Editor’s note: Every year, some DHS seniors are accepted by prestigious Ivy League colleges. This year four seniors accepted offers from Cornell, UPenn, and Yale. We asked the students for their reactions.

Madison Albano

Name of school: Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences

Located: Ithaca, N.Y.

Enrollment/acceptance rate: 21,000 / 17 percent

Major: English and History

Why did you choose this school? “I applied to this school because I fell in love with the campus, the student body, and the courses offered. I visited the school, and really felt comforted by the serene atmosphere. All the students I met were passionate and humble, neither competitive nor snobbish. The vast amount of classes the school offers was also exciting because I felt as though my academic interests would never be limited.”

Did you apply to any other Ivies? If so, did you get accepted? “No, I applied Early Decision, so it was the only school I applied to.”

What does it mean to you to be accepted by such a prestigious school? “Prestige and name-recognition aren’t really something I value. I’m just really happy that I will be able to further pursue my academic interests at a college.”

Was this always a goal for you? Why? “No, I didn’t really think about college until the fall of my senior year of high school because it made me nervous to think about. Anyways, I think to make getting into a prestigious school one’s only goal is a bit reductive. High school students should focus on their passions, their interests, and not worry so much about grades, or SAT scores, or impressing admissions officers with bland extracurriculars. Perhaps it’s cheesy, but I believe that pursuing the things you love is most fulfilling, and can often be rewarding.”

Monique Delima

Name of school? University of Pennsylvania

Major? Nursing

Located: Philadelphia

Enrollment/acceptance rate: 26,000 / 13 percent

Why did you choose this school? “Penn is ranked #1 in the world for nursing and since my intentions are to pursue nursing I figured this would be as “reach” as it gets. There are also endless opportunities and connections that come with it, especially for healthcare”

Did you apply to any other Ivies? If so, did you get accepted? “Penn is the only ivy with nursing as an undergraduate major so it was the only one I applied to.”

What does it mean to you to be accepted by such a prestigious school? “Most of my extended family, and none of my immediate family finished or even went to high school so to be accepted to one of the top schools in the country means I can continue to make my parents proud of me and experience opportunities they weren’t able to take advantage of. It also feels really satisfying to be able to know that my hard work in high school paid off.”

Was this always a goal for you? Why? “Not at all, I totally disregarded Penn when I was thinking realistically of what school I would attend. I never even called it my top choice until I received my “likely” letter and realized it was an extremely real possibility. College was the goal for me and to end up enrolled at an ivy league is more than a dream come true because I never thought it’d happen.”

Joy Hendrix

Name of school? Cornell University, College of Engineering

Major? Materials Science and Engineering

Located: Ithaca, N.Y.

Enrollment/acceptance rate: 21,000 / 17 percent

Why did you choose this school? “Of the schools I liked best, it has a great atmosphere, lots of flexibility in terms of classes and major, and a ton of opportunities for co-ops, internships, and research with professors. There is also a really good network of alumni.”

Did you apply to any other Ivies? If so, did you get accepted? “I also applied to Columbia but got waitlisted. I wasn’t too disappointed, as it wasn’t one of my top schools, and I would rather not live in the city.”

What does it mean to you to be accepted by such a prestigious school? “I never really thought about it like that. Even after I got into Cornell, I spent a lot of time deliberating between that and my two other top schools, McGill University in Montreal and Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. Neither of those are Ivies and McGill is a public school, but the title of “Ivy League” didn’t do much to put Cornell ahead of the others. It was a great honor to be accepted into all of the schools that I got into, despite the fact that only one was an Ivy.”

Was this always a goal for you? Why? “Cornell was honestly not my top school during most of high school. I really wanted to go to McGill for a few years, but after visiting everywhere multiple times, I decided that Cornell was the best fit. I tried not to focus too much on college while I was in high school because it never made much sense to me to invest so much time into the future when there was so much to do with the present. Most of the extracurriculars and coursework that I did in high school were because I liked them and thought that they were fun, not to fulfill a checkbox marked off by a stranger in an admissions office. That being said, I’m really happy about where I ended up, and I’m excited about what the future holds.”

Linda Thach

Name of school? Yale University

Major? Biomedical Engineering / Pre-Medicine

Located: New Haven

Enrollment/acceptance rate: 13,000 / 7 percent

Why did you choose this school? “I chose Yale because of the different opportunities it offers. From countless student organizations, cutting-edge research labs, study abroad abilities, an invigorating student and staff environment, unparalleled internship opportunities, and a supportive residential college system, this school embodies all that I seek in a university. Having parents that do not speak English well and constantly require translation, I did not want to be too far away from home as well. “

Did you apply to any other Ivies? If so, did you get accepted? “I applied to Harvard University and was waitlisted.”

What does it mean to you to be accepted by such a prestigious school? “Being accepted to Yale humbles me and reminds me that my long nights studying, dozens of essay drafting, and consistent hard work was worthwhile. I owe my successful application to my teachers, counselor, advisors, friends, and family for unconditionally supporting me through the rollercoaster of high school and college applications.”

Was this always a goal for you? Why? “Attending Yale University was not my goal. I knew my family could not afford a private university education nor did I think I was qualified against all the amazing applicants in the world. Attending Yale was an inside joke with my friends and family, and I thought about the possibilities of being accepted to Yale a few times. However, I remained realistic with my goals to avoid harsh disappointment.”