Recent AHS Alum, Edwin Ryerson is a freshman at Harvard University. Ryerson’s journey to Harvard required balancing academics, community involvement, and high-level Nordic skiing.
“Honestly, skiing helped a lot in my application process. Growing up in Aspen we have a unique experience that’s different from any other place,” Ryerson said.
As a member of the Harvard ski team, his accomplishments prove to be impressive, from representing the Rocky Mountain Nordic Junior National Team to placing third in the U18/20 skate sprint junior national qualifier. While skiing was crucial to his recruitment process, he wasn’t accepted to Harvard for just that. Ryerson’s commitment to the local community around him added an important aspect to his application.
“I wrote a lot about being in a ski town and about climate change, which is a big issue here,” Ryerson said.
He emphasized how his background in a mountain town and his dedication to skiing made his story and applications stand out. Ryerson took on challenging subjects throughout AHS including multivariable calculus which he took online during his junior year. However, he said that his journey wasn’t just about grades or challenging courses.
“Grades are important, but a lot of students applying to top schools have strong grades. It’s about what else you do,” Ryerson said.
One notable extracurricular in Ryerson’s applications was founding the school’s Alcohol and Drug Awareness Club. Ryerson noticed that alcohol and drugs were a rising problem in the valley, creating the club showcased his role as a leader and desire to make a positive impact in the community.
“It’s really about finding one big extracurricular and dedicating a lot of time to it, for me, that was skiing. But I also made time for things that broadened my interests.” Ryerson said.
In addition to his passion for community involvement, Ryerson volunteered over 80 hours at the Anderson Art Ranch, where he worked on art and 3D printing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite initially being deferred from early emissions, and then waitlisted, Ryerson didn’t give up on his dream of attending Harvard. He received news that Harvard was still interested after already committing to Williams College. Without hesitation, he wrote a letter of continued interest that night and updated the admissions team on his recent volunteer work and achievements. This eventually paid off as he received an acceptance email from them just two nights later.
In his first semester at Harvard, he spends time each week on “problem sets” in math, economics, and computer science, but credits AHS´s International Baccalaureate courses as good preparation for college classes. These are the most rigorous courses AHS provides and are similar to advanced placement (AP) classes.
“Honestly, IB math, history, and English really set me up for success here. Aspen High´s IB classes are a great baseline for college,” Ryerson said.
When asked what advice he would offer to other Aspen High students hoping to attend a top university, he clearly advised authenticity.
“Embrace who you are. Lean into what you love and where you come from,” Ryerson said.
He also encourages students not to let the stress of college applications take away from their high school years.
“It’s important to remember that wherever you end up, it will be great. Let the work be a natural part of who you are, not just a means to an end,” said Ryerson.
