Isabel's and Mariana's Ivy League Trip & COSMOS

From Isabel and Mariana

Hi, everyone!

This year, we were fortunate enough to be accepted into the Watsonville Ivy League Project  (WILP), a prestigious program that helps high achieving students explore and visit Ivy League Universities, so that we may apply to them in our senior year. During the visit to Ivy League institutions, WILP students will meet with some college and university Deans, learn about their academic programs, their admissions processes, and gain a better feel of campus culture.

This year's group has already begun to meet monthly on the weekends to build a community and develop fundraising ideas. As time passes, we will continue to grow a network of WILP alumni who give back to the Watsonville community. It’s fascinating to be in a group of like-minded people who are all climbing the same staircase towards excellence.

 

However, in order to participate in WILP and visit these distinguished campuses on the East Coast, we need your help to raise $3,000 each (for a total of $6,000).

 

ABOUT WILP APPLICATION PROCESS

We were two of 15 students who were selected for this year's 2022 program. Only students with at least 3.75 GPA were recruited to apply from the 10th and 11th grade levels from Watsonville High School and Pajaro Valley High School, both of which are under resourced schools. It was a rigorous process to be admitted into WILP, which was similar to applying to college. We filled out an application, wrote a personal essay, solicited teacher/professor recommendations, and interviewed with a selection committee. It was a nerve-wracking and challenging process.

 

ABOUT WILP’S SUCCESS

Of the 116 WILP past participants, 15 of them are attending or have attended Ivy League schools which is a 13.8% admit rate (Source: WILP Advising Team as of 2019). In comparison, the general admit rate for any of the Ivy League schools as of Fall 2021 averages 8.1 %, with ranges between 6 to 12 percent. (Source: https://www.ivycoach.com/2021-ivy-league-admissions-statistics/). So, being in WILP has certainly helped past participants in getting into a prestigious university.

 

ACADEMIC AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

We were led to WILP by our dedication to academic excellence and extracurricular activities. We both have a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 4.6 weighted GPA and have excelled in a number of areas.

We have won many awards at the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) competitions in middle school -- at both the regional and the State competitions. We also received an award from the California Invention Convention. 

In Summer of 2022, we will participate in the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science, also referred to as "COSMOS", which has a general admission rate of 20% and an application process similar to WILP. We will participate in the Introduction to Astrophysics Cluster within COSMOS, which individually had an admit rate of 6%. In the past summers, we have participated in programs with Monterey Bay Aquarium Young Women in Science, Cyber Camps, UCSC Girls in Engineering, and Baskin Girls in Engineering at Cabrillo College to name a few. 

 

We have also been involved in several athletic activities, clubs and done volunteer work. We have participated in the She is Beautiful 5K race for 8 years now. In our freshman year, we participated in soccer and College & Career club. In our sophomore year, we participated in golf, soccer, Film & Book club, and College & Career club. We have been constantly involved in community services by helping the Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services (FWPCS) with their fundraisers for several years now. FWPCS is a non-profit whose primary goal is to raise money for scholarships for youth in order for them to participate in sponsored activities by the Parks and Recreation Program from the City of Watsonville.

 

With our academic background and extracurricular activities, we’ve developed the dedication and self-motivation that will benefit our application process to Ivy League universities. But we still need your help. Here is the cost breakdown for how your donation will be used:

 

$650 = Airfare

$650 = Ground Transportation

$650 = Lodging for 10 days

$650 = Food for 10 days

$250 = Broadway show and Museums

$150 = Personal expenses

COSMOS
COSMOS is a four-week residential program for talented and motivated students completing grades 8-12.  Students work side-by-side with outstanding university researchers and faculty exploring advanced topics that extend beyond the typical high school curriculum. COSMOS courses are hands-on and lab intensive emphasizing current research underway at the  University of California at Davis.

In-State Tuition Fee = $4,550

Even though we’ve done everything we can so far in academics and extracurricular activities, participating in WILP will be the next step in helping us prepare for applying to prestigious universities. We would truly appreciate your contribution to a worthwhile program that will benefit us both academically and personally. If you can’t donate, I understand but please spread the word and encourage others to donate.

 

Thank you,

Isabel and Mariana Lobato Vicencio