My journey to SAS was quite common. I came from a small school nestled into a corner of Little Havana, where all my teachers warned me that SAS was going to be difficult, that I would hate it, and that I would be treated as “just a number.” If comments like these are the only things holding you back from coming to SAS, do what I did: prove them wrong.
Yes, SAS classes are challenging, and you will have to learn to manage your time between college and AP classes while still having time for fun. However, I found that I spent more time laughing with my friends than I did before. With the freedom to choose my own schedule during college hours, I was able to make time to eat lunch with my friends and study for exams. There is also a benefit to going to school in the middle of Downtown: the food. SAS gave me the freedom to spend my two years trying out new places to eat and even getting free fries at McDonald’s (The McDonald’s app is essential at Wolfson).
Apart from the freedom I had, I also got to meet a group of brilliant and amazing friends and teachers who quickly became my second family. My friends have been the most supportive group of people I could have ever asked for. Only at SAS will your friends go to Publix in the middle of the day to buy you a cake for your birthday. Most importantly, everyone is always willing to help. Around every corner, someone was willing to help me with my physics homework, proofread my personal statement, or tell me about amazing opportunities. Aside from my friends, I am always excited to go to school every morning and be greeted by an amazing group of teachers. SAS is the only place where you will have a counselor who truly cares about you and is always willing to help you reach your goals, a history teacher who goes all out to teach the French and Indian War and will cheer for you on December 17th when you call him because you got into MIT (he also does a really good Gru impersonation), an English teacher who will be willing to read your college essays and help you become an excellent writer, and a math teacher with an impeccable taste in math shirts and sneakers. These teachers, along with the amazing staff, make SAS a home full of compassion and excitement.
Lastly, without SAS, I would not be where I am today, graduating high school a year early and leaving for MIT to study mechanical engineering next month. SAS helped me find opportunities such as MITES, HSF’s Youth Leadership Institute, and WISE (MIT’s fly-in program), all of which improved my odds of getting into MIT. Apart from the academic rigor and networking opportunities that SAS is known for, it also helped me discover who I want to become. SAS showed me that I am someone who is willing to rise to the challenge of helping others and inspiring them to become the best versions of themselves. It taught me that I can stand in front of a room of 50 students and tutor them for the PSAT math section or teach them about the FAFSA and financial aid process. It taught me that I could run a talent show (and move a grand piano on my own) and that I could interview a Disney Imagineer. Most importantly, SAS has given me the confidence to strive at the top engineering university in the country, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
Vivian Bofill
School for Advanced Studies Wolfson Campus, Class of 2023
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Class of 2027
