Demographics

• Gender: Male
• Race/Ethnicity: Indian
• Residence: Massachusetts
• Income Bracket: Upper Middle Class
• Type of School: Mediocre Public school
• Hooks: Immigrant but US Citizen
• Intended Majors & Minors: Applied Math, AI, Entrepreneurship, Engineering & Computer Science

Academics

• GPA (UW/W): 4.0/4.6
• Rank (or percentile): 8/300
• Classes: 12 APs, 3 Dual-Enrolments
• Senior Year Course Load: 3 APs (Computer Science, Chemistry, Psychology) 3 Dual-Enrolments (MIT OCW Linear Algebra, MIT OCW Multivariable Calc, English), Teacher Assistant for Calculus and Teacher Assistant for AP Physics C

Standardized Testing

• SAT: 1570 (770RW, 800M)
• AP Exams: Calculus AB (5), Physics 1 (5), Statistics (5), World History (5), Physics C: Mechanics (5), Calculus BC (5), AP CSP (4), US History (4), Lang (3)
• AMC 12: 136.5 (Top 200)

Awards/Honors

• Coca-Cola Scholar (150 Selected from 100K+)
• Harvard Guest Speaker on AI & ChatGPT in Education (6K+ Listeners). The Harvard Gazette wrote an article on me.
• MIT Hackathon 3rd place winner 2x (AI Recipe Generator & AI Therapist)
• Presented at International Education & Social Justice Conference (Peer-reviewed) at University of Hawaii
• MIT LLCipher Summer Program (3% Acceptance Rate). Invited back as Guest Speaker the following year.
• Wrote Boston Globe Article on AI & ChatGPT in Education
• AMC 12 Distinction (2x) and AIME Qual (2x)
• President's Volunteer Service Gold Award
• AP Scholar with Distinction & AP Scholar with Honor
• Multiple other Math Competition, Model UN, and Marching Band Awards

Extracurriculars/Activities

• MIT Lincoln Laboratory Summer Intern: Advanced Research in AI & Networking (1% Acceptance Rate). Internship primarily for Grad and Undergrad students. Received a return offer for summer before college.
• Writer: 110+ articles on Medium with 200K+ reads. Published by the Boston Globe and other publications.
• Antarctic Research: Climate Research and Data Analysis at UW-Madison.
• MA State House Internship: Worked for State Rep. Wrote a policy brief on AI. Promoted to Campaign Manager in 2024.
• Math Team Coach & Captain: Coach students and top scorer. 4x Regional Champions (First time in history). 2x AIME qual and 2x AMC Distinction (AMC Score: 136.5).
• Students of Color Affinity Group President: Mentor students and lead professional development workshops; presented at International Education & Social Justice Conference at University of Hawaii.
• AP Physics C & Calculus Teacher Assistant: Help teach 70+ seniors at my school (ran out of classes hence TA lol).
• Model UN President: Perfect record and multiple awards at regional conferences.
• Karate Black Belt: 10+ years and help teach classes.
• Marching Band: 2nd in USBands Nationals (3x).
• Coding Instructor: Taught kids how to code in Python and JavaScript.
• Sales Head & Data Analyst at National STEM Honor Society: Promoted STEM education to underrepresented populations.
• JV Tennis: Doubles Player

Letters of Recommendation

• AP Calculus Teacher
• Math Department Head and Physics TeacheMath Team Coach
• MIT Lincoln Lab Research Mentor (MIT Alum)
• Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Director of my school (Harvard Alum)
• Massachusetts State Representative

Essay Summaries

• Common App: During the pandemic, I found personal growth and a deeper understanding of myself and society through writing, which led me to explore artificial intelligence and its applications, culminating in an internship at MIT and advocacy work, and inspiring my entrepreneurial ambitions.
• Community Disruption: When the pandemic disrupted my activities, I leveraged online platforms to continue learning and leading, discovering new interests in AI and entrepreneurship, and demonstrating resilience by revitalizing my school’s clubs and engaging in new ventures, setting the stage for my future in innovation.
• Additional Information: Links to various articles and videos, and other activities and awards.
• Supplementals: Some were very reflective about my identity, activities, and goals in life. Others were light-hearted and quirky. They were very personalized to the school and emphasized how I fit in, what I would bring to the school, and how I would use the school as a catalyst for my entrepreneurial ventures.
• Additional Uploads: Uploaded my Resume, portfolio of Articles, and a summary of my Research at MIT Lincoln Lab.

Interviews

• Harvard (REA): Great Conversation and said Harvard would have to fight MIT for me. 9/10
• MIT: My Interviewer was very disinterested and didn't care. It was 15 minutes and he said if I don't get in then who would. 6/10
• Princeton: It was a great conversation and said he would fight for me. 8/10
• Yale: It was also a good conversation and she said she would fight for me. 8/10
• UPenn M&T: Guy kept asking technical questions and I was lost. But in the end, he said I did good and he would fight for me, even though interviews don’t matter too much. 7/10
• Dartmouth: Lady was super impressed and said if I don’t get in then she is quitting doing interviews for Dartmouth. 9/10

College Results
Accepted

• WPI (with Max Scholarship, Half off)
• UW-Madison
• Northeastern (with Max Scholarship, Half off)
• Georgia Tech for CS (Early Action)
• Cornell (Meinig Family Cornell National Scholar)
• Dartmouth
• Duke
• UPenn (Waitlisted M&T)
• Harvard (Waitlisted → Accepted)
• Princeton (Committed)

Waitlisted

• UMich (Early Action)
• Vanderbilt

Rejected

• USC (lol)
• Yale
• Stanford
• MIT (This one hurt)

Reflections:
I'm super grateful and happy with my decisions. I have committed to Princeton, and it definitely is the best fit for me. College results this year were very random, but I couldn’t be more thankful to get into the #1 undergraduate university. I was worried that since most of my application was MIT-related (Research, classes, Letters of Rec, Awards, Activities), other universities would think I was going there and reject me. College results were super random and stressful, but it worked out better than I could have ever imagined. It's funny how I got waitlisted and rejected from all my target schools (Vandy, UMich, USC) but then got into most of my reach schools.
Advice for Future Applicants:
Be authentic. There is no formula that gets you in. Sure, you have to do a couple of things like getting good grades and SAT scores and having some unique activities and awards, but especially for Top 10 schools, you just have to be unique and authentic. I didn't have any connections or background (like private school and college counselor) that provided me with opportunities. I was literally the first kid ever from my school to get into Princeton. I was authentic and hardworking, did stuff I enjoyed, and one thing led to another. I also spent a lot of time on essays and my application. 50% of the work is actually doing stuff, and the other 50% is showcasing it in your college application. Also, have balance in life. I had a lot of fun in high school and enjoyed the stuff I did. Live life with no regrets. Feel free to DM me.

