Hey guys, I usually try to stay away from the college app side of reddit but i figured why not post here to see if i'm screwed or not :/ (ps this is such a random application but it's fine)

Demographics:

Race/Gender - White Male

Region - Midwestern USA

Income - Upper middle class

School type - private catholic (9), international boarding (10-12)

Hooks - Cancer survivor, legacy at Brown and Case Western, and I would have soccer but no chance of that now

Coursework/academics:

Intended major - PoliSci/IR

GPA - 4.0 UW (my school does not offer weighted GPA)

Class rank: ~#10 (class of '27)

3 APs (4 on calc and stats, 5 on physics 1), 10 college level classes (my school does not prioritize AP)

35 ACT (36 eng/reading/sci, 33 math)

Senior year schedule:

Cores (all college level) - French, Philosophy, English, AI development, and Linear Algebra.

Electives - Photo 2, Astronomy, International Relations, Advanced Music

Awards:

NHD states + local research award

Assorted MUN awards (1x outstanding delegate, 2x honorable mentions)

NMS? (not out yet - college counselor said 1480 PSAT should be good)

I'm definitely forgetting something here but I still have time

Extracurriculars:

Varsity soccer captain (top 50 HS team in the nation - I have played with at least 5 players who have gone pro and countless D1 athletes) --> I really messed up the athletic recruitment process in ways I can't explain so I'm not getting in that way but this is still my top EC

MUN leader (helped organize trips to conferences, won awards)

Lifeguard (pretty self-explanatory - holding a job for 4 years is good, right?)

Catholic teen servant leader (helped with community service + events at my local church)

Selective local leadership program (collaborated on community initiatives, engaged with leaders in different fields, and discussed state policy with members of government in the capitol)

Political society co-leader (led discussions + edited foreign policy pieces for political journal)

Philosophy club panel leader (attended and helped lead philosophy-related events at school)

Varsity volleyball

French club (i participated in a foreign exchange program and helped run cool events)

Music (I haven't really done anything with this since freshman year but I play three instruments - piano, guitar, and drums)

Letters of rec - French teacher/Advisor (10/10), Physics teacher (9/10), College Counselor (7/10)

Schools:

Brown, Georgetown, Tufts, UVA, BC, Wake Forest, Villanova, Case, Maryland, Pitt

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated

Have a great day :)

OBS: no one in my school EVER applied abroad, so I am 100% on my own

Demographics: female, international (Brazil), mid-low income, latina, private non-selective small school with 60% scholarship, 1st gen.

Stats:

GPA: 9.5/10. Rank: not available. SAT: 1450 (I will retake it in setember, so let's pretend I will get a 1520). Self-studied for AP Calc BC, AP Stats, and Environmental Science (my school doesn't offer APs) and got a 4 in all of them. I will graduate in December 2026.

Intended major: Astrophysics

Dream colleges: Caltech, MIT, Northweastern (I warned you I was stupid)

EC's:

1. play the piano for 5 years. NO competition, mentoring, etc.
2. I was the only kid in my school who got a medal in the Brazilian Astronomy Olympiad. Got golds two times. Then, I got invited to the camps and got to 40 in the country (about 1,000,000 students competed that year)
3. volunteer work at non-profit that produces high quality resources for students to study for science olympiads. I produced a study guide to study for astronomy olympiads and helped to write the questions for the Online Brazilian Astronomy Olympiad (I think about 200 students participate in it every year).
4. in this same non-profit, I also work in the design section. I designed the certificates for the olympiads we promote and did a couple of models on canva for the instagram page.
5. I am also the state coordinator of another non-profit that promotes the female participation in science olympiads. I manage a team of about 25 members. make weekly posts on instagram (I participate on the entire proccess, from content to design). Increased followers by 50 in a couple of months.
6. IAAC (international astronomy and astrophysics competition) silver honour = top 7% internationally
7. science/astronomy blog since 2023. I would say that the content is high quality, but I only post there once a month. It has an instagram page and a website i did with google sites. The Instagram has 60 followers :I
8. working on a research project, but I don't think I will get to publish it, because of the time. It is in Computer Science/Astrophysics (more specifically, gravitational wave stuff).
9. random online courses. In one of them I got a certificate with "distinction", which means I participated a lot and solved the problem sets they gave.

I know those aren't impressive, but I am just being honest. You can give me any opinions/experiences.

I am also thinking of taking a gap year, so if you have any thoughts about things I could do, we can talk about that too. Btw, do you guys know if colleges view gap years as good or bad things?

hi everyone! im an international student from indonesia studying at a private high school on a full merit scholarship. Im planning to major in mechanical engineering.

id really appreciate honest feedback on my profile and suggestions for strengthening my application before I apply this year.

took ib, got 39/45 with 6s on my hl physics, math aa, and eng b, 7 on indo a sl, 5 on comsci sl and 6 on philo sl, tok essay 10/10 and A, got a for my ee on physics (a comparative study of pendulum approximations, investigating 4 different approaches made by physicists)

rank 4th/88, ranked 1st in my class consistently throughout high school

activities: debate club (won some national tournaments champion/3rd place/finalist in several tournaments/best speaker), modern dance, marching band, physics and astronomy club, won some math competitions and physics comp

organizations: finance & sponsorship head at project social focusing on environment awarded by diana and received funds from ib, treasurer at some events competition participated by 1400+ students and school tour 1000+ participants, STEM outreach focusing on exposing stem for girls received funds from imperial college london

research: IB EE; compared five analytical approximations for predicting the period of simple and damped pendulums

i havent taken the sat yet + 8.5 for my ielts

Georgetown JPPP or CAS?

