Narrative Essay On Becoming An Immigrant

Great Essays
Narrative Essay It was at the beginning of my senior year when my counselor started urging my senior class to start thinking about what universities we wanted to apply to. At the time, I did not know which universities I wanted to apply to or what were the differences between a Cal State, a UC, and a Private University. I did not even know about financial aid. I just knew that I wanted to be the first in my family to attend a University and get a degree. Coming from an undocumented family, receiving a degree was proof that my parents’ sacrifice to give my brothers and me a chance for a better future was not in vain. Sitting in the computer lab, nervous about applying to universities, I waited patiently for my counselor, Ms. Brewer, to begin the workshop. I opened the Internet browser as I carefully followed Ms. Brewer’s directions of how to get to the webpage where we had to fill out our personal information and choose the four Cal States we wanted to apply to. I started to wonder off a bit while I explored the twenty-three options I had to choose from. “Wow Cal State San Diego sounds cool, …show more content…
As if I had failed at something. “Why do I have to be an immigrant?” I thought to myself. At the moment, all I could think of was that the Universities would reject me because I was an immigrant. “You’re so lucky,” I told my best friend with a low voice. She replied with confusion, “Why?” “Because you are automatically accepted into universities since you’re a U.S. Citizen,” I replied. That was exactly what I thought. I though that U.S. Citizens were automatically admitted into the universities regardless of their grades. This was the moment where I felt like an outcast. Why did I have to be different? Why couldn’t I be like my friends? It wasn’t my fault I was brought here when I was four! So many things were going through my head that I couldn’t focus on the application anymore. “What’s the point?” I kept asking

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Précis Frank Bruni’s article, “How to Survive the College Admissions Madness” (2015), criticizes American’s that emphasize that college is the most important and beneficial way to ensure a promising future. Bruni supports his position by referring to anecdotal stories of past experiences of college applicants, listing the qualifications of the applicants to make them relatable, and metaphorical comparisons to develop the author’s opinion. Bruni’s purpose is to admonish the concept of the college admission process measuring a person's worth in order to alleviate the disappointment students feel after rejection. Due to the author’s condescending tones this article is written to college bound students addressing the obsession to receive a…

    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In her article "To all the Girls I 've Rejected", Jenifer Delahunty Britz appeals to a broad audience primarily composed by current, future and pasted college students. Although not limited to these demographics, the article primarily aims to console people who have experienced a rejected application. In lieu of conversations about this very personal and sometimes troubling subject, Britz attempts to console and explain why these rejections happen so often to such great candidates. It 's clear that bias selection jeopardizes students during their application process.…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    College Overhaul

    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Throughout the article, he uses words such as, “talented,” “gifted, and “interesting” to describe the incoming students, while he describes the admission system as “broken” and employed with “often-dreaded” admission officers who lack the significant abilities incoming students have. Placing the students and admission system on opposite sides of the spectrum, heightens the importance of an admission reform at superior colleges. He continues to add to his emotional appeal by introducing a sensitive topic. Cole suggests filling diversity quotas for the school year inhibits the potential of many students to succeed in prestigious colleges. These students, who were the brightest minds of their class, were turned down in favor of more ordinary students who were from a substandard part of town, or of certain race, gender, or ethnicity.…

    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In America most people are composed of diverse nationalities. Each person has a story behind their eyes, such as how they got to the United States and where they came from. If someone were to guess my specific nationality based off my generic name and pale skin color, most likely the guess would be Irish or Norwegian. In reality, my nationality is from all over, my closest and most recent ancestor from Italy. America is a country entirely based off immigrants, which means everyone has a different origin and backstory.…

    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    I tried to tackle the college application process as honestly as I could. I knew I was not the smartest or the most talented applicant in a sea filled with thousands of application, but I knew I was unique. There was and still is only 1 me, Brian Bristol, on the entire planet. I used this knowledge to my advantage and did my best to convey my story to each college I applied to. Being transparent throughout the application process is underappreciated among high school students, and the fact that I was able to express myself was looked upon favorably by many colleges.…

