Logging into her Yale student portal on Thursday, March 28, senior Zahra Bakrin ’24 had no idea her life was about to change. With nerves fluttering with anticipation, she pressed the dreadful status update button that would determine her fate, at least for the next four years. 

As confetti fell and a congratulatory video played, covering her screen, Zahra’s dreams became reality, solidifying her spot in Yale University’s Class of 2028. 

With an acceptance rate of five percent, according to the U.S. News & World Report, Yale boasts one of the most selective application processes in the country. Zahra said the narrative she developed for her application, which highlighted her passion and dedication, helped her fit this criteria.

“I think that maybe it wasn’t as much of the activities,” she said. “They showcased that I’m someone who’s interested in learning about how I can help people and actually putting in that work to help people.”

Specifically, her work at a local library displayed her dedication to providing educational resources to those who might not have access. 

“One of my favorite activities that I do is volunteering at the library,” Zahra said. “I feel like I’m helping the community in a very direct way, and I’m helping the community with something that I find really important, which is education.”

At Yale, Zahra will be double majoring in African Studies and Economics. She has different learning intentions for each major. 

“I just want to learn more about my people, especially because in school so far, even in World History, there’s not much focus on African countries,” Zahra said, “so I want to finally get the chance to do that.”

By pursuing a major in economics, she desires to step outside of her comfort zone and try new things for the benefit of others. 

“I’m doing economics because I want to learn how to help people in the best way possible,” Zahra said. “I’m not really into math, but I think it’s just going to have to be something that I push myself in because I know I’m interested in money and learning about how money can be used to help people and how it can restrict people’s actions as well.”

Zahra anticipates the transition from high school to college will give her more freedom because of Yale’s vast opportunities. 

“I think that I’ll feel more free to act the way I want to act, learn the things I want to learn, and do the things I want to do because there will be the resources to do so,” she said. “I just feel like the environment there will be more conducive to exploration.”

In particular, she hopes to learn more about getting involved in programs Yale has to offer and other recreational activities. 

“I think they have some cool programs where students would go to prisons, and they speak to incarcerated young people,” Zahra said. “I also really want to get into sports that I haven’t tried yet, such as volleyball, basketball, and tennis.” 

Zahra will begin her journey at Yale having gained valuable takeaways from her high school years. She said AP English Language and Composition teacher David Sieloff taught her important educational lessons that will be useful in the future. 

“I think being in AP Lang with Mr. Sieloff helped me see that academia can be interesting, it can be diverse, and it can present to you concepts that you’ll think about on the drive home and when you’re in bed at night,” she said. “Mr. Sieloff showed me that learning can be fun.”

Zahra encourages current students to do what makes them happy, not what they think will please their college admissions. 

“You don’t have to do Science Olympiad. You don’t have to do Speech and Debate. You don’t have to do Mu Alpha Theta,” she said. “If your interest is something like birdwatching, then I feel like you should try to pursue that. Invest your time in it because you’ll be happier. I think when you’re happier, you’ll be able to do better work, and when you’re doing better work, that showcases a good message to whoever is reviewing an application that you’re sending in because you’re a passionate person who invests in those real passions.”

In her life after college, Zahra plans to utilize the skills she will have learned in college to branch out on a journey to improve the economic situations of those less fortunate. 

“I think that being in economics will help me figure out the certain circumstances that put people in certain economic conditions,” she said. “I hope that after I am able to learn that through an economics degree, I can also figure out what needs to be done to help alleviate the harms of those conditions for those people.”

As a part of Yale’s Class of 2028, Zahra hopes to not only expand her breadth of knowledge in college but also to experience a sense of heightened personal growth. 

“I really want to grow as a person, and I want to look for more interests outside of school and how I can explore certain areas, like music and art,” she said. “I feel like with Yale being known for having a diverse group of talented students, the people I’d be surrounded with, they could probably help me achieve that goal.”