MINERVA VOICES

A Conversation with Minerva Student Isabella

Meet Isabella, a student in the Class of 2025.

October 14, 2021

Why did you choose to attend Minerva?

Throughout high school, I received informative emails from Minerva since I participated in many scientific olympiads. Still, I did not know how to apply at such a young age, and I did not even think I could be accepted. However, in my last year of high school, I became more engaged with the application process, and I started to understand that this dream of getting accepted in Minerva was possible. But I specifically decided to apply and attend Minerva because its principles match my goals in many ways: the global experience, in-depth learning, emphasis on curiosity and tackling challenges, and the principle of “making the world your campus,” which encourages independence, autonomy, and making your own path.

What are you looking forward to experiencing at Minerva? What do you hope to accomplish?

There are many things to learn and experience at Minerva, but I am really looking forward to learning the skills necessary to become a great scientific researcher, which involves critical and creative reasoning, essential to scientific thinking. In addition, I am also excited about the different global experiences that can not only shape my professional career but myself as an engaged individual in the society we live in.

What is your favorite part of the Minerva community so far?

My favorite part is the diversity of the Minerva community. There are people from many countries and cultures with different identities, personalities, and tastes. There is no way that you would not identify with at least some of them: there is always a place to feel listened to and welcomed. Another thing is that there is always company and support for the most unusual situations: do you want to go for donuts at midnight? Just send a message in the group chat, and you can find someone to go with you! Even though there is a lot of diversity among students, I feel a sense of belonging and unity that makes this an incredible community.

How did the Brazilian Astronomy Olympiad support your path towards university?

Participating, engaging, and winning medals in OBA, the Brazilian Astronomy Olympiad, not only opened doors to university in a way that showed my academic excellence but also helped me to define interests and the career I want to follow. In this sense, my participation in OBA is an essential feature of my resume, both when applying for Minerva, and for possible future opportunities. Finally, OBA’s Olympiads encouraged me to learn more about Astronomy and Astronautics. It was definitely the starting point for my love for astronomy, physics, and scientific research, which I will now pursue during my academic years and plan to follow as a career.

What skills and knowledge did you gain from your experience as an olympian?

I learned to recognize what I know and what I do not know, but most importantly, how to improve my existing skills and how to find out what I am still missing. I also learned valuable techniques which helped me solve difficult questions and made me want to push the boundaries of my knowledge and always look for new challenges. Finally, participating in scientific olympiads taught me that there is still much to discover and that I can actively engage and help with this discovery.

How has Minerva’s need-based financial aid policy had an impact on your experience?

Most universities in Brazil are public and accessible for everyone, so that is definitely a big contrast from most US universities. However, Minerva’s need-based financial aid model is inclusive and accessible because it depends on the family’s financial situation, allowing students from all over the world to experience the program. When I was first starting to get to know Minerva, I thought I would never be able to afford it. Still, when I learned more about the financial aid process, I realized that it can be quite affordable and welcoming.

What advice would you give a prospective Minerva student from Brazil?

I would say that the application process is entirely different from university admissions in Brazil, and it can seem really daunting at first. Still, looking for more information and becoming more engaged with the process is totally worth it. I thought it was almost impossible, but it is not! The process is fair and not only accounts for your grades but also your interests, your drive for challenges, your achievements, and how you think. Another thing is that Minerva is not for everyone; there are a lot of challenges: being away from your family, speaking another language, moving to different countries, sometimes working and studying at the same time, and having a completely different educational model than what you are used to. However, if you are ready to face these challenges, Minerva is a unique and incredible place to grow both personally and professionally, in which all hard work will pay off.

If you connected with Isabella’s story and are seeking to learn creatively and inquisitively around the world, begin your application to join Minerva.

Quick Facts

Name
Isabella Freitas
Country
Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Class
2025
Major

Social Sciences & Business

Business & Computational Sciences

Business and Social Sciences

Social Sciences and Business

Computational Sciences & Social Sciences

Computer Science & Arts and Humanities

Business and Computational Sciences

Business and Social Sciences

Natural Sciences

Arts and Humanities

Business, Social Sciences

Business & Arts and Humanities

Computational Sciences

Natural Sciences, Computer Science

Computational Sciences

Arts & Humanities

Computational Sciences, Social Sciences

Computational Sciences

Computational Sciences

Natural Sciences, Social Sciences

Social Sciences, Natural Sciences

Data Science, Statistics

Computational Sciences

Business

Computational Sciences, Data Science

Social Sciences

Natural Sciences

Business, Natural Sciences

Business, Social Sciences

Computational Sciences

Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Computational Sciences, Natural Sciences

Natural Sciences

Computational Sciences, Social Sciences

Business, Social Sciences

Computational Sciences

Natural Sciences, Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences

Arts & Humanities, Social Science

Social Sciences, Business

Arts & Humanities

Computational Sciences, Social Science

Natural Sciences, Computer Science

Computational Science, Statistic Natural Sciences

Business & Social Sciences

Computational Science, Social Sciences

Social Sciences and Business

Business

Arts and Humanities

Computational Sciences

Social Sciences

Social Sciences and Computational Sciences

Social Sciences & Computational Sciences

Social Sciences & Arts and Humanities

Computational Science

Minor

Computational Science & Business

Economics

Social Sciences

Concentration

Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence & Cognition, Brain, and Behavior