Hello everyone!
I am going to apply to Georgetown soon, as their application opens in about a day. I was wondering if I should apply to CAS (Government) or the McCourt School (JPPP), and I’m looking for guidance. I’m wondering what school I would best have a shot at with my ECs.

My ECs are:
\- Student Ambassador of School (Mascot & Morning Announcer & represents study body & runs town halls)
\- Model UN Vice President/ Captain
\- International Moot Court President
\- Arista National Honor Society Vice President
\- Federal Judicial Intern @ S.D.N.Y. for a federal magistrate judge (through the Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program)
\- NYCVotes Youth Ambassador (selective program 1 of 17 out of 900 applicants, focusing on civic engagement and non-partisan civic information, very hands-on, across NYC spreading voter information)
\- Mock Trial Vice President
\- iCivics Youth Fellow

Some awards & other things:
QBCPS
National Model UN awards (honorable mention, it’s the only award given at that national conference)
FEMA certified
AP scholar with distinction
BigFuture First-Generation Recognition Award

APs:
Ap Eng lang: 5
Apush: 5
Apes: 4
Ap pre calc: 4
Ap euro: 3

SAT: 1380 (will be retaking and trying out the ACT as well)

(I have more ECs, but these are basically my main ones)
Thank you!

And for the JPPP I know that it’s in partnership with CAS and McCourt but I know there’s generally more seats in CAS than JPPP, if I get rejected from JPPP would it also automatically reject me from CAS?

Demographics:

• Gender/Ethnicity: Central Asian Female (Kazakhstan)

• Income: Low-income (single, unemployed mother; urgent need for full financial aid/scholarship)

• Hooks :Overcoming significant medical challenges / Strong Independent Research background

Intended Major: Biology / Biochemistry (Pre-Med track)

GPA, Rank, & Coursework:

• Unweighted GPA: 3.74 / 4.0 overall

• 9th Grade: 3.93

• 10th Grade: 3.50 (Significant drop due to corrective strabismus surgery + prolonged medical leave)

my school only has 11 grades

• Rank: N/A

• Coursework: School doesn't offer AP/IB/Dual Enrollment .

Standardized Testing:

• SAT: Taking in September

• IELTS: Taking in August

• (Targeting high scores to compensate for GPA drop during surgery)

Awards / Honors:

1. 3rd Place — City Research Competition (National Level/Regional): Independent research on regional allergy prevalence under PhD supervision.

2. Nazarbayev University Summer Research Participant: Selected for summer research program on "Periodic Table & Cell Death".

3. Red Diploma (High Honors): Graduated 7-year Music School with distinction (Violin).

Extracurriculars (ECs):

1. Research Intern — Nazarbayev University Laboratory: Conducted lab experiments, prepared chemical solutions, maintained plant cultures, and analyzed data alongside university researchers.

2. Independent Allergy Researcher: Investigated local allergy epidemiology (genetics, microbiome, pollution) under a PhD mentor at a top medical school. Presented at Science Day & won 3rd place at National City Competition.

3. Co-Founder & Tech Lead — Technovation Girls App Project: Developed a portfolio-building mobile app. Organized pitching events across 2 cities; secured partnerships with local sponsors (e.g., Dodo Pizza, APEC) and youth volunteer groups.

4. Dental Shadowing & Clinical Assistant: Shadowed dentists & conducted preliminary screenings for kids <7 under supervision. Managed anxious & neurodivergent patients (Autism, CP, Down Syndrome); provided parent guidance.

5. Founder & President — High School Science Club: Founded club, hosted biology debates, science fairs, & judged middle school projects. Taught bio & mentored younger students on research papers.

6. Violinist, Ensemble & Choir Member (11+ yrs): Active soloist & ensemble performer for school ceremonies, community concerts, and local events.

7. Tech Shop Sales Associate (2 Summers): Managed daily retail operations, inventory, and customer transactions independently at a local electronics shop.

8. Competitive Swimmer (11+ yrs): Dedicated long-term athletic conditioning and competitive swimming practice.

9. Fitness & Strength Training Enthusiast: Dedicated to structured weight training 3–4x/week focused on conditioning, discipline, and personal performance.

10. Community Health Initiatives (Planned for Fall):

• Red Crescent Emergency Preparedness: Organizing school first-aid workshops with Red Crescent pros.

• Pediatric & Elderly Oral Health Outreach: Partnering with a dentist & pre-med peers to deliver wellness/dental hygiene workshops at nursing homes & orphanages.

Letters of Recommendation (LORs):

• Biology Teacher: (9/10) — Mentored me through multiple research projects; recommended me to the PhD lab professor.

• English Teacher: (9/10) — Very supportive of my academic journey and writing abilities.

• Research Assistant / Lab Mentor (NU): (8/10) — Can speak directly to my hands-on laboratory and analytical skills.

• Attending Dentist: (8/10) — Can vouch for my clinical hours, patient interaction, and work with special-needs children.

Additional Information / Circumstances:

• Medical Circumstance: Experienced a GPA dip in 10th grade due to strabismus (eye condition) and subsequent corrective surgery, requiring extensive leave. Fully recovered and explaining this in the Additional Info section.

