Newark Teen Earns Full Ride To Ivy League College – Here’s How

NEWARK, NJ — A high school student from Newark has earned a full ride to one of the most prestigious colleges in the nation, and he’s got some solid advice for students looking to follow in his footsteps.

Bosun Lapite – who is about to graduate from KIPP Newark Collegiate Academy – will be spending the next four years studying computer science at Princeton University on a full scholarship, according to his alma mater (watch a video of Lapite announcing his plans before an eager crowd of his peers below).

It’s a subject that became near and dear to his heart after he took an intro class in his freshman year, he said.

Lapite – whose family is originally from Nigeria – said education is something he’s placed a high value on thanks to his parents. His mother is an advocate for students with disabilities in Newark, and his father earned a degree in New York after immigrating to the United States in 2002.

For now, Lapite will get a chance to feed his technology fix through the high school’s robotics club. But the teen says he feels energized and inspired to get his chance to shine at Princeton.

“I’m excited for the classes and to make friends,” he said.

Patch recently got a chance to pick Lapite’s brain for advice, asking him the following question: “What tips do you have for other high school students who are trying to earn scholarships to college?”

Here’s his reply:

#1 (MAX OUT YOUR SCHEDULE) – “Take every AP/dual enrollment/honor class/IB, etc. available to you. I maxed out my schedule every year and even though it’s stressful, it shows you can manage a large workload. A lot of scholarships are looking for students that take all that is available to them and that exemplifies that.”

#2 (VOLUNTEER) – “Start volunteering at places that you actually enjoy going to and stick with it. I found multiple volunteer opportunities during my freshman year and stuck with them because they interested me. More specifically, volunteer experience at places that relate to your intended major shows that you are already taking steps to get a foot in the door before you're even in college.”

#3 (JOIN CLUBS) – “Similar to #2, join clubs and groups that are semi-related to what you think you will major in. I’m majoring in computer science, so I joined the robotics team and stuck with that my entire senior year. I have also volunteered for my church's media department for the last four years. If you can't find clubs that are related to your major, at least find clubs that you enjoy going to and stick with them.”

#4 (WRITE A GREAT ESSAY) – “Start brainstorming about your personal statement and essays early. The best essays are ones that can’t be told by anyone else and show a side of you that a person can't already see in the rest of your application. Find topics that are unique to just you and think about how you can write about that in a way that shows your character in a positive light. I worked on my personal statement for three months and went through three rewrites and dozens of revisions. There is no perfect essay, there are great ones.”

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