BD youth's journey to Harvard University with full scholarship

Milestones are made with utmost determination and persistence. There are some milestones which go ahead as an epitome of inspiration and motivation. The story of Ahmed Fahim Shihab is something like that. He has made the impossible possible by being accepted into Harvard University also with a full ride scholarship. Harvard University, a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636, is considered one of the oldest and prestigious universities in the world. Let's look at his application process and how he made it to Harvard University.

Application: There are two components when it comes to application. One is a common app essay and the other is different Harvard supplemental essays. In the case of common app applications one has to create his or her own profile. Here one has to submit different test scores like IELTS, SAT or other relevant scores. Shihab shares that Common App essay is the most important for common app application. It is something very personal. It can contain anything: a life event, a future goal, a personal incident.

Then a personal essay has to be submitted according to various points given there. Here one can tell about 10 extracurricular activities they have performed and five awards that they have achieved in the last four years. Then there is another option for recommendation letters which the teachers have to put in for the student. Sharing his perspectives about application, Shihab said, "Starting with application I had tried my best to present a very coherent common app and other supplemental essays. I didn't go on stating facts about me. Presenting a genuine idea about myself, my goals was my main motto."

Recommendation letters: When asked about the hurdles that he encountered, Shihab said being a Bangla medium student was his biggest obstacle. He emphasised the lack of available information and resources in his educational institution. His college didn't have any guided counsellors who could support him in the process. Managing teachers as counsellors and convincing them for recommendation letters was not an easy job for him. At one point he had to reach out to his vice principal to become his guided counsellor. He had to go on researching almost everything on his own.

Research experience and test score: He has worked as research assistant in North South University, where he actually participated in a campaign for Rohingya refugees and the distress level they are facing. He got his opportunity through a volunteering job where they connected him with a research team of IRC ( Int'l Rescue Committee) and NSU. He believes that this was highly valued in his application. His IELTS score was 7.5. He got a merit scholarship in his HSC. His SAT score was 1470. According to Shihab, test scores played a very insignificant role in his whole process. Being a Bangla medium student, his main goal was to stand out in a different way.

Extra curricular activities (ECAs): Shihab believed it was his ECA which played a big role in his selection rather than his test scores. He has been actively participating in various ECA programmes from class 7. Rather it was his ECAs which proved groundbreaking for him. He had founded a quiz club in his school, organised international online debating festivals two times and won countless debating and quiz competitions. He was shortlisted in national debating competitions organised by Bangladesh Debating Council.

His silver award in Queens Commonwealth Essay Competition brought an edge towards the whole ECA part. He quoted, "I was a voracious reader and a regular writer. I like to imagine alternate realities and that helped me bring up my creative side. Also, editing and polishing your essay is more strenuous than crafting the first draft. That should be kept in mind too."

He also contributed to various contract based writing jobs in different organisations, completed internships in various software companies, and whatnot. Another important aspect was his own startup. He firmly stated the Harvard admission committee really took a note about his ambition for his startup, his future plans with it and his team. He was even granted a startup grant of US$ 2,000 dollars annually. Altogether he has received a full scholarship package of about US$ 360,000  in four years.

Story of resilience: One point that he thinks played the most important role is that the admission committee was very impressed with the resilience that he showed throughout his life journey despite having medical conditions and surgeries. He stated, "I had a spinal bifida -- a spinal cord abnormality for which I had to undergo major spinal cord surgeries in class 6,9, and 10. After my third and final surgery in 2019, I lost my mobility. Since then, I have to use a walker constantly for movement. I had to adjust my academic and other extracurricular activities amid such medication conditions and frequent interruptions where each surgery would take away months of my life, let alone the social negativity regarding disability. This encouraged me to explore optimistic nihilism -- through which I found the meaning of my life. I restarted my life with a sole purpose: making an impact in the lives of the underprivileged and disadvantaged."

His family was his biggest support. Unlike most Bangladeshi parents they were very supportive of his decisions. He gave a huge shoutout to his both sisters and cited his mother as his biggest inspiration. Achievements are the results of setting a goal, creating a plan and accomplishing that plan. Shihab with his endurance and persistence has paved the way for young generations to go beyond limits and achieve milestones.

The writer is studying undergrad at Department of Marketing, Dhaka University. [email protected]