At the end of my junior year, college applications were heavy on my mind. To learn more about the college applications system, I reached out to Hagerty alumni who attend Ivy League universities to document their high school experiences and compare Ivy League stereotypes to their real-life experiences. Finding these students was proven more difficult than writing the actual story. Working with administration to go through school records and hours of social media searching led me to find the alumni featured in the story. This story opened my mindset on the college applications process and debunked somewhat daunting thoughts I had about Ivy League schools. Through this, I learned about what universities look for in applicants, making for a great story, and application advice (see you next year, Columbia!)