William Hammerson-Jones, UC-Berkeley

William got his wish! He’s headed to the University of California, Berkeley for academic rigor and sunshine. The bilingual British student, who is half Polish, successfully juggled 10 years of boarding school in Hampshire while playing tennis at the national and international level. Read on to learn about the key factors he thinks helped him unlock his multiple, top-tier admissions results. 

IO: Congratulations on getting into so many great universities: Vanderbilt with scholarship, Rice, NYU, UC Berkeley, Durham, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and others.  Were you surprised by your admissions outcomes?

William: I worked really hard to get my essays to a very high standard, so I was hopeful. However, the sheer volume of great offers was a pleasant surprise—particularly since I applied test-optional or test-free to all schools! I just assumed that top universities with high SAT benchmarks would be closed to me. That said, I still decided to give it a go, and so glad I did!

IO: It must have been a tough decision. What ultimately made you choose UC Berkeley?William: One factor was definitely the academic standard at Berkeley; it is considered one of the most rigorous universities in the US, and I wanted a place that would challenge me. Another big factor was the location. I wanted to spend my college years in sunshine – somewhere completely different from the UK! 

IO: Berkeley is part of the massive California public university system. Do you have any concerns about attending such a large school?

William: I did worry initially that the student population would feel too big. However, I spoke to current students about their experiences, and they assured me that there are plenty of opportunities to find a tight-knit group of friends within the larger community. 

IO: What will you major in?

William: I plan to major in Economics and Russian.

IO: How has the visa process been to attend Berkeley this fall?

William: It has been very straightforward. On the Berkeley applicant portal, there is a link to request the I-20 document. Once you have that, you book an appointment at the embassy to apply for the actual student visa.

IO: You’re a competitive tennis player. Will you continue playing at Berkeley?

William: Throughout high school, I played in national and international tournaments. However, I probably won’t play at the varsity level at Berkeley. I will definitely continue playing with friends and maybe on Berkeley’s club team.

IO: As a boarding school student and competitive athlete, how did those experiences shape your college application process?

William: Spending 10 years at boarding school taught me to be highly independent. That sense of accountability transferred to the tennis court, where I learned to manage my time effectively. This discipline really helped during the application process because I knew I had to take the initiative. Developing multitasking skills is what allowed me to stay on top of my applications, essays, and redrafting deadlines.

IO: What do you think helped contribute to your admissions success?

William: Probably my unique mix of extracurriculars. In addition to tennis and sports like soccer, cricket, and rackets—which is unique to only a few select countries, I have taken part in charitable work abroad. During my fourth year of high school, I taught Ukrainian students English online, and for our final session, I was able to travel to the Unbreakable Ukraine Foundation in Poland to deliver lessons in person. Furthermore, I spent two years teaching English to Syrian refugees in Beirut through the Alsama Project. 

IO: How was Ivy Options most helpful to you?

William: Throughout the application process, my counselor was incredibly helpful with keeping me on track with deadlines and giving feedback on how to improve my essays. This allowed me to submit my best possible work, which definitely impacted my outcomes.