im a harbinger of bad luck so cant believe things actually went okay-ish considering im not a competitive applicant
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Demographics

• Gender: Non-Binary
• Race/Ethnicity: Filipino
• Residence: Philippines (international applicant)
• Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): N/A
• High School: Religious private school that isnt the most competitive or well-known in the country but pretty alright.
• Income Bracket: 35k (considered middle class in the Philippines, my father is the sole breadwinner working as a lawyer and I have 2 more siblings who are still studying in private schools)
• EFC: 2k to 3k USD (i needed aid from every school)

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Intended Major(s): Media Production / Film and Television Production / Communications / Media Studies
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁Academics

• GPA: 3.9 for Freshman/Sophomore/Senior year, 3.6 for Junior year
• of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: NONE, my school offered AP classes but I couldnt afford them
• Senior Year Course Load: Mostly humanities and social science classes, I did not have any science or math classes in my coursework.

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Standardized Testing

• SAT/ACT: Went test optional but I took it once and got a 1230 (LOW AS HELL BYE)
• ENGLISH TEST: Took the Duolingo Test and got 155

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Extracurriculars/Activities:
i didnt plan my extracurriculars in high school i sure did a lot and most of them were scattered out HAHA. jack of all trades, master of none moments. i tried to include mostly my media and writing related activities. aside from the ones i listed on my common app, i was immersed in a lot of social justice and political advocacy works + other sports :)

• Elections Project - assistant project head of a city wide youth elections project where we conducted mock elections, podcast interviews with politicians, and daily news coverage of the national 2022 elections.
• National Newspaper - writer contributor of a political editorial article to a national newspaper
• School Play on Social Justice - wrote and directed a play that tackled social justice issues in the country, I was the overall head of the class project and the play had runs with audience members from invited schools
• Student Council - was the student body vice president (junior year) and student body president (senior year), I was the main organizer of projects and events such as the annual school carnival, christmas fundraiser, student assistance programs, family day activities, etc.
• School Newspaper - was the news and sports editor of the school newspaper for 3 years, i also competed in journalism competitions as the representative of my school paper
• Dance Varsity - was part of the hiphop dance varsity team of my school for 4 years, we won in many national competitions
• Photography Business - owned a mini-photography business for 2 years at which I was mostly working on freelance photo editing
• International Screenwriting Competition - won 3rd place in two screenwriting competitions during my junior year
• Elderly Volunteer Organization - was part of an organization that conducted monthly outreach programs to the elderly, I served as the treasurer of the organization for 2 years
• Tutor Services - worked as a tutor of an organization that offered free onsite tutor services to elementary children, i tutored language (Eng and Fil) subjects

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Awards/Honors

• Academic Honors 9th-12th Grade
• Leadership Recognition 9th-12th Grade
• Community Service Recognition 9th-12th Grade
• Awards for Journalism Competitions
• Awards for Screenwriting Competitions

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Essay

• Common App Essay - went with prompt 3, wrote about my favorite author and how my reading habits mirrored my flaws in handling everyday life. 8/10 could have been more fleshed out and i crammed it first week of Jan.
• Supplementals - yeah I just copy and pasted a lot of these from my supplemental essays to other schools. 7/10 to 8/10

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ LORs

• Media Studies Teacher - 10/10
• English and Literature Teacher - 8/10

I did not read the letters but im basing it on how much they like me as a student. I chose these teachers because I got high grades in their subjects and they got PhDs.
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Interviewss- I got none and I was too busy to go for optional interviews. I really did not display any demonstrated interest.
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ D*ecisionss *(ALL REGULAR DECISION, actually I filed my international applications late like 2-3 weeks after the deadlines because I was in a depressive episode last January)
ACCEPTANCES

• UPD, UST, ADMU, DLSU (Top 4 universities in the Philippines)
• University of Denver - Dean Scholar (29k) + International Diversity Award (11k)
• Brandeis University - Presidential Scholarship (15k)
• Syracuse University - Dean Scholarship (10k)
• Marquette University - Pere Marquette Scholarship (29k)
• Hofstra University - Presidential Scholarship (29k)
• Drexel University
• Rutgers New-Brunswick
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• PennState

WAITLISTS

• Wake Forest University
• Franklin & Marshall College

REJECTED

• Kenyon College
• Sewanee College

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁Reflection
well that was krazy HAHA. ik many people here showcase ivies and T20s and im not that remarkable with my t40s to t100s but i'd like to think its not that shabby for an unknown international from a third world country. my biggest regret is not applying for NYU, its my dream school but again considering my depressive episode from November to January I wasnt able to file my application on time. its a miracle that universities still accept late applications and im grateful for all that I have and received. If i could turn back time I wish I was a little bit stronger and more stable to have been able to apply for NYU, my common app essay about my favorite author was actually an alumni from NYU :")
but we carry the burdens of choice under the merits of luck; even with merit scholarships, I cant afford any of the international schools I was accepted to. more likely i'll have to attend the top university in my country. but i dont want to give up man i'll still try to appeal for financial aid and if that wont work I'll apply for transfer during my sophomore year to ivies and top LACs that give full financial aid to international transfers. the odds are low but never 0 and no harm in trying !! see you all again next year for my transfer results :]

Demographics: Male, Asian
Intended Major(s): Biology/Chemistry
ACT/SAT/SAT II: 1570 SAT
UW/W GPA and Rank: 3.6GPA (no rank) -> will be ~3.8 after senior year, 3.7 after first sem
Coursework: 8 APS/3 DE/2 Honors, all 5s so far
Awards:

