One rainy afternoon on January 5, 2018, over 100 parents and students gathered in a cozy room in the Fremont Main Library in anticipation for Seagull Leadership International’s college talk seminar. We invited students from Harvard, Yale, MIT, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Brown, and Boston University who studied majors ranging from political science to molecular biology.

After a short introduction of each of the nine college student panelists, the host asked five questions to start the seminar, giving each of the college students time to answer each question. During this time, they answered questions about college majors, writing essays, extracurricular activities, regrets about high school, their favorite part about college, and any plans after graduation. Many of the panelists told the audience that many college students change their major at least once and that they should pursue extracurriculars that they’re passionate about instead of ones that would look good on a resume. They also said that they enjoyed the freedom of college and the diversity of the campus population. A majority of the panelists were unsure about their path after college, but many mentioned graduate school and certain jobs they might want to pursue.


After the general questions, we opened the Q&A session to the audience. They had a huge variety of questions, including topics such as private college counselors, dealing with stress in high school, time management, applying for summer programs, and the role of parents in the college application process. They explained that a college counselor wasn’t necessary but could be helpful for certain people. They also gave useful tips on how to deal with stress and different ways to avoid procrastination. The panelists mentioned the benefits of applying to prestigious summer programs or getting a summer job, and they cautioned the audience to take advice from their parents or friends but to still value their own opinions. The parents of these college students also had a chance to share their experience and their role during the college application process.


Everyone in the audience, whether it was a parent or student, learned something new and interesting from the seminar that will help them throughout high school and the college application process. We hopes to make this a periodic event with unique panelists from different backgrounds and colleges. Once again, we thank all of the university students and their guardians who volunteered their time to share their own story about college! We hope you gained insight on the various aspects of the admissions process, and we hope to see you soon in our future events!
