By the Numbers
30
Colleges applied to
$0
Spent on fees
ED2
WashU decision type
About This Page
These are all of the resources I made when applying to college. I applied to a total of 30 colleges — and every single one was free thanks to fee waivers. Feel free to explore and take inspiration from any of them.
I ended up getting into Washington University in St. Louis through Early Decision 2, which is binding — meaning I committed to attend once accepted.
I ended up getting into Washington University in St. Louis through Early Decision 2, which is binding — meaning I committed to attend once accepted.
Resources
Real documents I used — open to everyone.
WashU Accepted Profile
My full admissions profile — the exact application that got me in ED2.
Application Spreadsheet
My real-time organizer tracking all 30 colleges — deadlines, requirements, status.
Writing Masterkey
Every essay I wrote for every school. Most written in just a few days.
Words of Advice
Tips I heard that actually helped. Feel free to listen — or not. It's up to you.
1
Get fee waivers. Apply for free.
All 30 of the schools I applied to were completely free. Fee waivers are widely available, be it through CommonApp, QuestBridge, school counselors, and more. There's no reason to pay to apply.
2
Be niche. Be yourself.
No one likes a basic, run-of-the-mill applicant. Admissions officers read thousands of essays. The ones that stand out are specific, personal, and genuine, not the ones that sound impressive.
3
Use Early Decision strategically.
If you want to get into a top school and prestige matters to you, ED gives you a real boost. But it's binding, so only go ED if you've done your research and you're genuinely committed to that school.
4
Don't limit yourself.
Apply to as many schools as you want. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. With fee waivers, there's nothing stopping you from casting a wide net.
5
Have fun with it.
Applying to college gets boring and tedious when you aren't obsessed with the process. If you can find something exciting about it — the research, the writing, the strategy — it becomes a lot more bearable.
Education
W
Washington University in St. Louis
B.S. Computer Science & Finance · Joint BUCS Program
Aug 2026 – May 2030 · Early Decision 2
Admitted ED2. Top-20 university nationally.
HS
Public High School
Rock Hill, South Carolina
2022 – 2026
Applied to 30 schools independently, secured fee waivers for all of them, and committed to WashU ED2.