Noah Proctor

Trusting the Process and Staying True to Yourself: How Renaissance Man Noah Leveraged His Resources to Get into Columbia

Growing up in Ohio, Noah attended an underfunded high school with fewer resources than many students applying to Top 20 schools might traditionally find. But he didn’t let that stop him. From author to athlete to aspiring engineer, he leveraged every resource available.Rather than seeing limited resources as a disadvantage, Noah developed a perspective rooted in adaptability — learning how to create opportunity where it didn’t already exist and shaping his own path through curiosity, initiative, and resourcefulness. Although he applied for engineering school, Noah went into the college application process with so many more hats atop his head and wasn’t afraid to let each shine. “One of my teachers in high school described me as a Renaissance man, and I feel like that's a very apt characterization. I just loved learning and getting involved in a variety of different things.” “It's more about getting the most out of what you have, and really taking advantage of the resources that you have, which changes from school to school, and from background to background.” And that he did. While in high school, Noah founded a creative writing club, took dual enrollment classes, published a children’s book about the principles of engineering, and played on both the varsity soccer and tennis teams. Even though he was applying to Columbia’s engineering program, he let this multi-faceted side of his personality shine in his essays, writing about topics ranging from his local amusement park to performing the Whip / Nae Nae at a school event. Noah even wrote about how the dance left him embarrassed at the time, reflecting on it in his writing as a moment of growth and showing admissions officers that he could take risks, embrace vulnerability, and turn an awkward experience into a learning opportunity. This ability to draw insight from unexpected places added depth and authenticity to his application. Staying true to himself and letting his personality shine through in his applications, Noah feels, led him exactly to where he was meant to be.