• 1st in Hosa states medical event (out of 50 teams)
• 2nd in Hosa Internationals (2nd/200+ teams who qualified), about 2000 teams overall
• AP Scholar w/ Distinction
• National Merit Finalist
• NHS Award
• School award for 5s on both Econ Tests
• School Honor Roll (shit award lol)

Extracurriculars:
Biotechnology and Research Sequencing at the University of Michigan (501c3 research organization) - Explored Nucleotide Hybridization, and led group research linking it to a real-world disease. Analyzed related Thermodynamics, PCR, Advanced Linux, and mapping genomes. Presented a business plan on Biotechnology and Next Generation Sequencing Technology (showing how genetic variation could lead to disease).
11th and 12th grade, 12hrs/wk, 4wk/yr
Medical Student Shadowing and Cardiac Medicine Exploration at the University of Brown Alpert Medical School - Completed a Medical Interview, a Cardiopulmonary Physical Exam with a patient, reviewed different medical careers, learned about the pathophysiology of the heart, and completed an ethics course on heart transplants.
11th and 12th grade, 10hrs/wk, 4wk/yr
Shadowed Primary Care Physician - Pediatrician has experience for 20+ years and ranked the #1 Care Physician out of 45 in my city. Worked in the Biomedical Lab analyzing samples and results for patients (in real-time). I shadowed the actual checkups as well
11th and 12th grade, 10hrs/wk, 3wk/yr
HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) Competitor (all 50 states + 11 countries competed) (2yrs) - State Champion (1st out of 40 teams) in my 1st year, Only three teams are sent to ILC from Michigan, Qualified for ILC (International Leadership Conference), and placed Top 3 at ILC. Posted on 10+ nationwide news sites, as well as covered by the media. 260,000 members nationwide.
11th and 12th grade, 10hrs/wk, 30wk/yr
Co-Founder of Biomed Club (Only Student-Made Medical Club @ School) (4yrs) - Led in-school Biomedical-Based Medical Club focused on healthcare careers, connecting with licensed doctors and current medical students to inspire youth and teach them about the experience through the medical process. Expanded membership from 4 to 150 in 4 years by organizing talks for younger classmen about life as a doctor.
9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grade, 8hrs/wk, 35wk/yr
Joined SAT/Tutoring Help - Helps students increase their chances for college applications, as well as earn significant amounts of scholarship money. Was able to empower high school students through hackathons, college seminars, and a Cranbrook HUB Program which helped struggling students increase their SAT scores.
10th, 11th, 12th grade, 6hrs/wk, 10wk/yr
Swim Instructor (paid) - Worked for ~1 year, over 400 hours of work, about 8-10 hours weekly on school weeks, and closer to 15 hours during summer, CPR and Lifeguard Certified. Had several classes, weekly, with kids with disabilities, such as Down Syndrome, Autism, and ADHD.
11th, 12th grade, 8-10hrs/wk, 40wk/yr
Swim Instructor Summer Volunteer connected w/Hospital's Children’s Care Center (most vulnerable kids) - Instructed and taught children who have been impaired with neurological, social, and developmental challenges, as well as kids that have dealt with major trauma at a very young age to swim. Participated in a 3-week long program teaching them the basics of swimming.
11th, 12th grade, 8-10hrs/wk, 4wk/yr
Michigan Ref Certified - Participated in overall 50+ hours of ref-related activities, played soccer for 13 years and competed in competitive/travel soccer for 10 years.
9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grade, 2hrs/wk, 13wk/yr (for reffing)
9th, 10th grade, 8hrs/wk, 50wk/yr (for soccer)
VolunteeTutor Work - Volunteer Monthly at an Indian Cultural Program (10hrs/month), Math Tutor for struggling students (3hrs/week), Volunteer Monthly for Key Club (3hrs/month)
Essays/LORs/Other:
APES (7/10)
STEM Teacher (9/10)
Schools (in state for MSU/UMich):
MSU
UMich (EA)
Rice
JHU
BU
UPenn (ED)
Columbia
Chance Me: MID GPA UPENN

Not an out of the ordinary student profile. No I'm not only applying to UMiami but it's definitely my #1, it's just the only one I'm really interested in doing a chanceme for.
Might apply ED based on how hard of a reach this is.*
Demographics: White/Native American (registered member of state recognized tribe, not BS), Male, out of state, single income middle class
Intended Major: Marine Biology/Ecology
SAT: 1390 - 760 English 630 Math - (Just the first try, will try more to improve superscore)
ACT: Will take in June
UW GPA: 3.95 (got one B freshman year geometry) -- Weighted GPA: 4.15
Class Rank: 10/375
AP's: (Took all AP's offered by school, which was unfortunately very few) AP World History, APUSH, AP Environmental Science
Other Honors*:* Will take all of my classes for senior year at a community college through a high school program (allows oustanding highschoolers that want to get more challenging classes to instead take college classes for dual credit). I don't know how much this will impact application since by the time I will be applying there will not be a transcript of this. Does anyone have further insight into how things like that work?
EC's: Slalom + GS Varsity Ski Racing athlete, President of school's Marine Conservation Club, Internship with US National Forest Service (analyzed and monitored local aquatic fish populations alongside a Supervisory Fish Biologist), Key Club Member, NHS member, and Green Club member (another general environmental conservation club)
Essay: About my experience being trapped in a forest fire for two days while hiking when I was 11, and how the event inspired a deep respect for wildlife management and conservation. I'm pretty confident in my skills as a writer and I think I can make a strong essay.
Other: My school is somewhat rural, and has limited opportunities for excelling students (hence the lack of AP's - we literally don't have any more than what I took), might mention that to demonstrate that I wasn't justslacking and not taking AP's that were offered.
*I am considering ED to increase my chances of acceptance, but if I don't recieve any significant financial aid package, I don't want to be locked into that contract. I've also heard that ED students get smaller aid packages since they don't need to entice you, you're locked in. I don't need a full ride or anything like that, but some base level financial aid or annual scholarship would go a long way.
Anyways just lmk how much of a reach this is, and ways to improve my application come december. Thanks for reading.

