University of Toronto

Full need met

also admitted to Franklin & Marshall · Connecticut College · Gettysburg College

“During Agora, my writing felt less performative and more authentic for the first time. Later, I wrote Agora Pages. The process helped me identify the main topic for my personal statement. Even importantly, I learnt to value original thinking in the age of AI.”

Nasiba was admitted to four colleges: University of Toronto, Franklin & Marshall, Connecticut College, and Gettysburg College, with scholarships covering her full need.

She almost did not apply to join Hemingway Community. She expected something like learning Russian at school: a textbook, drilling template sentence structures, then writing.

"It did not feel like that."

Finding a real voice

A few assignments in, she started seeing progress. She wrote a piece about the history of the BMW logo. During Agora, her writing felt less performative and more authentic for the first time.

Later she wrote Agora Pages — continuously. The pages helped her identify the main topic for her personal statement. She learnt to value original thinking in the age of AI.

She used to describe her own writing as "pick me": gimmicky, performing instead of saying something real.

She does not write that way anymore. She says she writes less now — but she wants to return to her prime era.