Hey, there! Meet Kristian, a rising Harvard sophomore joint concentrating in Theatre, Dance, & Media and African American studies. We begin with a tea talk about Disney and some rapid fire questions revolving around routines, life lessons, and public messages. Then, we break down Kristian’s application process: ACTs, GPA, class rank, ECs, essays, standing out, and some advice— but she also reflects on the pressure in retrospect and puts these factors into perspective. Next, Kristian answers questions about life in Harvard: what it’s really like, academics, COVID, adjusting and surprises. Afterward, Kristian shows us how Harvard has become her home, and how she fits in with the Black community and YouTube. Lastly, Kristian asked me what I’m interested in, shared her recommendations and told us where to find her online. Thanks for joining us! FOLLOW THE PODCAST’S INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/theasteapodcast?igshid=r04b2760fkdlCONTACT ME THROUGH: [email protected] (for business inquiries, sponsorships or to tell me what you think about this podcast!)SEND ME A VOICE MESSAGE: https://anchor.fm/th351a-beaury/messageCHECK OUT THE DESIGNERS OF MY COVER ART: https://instagram.com/sofiarrublacreative?igshid=1xtsd1w69zkklhttps://instagram.com/cuerpobaldio?igshid=1jq5cb59nm2zListen to my other podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3RhYyCBLVwBuNimne4zVCO?si=AG_LzDsuQdqBYedSmFOkfQFollow my TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJwKjr2L/ START YOUR PODCAST NOW BY HEADING TO anchor.fmGET IN TOUCH WITH KRISTIAN:Instagram: @kristianarnell https://instagram.com/kristianarnell?utm_medium=copy_linkYouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCupm4dEz8j3r6qJKuCdsKHwTwitter: @kristianarnell https://twitter.com/kristianarnell?s=21CHECK OUT THE THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE):Ron Brown Guided Pathway Support Program (GPS): WelcomeEssence & Ulta Beauty Girls United: https://www.essence.com/beautifulpossibilities/Annenberg Dining HallClass: The power and relevance of the American musical taught by Diane Paulus & Ryan McKittrick American Repertory Theatre (ART): https://americanrepertorytheater.orgThe Handmaid’s Tale Cool SummerAmerican Horror Story HERE ARE SOME QUOTES I LIKED FROM THIS WEEK’S EPISODE:“Stay true to who you are, know yourself, and don’t let people sway that”“In your gut you know if something is good or bad, and growth will always feel good” “Take a deep breath and calm down”“Your test scores don’t define your intelligence, and they shouldn’t determine whether or not you get into a school”“Test taking and actual school are so different”“You want to get a good score, but if you don’t, that doesn’t invalidate you”“This score helped me get here but it doesn’t define who I am”“Don’t do something just for a college application”“All my ECs show different sides of me”“I grouped things together to narrow them down in terms of ECs”“What type of person do I want to be in college?”“You gotta gas up the most unique parts of your application”“Spread your ECs evenly and make them represent the time you put into them and how important they were to you” “I think essays are way more important than test scores because they represent the human part of your application”“Do your research! Get yourself as familiar with the process as you can!”“Just write it: figure out how you want to tell your story”“Once you write a good essay, it’s easier to do more” “You can’t put all of who you are on one essay; focus on one or two things at a time”“Take every opportunity you have to show who you are”“Be yourself! Be quirky, be weird, be funny!”“Wherever you go you’re going to flourish and thrive”“Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to get into a certain school”“It can only go up from here”“For me, it’s not about balance, but prioritisation”“...Prioritising instead of trying to do it all” “The Harvard black community is a family”Thanks for tuning in, have a beautiful week!