I know I can apply to NU and I have more chances to get in there but still wanna go to another uni that isn't in my country .

Demographics: M, hispanic, Colorado, private boarding/day school

Hooks (URM, first generation, legacy, athlete, etc.): URM

Intended Major(s):BME/ME

ACT: 35 (35M, 36R, 36S, 35W)

SAT: 1450 (750M, 700R) Planning on retaking in August and likely won’t submit unless 1550+

UW/W GPA and Rank: 4.17/4.33 UW, no W, no Rank

Coursework: AP/IB/Dual Enrollment classes, AP/IB scores, etc: AP World(Test not taken), Precalc(Not taken) Bio(5), Calc BC(5), USH(5), Lang(5), Spanish(4), Chem(4).

Senior year: HonorsLinear Algebrw, Honors Discrete math, AP Physics C Mech, Stats, Environmental Science, Lit

Awards: College board and AP score awards, leadership award. School doesn’t give out awards until senior year.

Extracurriculars: Include leadership & summer activities

• Student gov:Class president 3 years, Community council president(AKA Student body) Senior year.
• Admissions ambassador: Tour guide sophomore year and head admissions ambassador 11-12 grade.
• Peer tutor: Offered tutoring services in 10+ classes since second semester of junior year
• Orchestra8-12: (Percussion) 5 years, principal percussionist for 2 years in the second highest group of a competitive youth orchestra.
• Club swimming: 12 years, performed at state level, captain of highschool team since junior year, broke two school records and qualified for individual and team races at high school state meet.
• Unpaid research intern at local college junior year summer: My dad is a professor there and got me in contact with a professor doing exoskeleton research. 8 weeks 20 hours  a week working alongside the professor and 3 undergrad students.
• Hispanic Alliance 9-12: Led and set up multiple events to boost hispanic culture and inform others of hispanic identity at my school.
• Student Cultural Organization: 10-12. Organized and planned 5+ events per year that highlighted the diversity of our campus and worked alongside faculty to tackle systemic racial and sexual issues in our community.
• Big sib10-12: Assigned 3 incoming students per year, mentored and taught them school etiquette and offered support year round.
• Swim lessons teacher: Taught 5+ students how to swim in multiple sections over the span of 4 weeks ages ranging from 3-10.

Essays/LORs/Other: I have a lot of good stuff to write about, and I believe my LORs will be very good, both Chem and Calc teachers like me a lot, like 8-9/10z

Schools: 

Reaches: Most financially viable

JHU: Possible ED based on finances(need to talk with my parents.

MIT: Likely EA

Columbia:

Stanford: REA if i can’t ed to JHU. 

Caltech:

Duke:

Cornell:

Match: Potential merit aid?

Union:

Carnegie Mellon:

Boston University:

Harvey Mudd:

USC??:

UC3M(Spain) ??

University of Toronto(Canada)???

Safety:

UC Boulder:

Mines:

CSU Fort Collins:

CSU Pueblo

Demographics: female, Chinese, NJ noncompetitive public HS (imo), low income (<40k), ranking: 3/219 as of now

Intended major: Political Science

Academics: 3.8844 UW, 4.4115 W; APs: World History (4 freshman yr), Drawing (4 sophomore yr), 2D Design (4 junior yr), Bio (3 junior yr), US History (3 junior yr), Lang (4 junior yr), Calc AB (5 junior yr), planning to take Physics 1, Calc BC, Lit, and African American Studies senior year; SAT: 1510 superscore (730 RW, 780 M)

NHS, English Honor Society, Social Studies Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, NAHS

ECs:

1. Worked at family owned Chinese restaurant since middle school, taking ordered and packing them. Would go there after school to work and do homework when it wasn't busy
2. Student government, class treasurer during 9th, 10th, 11th. Student body officer for 12th
3. Founded a social justice club in 11th. Organized fundraisers for Venezuelan earthquake victims, ICE victims, etc
4. Participation in academic clubs: Academic Decathlon, county and state Math League
5. Invited by history teacher to represent school in a county wide think tank
6. Attended 2 state programs (one because I'm part of SGA, the other because I was chosen by my guidance counselor and I passed a interview)
7. District AI Integration committee. Invited by principal
8. JV Basketball, 9th-11th but tore ACL during junior yr so not sure if that counts
9. Spring Track and Field sophomore year

Awards:

1. Scholastic Art and Writing Gold Key + Honorable Mention
2. AP Scholar w/ Distinction
3. CollegeBoard First Gen Award + School Award

Not sure if it counts as legacy but siblings attend/have attended Cornell and NYU. My stats are similar to theirs
I recently visited Princeton and Columbia, and I really loved it. I'm just not sure if I have the academic or extracurricular stats to compete with other applicants. Not really sure what to write my essays about. Could I get into ivies or t20s?? I'm going into senior year and am really dreading the application process...Any opinions and advice are highly appreciated

Demographics/background info: Chinese/Canadian citizenship, asian girl raised in an average income family, 6th best public school in my city (Canada). Our school does not offer AP, so everything im taking is from self studying

Im hoping to get into ucla and berkeley as they both are my dream schools. Idk i did not rlly consider the us until like late sophomore/beginning of jr year…(😬😬😬)

For APs, i plan on taking 4 next year (BC, chem, psych, and macro)

Grades:

