The darkness shrouds me like a thick blanket, but I feel anything but safe. The lights are off backstage and although I cannot see anything, I feel every emotion in the world. I should be ecstatic to be the soloist for the choral program, yet why would I rather be anywhere else right now. I shake this off and turn to reciting the words over and over again in my head. The applause from the crowd snaps through my thoughts...

Apply to less schools than the 19 I applied to....

I chose teachers in whose class I improved the...

Stanford is the most welcoming place...

They helped me reach out to alums...