Helloooo, I'm a junior and I'm trying to narrow my college list, and find more realistic target schools. Science and math have always been my weakest points, but I've always challenged myself nonetheless. If you have any college recommendations for me, I'd really appreciate it!!! Sorry this is so long!!
Demographics: M, White/Persian (dual citizen), TN, private school
Hooks: Performing arts
Intended Major(s): Biomedical Engineering, minor in Theater or Astronomy
ACT/SAT/SAT II: ACT - 26 (breakdown-- math 21, science 23, stem 22, eng 27, reading 33) SAT - 1220 (reading/writing-- 660, math-- 460)
UW/W GPA: Freshman GPA: 3.8 Sophomore GPA: 3.3 (medical leave) Junior GPA: 4.1 cumulative on record: 3.55 all weighted, cumulative hasn't been properly calculated (mistake in school's system)
Coursework: Freshman/Sophomore year I completed fine arts training (my academic lineage goes to Michelangelo) DP Eng Lit HL (A), DP AA SL (B), DP Physics HL (C), DP Anthro SL (B) Photography and Theater Production as electives, next year is 3rd year of fine arts training
Awards: National Art Honor Society Tri-M Music Honor Society International Thespian Society Scholastic Art and Writing Awards two honorable mentions National Shakespeare Competition Semi-Finalist 2 school awards in acting First in Odyssey of the Mind Ark State (2 years in a row) First in NHD Regional Comp International Honor Thespian by the end of my senior year
ECs: Assistant Director of a musical (2 shows) Directing (1 show) Tech Crew (lighting, sound, and stage) (4 shows) Acting (in hs) (6 shows, 8 by end of senior year) President of Thespian Troupe Part Time Job Art Studio Apprentice Published 3 times in School Anthology Graphic Designer in Student-Run Magazine Freelance Photography Odyssey of the Mind (3 years, will be coaching next year) President of GSA Club Co-founder of Acting Club Member of Local Astronomical Society CIT at Summer Camp School volunteer (19 hours) a lot more I haven't kept track of
Essays/LORs/Other: I believe my essay will be strong. I plan to write about how art has been my way of expressing myself and understanding the world around me, how I strive to be better at science, and my belief that science and art are the same in the sense that they are both ways of navigating the world, etc.
English teacher-- oh so very strong!!! i love my eng teacher she's so sweet :>
Anthro teacher-- haven't seen it yet, but i'm sure it'll be good, i have a natural spark in anthropology and am very active in his class, my teacher is also my advisor so i talk w him a lot more, he also is writing a recommendation for me for a summer program i'm applying to
Art teacher-- i believe this will be quite strong!
Director A-- this one will be !!great!!, she's known me for 7-8 years
Director B-- this one is a bit of a wildcard, he's a silly guy tho and he likes me so ik he'll say good things about me
Schools:
ED - Rice University
EA - UMich Stony Brook University
RD - Carnegie Mellon* NYU* UCSD CPSU (San Luis Obispo) San Diego State University UW UCD DePaul CU Boulder Michigan State
*I'm very passionate for theater and acting, which is why I want to apply to CMU and NYU for acting. I can't afford to fail if I took that route, which is why I'm only applying to reach schools under that major.
I am aware my college list is too long, I am hoping that'll change. I have safeties, I just didn't include them!! In general, I'm very worried about costs. Even though I'm on a single parent income of 100k (net), I am one of four people being financially supported by that income so that support will be limited in college. My parent's gross income is higher than almost every college's need-based cutoff, so I don't qualify for a lot of financial aid. My academics are also just not cutting it for most merit-based scholarships, as well. As I'm currently standing, I'm not eligible for the majority of large scholarships I've come across. Any help for a more realistic academic+financial bar? Thank you so much!!!

Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone could give me feedback on an essay for a scholarship I've recently written to? Thank you so so much!!

heyy! keeping things general, but idk what my college list should look like AT ALL. and college counselors are not a lot of help either, so I thought I would ask for advice/help from this channel! Here are the stats:
Demographics: Asian Female, CA in a non-competitive school in a competetive district. First gen immigrant
Intended Major(s): I NEED ADVICE HERE TOO. Ive been thinking biochem as premed for pediatrics but poly sci and then medical law or diplomat sounds cool too. i would love to do something bio or chem related but i am not sure if my stats reflect that so I need advice here too
SAT: 1560 (780 RW and Math)
PSAT: 1520
UW GPA: 3.96
Coursework: AP Biology, AP Language and Composition, AP Spanish, AP Calculus AB (just finished tests YAY). Senior year will be taking 4 more (AP Chem, AP Gov, AP Stats, AP Lit) Dual Enrollment: General Psychology (9th), Environmental Science (10th), Kinesiology (10th), Beginning Art (11th), Physics 50 (11th), Intro to Business (11th), Basic Medical Terminology (11th), Advanced Medical Terminology (11th), Intro to African American Studies (11th)
Awards: top 15 in international poetry competition with over 15000 applicants, 3 Gold PVSAs, 2nd in state for FBLA Health Care Administration, multiple other smaller poetry awards
Extracurriculars: Red Cross club (100+ members) co president. FBLA club (100+ members) secretary City's Teen Commission (represented over 10000 teens in our city in Board Meetings) Vice chair, ASB + Class Cabinet Intra-District Council secretary (planned events for 10000 students in my district). Committee lead at local nonprofit serving over 100000 kids with special needs Mother-Baby volunteer at local major hospital. Research Director at local organization teaching kids about research Founded 501c3 nonprofit (1k+ reach) teaching low income kids internationally on how to write research papers.
sadly no summer programs
Essays/LORs/Other: have good relationships with my teachers, will probably get one from my spanish teacher (shes the best ever), my bio teacher, chem teaching, ASB teacher, and district superintendent
Schools: preferably in CA, but open to schools all around. tuiton should be low, but i can grind out scholarships. tight knit community, safe environement, but spirited.
THANK YOU

So I am an international student who is taking her second gap year. In my second gap year, I want to learn how to best self-present myself, and as I am an international who will need a full-ride scholarship, the process is a bit more challenging for me without a mentor. Since I am a low-income, first-generation college student, I could not afford the help of paid mentorships, and this year, for this reason, I would be really glad if any of you who got accepted to top universities with full-ride scholarships could help me through the journey with your mentoring.
I have several achievements, and currently I run my non-profit organization and have received grant funding as well. I also have summer camp experience with some international programs. This year, I will be doing Pioneer Academics and Blast AI summer camps with full scholarships.
I applied to colleges for over 2 years now and got several waitlists. I do have experience applying, and I think I should learn how to present myself in the best way.
I need someone with whom I can discuss and share my plans and ideas for this application cycle, and who can potentially help me with making my college list and writing my essays. As a low-income, first generation student, I would really appreciate your help, and I am ready to work to my fullest potential and definitely pay off your hard work and genuine help in the coming future. If you are someone who you think might help, please let me know, and I am ready to share more information about my background and all the other information.