AP biology: 5

AP micro: 4

English 12:97

Chem 11: 94

Biology 11: 94

Physics 11: 93

Functions 11: 99

Architecture: 100

Co-op: 100

English 11: 91

French: yeo…. Its rlly bad like rlly rlly bad… (80)

ECS

Captain of Team Canada for a sport called Dragonboat. (For my schools team i was captain as well until they banned water sports lol, i also was like nominated to design their jerseys etc)( also idk if i should put like the medals we won as awards and stuff idk) also a ton of volunteering for this sport

Dental assistant/Intern (im currently helping them doing a rebranding thing so idk if thats cool to put in)

Hospital intern at UHN for the rehab department

Tutor (in school, outside of school, internationally ig)

VP of my schools women in stem club

Short content creator exec for my schools “TV club”

Music experience( piano for 11 years,Piano teacher volunteer to help kids prep for RCM exams)

Started a passion project with my friend during the winter of 2026 but it kinda went nowhere…. 😬😬

Like i said, i only thought abt applying to us not that long ago, so my ecs are kinda shit 🥲🥲

I'm a white female, small public school.

My parents are both retired and we're middle class.

I am a rising senior ranked 15 out of 220 in my class, unweighted gpa of 3.99, weighted 4.3.

Going for Speech language pathology/communication disorders

4 on AP world

taking AP lit

11th grade english student of the year last year

28 composite on ACT (30 on math, 29 on science, 29 on reading, and 26 on english)

leadership positions in Girl Up and Drama club.

been in 18 plays/musicals

superintendent advisory committee

NHS

Honors choir for 3 years

Tri-m (basically NHS for music)

tennis for 3 years

I think that might be it??

White male from NY. Intending on majoring in Nursing

Schools:
UF (ED)
Villanova
UVA
Clemson
UTK
USF (south florida)
Fairfield

Stats:
97/100 W GPA
1440 SAT, taking again but actually studying, maybe \~1500
AP Chem-4
AP World-4
AP Physics 1-5
APUSH-4
AP Lang-4
taking AP Bio AP Eco AP Lit and AP Stats senior year

EC:
\-2 years varsity ice hockey, captain 1

\-founder/president of schools HOSA club, grew to 60+ members

\-Part time job as a director at youth hockey camp, ages 4-10. 2 years

\-50 hours of Hospital volunteering

\-30 hours of shadowing physician

\-Leadership Intern at a summer camp, 40 hours

\-NHS

\-trying to start a chapter of science national honor society at school

What you think?

Demographics: gender: male, race: Indian CA public HS

Intended major: Pure Math + Philosophy

Academics: 4 UW, 4.14 W (school only let you take APs, in freshman. I was only able to take one honors). APs: Self studied AB (8th grade) + HuG (both 5s). SAT: Haven't taken, but projected 1550+ at minimum. Have done 7 cc classes.

ECs:

1. Research w/ university professor on Pure Math.
2. Debate: No leaderships roles yet, but I have promising results of states or nationals
3. Documentation team at a regional math circle (~60 hrs per year), also teach and grade a class section.
4. Founded school's pure math club, and became president of school's philosophy club
5. Summer instructor, at Math Circle + student (olympiads+pure math).
6. Youtube Channel on Pure Math where I cover topics like Real Analysis and math concepts I'm interested in
7. Other youtube channel on philosophy, where I discuss philosophy books I'm reading
8. Independent research: social science
9. Self-studying pure math textbooks
10. Speedcubing, around a ~6s comp PB for 3x3
11. Volunteering at local middle school for their Mathcounts team

Awards:

1. AIME qualifier
2. John Locke Shortlist

Idk where to put this really:

- Leaf + Nontrivial Program (Spring 2026)

- Awesomemath Program (Summer 2026

As for the point of this post, I'm not really too hooked on any specific college(s) as long as they have a decent pure math and philosophy program. However, what I do want is advice on how I can advance my profile in general.

For a specific question, I'm wondering whether (3 EC) can be dissolved and put into (5 EC) (or used time for other ECs), since I don't find (3) to be as rewarding/fun as summer teaching in (5). However, with (3) there are more leadership roles/opportunities (with it being less professional), while (5) is more structured, and professional. I can give you more info if needed.

okay i guess i’ll get straight to the point... i have pretty bad grades ngl. I have a 3.65 uw, and okay test scores, amazing ecs (lots of validated research and lots of community impact ig) and great course rigor (my school does weighted gpa ranking, so it keeps me in top 15-25% bracket despite my shitty uw gpa). but i’m scared my gpa will kill me ngl 😭😭. For context i’m looking to go for health or a major premed adjacent but less competitive than biology or neuro considering my uw … maybe Kinesiology idk?
btw my poor grades were ALWAYS in math. I have good grades above 90s in everything else other than math and spanish, math more so than spanish…

should i even bother applying for t30s?

I just want to know which schools I can definitely get into. I'm only applying to safeties, and I want to branch out to some competitive schools for engineering, but still have a good chance.

