Washington University

Pre-Med

12 Years at CSG

Laying the foundation for success

From the beginning of my journey at CSG as a first grader to days before I walked the red carpet at graduation, my teachers encouraged me to speak my mind, and to never be afraid to be inquisitive. I was never told to forget an idea, or discouraged from pursuing my interests. From my elementary math classes, through my middle school history classes, all the way to my upper school AP classes - I owe my ability to discuss and challenge ideas, as well as my self-confidence, to my teachers at CSG. CSG provided a safe place for my classmates and I to challenge each other’s beliefs and taught us to remain cognizant and respectful of the differences in our experiences. CSG taught me to learn from my mistakes instead of hiding from them and to be the best that I can be, in and out of the classroom.

Beyond the Classroom

The supportive environment at CSG allowed me to pursue my extracurricular interests. I was a member of both the Choir and Orchestra throughout middle school, while participating in Lego League, the middle school robotics team. These activities challenged me and gave me opportunities to perform in numerous recitals, in front of judges, and even compete at state levels. In upper school, I continued my music interests through the Orchestra and the Select Orchestra. In addition, I played for the Varsity Golf team all four years, and was able to serve as captain for my final two years. During my junior year, I was able to travel to Israel for two weeks to volunteer at the Children’s Village, a government-funded community that cares for children with parents who suffer from alcohol and drug abuse. CSG offered me a plethora of incredible opportunities that fostered my teamwork and leadership abilities and helped me grow into the person I am today.

Meaningful Accomplishments

From the time I began my education at CSG, academics was my primary focus; but over the years I learned that I could balance school with extra-curriculars and my other interests. During my eighth grade year, our middle school robotics team left our regional tournament with a Champions award and represented our district as one of the only all-girl teams competing in the Ohio State Lego League tournament. We ultimately won a Teamwork Award. Even as a freshman on the Upper School Golf team, I was able to accompany my teammates to the district and state levels of competition. For the next three years, as a team or individually we maintained our presence at that competition level. Academically, throughout my four years of upper school, I was awarded First Honors, two AP Scholar awards, and I graduated Cum Laude.

Finding a College Home

At the beginning of the college process, I was overwhelmed by questions about my test scores, interviews, and my résumé that could only be answered with the help of the College Counseling Office. I worked closely with my college counselor beginning junior year to create a list of colleges that I would visit and research more during the summer. Applying to WashU was somewhat of a last-minute decision for me, but because I was applying to twelve schools, all with superb undergraduate pre-med programs, I figured WashU could be a possibility. When I was accepted to WashU in the spring, I visited during an accepted students’ weekend, and realized it was a great fit for me, in terms of academics, location, and student culture. The college counseling process was a great guide and helped me to identify a perfect place for me to continue studying and interacting with such amazing, driven young people - similar to each of my CSG classmates.

Future Plans

Currently, at WashU, I am studying to major in Biochemistry or Chemistry and minoring in Anthropology and Global Health, while following the pre-med track. WashU’s core academic requirements push me to balance my intense science classes with other history or music classes, which makes it easier to avoid the sometimes overwhelming and very demanding pre-med courses. In addition, WashU’s commitment to groundbreaking research makes it easy for me, as an undergraduate, to participate in medical research alongside some of the country’s top researchers. After my undergraduate education, I plan to attend medical school and continue to study to become a physician.