Notre Dame Academy senior, Abby Haase, has been accepted into her dream school, University of California, Los Angeles, but not without years of hard work and dedication.  

 During freshman year, students write letters to their senior selves. On Abby’s she had written: “Right now my dream school is UCLA.” She doesn’t have any recollection of writing this, but it’s apparent that UCLA was meant for her. 

 “I did not remember writing this down at all, but I guess UCLA has been my dream school all of high school. I’ve also gone to California every summer for a long time, so I always knew I wanted to go to school there,” said Haase. 

 UCLA is one of the most prestigious universities globally, and getting accepted is a challenging feat. This year, there were over 150,000 applicants and an acceptance rate of 14%. 

 “It definitely takes a lot of hard work to be accepted because you have to stand out since they have so many applicants,” said Haase. 

 Hasse has an extensive resume that includes a plethora of extracurricular activities as well as exemplary grades. She is a full IB Diploma student and has maintained a 4.0 GPA. She has been on varsity cross country and track all four years of high school. She’s also had various leadership positions as a National Honor Society officer and leader for French Club and ASTRA. 

 “I think the IB curriculum really has prepared me for college because it truly has taught me to think deeply and manage coursework between all of my classes,” said Haase. 

 Speaking of leadership, last summer Haase attended a psychology and neuroscience program through an organization she’s a part of called the National Student Conference League. The program took place in Washington, D.C, and it was here that Hasse found her passion for psychology and neuroscience. She always knew that she wanted to focus on science, and this all contributed to her choosing psychobiology as her major. 

 Haase is very involved outside of the classroom as well. She regularly volunteers as a tutor at St. Thomas More and with childcare work at Freedom House. She also serves as a mentor at the Boys and Girls Club. 

 Haase found out about her major achievement over spring break. Her family was down at the beach, and she was in her room. She described herself sprinting out of the room, to the elevator, and out to the beach where she shared the joyous news. 

 “I was screaming, my mom was crying and the whole moment didn’t feel real. It was the best feeling ever. I couldn’t stop smiling all night,” said Haase. 

 While there are many things that Haase is looking forward to, she’s most excited about meeting new people and gaining new experiences. 

“I’m most looking forward to meeting so many new, amazing people from all over the country and world. Also, very excited for the warm weather and being a 12-minutes drive to the beach,” said Haase.