Designing Societies & New Ventures

Strategic Finance & Data Science and Statistics

Brand Management and Designing Societies

Data Science & Economics

Machine Learning

Cells, Organisms, Data Science, Statistics

Arts & Literature and Historical Forces

Artificial Intelligence & Computer Science

Cells and Organisms, Mind and Emotion

Economics, Physics

Managing Operational Complexity and Strategic Finance

Global Development Studies and Brain, Cognition, and Behavior

Scalable Growth, Designing Societies

Business

Drug Discovery Research, Designing and Implementing Policies

Historical Forces, Cognition, Brain, and Behavior

Artificial Intelligence, Psychology

Designing Solutions, Data Science and Statistics

Data Science and Statistic, Theoretical Foundations of Natural Science

Strategic Finance, Politics, Government, and Society

Data Analysis, Cognition

Brand Management

Data Science and Statistics & Economics

Cognitive Science & Economics

Data Science and Statistics and Contemporary Knowledge Discovery

Internship
Higia Technologies
Project Development and Marketing Analyst Intern at VIVITA, a Mistletoe company
Business Development Intern, DoSomething.org
Business Analyst, Clean Energy Associates (CEA)

Conversation

Why did you choose to attend Minerva?

Throughout high school, I received informative emails from Minerva since I participated in many scientific olympiads. Still, I did not know how to apply at such a young age, and I did not even think I could be accepted. However, in my last year of high school, I became more engaged with the application process, and I started to understand that this dream of getting accepted in Minerva was possible. But I specifically decided to apply and attend Minerva because its principles match my goals in many ways: the global experience, in-depth learning, emphasis on curiosity and tackling challenges, and the principle of “making the world your campus,” which encourages independence, autonomy, and making your own path.

What are you looking forward to experiencing at Minerva? What do you hope to accomplish?

There are many things to learn and experience at Minerva, but I am really looking forward to learning the skills necessary to become a great scientific researcher, which involves critical and creative reasoning, essential to scientific thinking. In addition, I am also excited about the different global experiences that can not only shape my professional career but myself as an engaged individual in the society we live in.

What is your favorite part of the Minerva community so far?

My favorite part is the diversity of the Minerva community. There are people from many countries and cultures with different identities, personalities, and tastes. There is no way that you would not identify with at least some of them: there is always a place to feel listened to and welcomed. Another thing is that there is always company and support for the most unusual situations: do you want to go for donuts at midnight? Just send a message in the group chat, and you can find someone to go with you! Even though there is a lot of diversity among students, I feel a sense of belonging and unity that makes this an incredible community.

How did the Brazilian Astronomy Olympiad support your path towards university?

Participating, engaging, and winning medals in OBA, the Brazilian Astronomy Olympiad, not only opened doors to university in a way that showed my academic excellence but also helped me to define interests and the career I want to follow. In this sense, my participation in OBA is an essential feature of my resume, both when applying for Minerva, and for possible future opportunities. Finally, OBA’s Olympiads encouraged me to learn more about Astronomy and Astronautics. It was definitely the starting point for my love for astronomy, physics, and scientific research, which I will now pursue during my academic years and plan to follow as a career.

What skills and knowledge did you gain from your experience as an olympian?

I learned to recognize what I know and what I do not know, but most importantly, how to improve my existing skills and how to find out what I am still missing. I also learned valuable techniques which helped me solve difficult questions and made me want to push the boundaries of my knowledge and always look for new challenges. Finally, participating in scientific olympiads taught me that there is still much to discover and that I can actively engage and help with this discovery.

How has Minerva’s need-based financial aid policy had an impact on your experience?

Most universities in Brazil are public and accessible for everyone, so that is definitely a big contrast from most US universities. However, Minerva’s need-based financial aid model is inclusive and accessible because it depends on the family’s financial situation, allowing students from all over the world to experience the program. When I was first starting to get to know Minerva, I thought I would never be able to afford it. Still, when I learned more about the financial aid process, I realized that it can be quite affordable and welcoming.

What advice would you give a prospective Minerva student from Brazil?

I would say that the application process is entirely different from university admissions in Brazil, and it can seem really daunting at first. Still, looking for more information and becoming more engaged with the process is totally worth it. I thought it was almost impossible, but it is not! The process is fair and not only accounts for your grades but also your interests, your drive for challenges, your achievements, and how you think. Another thing is that Minerva is not for everyone; there are a lot of challenges: being away from your family, speaking another language, moving to different countries, sometimes working and studying at the same time, and having a completely different educational model than what you are used to. However, if you are ready to face these challenges, Minerva is a unique and incredible place to grow both personally and professionally, in which all hard work will pay off.

If you connected with Isabella’s story and are seeking to learn creatively and inquisitively around the world, begin your application to join Minerva.