TOWAMENCIN- North Penn Class of 2018 valedictorian, Palak Shah, has committed to Harvard University to further her education for the next four years. She is majoring in Medicine and Society, which studies the influence of medicine on development, standard of living, and politics, with a minor in Global Health.

“Harvard was my dream school before I knew what a dream school was. As college applications came closer and the idea of going to Harvard became more realistic, I learned why I wanted to be there from learning more about the school from its website and from visiting the campus,” commented Shah.

Palak first applied to Yale early action and got accepted in December, which cut down her list of schools to Pitt, Temple, Boston University, Yale, and Harvard. She applied to Harvard regular decision and was accepted at the end of March, and committed at the beginning of April. Palak chose Harvard because she has always wanted to live in a city, and for its investment in a core program.

“I’ve always viewed college as an opportunity to become an eclectic thinker, and the expectation that every student will experiment with very different subject matters draws me to Harvard. My major is very interdisciplinary, so being in an environment which encourages academic diversity is very important to me,” said Shah.

Like all colleges, the admissions process was stressful. However, it improved Palak as a writer with a stronger sense of self. She recommends when applying to any school that you should be genuine, present your true voice, and not only talk about the things you’ve done, but how you’ve grown from them.

Though Shah is preparing for the next chapter of her life at Harvard, she will never forget what she learned from her classes at North Penn.

“My favorite classes have to be AP World History, AP Chem, and E&M, all for very different reasons. WHAP made me think in ways I’ve never done before, made me see patterns across the human experience and draw parallels between seemingly disparate circumstances. AP Chem made me more intuitive and disciplined as a future scientist. E&M challenged me incredibly and provided a very close-knit classroom environment which was always filled with laughter, deep thinking, and wild experimentation. Also Mr. Evans, Mr. Keagy, and Mrs. Wakefield are all awesome, so if anything, take the classes for them,” remembered Shah.

As graduation approaches, Palak is glad to have had a great senior year and high school experience. For rising juniors and seniors, she suggests to enjoy your time at North Penn while you have it.

“Do well, have fun, enjoy your time remaining in this school and with your friends. Don’t believe that it is ever too late to try something new. This year, I joined the Science Olympiad Team, and it became the highlight of my senior year. I’ll graduate with the bright memories of the new friendships I made, the concepts I learned, and the team spirit I felt, so always pursue different experiences,” shared Shah.