So I am an international student who is taking her second gap year. In my second gap year, I want to learn how to best self-present myself, and as I am an international who will need a full-ride scholarship, the process is a bit more challenging for me without a mentor. Since I am a low-income, first-generation college student, I could not afford the help of paid mentorships, and this year, for this reason, I would be really glad if any of you who got accepted to top universities with full-ride scholarships could help me through the journey with your mentoring.
I have several achievements, and currently I run my non-profit organization and have received grant funding as well. I also have summer camp experience with some international programs. This year, I will be doing Pioneer Academics and Blast AI summer camps with full scholarships.
I applied to colleges for over 2 years now and got several waitlists. I do have experience applying, and I think I should learn how to present myself in the best way.
I need someone with whom I can discuss and share my plans and ideas for this application cycle, and who can potentially help me with making my college list and writing my essays. As a low-income, first generation student, I would really appreciate your help, and I am ready to work to my fullest potential and definitely pay off your hard work and genuine help in the coming future. If you are someone who you think might help, please let me know, and I am ready to share more information about my background and all the other information.

So I am an international student who is taking her second gap year. In my second gap year, I want to learn how to best self-present myself, and as I am an international who will need a full-ride scholarship, the process is a bit more challenging for me without a mentor.
Since I am a low-income, first-generation college student, I could not afford the help of paid mentorships, and this year, for this reason, I would be really glad if any of you who got accepted to top universities with full-ride scholarships could help me through the journey with your mentoring.
I have several achievements, and currently I run my non-profit organization and have received grant funding as well. I graduated the high school with a gold medal and perfect GPA. I also have summer camp experience with some international programs, and this year, I will be doing Pioneer Academics and Blast AI summer camps with full scholarships.
I applied to colleges for over 2 years now and got several waitlists. I do have experience applying, and I think I should learn how to present myself in the best way.
I need someone with whom I can discuss and share my plans and ideas for this application cycle, and who can potentially help me with making my college list and writing my essays. As a low-income, first generation student, I would really appreciate your help, and I am ready to work to my fullest potential and definitely pay off your hard work and genuine help in the coming future.
If you are someone who might help, please let me know, and I am ready to share more information about my background and all the other information.

it's finally over yall. STATS:

• Low income, Asian, first gen! GPA: 4.0 UW / 4.21 WEIGHTED (9th-11th, 12th grade was when i got my first B LOL) SAT: didnt take ACT: didnt take
• 4 APS, 4 honor classes (my school offered like 20+ APS so i definitely underperformed there)

major: molecular biology
extracurriculars (i had no leadership positions btw)

• 2 years of volunteer tutoring
• 7 years of translating for my mother
• 1 year of cancer society club (as a member)
• 2 years of christian summer camp
• 2 years of competitive show choir
• i had like 2 more but theyre all very small (unpublished research etc)

awards: i didn't have any real awards :(

• collegeboard scholarship winner
• the award we won during one of our competitions in show choir LOL

ESSAYS: wrote about how i took care of my mom during her battle with metastasizing cancer, and how dealing with grief led to the growth of passion
results: rejected: usc (dream school), uci, ucd, ucb, ucla, cal poly slo, stanford (LOL it was for funsies!) accepted: csuf, csulb, csula, ucr, uop (university of pacific), ucsb waitlist: ucsd (waitlist accepted for molecular bio!!!!!!!!!!!!)
overall thoughts: i had absolutely ZERO hope for ucsd. literally would refresh college confidential every 4 hours (for 2 months), and i was going to settle of ucsb. don't get me wrong; i heard the education was absolutely phenomenal in ucsb, but ucsd had the research opportunities i've always wanted, so i started bawling my eyes out
to anyone still waiting on the waitlist for ucsd: theres a lot of people who declined the offer (since they got into a better school). don't lose hope! :)

Hi! I'm a current junior and I'm trying to build a college list. Please let me know what colleges you would recommend me to apply to :>.
Demographics: Female, Asian, HS in NY (would say it's pretty competitive)
Hooks: first-generation, low-income
Intended Major(s): Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (or environmental sciences) and minor in Philosophy
ACT/SAT/SAT II: 1570 SAT, 780 W and 790 M
UW/W GPA and Rank: 4.0 unweighted, idk what my weighted GPA after junior year would be yet
Coursework: 5 honor classes 9 APs (7 more senior year)
List of APs: Sophomore year: APWH (5), AP Physics 1 (5), Junior year: AP Lang, AP Calc BC, APUSH, AP Psych, AP Biology, AP Stats, AP CSA, Senior year: AP Lit, AP Chem, APES, AP Macro, AP Micro, AP French, AP Gov
Awards:

• USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) Honorable Mention (top 20%)
  
• Some regional science research fair awards
  
• Science Olympiad Ornithology (bird science) event, Medaled
  
• 1st place for animal rights essay contest (top 10 in around 350? I think)
  
• New York Times Contest Winner (one 11 people out of ~2000) work was published there
  
• Scholastic Art and Writing Awards two Silver and one Gold keys
  
• National French Contest, three gold medal one each year (>= 95 percentile of contestants)
  
• Some regional business competition awards
  
• Investing scholarship winner, only winner in NY for that time
  
• Presidential Volunteer Service Award Gold Medal
  

Extracurriculars: Include leadership & summer activities

• Research project with a professor at a local university on ornithology (bird science)
• Research project with a professor at a medical institution on air pollution
• Research project with a professor at a top liberal arts university on ornithology
• Research project with a professor at a Quebec university on ornithology
• Research project with a professor at an ivy on pain relief- published in student journal
• President of environment club
• PTSA council delegate
• Founder and President of an organization that aims to spread awareness of restrictions in education
• President of free tutoring organization
• Secretary for French Teacher
• Mentor in a mental health program at my school (I help underclassmen navigate mental health issues and HS)
• Writer for school newspaper club
• Volunteer at environmental center
• Past volunteer at a reading non-profit where I taught underprivileged children how to read through Zoom
• Some other volunteer events
• Columbia Science Honors Program
• NYU Collegiate Seminars Program
• The Junior Academy Team Leader
• Kode With Klossy web development camp
• Veterinary Medicine Career Exploration Program

