KENNETCOOK: From a small, rural, Nova Scotian high school, to an Ivy League university. Sidney Singer is showing that where you live doesn’t matter if you put in the hard work to attain the goal you have set your mind to.
Singer, a Grade 12 student at Hants North Rural High in Kennetcook, has been accepted to the prestigious Princeton University, located in Princeton, N.J. She hopes to study politics or public and international affairs.
“After a few days and getting my acceptance package in the mail, I think it’s finally setting in,” said Singer. “It still seems surreal and a part of me is still scared that this is a glitch.
There were a few reasons why Singer chose to apply to Princeton.
“What I love about Princeton is their small-close knit community on campus with only around 5,000 undergraduates, and they have great support systems in place to help every student with basically every need,” she said. “As well, I chose Princeton because of the academics.
“With Princeton being ranked the #1 school in the USA for undergrad studies, I knew at Princeton I was going to get a great education with amazing opportunities, like writing a senior thesis, having a wide variety of clubs, and giving me the opportunity to study what I love.”
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She didn’t start taking her education seriously until Grade 9, and quickly realized she would need to push herself to be the best I could be.
“In the summer before Grade 10, I finished two correspondence courses, one of which was supposed to take a year,’ Singer explained. “During that summer I spent countless hours sitting at my desk rather than out with my friends, and I realized that this was what I was going to have to do.
“From Grade 10 onward I’ve had to push myself to study countless hours while juggling sports and extracurriculars, and it has been the hardest yet most rewarding thing I have ever done. I’ve missed out on having classes with my friends, as I’ve been in virtual classes or higher grade levels since then.
“It felt lonely, and sometimes felt like I was doing it all for nothing. But in the end, I would do it again.”
Singer had a message for others who may doubt whether their dreams can come true—believe they can and they will.
“If you truly want something, and you are willing to make sacrifices, discipline yourself, and put your dream before anything else, you can succeed,” she said. “I’m a perfect example of that and I hope that anyone who reads this will be inspired to try their best in anything they do. It will be hard. There will be people who discourage you from even trying but believe in yourself. Don’t seek validation from other people, believe in yourself and be comfortable with your abilities and goals.
“Let yourself be your own motivation, take support from people who offer, and at the end of the day know you gave it your all.”
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She honestly never though her dream of being from rural N.S. and attending Princeton would come true.
“When I think about how crazy it all has been, it still feels like a dream,” said Singer, with excitement clear as day in her words. “Coming from a place so small and competing with some of the best students from around the world it really is an honour and a privilege to be able to attend Princeton.
“In all honesty, when I applied to Princeton back in December I did it more so out of an obligation I felt to myself after working all these years, rather than a legitimate option for university because I truly never imagined this dream could come true.
“I look back and I’m thankful for the support and encouragement from my friends and family.”
Even COVID19 and the most competitive admissions cycle in Princeton history (an acceptance rate of only 3.98%) didn’t stop her.
“A dream that had once seemed so impossible suddenly came true and changed the course of my entire life in a matter of a few minutes,” said Singer.
