How I did it: "I play football -- wide receiver. I'm going to be playing at Dartmouth. I've played my entire life. My dad played in high school, my grandfather played, my brothers played. It's something that we love to do and it's a passion of ours. A lot of people think [football] gets you into college, but at Dartmouth, I had to get in by myself. I have to really manage my time well to get my school work done and my other activities.

I work out every single day. I also work at the Nike factory store, 5 p.m. to close.

I'm in several clubs. I mentor little kids at the elementary school who may be struggling in school or at home. I'm also in the Varsity Club, which is the same thing for middle schoolers, but you have to be a varsity athlete to be a mentor. As much as the younger kids get out of it, I get out of it, too. We've all been there, and all had to fight through struggles. It's so great to feel like you're contributing to someone's life. It's something I hold dear to my heart.

I'm highly motivated. There's always time during the school day to do homework. I make time in my day to get stuff done."

Test scores and grades: "I get mostly As in school. I got a 2250 on my SAT."

What pushed me: "Having such a close-knit family, making them proud drove me. My brother said something that resonated with me, that I could take our family name from being a middle-class family to an Ivy League name.

Football has made me very competitive, as well. It's opened so many doors for me.

The best thing was probably when I told the coach I'd be coming to Dartmouth, I looked over at my mom and she was bawling. That was one of the greatest moments of my life."

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