Varsha Rathore '20 Recruiting Profile

My goal is to attend a college or university that will challenge me both academically and athletically. Most of my free time is spent on the tennis courts or working out in the gym. I am interested in pursuing a career in computer science, with a tentative minor or economics. I played my first USTA tournament when I was 15 years old, as I started playing tennis for the first time as a 12-year-old. Initially, I used to play girls my age; after I started playing 18U tournaments, I ended up playing girls that were physically stronger, taller, and more mature than me. I am always looking to improve my technique and physical strength, however, I challenge myself in school by taking very rigorous courses, such as 4 AP classes and 3 Honors classes, so I rarely have time to work out during the week. My parents suggested that I do not participate in the high school team due to time constraint from school, which I followed. I am glad I took this decision because I was able to focus way more on my academics during Junior year (which is considered one of the most important years of high school). During the summer, however, I go for runs in the morning, study around noon, and go for practice from 4 pm to 9 pm, where I work on technique, physical endurance, strength, and other tennis-related key points. During a match, I try my hardest and run for every ball; I do not stop trying after running side-to-side a few times because I have excellent endurance as I used to run cross-country. If I lose a point, I go back to the curtain and whisper something to myself to calm down rather than get mad at myself. I make sure to go through the 16-second rule in which I reflect on my previous point and plan for the next point because the most important point of the match is the next point. I try to be as relaxed and attentive on the court as possible. I have worked with coaches who have so successfully coached me to the point I currently am at. I have been told that I am a very coachable player, as I learn quickly and fix errors within a few hits. I have received compliments from many coaches as I listen and make the respective adjustments. I make sure to have fun when necessary, such as during the High School Tennis season when I am not as stressed athletically and I can enjoy points with my teammates cheering me on. I can get along with most people I meet, as I have known to be an affable student, teammate, friend, and overall a good-natured person. I balance my tennis and my studies well as I continue to maintain high grades. Junior year is a very important year in high school. As a sophomore, I took AP Biology and AP Computer Science A. Currently, I am taking four Advanced Placement courses: AP Chemistry, AP Statistics, AP Government and Politics, and AP Mobile Computer Science Principles. I continue to maintain mostly A's in my grades, with a couple of B+'s in the harder courses. I always finish my homework on time, submit projects on time, arrive to class on time, contact teachers for help I need, and study for tests and quizzes. I work very hard to exceed my teachers' expectations for all of my submitted work. I tend to use the resources that are made available to me to the fullest potential. I am very self-motivated, as I chose to take the harder courses because I love to accept new challenges and overcome obstacles. One very important quality of mine is that I am very respectful towards everyone and their opinions. I listen to everything before I comment. I am courteous to my friends, peers, teachers, and everyone. I thank my peers and teachers for their assistance, and I love to help out anyone if they need assistance with their homework or project, as long as it is allowed. For this reason along with many others, I was accepted into the William R. Wood Chapter of the National Honor Society in 2018 and the Spanish Honor Society in 2019 alongside my other junior and senior friends (both during junior year). Another quality of mine is that I enjoy volunteer work a lot because the smile when someone thanks you for your service is very heart-warming. I am part of the South Windsor High School Interact Club (volunteer service club), Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club, I volunteer at the South Windsor Farmer's Market every summer, and I fundraise for UNICEF with my sister. For my UNICEF Committee at school (I am a leader of this committee), we raised $391.00 through fundraising on one single day; my co-committee leaders and I plan to have way more fundraising opportunities during the summer and senior year as we will have more time then. I am also part of the Science Olympiad team at our school (in which I have medaled at the state championships), Model UN club, and I helped to organize the Women in STEM Day Program at our school (which I will be running next year). I believe I have the full potential to work even harder and improve my tennis, grades, and qualities so that I can become an even better candidate for your team. For now, I believe that these important aspects of my personality and my life truly make me a perfect candidate for all colleges and universities.