The Journey to Imperial: What Riya Did Differently

Imperial College London stands among the world’s most competitive universities, ranked sixth globally for 2025. Its admissions rates, often between ten and twenty percent, intimidate even the most accomplished students. Riya once felt the same wave of uncertainty that many ambitious students experience. She questioned whether her profile was unique enough and whether she had done “enough” in high school to stand out.

Today, she studies at Imperial with offers from UCL, Leeds, Southampton, Georgia Tech, Boston University and several more. Her story shows that great applications are not built on perfection, but on thoughtful choices, genuine curiosity and a willingness to explore the world beyond the classroom.

Discovering Purpose Through Service

One of the most compelling chapters of her journey unfolded when she began teaching science and mathematics at a municipal school. What started as a small initiative grew into something transformative. She created lesson plans, mentored younger students and eventually raised around 2500 dollars to support the school.

This experience became a defining thread in her personal statement. It revealed her empathy and leadership, yes, but also something far more valuable to top universities: a clear link between who she is and what she hopes to study. Social impact of this nature is relatively rare among UK applicants, which made her commitment even more striking.

Real-World Engineering in Action

Riya’s profile was further strengthened by her internship at a cutting tools manufacturing company. There she observed machine trials, electroplating processes and the practical challenges of engineering that high school textbooks rarely capture.

During her Imperial interview, she was asked technical questions related to these past observations. The conversation showed how even a two-year-old experience can become powerful when it genuinely connects to a student’s intellectual interests.

Another aspect of her journey came from her research exploration of optical tweezers. It was not formal academic research, but it was exactly the kind of self-driven exploration that top universities appreciate. The ability to pursue a scientific idea independently, simply because it is interesting, reflects the academic maturity Imperial looks for.

Turning Ideas Into Initiatives

Riya also created an advocacy-based initiative called Arcade Floors. It was imaginative, collaborative and grounded in real-world problem solving. Together with her web design work for an NGO and her participation in international competitions, her activities painted a portrait of a student who was both intellectually curious and creatively engaged.

The brilliance of her profile lay not in the quantity of activities, but in how naturally they connected to each other. Each experience strengthened the next, building a narrative that felt purposeful rather than scattered.

Lessons From Riya’s Journey

Riya often tells younger students that starting early made all the difference. Keeping track of her activities, reflecting on them and understanding why they mattered helped her shape a richer personal statement later on.

She also believes in the value of exploration. By trying different things early, she was able to identify what excited her the most in her final two years of school. She encourages students to connect their academics to their extracurricular work, just as she applied her computer science knowledge to build a website for an NGO.

And perhaps her most comforting piece of advice is that students should not judge themselves too harshly. She initially dreamt of an Ivy League university. Instead, she ended up at Imperial, which outranks all Ivy League schools except Harvard. What felt like a detour at first became the opportunity that fit her best.

If You Want to Understand What Your Story Could Look Like

Riya’s journey is not about luck or last-minute heroics. It is about thoughtful decisions made over time. If you are a student or parent reading this and wondering how to find that clarity, you can speak to our team for a free strategy call. The session is designed to help students understand where they stand, what they can build and how they can bring coherence to their academic and extracurricular work.