Essays/LORs/Other:
I haven't started writing my essays yet, but my English teacher really likes my writing.
English Teacher- I think it would be pretty good. I always participate and he has said I'm a great student numerous times.
French Teacher- I think it would be pretty good as well. I work as her secretary, and I engage in frequent small talk with her.
Biology Teacher- I think she likes me, and I am one of her best students.
Thank you in advance, and please let me know what you think!

https://preview.redd.it/qwmm2vtfy71d1.png?width=651&format=png&auto=webp&s=93c01a4516868be564a0d1849bc59bf08445dfa4
I'm an international student. Just got my master's degree and my work permit. Hoping to settle down here in Canada for good. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

I am an international student and wasn’t planning on applying to the UK because of the lack of scholarships they give out but i may be able to get additional funding and all i need is to get an admission into a university in the UK . Can someone please help me out with my UCAS application. I have reached out to some universities and they are saying I can apply . Is the personal essay for one university or all five of them and what if you are applying for different courses in different universities how do i write one essay for that . Help is much appreciated

While debating against a Muslim skeptic about the reliability and authenticity of the Gospels, he used the textual criticism angle to prove the "corruption" of the New Testament during its early transmissions. He gave me a book titled "Hunting for the Word of God" by Sami Ameri which discusses extensively the corruption of the Bible and the preservation of the Quran through a primarily textual-critical viewpoint. He cites a bunch of textual critics to demonstrate that we cannot trust the Bible but we can trust the Quran. It's a long book, unfortunately, so this post would be the first part in a I-don't-know-how-many-parts series of my hyper-focused dive into textual criticism of a potentially biased Muslim author. Please share your thoughts or any refutations or something. Thanks.
Key Points for the Corruption of the Bible (pp. 9-36)