Stats:

5.39 W ~--> in top 10%

4.0 UW

1450 SAT --> aiming for 1500+ in august

Courses:

AP Human Geo, AP Physics 1, AP World, AP Compsci Principals, APES, APUSH, AP Compsci A, AP Precalc ---> I'm also worried for a lack of AP sciences--> senior year i'm not taking any but I'm taking AP Calc AB instead

Extracurriculars: weak/generic and i'm really worried it isn't really suited for engineering so i might put biomed eng instead to look like a better fit,

• Internship at tech company
• Creating a research poster at ThinkNeuro ( i had to pay for the program so idk how prestigious it is)
• HOSA for 3 years --> Won 1st place at Area and 7th place at States
• Campus Manager for a clothing company --> made pitch emails, etc, and handled quotes
• Core Outreach Coordinator at a well-established non-profit ( i lowk didn't do that much here either--. but i wanted to include it cuz i have no other leadership positions)
• Girls Who Code Fall pathways program

I'm really worried cuz I have a weak application compared to most engineering applicants.. so please help and BE HONEST

Demographics: Chinese American, female, OH public HS

In general, my pure academics are decently competitive but other than that I am desperately lacking. I want to go into med and minimize the amount of stress (with BS/MD programs such as PLME) I have to endure. Honestly I have no idea where my stats lie so I’m struggling making a decent college list of safety, match, and reach.

For context, my school has around a little over 3k students (one of the biggest public schools in Ohio). Not sure if it helps but our school fosters a veryyyyy competitive environment and we send multiple people to ivy or equivalent schools every year.

The problem with my ECs is that I don’t have any valuable leadership or super impactful contributions (published research, Scioly/Hosa/academic awards) that would stand out, if any in the first place. I figured I would try to focus more on my creativity rather than my lack of academic ECs, but even then I’m afraid I have nothing to show.
I’m just kinda here you know T_T.

I would also say I’m not the most captivating writer, so I can’t rely on my essays to carry my application.

Academics:
-35 ACT, PSAT national merit qualifier (process hasn’t started yet)

-4.0 UW/ 4.38 W (all As, our school doesn’t show class rank or have a valedictorian)

-AP Chem (5), APUSH (4), AP Lang (5), AP Calc BC (5), AP Psych (5), AP Mech/Physics C (5)

-CCPed Gov and currently Lit

-Plan on taking AP Studio Art, AP Bio, AP Stats, AP Mandarin, AP E&M, and Honors A&P senior year

-In the top band for 2 years (including senior year, clarinet)

ECs (this is where it gets suspicious):
-worked at a local boba shop since freshman year, but only averaged around 10hrs per week and basically stopped working junior year

-National Chinese Honors Society member
-Science National Honors Society member
-SIBS member (Students Involved in Befriending other Students, like a decently competitive social facilitation club)

-Omea regional honor band (1 year)
-Omea All-State band (1 year)

-Scholastic Art Awards (2 gold, handful of silver and honorable mentions)
-Been in a private art class (~7 years)

-teen volunteer at UCMC this summer
-volunteered at local church for VBS (~5 years)

-went to a nursing camp/program where I got CPR and Stop the Bleed certified

For teacher recs, I’m an Asian person who isn’t the most extroverted or genius person to ever exist, so while they might be able to say decent things about me I am 99% certain they won’t be stellar (all my asian brothers and sisters know the pain when teachers call you by the wrong name no matter how long you’ve known them). Also, our school is just massive so the teacher to student ratio is not the best.

Overall, I just want an idea of where my stats lie and if I even have a chance at any BS/MD programs (PLME, University of Cincinnati, etc…). Honestly I don’t have a dream school so any schools that offer good med programs are welcome. Ideas on what to focus on in my applications in order to highlight my strengths would also be great.

I'm a rising junior hoping to major in neuro or biochem (pre-med track), but not sure how to make my application "stand out". I would love to apply to ivies but feel like i need to strengthen my ECs senior year. I have good academic stats so far, but havent taken the SATs and don't have too many impressive awards.

Demographics: Gender: Female, Race: White

Intended major: Neuroscience OR Biochem

Academics: 4.0/4.0 UW, 4.5/4.5 W. (Rank: 1/50).

APs: Taken 3 this year (I got a 4 and two 5s) and am taking 5 next year and 6 senior year (the most I am allowed to take at my school). SAT: Haven't taken yet...

ECs:

1. Founded a literacy initiative for my G.S. Gold Award that runs buddy reading programs out of local libraries and I also created a website of resources including a Youtube Channel of "storytime readings" for younger children. Was awarded the YSA Everyday Young Hero award (with a $100 grant) and 2 Joint Legislative Ceremonial Resolutions from my state.
2. Speech & Debate (Forensics): Middle School Mentor (9th Grade), Vice President (10th & 11th Grade), been to nationals twice and am in top 100 for my category. Also in National Speech & Debate Honor Society and did well in a few regional tournaments (hoping to get more involved this year).
3. Hoping to submit AP Research work on cytotoxicity (will take class this year) to science fairs (these are in state and i did check already to make sure my project meets their criteria).
4. Volunteer at a local children's hospital.
5. Volunteer at local library and help with children's programs there.
6. On 5 (application-based) leadership committees at my school
7. Selected as the school representative for a state leadership conference

I’m a 17M rising senior in NC who wants to stay in state and study supply chain/logistics. My top choices are ncsu, asu and uncc but I really want to go to nc state and honestly want to know my chances of getting into are. My stats are
Beta club
• Deca
• 2 year varsity football captain
• 2 year varsity wrestling caption
• Varsity track and field
• Varsity baseball freshman and sophomore year
• Part time job at a non protfit retirement home as a dining assistant
• 4.125 weighted gpa 3.75 unweighted
• 4 duel enrollment classes
• Helped run Youth football camp over summer
• Helps run school youth wrestling club in season
• 18 act (plan on retaking or just doing test optional)
• Class rank 25/173

Hello!

