To: Dean of Admissions, Harvard University
As a high school English teacher, it has been my privilege to work with any number of gifted, talented, and ambitious young men and women who are determined to pursue academic careers and who are worthy applicants at a prestigious university such as Harvard. One such student whom I can wholeheartedly recommend to your attention is Mona Chang, an 18 year-old high school senior here in Scarshill, New York. Among a class of exceptional young students, Mona Chang stands out for a number of reasons.
Mona is the second daughter of Helen and Ralph Chang, who immigrated to the United States from China. Mona's older sister, Callie, is currently attending Radcliffe where she has made a good record for herself. The Changs "are a bit down the hill from the private-plane set (Jen, 4)" and are best described as a newly comfortable middle class family engaged in pursuing for themselves and their children, the American promise.
The Changs have set high standards for both their children and I am pleased to say that both Mona and Callie have surpassed those standards. Mona is a curious, creative, young woman whose Chinese culture and immersion in mainstream America have made her culturally sensitive and aware and more than able to cope with the demands of living among a diverse student population.
Mona once stated that she believes herself to be "an interlocking piece of a vast and complex puzzle (Jen, 72)." Throughout high school, she has moved between the culture and traditions of her Chinese family and the activities of more typical, mainstream American high school students. She has done this with grace, dignity, and a sense of humor which serves her well and which makes her both a good friend and an introspective individual.
To a degree, Mona can be differentiated from many of the young people who will apply to Harvard University for admis
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