A standout academic record, environmental activism, leadership roles and a passion for public health have helped South African student Ita Collins secure a place at Harvard University.
South Africa (20 June 2026) – Nine distinctions would be enough to celebrate on their own. Add acceptance letters from Harvard, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon and Harvey Mudd College and you start to understand why Ita Collins is making headlines. The Roedean School Head Girl has turned years of hard work into an opportunity few students ever receive.
Later this year, Collins will begin her undergraduate degree at Harvard University, joining one of the world’s most respected academic institutions after a matric year that placed her among South Africa’s standout learners.
What makes her achievement even more remarkable is that it wasn’t built on chasing every possible accolade. Instead, it came from a clearer understanding of her strengths, interests and the story she wanted to tell about herself.
“With an applicant like Ita, the work isn’t about doing more – it’s about helping the student see what’s already there,” says Brad Latilla-Campbell, Country Manager at Crimson Education, a global mentorship company that helps students gain admission to Ivy League, Oxbridge and other top universities worldwide.
“Top US universities aren’t looking for a long list of achievements. They’re looking for a clear sense of who a student is and where they’re headed. In Ita’s case, that meant drawing a through-line across everything she’d done and shaping it into a coherent story.”
Alongside her exceptional academic record, Collins served on the Student Representative Council, dedicated her time to environmental activism both inside and outside of school, competed in multiple sports and completed an internship at the Wits Reproductive Health Institute. Each commitment reflected a genuine passion, but together they created a broad and sometimes overwhelming picture of a highly motivated student.
“I had a lot going on, and a lot of opinions coming at me about what I should do,” says Collins.
“Having an outside view, one without any stake in the outcome, was incredibly valuable. Crimson helped me see what was current, what was realistic, and which of my interests had the most to offer when it came to building an application.”
The application process also challenged Collins in ways she hadn’t expected. Working through multiple drafts of her personal statement and supplementary essays, she was encouraged to dig deeper into her own experiences and motivations, finding a voice that felt authentic rather than simply impressive.
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“It forced me to reflect on things I hadn’t really stopped to think about before – why I’d made certain choices, what I actually believed. I came out of it more self-aware than when I went in, and I think that’s something that’ll stay with me well beyond the applications.”
That self-reflection, combined with years of dedication and achievement, resulted in offers from several of the world’s leading universities.
In the end, Harvard stood out.
Collins was drawn to the university’s policy programmes and international community and plans to major in Environmental Studies, combining science and policy with a focus on public health. It is a path that feels closely connected to the issues she has already spent years engaging with and one that could see her making a meaningful impact far beyond the lecture hall.
While her future now stretches all the way to Cambridge, Massachusetts, Collins remains grounded in the support system that helped her get there.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of my family, my school, and Crimson – they pushed me, believed in me, and helped me see what I was capable of,” says Collins. “You don’t need to have it all figured out. Trust what you’re drawn to, give it your full attention, and let the rest take shape from there.”
The future looks bright for Ita Collins… and South Africa will be cheering her on every step of the way.
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