Accepted To 5 Ivy League Schools, HS Senior Has A Decision Ahead

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A New Rochelle High School senior has a big decision to make after earning admission at 17 colleges.

Rachel Rivera might be spoiled for choice. Among the 17 schools that sent her letters of acceptance in recent weeks were five Ivy League schools, including Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania and Yale. Rounding out the impressive collection of college acceptance letters, she also learned recently that she earned a place at Stanford University.

Rivera plans to study cellular molecular biology in the fall.

Although she says she has narrowed the decision about where she will study down to her top three choices, Rivera says she will wait until she has a few more campus visits before committing to one school. She says faculty experience in her chosen field and research opportunities will be deciding factors in where she continues her education.

Rivera has one other slightly less academic concern in mind as well.

"I think the student body is important," Rivera told Patch on Wednesday. "As a first-generation college student, it's important to me that the experience is rewarding as well as academically enriching."

Rivera is a member of the high school’s much lauded Science Research Program. She credits the program with inspiring her to co-found the New Rochelle Unite in Science Explored (NR-USE) initiative, a program that facilitates the mentoring of younger students in the school system in the sciences.

SEE ALSO: NRHS: Record Number Of Finalists To Regeneron ISEF Competition

She says her work with younger students through the NR-USE program that she helped to start is among her proudest accomplishments. Rivera is credited with inspiring middle schoolers to do scientific research and even helped to create a special science fair for the budding scientists.

Rivera noted that she highlighted both her experience with the New Rochelle HS Science Research Program and NR-USE in her highly successful college application and interview process.

"Bringing diversity and more women to the sciences, in fields traditionally dominated by men is something I want to help grow," Rivera said. "I want to see more opportunities in STEM for more students from different backgrounds and experiences."

SEE ALSO: Bee Plus: NRHS Senior's Research Creating A Buzz