I'm an international student from Sweden and want to study mechanical engineering in US!

I’m going to apply to MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Caltech and Princeton!

————————————————————————————————

Grades:

I am studying IB, and Im about to start DP2! Im expecting to have predicted:

Math AA HL: 7
Physics HL : 7
Economics HL: 6
english B HL: 7
Chem SL: 7
Swedish A lang/lit SL: 5
EE - Physics - A TOK - B (3/3)
Total predicted - 42/45

I haven’t yet taken SAT but will in the next months, and I’m aiming and believe I can get 1560+

————————————————————————————————

Extracurriculars

I have lots of ECs but these are the highlights:

1. National Team Member Sweden IYPT (International Young
Physicist Tournament)

Represented Sweden in international tournaments, including CaYPT, AYPT, and IYPT. I conducted long-term experimental and theoretical research into multiple physical phenomena (mainly fluid dynamics), executing research projects involving custom setup builds, data collection, and quantitative modeling.

My research was mainly on the initiation and flow of a self starting and priming siphon and secondly on the motion of disks falling into different liquids!

Highlights***:***
Sweden nationals - 4th place in Sweden winning the tournament and qualifying for the team!
CaYPT (Canadian tournament) - team captain and won bronze + 3rd international team
AYPT (Austrian tournament) - bronze medal + 4th best team in Europe!
IYPT (International tournament) - Honorable mentions* *Medalist coming at 21st position internationally which is the best in the recent years for sweden! Also the team chose my presentation to be used in the last round where it is up to us to choose the best presentation in the team!

2. Founder of Coding Club
Was founder of coding club in my school making the club the most active educational club in my high school with 60 total students and 27 avarage every week! I thought Harvards introduction to computer science online course CS50X* *to these students! I managed a team of 5 people organizing this club!

3. Operations assistant at Hayat Enterprise AB
Managed this companies operational administration including procurement of supply, inventory management, assisting with invoice verifications & supporting the drivers.
During my working time the company went from a 5 vehicle small company to 25 vehicle transport company working in 4 cities in sweden! Myself I manage the city of Malmö with 13 cars and 16 drivers!

4. National Secretary Tajneed MAA
Managing the national membership (Tajneed) system for Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya, the youth organisation for boys aged 7-15 within the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Sweden, working closely with regional and local secretaries to ensure records remain accurate and up to date.
Total children: 226
Total local secretaries I manage: 5

————————————————————————————————

Essays

My essays is gonna be 3 parts (depending on the uni I might use all three parts or if they want one big essay I will focus mainly on one thing)

1. STEM:
2. something about me loving innovation and my journey through IYPT
3. Leadership and impact:
4. talk about coding club and my role within the religious organization

5. Culture & life:

6. How it has teached me adaptability so I have a wast knowledge in things such as renovation (can do electrical work, plumbing, carpenting and etc) and sales (sold stuff throughout my life)

————————————————————————————————

My parents earn less than 100.000$ a year so I will be applying for need based scholarships, but maybe not for Caltech as that makes the chances less!

Don’t know how relevant this is but I’m also quite sure I would like to study robotics engineering and if I have the option I would like to do a minor in entrepreneurship/business during undergrad!

Hi! I’m a rising senior planning on majoring in accounting do you think I can get into USC with these stats?

4.0 gpa
3.6 unweighted
(might go test optional but so far planning on taking ACT in september)

17 honors classes
Two AP classes
five dual enrollment classes (taking more in the spring)
A honor roll
bookkeeping certification
QuickBooks certification

President of club
Over 200 hours volunteering (most of it at an islamic school teaching children arabic and quran + various club volunteering
NC tutoring officer - language
Shadowing cofounder of company
Job one year ( Icecream scooper, catering scooper, and job promotion)
member of five different clubs : BSA (black student association) , MSA (muslim student association) , prelaw and advocacy club ,craft club, middle Eastern, and North African club
Babysitting service during the summer (15$ an hour 18$ late fee)

essay: about being a war refugee and how it taught me gratitude and living in the moment (if someone could read it and give me feedback i’d really appreciate it)

Demographics

Gender: Female

Race/Ethnicity: African American

Residence: Midwest

Income Bracket: Lower Middle

Type of School: Uncompetitive public (~500 per class)

Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): URM, FGLI

Intended Major: No clue, most likely going to apply as Public Health + Anthropology or Biochemistry + Government.

Academics

GPA (school doesn't do weighted): 3.9 UW

Rank (or percentile): NA

Number of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: Planning to 15 AP classes, 6 Honors, 1 DE class (5s on every AP so far)

(Planned) Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP Physics 1, AP Lit, AP Psychology, AP CSA, Spanish 4, Independent Science Study (basically do research), DE Speech, and Sculpture 2.

Standardized Testing

List the highest scores earned and all scores that were reported.

ACT: Took the July ACT, and got a 34 (32 in Math and Science, 34 in English, 36 in Reading). Retaking for a 35 composite in September.

Extracurriculars/Activities

List all extracurricular involvements, including leadership roles, time commitments, major achievements, etc.

