The Sanchez twins defied the odds as they both secured scholarships to prestigious universities earlier this year, proving that hard work and determination can lead to high success after high school. Next year, senior twins Anahi and Natalie Sanchez, will be attending Yale and Standard University, respectively.
Not only did the Sanchez sisters get accepted into these prestigious universities, but they were also provided with full-ride scholarships, which they obtained through a student college service, Questbridge. Through this service, the sisters ranked their top universities and “matched” with the school they were attending. Since they both “matched” with schools high on their lists, they are now mandated to attend said universities.
“Before submitting my application, I had to decide that I would be happy to attend any of the colleges I ranked because there was a chance that I would be legally bound to attend any of them. Since Yale accepted me and was the school highest in the ranking order I chose, I matched to Yale and am legally bound to attend it next year,” Anahi Sanchez said. “I also do not know whether the schools I ranked #3 – #13 accepted or rejected me, since I matched to my #2.”
With the “Match” scholarships that both sisters earned through Questbridge, not only are they both legally bound to their universities, but they also receive full-ride scholarships. The large scholarship covers all four years of tuition as well as additional expenses, which totals around $400,000 in coverage.
“The “Match” scholarship is a full-ride scholarship with no parent contribution that covers the cost of attendance, tuition and fees, housing and food and other expenses such as books and travel,” Natalie Sanchez said.
To be able to get into such prestigious universities, the Sanchez sisters have had to work incredibly hard throughout their high school careers. To do this, they have both kept high grades in all of their classes and joined a multitude of clubs and extracurricular activities, such as National Honor Society.
“One thing that stands out about both of them is their willingness to help out and participate above and beyond the minimum requirements of any organization to which they belong,” NHS sponsor Adrianne Wedel said. “I think that their commitment and genuine desire to help others and excel in school showed on their applications.”
Both sisters have had the desire to attend prestigious universities for many years, beginning to prepare for the college admissions process during their freshman year of high school. Additionally, Natalie Sanchez believes that one of the most important things to prepare for the admissions process is to understand what admissions officers are looking for.
“The primary thing I did to prepare for the college admission process was watching a lot of YouTube videos made by students who got into top-ranked schools and listening to podcasts featuring admissions officers,” Natalie Sanchez said. “Both of these things gave me deep insight into what colleges are looking for and how I should portray myself in applications.”
Though the thought of applying to a school with a low acceptance rate can be daunting, the sisters made it a point to never limit themselves. Anahi Sanchez didn’t think getting into such a prestigious school was possible, but she applied anyway and got in. Her most important advice to other students is to make sure that one doesn’t limit themselves.
“Please don’t stop yourself from applying to selective colleges because you don’t think that you will be accepted,” Anahi Sanchez said. “Of course, you don’t know that you will be accepted, but you also don’t know that you will be rejected. Don’t auto-reject yourself. I never would have thought that I would be accepted into Yale, but I applied anyway. The disappointment of rejection will be a lot easier to take than the regret of not applying.”