• Biblical textual criticism's goal of restoring the original texts of the Gospel texts is an arrogant attempt to achieve an impossible and ambiguous task. Michael W. Holmes in "From 'Original Text' to 'Initial Text': the Traditional Goal of New Testament Textual Criticism in Contemporary Discussion" declared inadequate or deficient the traditional goal as many scholars consider that the study of the history of transmission of the text should be a legitimate goal in its own right rather than just a means of reaching the original text and finding the 'original text' is in itself an inherently ambiguous term subject to the serious question of whether it can be considered a goal. Eldon J. Epp in "The Multivalence of the Term 'Original Text' in New Testament Textual Criticism" expounds its complex meaning as the question which encompasses all of the questions about the issue of canon, the transmission in different languages despite Jesus' primarily Aramaic teachings, the formation of oral and form tradition of pre-literary Gospels, the Synoptic problem and its compositional stages alongside the Epistles, Acts, and Apocalypse, the textual decision among various readings without an 'original text' basis, and the validity and reliability of the text-critical methodologies that attempt to establish criteria of originality, eclectisms, and claims of theological and ideological alterations of manuscripts. Finally, Reuben Swanson in "New Testament Greek Manuscripts: Variant Readings Arranged in Horizontal Lines against Codex Vaticanus: Romans" went as far as to say that the traditional goal was a delusion, fictional, mythical, and impossible because first, only fragments of copies before 350 AD are owned which had not preserved 'the original pure text', and second, any final judgment between readings is subjectively conditioned by background, training, and theological bent.
• Aside from the sheer impossibility of textual criticism's goal to restore the 'original text', the science does not comprehensively answer the 'obscure zone' of the history of the texts. In fact, this 'zone' not only weakens the claim that the initial texts were preserved but also strengthens the hypothesis that the initial texts underwent many changes and alterations which may be called "corruptions". Ameri provides 10 major signs:
  • The text itself, based on Philip W. Comfort's "The Quest for the Original Text of the New Testament", gives proof of corruption in the 'obscure zone'. Comfort divides New Testament texts into two categories: texts that maintained the same shape of the autographs and texts that underwent the first phase of composition, edition, distribution and the second phase of re-edition and ditribution. Although no scriptural proof was used, philological studies presented by Comfort were enough evidence.
  • The earliest extant manuscripts received its most unorganized and chaotic transmission during the 1st and 2nd centuries. Helmut Koester in William J. Petersen's edition of "Gospel Traditions in the Second Century: Origins, Recensions, Text, and Transmission" and David C. Parker in "The Living Text of the Gospels" both assert that most substantial alterations of the Gospel texts happened in the first 150 years, leaving no guarantee of identicality between the archetypes of the manuscripts tradition and the original texts. Thus, the originality of the 3rd-century copies can be put into doubt as the 'enlightened zone' emerged from the 'obscure zone'.
  • Complementary to the issue of early transmission during the 'obscure zone' is the tendency of later Gospel scribes to harmonize the Gospels by removing discrepancies that make accounts conflicting. D. C. Parker's "The Living Text of the Gospels" was primarily cited as it said that the text and its traditions remained fluid even after the evangelists which was demonstrated by the harmonization phenomenon. Ameri hypothesized that this phase of New Testament transmission shows signs of being pruned to fit the orthodox creed of inerrancy; therefore, allowing for the possibility that scribes did more than just accidently change the Scriptures.
  • The location of the earliest manuscripts give evidence on the unreliability of the earliest manuscripts themselves as something close to the autographs. Egyptian manuscripts, instead of considering them as transferred manuscripts from somewhere else, must be considered as Egyptian versions because of a lack of evidence on the part of critics that hold the former opinion. Timothy J. Finney in his dissertation "The Ancient Witnesses of the Epistle to the Hebrews: A Computer-Assisted Analysis of the Papyrus and Uncial Manuscripts of PROS EBRAIOUS" demonstrated that they had similar orthography. Based on the hypothesis that shared orthography meant shared provenance, the scribes who distributed the copies were possibly from the same region, namely Egypt. The fact that these Egyptian manuscripts differ from patristic citations as they used the Western text-type instead of the Alexadrian one adds doubt towards the earliest extant manuscripts.
  • 2nd-century citations by the Church Fathers provide evidence of alterations in New Testament manuscripts. William P. Petersen's essay, "The Genesis of the Gospels", presented 6 observations among the use of New Testament texts by early witnesses: 1) Gospel quotations tend to be prominently harmonized, 2) extra-canonical material is prominent and mixed with canonical content, 3) passages with parallel to the canonical Gospels have variants, 4) the sequence of recognizable material between parallel passages are altered, 5) the earlier the citations are, the vaguer and less parallel the citations become compared to the canonical texts, and 6) the earlier the citations, the less emphasis on Jesus' life and teachings.
  • Following on Church Fathers, the Western text-type used by the majority of patristic texts are not a homogeneous group. Bruce Metzger and Bart Ehrman in "The Text of the New Testament, Its Transmission, Corruption and Restoration" said that von Soden had to organize 7 sub-groups of witnesses which were more or less related to the Western texts. Michael W. Holmes in David E. Aume's edition of "The Blackwell Companion to the New Testament" also noted that the Western text-type exhibited harmonistic, paraphrasing, substitutive, and additive tendencies of scribes, which strengthens the claim that the 'obscure zone' was a period of uncontrolled transmission and alteration.
  • The Synoptic Gospels, specifically Matthew and Luke, showed signs of using a common Markan source. However, despite using a common text, authors of Matthew and Luke exhibited minor disagreements against Mark. Helmut Koester in "The Text of the Synoptic Gospels in the Second Century" posited that Matthew and Luke did use Mark, but a copy that was different from later texts, earning the designation Proto-Mark that had no disagreements with Matthew and Luke during the early few centuries. Daniel B. Wallace in "Revisiting the Corruption of the New Testament: Manuscript, Patristic, and Apocryphal Evidence" affirmed that the Mark that Matthew and Luke used was different, but suggested an opposite hypothesis that the copy was different from Proto-Mark and that the two Synoptic Gospels paralleled later versions.
  • The heretics who were accused of tampering with Scriptures are as, if not more, reliable than the orthodox tradition. Bart Ehrman in "Misquoting Jesus" flipped the claim towards the orthodox scribes as they frequently changed texts to eliminate "misuse" by heretics. Gilles Quispel in "Marcion and the Text of the New Testament" would even say that Marcion preserved the readings of his time rather than alter them. This claim was not unheard of among pre-Nicene Fathers, as Origen quoted Celsus, an opponent of Christianity during the centuries of the 'obscure zone', who accused some Christian believers to alter the original texts three or four or several times over to deny criticism in "Contra Celsum".
  • Lastly, the non-canonical gospels raise questions towards the relationship between the canonical and non-canonical traditions during the early distribution of the original Gospel autographs. Tatian and Clement of Alexandria are examples of Fathers who held non-canonical verses as no less authoritative than other canonical texts. William L. Petersen in "The Genesis of the Gospels" finds extra-canonical clauses in the Diatessaron as proof that there was no established text of the Gospels and that the parts of the current canon were subject to the whims of any writer, editor, or harmonist.
  • Overall, considering the issues found during the 'obscure zone', the critical editions of current scholarship are not found in any extant manuscript, version, or Father citation.
• Given the diversity of the extant manuscripts, many textual methodologies emerged, more often than not conflicting and demonstrating a non-linear pathway towards the restoration of the original texts. The main methods are listed: 1) Textus Receptus compiled by Erasmus in the 16th century based from the Byzantine type-text manuscripts which became used during the 16th and 17th centuries but abandoned in the 1900s, 2) Majority Text method which emphasizes the presence of the original text through repeating patterns and readings found in manuscripts, forming a statistical construct of the text, 3) Traditional Critical Method used mostly by 19th-century scholars by basing a new constructed text from an extant manuscripts and assessing its readings by comparison with other texts, and 4) Eclectic Method where a scholar has free choice to establish pre-adopted rules to determine the best variant reading. Ameri concluded that the certainty of the Church in the unsullied transmission of Biblical texts is deceptive and reasoned eclecticism cannot be used to fulfill the traditional goal of textual criticism.
• All in all, textual criticism fails to cater to the Christian need of an original and reliable Bible. The United Bible Societies Greek New Testament is an example of changing preferences within the discipline. Despite reclassifying the readings throughout its editions with considerable differences, the authority was uncertain with the use of 59% of its variants. Bart Ehrman in Barbara Aland and Joel Delobel's edition of "New Testament Textual Criticism, Exegesis and Early Church History: A Discussion of Methods" shoots the mercy bullet that virtually no one has read the New Testament in their original form.

TL;DR: Christian textual criticism is stoopid af that's why the Bible is not reliable

I'll have been graduated by mid June, and the university I want to apply to offers many scholarships. I don't know anybody who has applied to scholarships before so I have no idea how to even start. how should I format my scholarship application? what should I mention in the video? also my school doesnt offer extracurricular activities so I don't know what to mention there. these are the requirements that require submitting a portfolio:
Applicants to submit a portfolio to include:

• An essay detailing extracurricular activities, talents, social activities and anticipated contribution to AUS
• Evidence of outstanding personal qualities and leadership abilities in schools/community
• Evidence of scientific or literary contributions to the community
• School honors/awards, community service and school extracurricular activities
• Submit a 3 to 5 minute video describing why they should be considered for the scholarship
• Two letters of recommendation

I'd be thankful for any help!!

I passed ALS outright! :) Really excited about the opportunity. Although I'm still waiting for the results of my other law school choices, I thought I'd start asking for advice from current ALS students/alumni. But anyone from any school can answer these questions to help other incoming students who might come across this post. You may answer any of the questions based on your personal experience or maybe provide a link to another reddit thread that you found helpful (relatively new to Reddit so I have not thoroughly browsed through this sub). Any response is appreciated.
Workload and Time Management

1. How much time do you spend reading/studying each day or week?
2. How do you balance readings with other responsibilities? (ie. part-time jobs, extracurriculars)
3. What study method has worked best for you?
4. Any tips for creating case digests? How do you make your case digests as succinct as possible, especially for long cases?
5. How did you to adjust to the demands of law school when you were a freshman?