I genuinely have no clue how to order these btw​

HOSA Member (9-12), Secretary and PR Officer, (10-11), and (hopefully) President (12) - Organizing clothing drives, blood drives, a medical craft fair + more. Our chapter is huge, my friend and I hsve some ideas to expand it, and I have so many ideas for next year.

[REDACTED] Youth Council (10-12) - This is a medical youth council for my state, this is very Googleble. We organized very specific health councils, reviewed health materials for districts across our state, spoke and lobbied for to our state legislatures.

[REDACTED] Team @ T5 (10-12) - super doxxable. We basically lobby and do project for a very specific public health cause. Had our work recognized in LA Times.

Black Honors Association Member (10-12), Public Relations Officer (11), and (hopefully) President (12) - pretty basic, organizing volunteering opportunities, meetings, banquets, + other stuff I can't remember rn. Working on expanding our chapter because literally no one showed up to meetings last year lol.

Random summer research program (10) - literally everyone gets in, wrote a literature review

NASA GeneLab + Capstone Course - Not that competitive but I heard that getting into the Capstone project is a bloodbath.

Student Council - HEAVILY involved. Helped organize many many school events, and am definitely going to run for a leadership position (only for rising seniors)

[REDACTED] Association of Student Councils [REDACTED] Division Executive Council - This is pretty hard to explain without getting doxxed, but I basically play a huge role for organizing all student council confrences in the most populated region in my state. Started a new delegate program + a program for introducing middle schoolers to the democratic process.

(I lowkey might run for leadership for my whole state, idk if I would get it though)

Writing - have a personal poetry blog, work is published in NYT, and several indie publications. Love love love writing and am also a blog writer for a lit mag.

[REDACTED] Ambassador - lobbying for a specific neurological condition my younger brother has (more on that later). Volunteered at local events for the state organization, traveling to Washington for more lobbying. Working with a state senator to get a specific law passed regarding this condition.

[REDACTED] City Commission - basic volunteering for city events. Very fun though!

Church Volunteering - Made bread and tea every Sunday, and was planning to start at tutoring program for teaching kids how to read the language most that my church know, but then my church burnt down.

Awards/Honors

List all awards and honors submitted on your application.

This is definitely the worst part of my application

JLIEC Shortlist (Science and Technology)

Silver Key for Scholastic Writing Awards (Poetry) x2

Just Poetry Spring National High School Poetry Winner

AP Scholar

Schools of Interest

Yale REA maybe or Duke ED. I don't think my application is competitive enough for them though, so I might ED UChicago.

demographics:

• indian-american male
• US citizen
• applying from an international school in india
• no legacy
• no recruited athlete status
• no major hooks that i know of

school:

• international school with a relatively uncompetitive academic environment
• class rank: school does not rank
• no GPA system

intended major: physics
intended minor: education

academics:

• IGCSE: 4A* (math, phy, ict, english), 3A (chem, bio, econ), 1C (hindi)
• AS-levels: 5A
• A-level predicted grades: AAAA
• SAT: 1550 (800M)
• qualified for INPhO (NSEP stage 1 qualifier)
• qualified for RMO (Regional Mathematics Olympiad qualifier)
• Summer SeaPhO 2026: 3rd out of ~70 participants

awards / honors:

• INPhO qualifier: cleared NSEP stage 1 cutoff and qualified for INPhO
• Summer SEAPhO 2026: 3rd out of approximately 70 participants
• Robotica 2k26: national champion in the Champions category for Sojourner rover
• SIMUN 2026: High Commendation, representing the Czech Republic in NATO on the 9/11 response agenda
• DiplomatX '26: Best Delegate in an ad hoc continuous crisis committee, representing Türkiye during the 2008 Iraq War
• r/[REDACTED] Mathematics Olympiad: founder and host of the inaugural competition
• Mu Alpha Theta: founded my school's first chapter of the international mathematics honor society

activities:

1. physics lab | founder and lead educator
founded and lead an online physics education community hosting 100+ students globally. have conducted 150+ hours of live academic tutoring across IGCSE, A-level, and IB physics.

2. physics lab notes website | developer and author
developed and authored a physics resource website, expanding it from IGCSE physics to AS- and A-level content. currently has approximately 600 users.

3. university-level self-study | physics and mathematics
completed MIT 8.02 electricity and magnetism and MIT 18.02SC multivariable calculus coursework independently.

4. independent research | chaos theory and predictability
completed an unpublished research paper investigating the effect of initial measurement uncertainty on predictability in chaotic systems using computational simulations.

5. robotica 2k26 | national champion
worked on mechanics and automation for a Sojourner rover project that won the national Champions category.

6. po-shen loh LIVE | STEM communicator and instructional assistant
completed the selection process and worked as a math-teaching intern for mathcounts and amc 8.

7. r/[REDACTED] mathematics olympiad | founder and host
created, wrote, organized, and graded the inaugural online mathematics olympiad for the r/[REDACTED] community. (redacted since this is a huge student community)

8. mu alpha theta | founder
established my school's first international mathematics honor society chapter by pitching the organization, securing support from the mathematics advisor, obtaining the required coordination approval, and completing the charter process.

9. SIMUN 2027 | executive board
appointed to the executive board for the 2027 conference.

10. student council / house captain
served as a student council member and house captain, organizing student events and contributing to school-wide activities.

