University Bound: Highlighting Nehir T.

Each year, our graduating students are accepted to universities all around the world. The College Counseling Office works closely with each student to find universities that best fit his or her goals and interests to ensure that s/he continues to excel. With the University Bound series, we highlight some of their stories. This week's interview showcases Nehir T., a senior in the BFI program, who will be attending the UC Berkeley and Sciences Po Dual Degree program next year.

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Congratulations on your acceptance to the dual degree! Can you share with us what made it your top choice? 

Thank you. I first learned about the dual degree program from the previous seniors. I was drawn to the dual degree program since it was a great opportunity for me to study two years in France and two years in California, where I would experience two different education systems. Furthermore, both UC Berkeley and Sciences Po have great research and internship opportunities which will prepare me for my future law school applications. It also became one of my top choices since I will graduate with two Bachelor’s degrees: one in Social Sciences from Sciences Po and a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in the major of my choice from UC Berkeley. 

Do you already know what you plan to study? What types of clubs and activities are you excited to participate in on campus? 

At Sciences Po, I chose the Menton campus where I will have an educational focus on Mediterranean-Middle Eastern Studies. I wish to major in Politics and Government and minor in International Relations. At UC Berkeley, I believe that I will most likely be majoring in Political Sciences and minor in Political Economy or PPL. I am really excited to engage in the Mediterranean United Nations at Sciences Po and be part of the Turkish Student Association at Berkeley. Due to being born in Turkey and moving to the US during the third grade, I was always interested in being connected to my culture through activities and volunteer work. For numerous years, I have been a part of a non-profit organization called Bridge to Turkiye Fund and I believe that the Turkish Student Association will be another way for me to stay connected with Turkey.   

How do you think your time at LFC has prepared you for success in college?

I believe that the LFC has prepared me for success in college and especially for this dual degree program since I learned to be part of an international environment. I also believe that since the LFC  is a smaller school, I got a chance to be part of a closer community with smaller classes, more supportive teachers and counselors.     

How did you approach your college admissions journey? Create a balanced list? Take advantage of global opportunities? Utilize the resources available to you at school and at home?

To me, the college admissions journey was a very long process. First of all, during high school I always stayed engaged, taking advantage of all opportunities. I did numerous internships, community services, activities and attended college programs. By the summer of my junior year, I already knew what I wanted to major in. However, I was very indecisive about the colleges that I wanted to apply to. Over the first half of my summer, I started creating my application list and in the second half, I wrote most of my college essays. Since I also applied to the Honors Colleges it took me a longer time to finish all of the essays. Even if sometimes the whole process can be overwhelming, especially for students who apply to a lot of schools like myself, at the end, when the process is over, all of the efforts are worth it.    

Do you have any advice for future LFC students going through the college application process?

My advice for future students is to be more decisive during the process and trust themselves. I also think that they should start working on their applications and essays over the summer of their junior years. Lastly, something that extremely helped me pick out my schools was the Fiske Guide to Colleges and I think the future seniors should definitely take a look at it.