    • 132 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Each college student knows what it is like to constantly worry whether or not the score on the ACT is high enough to get accepted into a school or if certain AP credits will transfer to the school of choice. It’s my junior year of high school, and I had just begun looking at colleges and universities I believed would suit me personally and educationally. Each school was severely critiqued on certain elements they had to offer, such as, majors/minors, clubs and organizations, pre-professional programs, and even extracurricular activities. This was going to be the place I would ultimately spend the next four years of my life, so I needed to make the perfect decision.…

    • 1138 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In their article, “Immigrants in Community Colleges”, Teranishi, Carola and Marcelo Suarez Orozco claim immigrants are becoming a larger percentage of the nation’s population and Community Colleges now serve as an opportunity for their higher education , reintegration while ensuring proper re-adaptation into society (Teranishi). Community Colleges are especially important due to the low cost and accommodating schedules for those who have families and those who work. They provide English as a Second Language courses and provide scholarship and financial aid opportunities for these classes (Teranishi). Community Colleges not only serve as a way to level the plain field for immigrants but also help with social integration with facilitated networking and social…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    After my long and tiresome journey to my long awaited paradise of America, I anticipated following the gold rush and providing for my family back in China. I hoped to find a better life in America. I ending up at the distant land of Angel Island or so I have been told of various other immigrants. As I arrived I was excited to advance from this point and adventure into the land called America, but I was told that I would not be allowed to enter. Due to the Chinese exclusion laws I am told that I cannot enter America.…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Being An Immigrant Essay

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages

    I could feel the heat raise to my head and the tears at the brim of my eyes almost ready to tumble down. I excused myself and walked out of the room. As a young child, my mom explained to me that I was going to face certain obstacles because I wasn't born in the United States. Coming from a family of five children, Me being the oldest, I have seen how my parents have worked their entire lives to provide me and my sibling with the best they can.…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    I started as a Direct care worker of 26 boys (13-17 yr. old) a week later I became the lead. Two weeks later I was hired as the Math, ESL and Art teacher. I taught Mathematics, Art. We had almost 2000 boys attending school, my regular class had 52 to 75 students per class.…

    • 136 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Growing up in a family with immigrant parents was not easy. Watching my parents freeze up every time a police officer pulled up next to them was anything but pleasurable. It was an anxiety felt by the whole family not just my parents. My parents, brother, and I endured many of these times throughout the years I’ve been growing up. Even though these were unfortunate moments, we all learned positive things from them.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To (All) the Colleges that Rejected Me In her Op-Ed, “To (All) the Colleges That Rejected Me”, Suzy Lee Weiss argues that colleges lie to applicants with the line: “Just be yourself,” when in reality, they only accept a specific kind of student. Weiss’s argument is weak however, as Weiss fails to use any logos to back up her claim and instead comes off as a close-minded, slightly racist and homophobic privileged teenager simply ranting about not getting in, whom is not the type of student elite colleges seek to accept. Though her argument is weak, Weiss starts off her Op-Ed well, stating in the first sentence: “Like me, millions of high-schoolers… are asking themselves this week how they failed to get into the colleges of their dreams.”…

    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When I was smaller I’ve always questioned what the American dream is all about. I was told that the American dream is an opportunity to have a better a life and an enhanced education. To my surprise, I wasn’t aware that I will encounter that dream. The process of my aunt trying to get my mom and her family to the United States. Migrating to America was one of the most important event in my life.…

    • 1197 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Journey Of An Immigrant We all have a common goal in life to better ourselves and progress not to stay stuck in the same place for the rest of your life to have a future. In Mexico is hard to progress when you come from a small house with 6 siblings and a poor upbringing with an alcoholic and abusive mom while dad does everything to feed 8 kids - this why I took to journey to America. He was the youngest out the six his older brother in America doing great his house and a car with money that is all he taught during his childhood. So right After high school with the money he had been saving he bought a coyote august 10 he had to say goodbye to the little ranch that shaped who he has and to his family and friends leaving everything behind…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Asher mentioned, “If you don't fit in, you can apply for Elsewhere, and be released” (Lowry 46). In this community, people do not care about people being unique and different…

    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays