New York, Oct. 1 -- I never thought I would study at Columbia University. On good days, I felt there was no need to go back to school to level up my journalism career in India. I was writing stories I was proud of and that mattered. On bad days, I felt this belief was shielding me from a crushing reality: that I was not good enough. I lacked the innate confidence Westerners seem to carry, chasing lofty ambitions as if preordained.

I told no one: family or friends, that I was applying, except my recommenders, because I didn't want to deal with the fall-out of rejection and have fellow (equally) nosy reporters gossip about my prospects.

When I got the coveted acceptance letter on 15 March 2024, I did not think that the very education I cr...