When Head of School Kate Reynolds thinks of Alina A. ’26, she thinks of the same thing most of us do: a wisp of a girl carrying a mountain of books. “I have known her since she was in grade 4,” Ms. Reynolds says, “when the books she carried around looked comically large for her. She’s grown taller, but the books are still just as intimidating!”
In Alina’s own words, “The central, defining feature of my life is that I really like reading and writing.” Her college personal statement was about how books have shaped her understanding of herself and the world. That love of books has led her all the way to Oxford University, where she’ll be studying literature next year.
Alina’s road to Oxford began ten years ago, when she joined BASIS Independent McLean in our very first year. Back then, she says, “I was shyer about having special interests. I really wanted to be on that STEM track the way everyone else was.” She credits her middle and high school English teachers with helping her realize that “I can do what I want, and it’s fine.”
In grade 5, she wrote a twenty-page story about a modern pantheon of gods in response to a two-page assignment. In eighth-grade English, she began combining her love of literature and art by illustrating scenes from novels for book-report projects. By the time she took AP Literature in grade 11, she was reading books on literary theory, consuming two to three novels a week, and taking classroom assignments to the next level. “Like one time,” she recalls, “we had an assignment to do a basic outline. I asked if I could use the windows and create this project where I would illustrate each scene and then break it down and annotate it.’” For the rest of the semester, the classroom windows were covered with Alina’s beautifully illustrated annotations.
Alina’s love of literature and art extended outside the classroom. She has entered numerous poetry competitions, mentored young writers, and tutored others in writing. She has also spent years creating an art portfolio filled with works inspired by literature. In short, she’s done what every college Dean of Admissions advises students to do: find what you enjoy and lean into it.
The mixing of her two passions culminated in her creation of the senior mural, signed by each of the graduating seniors and inspired by a Margaret Atwood quote that she loved: “In the end, we are all stories.”
When it came time to apply to college, Alina’s clear love of learning earned her admission to many top universities, including Cornell, Emory, William & Mary, St. John’s, and Oxford. Alina recalls that the application process was often stressful, but the Oxford application was actually fun. She had two hour-long interviews with Oxford professors and was delighted to talk about poetry and books with people who loved them just as much as she did. That mutual love of literature is why she chose Oxford, and it is no doubt a huge part of why they chose her.
Now, the girl with the book is off to read at the Bodleian! All the best to you, Alina!
BASIS Independent McLean is an Age 2–Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Red-Tailed Hawks community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.
