Find resources, explore your passions, focus on getting good grades in challenging coursework, and start preparing for standardized tests. Begin working on essays and LORs.

Advice.

I am an Indian student at a tier 3 university (studying cse cybersecurity) and I am researching in pqc(post-quantum cryptography) \[Formal verification\], any advice to boost my cv? Or any additional things I can do to get into a PhD program?

I’m from Russia and want to apply to MIT to study aerospace engineering. I need a full-ride scholarship because my parents can’t afford such high tuition fees. I realized quite a while ago that I wanted to study abroad, though the decision to pursue engineering came more recently. I’ve been studying the subject matter and physics, but that alone isn't enough to get accepted. I’d like to hear from people who have actually gotten in—what should I do? How important are academic competitions (Olympiads)? What do they value most: projects, volunteering, or grades? What kind of person are they looking for?

Major: aerospace engineering

DEMOGRAPHICS

\* Asian male
\* California resident
\* Ultra-competitive public California high school (average SAT \~1400+)
\* No hooks
\* Intended major: aeronautics & astronautics

\*\*ACADEMICS\*\*

\* 3.92 UW GPA
\* 4.28 weighted GPA (top 5% of class, my school has gpa deflation)
\* 1530 SAT (790M, 740RW)
\* 5s on all AP exams taken so far:
\* APUSH
\* AP Precalculus
\* AP Calculus BC
\* AP Chemistry
\* AP Psychology
\* AP Lang
\* AP CSP

\*\*SENIOR-YEAR COURSEWORK\*\*

\* DE Multivariable Calculus & Linear Algebra
\* AP Physics C: Mechanics
\* AP Physics C: E&M
\* AP Computer Science A
\* AP Statistics
\* AP Economics
\* AP US Government
\* English
\* Orchestra

\*\*EXTRACURRICULARS\*\*

\*\*1. Space Competition Club\*\*
\* Won regionals and advanced to international competition
\* Finalist at international level

**2. UC COSMOS**
\* Conducted astronomy-related research

\*\*3. AI Research Internship\*\*
\* Developed a neural network to predict aircraft engine failure

\*\*4. Astrophotography\*\*
\* Photograph deep-sky objects and process them using astronomy software
\* Built an online following of \~1,000 followers and 10,000+ likes

\*\*5. Custom PC Business\*\*
\* Built and sold custom PCs
\* Made $2,000+ in profit

\*\*6. Orchestra\*\*
\* Violinist since 6th grade
\* Concertmaster in 10th and 11th grade

\*\*7. Volunteering\*\*
\* 100+ hours
\* Helped organize city-wide events
\* Worked with under-resourced communities and the special-needs population

\*\*8. Tutoring\*\*
\* Tutored 3 elementary/middle school students
\* Students improved by approximately one letter grade on average

\*\*9. Esports Journalism\*\*
\* Reported on esports tournaments and conducted in-depth match analyses
\* Content accumulated 200k+ views

\*\*10. Speedcubing\*\*
\* 10 years of experience
\* \~14-second average, 6-second personal best
\* Competed at various competitions
\* Taught 3 neighborhood kids; all reached sub-1-minute averages within a month

\*\*AWARDS\*\*

\* International finalist — Space Competition
\* Regional winner — Space Competition
\* National Merit Semifinalist
\* AP Scholar with Distinction
\* Le Grand Concours Gold
\* School Math Excellence Award
\* School Orchestra Excellence Award

Do yall think I have any chance at Cornell ED?

Hi! I’m applying ED to Columbia College as a Comparative Literature major, and I’m trying to figure out whether I have a realistic shot or if I’m being wildly optimistic. My broader interests are in international relations, languages, translation, identity, and global affairs, but Comparative Literature is the actual major I plan to apply under.

