Being accepted to Oxford College of Emory University has been the most grateful academic moment of my life, as my grades and dedication as a student prior to college had not been on a par with the standard of then-seventeenth-ranked university in America. My grandfather received his honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Emory University in 1983, uncle attended Oxford College, and brother graduated from Oxford College in 2007 and Emory College of Arts and Sciences in 2011. My father was also granted a full-tuition scholarship here but could not take the offer due to Korea’s refusal to print him a passport or a student visa at the time. My brother currently works at the university’s Office of International Affairs as the program coordinator. Emory University and my family have shared a distinct history and bond for decades, and my desire to continue this legacy added more pressure to this application process. Dr. James T. Laney, former president of Emory University and ambassador to South Korea, had maintained a friendship with my grandfather and kept close attention to my family. Thus, when my time to apply to college approached, Dr. Laney quietly kept his eye on me. Though my family never asked him for a favor, he saw potential in me, and for certain his influence increased my chances. Obtaining the acceptance news, I burst into tears of joy, commanding myself to prioritize academics over any other matter but God from that point forward.

First two years of college

The first semester, predictably, did not unfold as smoothly as I had hoped. I made the honor roll in high school only one trimester, and making a vast transition from this minor accolade to surviving at one of the world’s most academically renowned universities intimidated me. To make the matter worse, I inadvertently enrolled in some of the most difficult and irrelevant classes, one of which I had to withdraw from, to commence college. Minutes after receiving my first grade point average (GPA) of 2.473, I began to fret if I could even graduate from Oxford College and successfully move on to main campus, Emory College. Each time I faced academic adversity, however, I thought of Dr. Laney’s grace, which gave me courage and determination to persevere. Albeit not drastically, my GPA consistently improved each semester: to a 2.956, to a 3.011, to a 3.520. I completed my general education requirements at Oxford College with a 3.059, along with two consecutive Merit List prizes for the semester GPA of 3.0 or higher and the music award, solid job putting my far less competitive yet lower middle and high-school grades into perspective.

Final two years of college

A Korean citizen, prior to making the transition to Emory College, I decided to fulfill my compulsory two-year military duty with the country. I kept this gradual academic progress in mind, and throughout the couple of years in service, I set two daunting goals for my return: receive a 4.0 and get on the Dean’s List, awarded to the top twenty percent of all college students enrolled by semester GPA. (Bear in mind I declared a major in English literature before joining the army and had barely spoken the language in over two years.) I contacted my professors for the first semester back before the return and asked for the list of books on which they would be focusing. I read and summarized most on the list, and, although I anticipated rust, I was content knowing I had done all in my control to prepare for the new chapter of my life.

I do not care about being the best in the world; I care about being the best that I can be. As long as I have given my all, the result does not matter. Aware of the difficulty of getting back on track, I used my energy and concentration solely on academics. For the entire junior year, I relinquished social life and did not spend even a single weekend or holiday studying less than three hours outside class. Consequently, with the help of my best friend as my personal writing tutor and motivation, I felt no sign of rust but rather instantly catapulted to the pinnacle. Including the six-week British Studies Program in the summer of 2013, I concluded the two years at Emory College with four 4.0’s, four consecutive Dean’s List honors, and the Harry and Sue Rusche Scholarship, given to an outstanding rising-senior English major, added to my list of accomplishments. Not many international students choose the path of an English literature major because of the fear of the language being their secondary. Not only had I conquered my college career as a straight-A English major and music minor, but I had also received one of the most prestigious awards for English majors as a nonnative speaker at a school selected to be the best college for writers in 2011 and 2014 by USA Today College. Impossible is nothing.