Study Groups

1. How do you find or form an effective study group? Especially as someone who is kinda socially awkward (hence, my Reddit username).
2. How would you describe the social life among ALS students? Is the environment collaborative or competitive?
3. How do you collaborate effectively with your blockmates to create a conducive learning environment? I am asking this question because I have seen some stories of some blocks having a "crab mentality" and I would really like to avoid this.

Classroom Lectures and Recitations

1. What are the professors like?
2. How do you answer during recitations? Do you follow a certain format for your answers?
3. How do you handle "bad recitations"?
4. Any tips for someone who is... not good at public speaking? (Public speaking anxiety) :')
5. Any tips for someone who got called to recite a case but didn't actually get to read the case (due to time constraints and other reasons)? What to answer and how to stay calm and composed under such situations?
6. Any tips for effective note-taking? During my undergrad, I'm the kind of person who would copy everything written on the PPT slide. I would like to change this habit and learn how to take note of only the important things, especially since the lectures are going to be in the form of recitations.

Grading System and Examinations

1. How are grades determined, and how competitive is the grading curve?
2. Apart from recitations and exams, what other course outputs are assigned to students?
3. Any tips for preparing for exams and writing essays?

Extracurricular Activities

1. Did you join any orgs? If yes, what org did you join and would you recommend it? What sort of activities did you undertake?
2. What year do you think is best to join orgs? (ie. 1st year-4th year)
3. In your opinion, is joining an org beneficial for job hunting when you graduate?

Moot Court

1. How is your Moot Court experience?
2. What is the process for joining the ALS Moot Court team, and how competitive is it?
3. Is it possible for someone who is not skilled at public speaking to join Moot Court? Personally, I want to join because I really want to improve my public speaking skills (thinking it might be a good way of getting out of my comfort zone).
4. Any tips for Moot Court?

Thesis

1. For ALS students/graduates, how was your thesis experience?
2. What were the challenges you faced during thesis?
3. Has anyone ever experienced almost completing a thesis but was forced to change topics due to the legal issue being resolved?
4. Edit: How did you choose your thesis adviser?
5. Any tips for defense preparation?

Internships/Apprenticeships

1. I read that ALS has an apprenticeship program, what exactly is the process for this?
2. How easy/difficult is it to apply for apprenticeship, and how competitive is it (if at all)?
3. What are challenges you faced during apprenticeship?

Networking

1. Are there any opportunities for alumni mentoring and networking events?
2. I know for DLSU, they have a group of student tutors called the Lasallian Lex who help first-years in their transition to law school. Does ALS have something similar?
3. Any tips for building a professional network during law school?

Mental Health

1. How do you manage stress and pressure?
2. How do you find motivation again when burnt out?

Living Arrangements

1. What are the best areas to live near campus that is somewhat affordable? Especially ALS-Rockwell and DLSU-BGC. Honestly, I'm probably just going to commute...but asking for reference just in case lol.

Books and Materials (Digital and Hard Copies)

1. Are there any books or resources you recommend getting before starting law school?
2. How much do you spend on books and printing materials in one semester?
3. What are apps you installed that has been helpful in your law school journey? (eg. organizing notes, managing study schedules, etc.)
4. Edit: Are law books, commentaries, codals, and the like available in the ALS library for borrowing?
5. Edit: Which site do you use to read cases online? (eg. LawPhil, etc.) Does ALS provide subscription to students for online law libraries? (eg. CDAsia, etc.)
6. Edit: Is there a Piso Print near ALS?

General

1. What do you wish you had known before starting law school?
2. Any advice for making the most out of the first year (or any year)?
3. What are mistakes first-years should avoid?

Challenges

1. What were the biggest challenges you faced during your first year?
2. How did you overcome them?

Edit: Scholarships

1. For ALS students with scholarship, how did you maintain the minimum required grade?
2. How did you write your personal statement?

Will edit if there are any more. Thank you in advance to anyone who will take the time to give answers!

has anyone u know gotten this scholarship is it real or a scam? also how did u attain it? i read that u have to submit a video essay and statement of interest, to the ones who got it WHAT DID U INCLUDE IN UR VID ESSAY I REALLLY NEEEED THIS SCHOLARSHIP, my dad is sick and lives alone in uae im an international student and i want to go to uae so i can care for him and attend uni but i dont have the budget for a uni in uae HENCE i need this SCHOLARSHIP REALLLLLLLLY REALLLLLLLLLLLY BADDDDDDDDDDDDDD please help a girl out in whatever ways u cann :(

Hi, I was wondering if anyone applied to the Juno — no essay scholarship? Is it a“legit” sweepstakes scholarship or something that should be avoided? I checked their terms and policies and it looks legit but wanted some other opinions on it.

For the short essay question “Describe some of your extracurricular interests” for Scholarships and school applications should I focus on only one or do multiple?
For the scholarship with this question, it is the only question I could list my extracurricular, otherwise they go unknown by the judge… help??

My friend just let me know he got rejected after applying to Mason. I saw his grades (above average mostly A’s and a few Bs) and transcript - has a 3.7 gpa. His SAT score is 1420. He was planning to attend Mason but now he’s told me he’s just in shock. His friend also didn’t get in with good stats. Am I wrong to think that Mason had high acceptance rates?
Edit: I did not expect this to blow with comments but here’s a few more points id like to add:
He didn’t want to go to uva, vtech, or vcu because too much people attend those schools and he didn’t like the atmosphere of it being in the middle of nowhere so he applied to Mason because it was next to DC and for more connections (which he has went to several networking events at gmu and even got an internship part time job offer at Covington & Burling LLP which is the top company in DC of law firms) ( He wants to go to GMU Law school after undergraduate so he doesn’t want to go far). He did apply to Georgetown and some of the out of state schools.
He made it clear on his essays and application that Mason was his top priority school( he did private research at gmu as well before applying) and so that’s why I am confused as to why they may have rejected him.
Edit 2: looking through the comments,
My friend had exceptional extra curriculars from music, sports, volunteering experiences around the world, doing various activities such as research and projects. He was definitely well rounded and really went in hard for the college essays
His chosen major was political science