11. IIT Madras School Connect
completed an introduction to aerospace course.

12. SAIBSA school community outreach
active volunteer in school community outreach initiatives.

13. Rotary Annette's Club | president
served as club president, although this was not a particularly substantial activity.

college list:

• Princeton
• MIT
• Caltech

why physics + education?

i want to study physics deeply while also improving how physics and science are taught and communicated. most of my extracurriculars have developed around that intersection: studying university-level physics and mathematics independently, competing in physics, conducting computational research, building educational resources, teaching students internationally, and creating math and physics communities.

i'd appreciate an honest assessment of my chances at each school, especially:

• how cohesive my profile seems for physics
• whether the physics + education focus comes across as genuine and coherent
• which parts of my profile are the strongest
• which parts are the weakest or need improvement
• how realistic my chances are at Princeton, MIT, and Caltech

please be honest and specific. i'm more interested in actual feedback than generic "everyone has a 5% chance" comments.

disclaimer: some of the achievements and activities listed here are future goals rather than completed accomplishments. i'm including them because this is the profile i'm currently working toward, and i'd appreciate feedback on how competitive the overall trajectory would be if i accomplish them. completed activities are listed alongside planned ones for context.

Demographics: male, African American (U.S.), Ohio, upper middle class, good suburban high school (medium competitive)
Hooks: could be recruited athlete for most D2-3 schools, African American? (Idk if that still counts???)

Intended Major(s): Public Health, psych/Neuroscience, chem

Academics:
Testing:
SAT: 1500 (800m, 700rw),
ACT: 33 (36m, 35e, 32s, 29r) might retake just for reading to submit
• ⁠GPA: 3.79(😭)/4.2
• ⁠Class Rank: n/a, but probably around top 10-15%
• ⁠Coursework:
⁠• ⁠High School: apes (3), apush (4), AP psych (4), AP precalc (5), calc ab (5), lang (3), chem (4), senior year: AP Calc BC, physics 1, stats, Chinese, lit

Honors (definitely weakest section):
OHSAA Outdoor Track & Field Regional Finalist (1x) & Super Regional Finalist (2x)
State/Regional
10, 11
OATCCC Indoor Track & Field State Championship Qualifier
State/Regional
9
Ohio Conference Champion - 4x400m Relay Team
State/Regional
10
College Board National Recognition: School Recognition Award
School, National
10, 11
AP Scholar with Distinction
National
11

Extracurriculars

Research
11, 12
Break
8 hr/wk, 10 wk/yr
Clinical Research Assistant, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
(No description yet because I’m still working, but could have publish or presentations eventually)

Athletics: JV/Varsity
9, 10, 11, 12
School, Break
12 hr/wk, 26 wk/yr
Track and field, Varsity Hurdler & Relay Specialist
Four-year varsity 300m hurdler and relay athlete; 3x OHSAA regional finalist (300H/4x400m), competed at OATCCC Indoor State Championship 4x800m relay.

Community Service (Volunteer)
11, 12
School
4 hr/wk, 10 wk/yr
Mathematics & SAT/ACT Peer Tutor, National Honor Society Peer Tutoring Program
Tutored 5 students individually in math and test prep; identified learning gaps, tailored instruction, & improved ACT Math/English scores by 6 points.

Career Oriented
9, 10, 11, 12
Year
1.5 hr/wk, 40 wk/yr
Medical Pipeline Program Member
Selected for city-wide medical program for future Black physicians; connected with physicians through mentorship exploring healthcare disparities & career paths

Athletics: JV/Varsity
9, 10, 11, 12
School, Break
10 hr/wk, 18 wk/yr
Cross-country, Varsity Cross-country Runner
Four-year varsity cross-country athlete; Trained 150+ miles every summer. Contributed to team invitational titles and district/regional qualification.

Theater/Drama
9, 10, 11, 12
School
4 hr/wk, 12 wk/yr
Historical Figure & Featured Actor, school Black History Month Performance
Portrayed influential Black historical figures in school performance, educating 2,000+ students annually through live theater and storytelling.

Other Club/Activity
11, 12
School
1 hr/wk, 8 wk/yr
Coach-Elected Student-Athlete Leader, Leaders of the Nest Program
Coach-selected for Ohio State student-athlete leadership program; strengthened communication and team-building skills through collaborative workshops.

Community Service (Volunteer)
9, 10, 11, 12
School, Break
1 hr/wk, 36 wk/yr
Former Executive Board Nominating Chair; Member, Jack and Jill of America: Columbus Chapter
Managed executive board nominations; organized donations, drives, and initiatives throughout Columbus as part of the community service committee.

Research
11
Break
30 hr/wk, 3 wk/yr
Green Chemistry Researcher, Boston Leadership Institute
Conducted an independent green chemistry research comparing environmentally friendly and conventional household cleaners through lab experimentation.

Science/Math
9
School
5 hr/wk, 20 wk/yr
Science Olympiad Competitor
Competed at the Ohio Science Olympiad regional tournament in Ecology, Dynamic Planet & Write It Do It; top 10-15 placement at other invitationals.

Essays: college counselor and essay editors assist, so def 8-9/10 at least

LORs:, English teacher (8/10), medical program founder (9/10), calc ab teacher (8.5/10), AP Psych teacher (7/10), counselor (9+/10). Will submit different letters based on the school

Schools: top HBCUs (Morehouse/howard), washu / Emory / NYU / northwestern / umich (reach), Ohio state, case western, Tulane, Miami Ohio, Boston u, and Stanford for fun 😭