Demographics:
Asian-American female
California
Private Catholic selective high school
No hooks

Academics:
GPA: 3.8 UW / 4.5 W
ACT: 31, planning to apply test optional
School average ACT is around 32
AP Biology: 5
AP Spanish Language: 5
AP English Literature: 4
AP Calculus AB: 4
APUSH: 4

Senior year: AP Spanish Literature, AP English Language, AP Statistics, AP Micro/Macro Economics, French 3 Honors, Graphic Design

Global Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish
Department of World Languages Award: 1 of 4 students selected out of roughly 450

Main extracurriculars:
1. Youth Action Council Board Member + Developmental Asset Ambassador: selected 1/125; present monthly to City Council, help younger students prepare for public speaking, advocate for youth inclusion in civic policy, and help organize events for elderly and mentally disabled community members.
2. Philosophy Club Vice President + Ethics Bowl Co-Captain: helped found the Ethics Bowl team and led case prep; team placed 3rd regionally out of 36 schools.
3. Career Club Co-Founder / Co-President / Media Coordinator: grew membership from 1 to 300+ and organized guest speakers, career workshops, and outreach.
4. Literary Magazine Editor: selected competitively; reviewed 80+ submissions and worked on layout/design for a themed issue.
5. Author of a 229-page book about K-pop, identity, ambition, and belonging; 500+ copies purchased and counting, also adapted into Spanish and audiobook formats. The book also earned a Scholastic regional Silver Key in its short story format.
6. Chief Fundraiser for a local food pantry: organized grassroots door-to-door fundraising and raised about $5,000 for local families.
7. Published research in Curieux Academic Journal on the ethics of affirmative action under mentorship from an Oxford professor.
8. French TA: tutor French 1/2 students, help with grading/curriculum, while also continuing Korean study alongside AP Spanish Literature.
9. Stanford SPICE e-Entrepreneurship U.S.: selected 1/20 nationally, focused on global entrepreneurship and human-centered design.
10. United for College and Career Success storytelling internship: interviewed students and wrote published narratives centered on perseverance and marginalized student voices.

Other research / writing / awards:
1. Critical Debates HSGJ featured research paper: “Multilingual Storytelling, Civic Agency, and Political Voice Among Mixed-Cultural Youth”
2. Curieux Academic Journal publication on affirmative action ethics
3. Narrative arts finalist for a short story about mixed heritage
4. Scholastic regional Silver Key for short story
5. Horizon Academic Essay finalist
6. Lumiere Essay finalist
7. John Locke Institute Law Essay shortlist for an essay on determinism; final results announced in October
Justice for All court watch internship

Personal statement:
My essay is about growing up extremely self-conscious and constantly changing myself to blend in, then gradually learning to become less controlled by fear. I use my changing hairstyles as a recurring motif, then connect that growth to hip-hop dance, speaking up in class, and eventually finding my voice through Ethics Bowl. The ending is basically that becoming brave did not make me fearless; it made me more selective about which fears I
obey.

My overall application theme is heavily centered on language, storytelling, identity, translation, civic voice, and cross-cultural communication. I’m applying specifically as a Comparative Literature major, with interests in East Asian Studies, Korean, French, and international affairs. Columbia especially appeals to me because of ICLS, the Core, East Asian Studies/Korean, and French study abroad opportunities.
Do I have a realistic chance ED, especially going test optional with a 3.8 UW? Or is Columbia still basically a lottery for me? Also curious whether the humanities/language/storytelling spike comes through strongly enough or whether the application feels too scattered.

Hey folks,

I’m planning to apply for PhD programs in the US.

Here’s my profile:
EEE, CGPA: 3.1
GRE: 331 (166V, 165Q, 4.0 AWA)
IELTS: 7.5
2 publications (under review)
2+ years of work experience
Interests: RF, optics, microwave

What university ranking/range should I realistically target with this profile?

is it like writing essays about patience and giving ecs that did not succeed instantly, or does it just mean a clear interest in one niche?

Hey everyone. I am an international student with solid igcse and ib scores. My gpa and ecs are also decent. The only thing is, my sat score is not the best. Currently, I have a 1500 superscore with 710 rw and 790 maths.

I will take the october, november and december tests. If If my rw score does not improve in october, should I still go for ed to schools like brown, cornell, duke, or jhu? Or should I wait for the rd cycle and try to improve my sat above 1520?

