Paula

When The Short List met Paula, she was at the top of her game academically. She had consistently earned high marks in every high school subject and on all of her standardized tests. Having lived in New York, New Mexico, Germany, and Spain, Paula has a world-wise perspective and speaks four languages fluently.

We had already worked with Paula’s older sister, but we quickly figured out there was nothing “cookie cutter” about Paula. She was on her own path, and her dream was clear and specific: She wanted to turn her love of math into a career on Wall Street.

Paula came to The Short List having identified 25 potential colleges but no top choice. The Short List worked with Paula to narrow down her list through research, college tours, and information sessions. She discovered the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at the University of Pennsylvania, an interdisciplinary course of study in business education, language training, and liberal arts. Paula’s enthusiasm for the program made it clear she had discovered both the perfect program for her and a clearer sense of direction.

The Short List worked with Paula to narrow down her list through research, college tours, and information sessions.

For her Personal Statement, Paula wanted to write about her love for the board game Monopoly. The first draft explained how Paula’s various strategies for playing the game had allowed her to remain the undefeated champion for years in her family, but the essay lacked a real sense of what Paula could offer to the Huntsman Program.
The Short List worked with Paula to use Monopoly as an extended metaphor for her life, comprising the many places she had lived, her fluency with languages, and her dreams of turning calculated risks into big Wall Street profits. Paula’s risky choice of an essay topic paid off. She will join the class of 2015 in the Huntsman Program.