A Survivor of College Rejection Refuses to Lose Her Resolve

Sush Krishnamoorthy, a student from New Delhi, is part of “The Choice” class that includes student-bloggers from Nairobi, Kenya; Topeka, Kan.; Seattle; Rogers, Ark.; Las Vegas; New York City; and Hunting Valley, Ohio. Her fifth post is below. - Tanya Abrams

When I studied evolutionary biology in 10th grade, the science behind phrases like “survival of the fittest” became clear to me. My very inspiring biology teacher told us that in fact, Darwin had not coined that phrase. Rather, his theory of natural selection evidently advocated the survival of the species which can adapt.

Around the same time, the World Wars were being covered in history class. To gather material for an assignment, I read Reader's Digest articles, accounts from survivors of the war, and Anne Frank's diary. In several accounts, the two families living in hiding were driven to extreme b ehaviors. At times, they vied like vultures to obtain the best of the few resources available.

At the end of the book, it struck me that the only person who survived was the least competitive, the most compassionate of them. This struck a chord with biology lessons. The fittest, the most competitive, didn't necessarily survive.

In drawing this parallel, I was excited. I wanted to share and discuss this idea. So I did. I started a blog and wrote my first post fervently. Thereafter, I have been writing about all the experiences that have touched me or made me wonder. I wrote about the generosity of a simple auto driver who feeds pigeons on the sidewalks and platforms in Delhi. About how dispiriting it is to try to teach less privileged children about English adverbs, only to realize that they can hardly spell their own names. About trekking onto hilltops despite being fatigued and then questioning the purpose of reaching the summi t.

Experiences and ideas have always been the focus of my writing. I haven't been mindful of style and structure. So it is not a surprise that I took an instant liking to Paul Graham and his essays when I came across them.

Countless such incidents, thoughts and initiatives have formed me as a person. Correcting a statement from my previous post, written in a self-deprecatory mood while anticipating a rejection, I tell myself this: I am not branded by a single rejection. What I've gained from my high school years is a profound part of me that is beyond evaluation.

Regardless of where I go to college, my life will be as exciting, meaningful and fulfilling as I dream it to be. Because I am anything but ordinary.

In the meantime, my quest for financial aid is on. Now every college on my list is either need-blind for international students or offers generous financial aid. Since most of the details on the financial aid forms can be answered only by my parents, I have delegated the financial aid applications to them.

The application process itself is proving to be very expensive. The official score reports from the College Board and the Educational Testing Service (for the Toefl) add to the application fee. Ironically, the CSS/Financial Aid Profile also costs $16 per college.

Paying to apply for financial aid is amusing. When I see that a particular college accepts tax return forms by e-mail instead of fax, it is a moment of joy. That saves my family another $20.

P.S.: Referring to my previous post, visualizing Tetris games in your mind is an actual phenomenon called the “Tetris Effect”!

Ms. Krishnamoorthy, a student at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in New Delhi, is one of eight high school seniors around the world blogging about their college searches for The Choice. To comment on what she has written here, please use the comment box below.