 pm

    If duke accepts anyone at all this year, Nadia should be number 1. He works harder every day than most students work in a year and all while maintaining sincere modesty. She’s an inspiration to every other high school senior out there.

  • M

    Mr. MansfieldOct 4, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    What a great article! Well done Siandhara.