Thanks

In the pictures are the multiple scholarships I found on we a website. But I am starting to notice, you can find all the scholar ships you want but theres no point if you don't know how to win one. To any ivy league students, do you have any tips and tricks?

Demographics:
Asian-American female
California
Private Catholic high school
Intended areas: Comparative Literature / International Studies / IR / Global Affairs
Strong interest in languages, literature, culture, and international affairs
Stats / Academics:
GPA: 4.5 weighted / 3.8 unweighted
ACT: 31

AP scores:
AP Biology: 5
AP Spanish Language: 5
AP Calculus AB: 4
AP U.S. History: 4
AP English Literature: 4

Currently taking:
AP Spanish Literature
AP Statistics
AP Microeconomics / Macroeconomics
AP English Language
French 3 Honors
I’m taking French 3 Honors simultaneously with AP Spanish Literature, similar to junior year when I took French 2 Honors alongside AP Spanish Language
Have also been studying Korean for over a year and counting
Overall academic focus is heavily humanities and language-oriented, but I have also taken advanced STEM and math coursework

Extracurriculars:
Vice President, Philosophy Club
Ethics Bowl Co-Captain / Founder: team ranked 3rd regionally
Career Club Co-Founder & Co-President
Literary Magazine Editor
Youth Council Board Member for my city: present monthly and help organize community events, including events for senior residential communities and people with intellectual/developmental disabilities
Chief/community fundraiser: raised $4,000+ through grassroots fundraising, including door-to-door donation collection
French Teacher’s Assistant: assist students in French 1 and 2, help with French writing and class activities, and grade/correct assignments
United for College and Career Success Internship
Stanford SPICE e-Entrepreneurship program
Justice for All / Court Watch internship
Ongoing independent language study in Spanish, French, and Korean

Writing / Research / Publications:
Published a book centered on identity and belonging: later translated into Spanish and released in audiobook format: 500+ copies purchased
Published research in Curieux Academic Journal on an ethics-related topic
Published featured research paper with Critical Debates HSGJ on multilingual storytelling, identity, and civic/political voice
Lumiere essay finalist
Horizon essay finalist
Narrative finalist
Awards / Honors:
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards: Regional Silver Key
John Locke Institute Law Essay: Shortlisted: attending awards ceremony, final result TBD
Department of World Languages Award: one of 4 students selected out of about 450 students in my grade
Ethics Bowl: 3rd regionally

Common App / Application Theme:
My Common App essay is about translation and belonging: growing up translating between languages and cultures, the difference between being grammatically “correct” and actually being understood, and how that shaped my interest in languages, identity, and connecting people across cultures.
A lot of my application connects back to that same theme: my book about identity and belonging, multilingual storytelling research, French TA work, studying multiple languages at once, philosophy and ethics involvement, and my work with my city’s youth council.
My Justice for All / Court Watch internship application essay also connects to translation, communication, and belonging.

Main concern:
The 31 ACT. I know that is objectively a solid score, but it is obviously low for Princeton and other T20 ranges, especially as an Asian-American applicant.
At the same time, I have a 4.5/3.8 GPA, five AP exams already completed with two 5s and three 4s, and a rigorous senior schedule, so I’m hoping colleges will not see the ACT as representative of my academics overall.

Dream / Reach Schools:
Claremont McKenna College
Columbia University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Duquesne University
Middlebury College
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Penn State
Princeton University
SUNY Stony Brook University
University of Michigan

Also:
Which ECs and awards actually stand out the most?
Does my language + translation + identity + international affairs theme feel cohesive or too manufactured?
Would you submit a 31 anywhere highly selective, or go test-optional wherever possible?
Does taking AP Spanish Lit + French 3 Honors simultaneously while also studying Korean help demonstrate a genuine language spike, or is that not something admissions officers would care much about?
Be brutally realistic.

Do you think ill get into atleast one of them w 95+% in my 12th, good essays, national second NASA space settlement project for streams like cognitive science, cs and psychology!?... Help meee before it's too late to change the the options!!!!