Ashley Why
Columbia University • N/A • Class of 2022
Key Activities
Figure Skating
Competitive figure skater, US gold medalist status, competed nationally, injury led to focus shift which benefited college admissions
Journalism
Participated all four years, took advanced journalism, won numerous individual and publication awards including California News Publisher Association awards and Columbia Scholastic Press Association awards, co-hosted podcast
Creative Writing
Attended Kenyon Young Writers Program and Foragers program in Portland, Oregon
Scholastic Writing Awards
Won two national Scholastic medals: one for flash fiction and another for portfolio of writing and journalistic work
New York Times Contest
Runner-up, highlighted on college applications
Dance
Loosely involved
Tutoring
Community involvement
Volunteering
Community service
Piano Teaching
Music instruction
Scholarships & Awards Received
Advanced Courses
Advanced Placement (AP)
Other Advanced Courses
Notes on Application
Applied early decision to Columbia University as dream school rather than applying to multiple universities
External factors beyond individual control influence admissions (socioeconomic background, access to resources)
Her large public high school typically sends only 5 students to top 10 universities out of 500 graduates
Acknowledges significant support system: financial resources for SAT prep, extracurriculars, highly educated parents
Focusing on overall profile of university incoming class more helpful than individual statistics
YouTube Channel
Ashley Why
YouTube Channel
Follow Ashley's journey and get insights into their college experience and application process.
Visit ChannelQuick Stats
Save to Dashboard
Save this profile to reference later and compare with other admits.
Was this helpful?
Rate this profile to help other students find the most useful information.