Teen Who Lost Home in Hurricane Sandy Accepted to 7 Ivy League Schools

[Janelle2002 3,865]

After a tumultuous high school experience, Long Island senior Daria Rose has a bright future ahead of her: The 18-year-old applied to seven Ivy League colleges and has been accepted to each one of them.

But when Rose was a sophomore, her world turned completely upside down.

Hurricane Sandy hit in October 2012, forcing her family to evacuate their beloved home in Baldwin. The house was then completely destroyed by fire.

After the storm, Rose's family lived in several hotels as well as her grandmother's house.

She said the moves made finishing school work extremely difficult.

"It was hard because it's really unpredictable when you don't have a stable place to live," she told ABC News today. "[You] don't know if you're moving here next, or there."

Rose said she lost all of her belongings in the fire, including clothes, furniture, makeup, jewelry and pictures.

"My mom and my dad and my family, they made me realize what was important," she said. "Stuff is just stuff. What is important is your health, education, your family."

After about a year and a half, they finally moved into a new house in Baldwin.

For a college application essay, Rose wrote about her Hurricane Sandy experience.

"It talks about the storm, but the focus is how reading helped me cope," she said. "I was living in these small spaces but in my head I was able to escape ... find myself in a literary world."

When it came to college preferences, Rose said she had always leaned towards Yale.

"I've always known I wanted to go to Yale," she said. "But junior year I started looking at all my options and I realized how many great schools there were out there."

She decided to apply to seven of the eight Ivy League colleges, and on March 31, all the schools posted their decisions online.

"I went home and checked Harvard first, and then Princeton, and then Brown ... and as they kept coming in I was just astonished. I couldn't even breathe," Rose said. "It was an amazing moment."

"I couldn't believe it," she added. "I thought I'd get in maybe one or two."

And now Rose has a big decision ahead of her. While she's always loved Yale's environment, Rose says she's also very interested in Harvard and Princeton. This week she'll have her last two college visits at Yale and Harvard.

"They're all such great schools," she said. "[i'll] try to see where I'll fit in the best."

Wherever Rose ends up, she says she plans to study political science and Russian literature.

She has until May 1 to decide.

https://gma.yahoo.com/teen-lost-home-hurricane-sandy-accepted-7-ivy-235402891--abc-news-topstories.html

[TBoneTX 43,022]

We need more stories like this.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

We need more stories like this.

I agree. She must be super excited. I'm excited for her.

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

There was a 17 year old Nigerian immigrant on NPR this morning that applied to 13 universities (including all eight IVY leagues) and was accepted to all 13..

http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/04/pf/college/immigrant-accepted-all-ivy-league-schools-harold-ekeh/

[Janelle2002 3,865]

There was a 17 year old Nigerian immigrant on NPR this morning that applied to 13 universities (including all eight IVY leagues) and was accepted to all 13..

http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/04/pf/college/immigrant-accepted-all-ivy-league-schools-harold-ekeh/

That's pretty awesome. I hope they giving them scholarships too.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

That's an incredible feat. I wish this young lady nothing but the best...

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

That's pretty awesome. I hope they giving them scholarships too.

He scored 2270 on the SAT so probably a given Checking: Looks like all the offers from the big schools were for full scholarships (probably full ride: tuition plus room/board). Appears that he is leaning towards Yale.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Families that make less than $65k per year are not expected to make any financial contribution to a Yale student's education. Between $65k and $200k, parents pay on a sliding scale of 1%-20% of income. Yale is, amazingly, one of the most affordable universities out there for low and middle income students. I understand Harvard and Princeton have similar policies.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Families that make less than $65k per year are not expected to make any financial contribution to a Yale student's education. Between $65k and $200k, parents pay on a sliding scale of 1%-20% of income. Yale is, amazingly, one of the most affordable universities out there for low and middle income students. I understand Harvard and Princeton have similar policies.

That's a pretty good policy. I did not know this. When people speak of these universities they always speak of how unaffordable they are.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

That's a pretty good policy. I did not know this. When people speak of these universities they always speak of how unaffordable they are.

Many private universities are unaffordable to the average middle class family. It's the ones with large and well-managed endowments (like Yale, Harvard, etc.) that can offer generous packages. And their generosity is not really as well-known as it should be. Yale has a very strong service ethic that extends to ensuring that those who would be excluded only because of finances can consider attending without the spectre of money looming over their decisions.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Families that make less than $65k per year are not expected to make any financial contribution to a Yale student's education. Between $65k and $200k, parents pay on a sliding scale of 1%-20% of income. Yale is, amazingly, one of the most affordable universities out there for low and middle income students. I understand Harvard and Princeton have similar policies.

Sounds like socialism.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Sounds like socialism.

That's champagne socialism, buddy.