Are Multiple Passions Bad?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey Guys,</p>

<p>So essentially, I am a rising junior and was wondering if having multiple passions is a bad thing. I am quite passionate about both mathematics and government/international relations and pursue both fervently, however, I was wondering if it makes me look as if I am spreading myself too thin. I have included a very brief overview of my stats for your reference:</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 UW, 4.3 W
Rank: 1/470
Mock SAT/ACT Ranges<a href="w/o%20prep">/b</a>: 2200-2350/35-36
**APs (so far): 5, expecting 5's (will have taken at least 10 APs by the end of junior year along with four post AP level math/physics courses)</p>

<p>Significant Awards: USAMO Qualifier x 2, Congressional Award- Silver Medalist, AMC Perfect Scorer, AMC School Winner x2, CAML Perfect Scorer/CA State Winner, ARML 2nd Place (2009), 4th Place (2008), mathleage.org 2nd Place Winner, Best Delegate at Stanford MUN Conference 2008, Best Delegate at Harvard Model Congress Conference 2008, Outstanding Delegate at Davis MUN Conference 2008, Honorable Mention at Stanford MUN Conference 2007 , Distinguished Delegate at Harvard Model Congress 2008, Swimming MVP, Received the top student in department award for 4/5 departments last year (i.e. English, History, Math, Science) </p>

<p>Main EC's:
1. Class *President<a href="%5Bi%5D6,8,9,10,11%5B/i%5D">/i</a>
2. Math Club *President<a href="%5Bi%5D9,10,11%5B/i%5D">/i</a>
3. Harvard Model Congress *President<a href="9,%5Bi%5D10,11%5B/i%5D">/i</a>
4. Site Council/Youth Advisory Council (9,10,11)
5. Varsity Water Polo, Swimming (9,10,11)
6. Community Service Work (Over 300 hours volunteering in libraries and tutoring socioeconomically disadvantaged children/Designed and executed a three week day program to educate orphans in rural villages in India (Am currently fundraising for the orphanage))
7. Model United Nations * Vice President<a href="9,%5Bi%5D10,11%5B/i%5D">/i</a>
8. High School Mathematics Examination * President <a href="%5Bi%5D9,10,11%5B/i%5D">/i</a> (Spearheading a mathematics contest for 10-25 local middle schools, scheduled to be held in early October)
9. Congressional Internship (10,11)
10. Science Research (10,11)</p>

<p>Thanks for your kind assistance!</p>

2

<p>What schools do will you apply to???</p>

3

<p>two passions is certainly not too much. the only limit to the number of passions you can have is the amount of energy you can put in to them and the amount of interest you have in you.</p>

<p>with your stats, i would recommend the university of chicago, but only if you’re big on the theoretical aspects of both as opposed to the applied ones. otherwise, perhaps CMU, CMC (with Harvey Mudd nearby), and a few others i can’t think of right now.</p>

4

<p>Psh, he could aim for Harvard and other tippy top schools as well. Those are great stats.</p>

<p>Of course it’s fine to have two passions. If you have like five or six, I doubt they’re passions. But having two passions is perfectly fine, and commendable.</p>

5

<p>Thanks for your assistance guys!</p>

<p>Um, schools that I’m looking into:</p>

<p>Options for EA/SCEA:
University of Chicago
Georgetown
Stanford
MIT
Caltech</p>

<p>Options for RD:
UC’s (Davis, Irvine, Merced, LA, Berkeley, SD)
UPenn
Dartmouth
Brown
Duke
HYP
and a couple of safer schools </p>

<p>Not to sound arrogant or anything, IBfootballer, I think you seem to consistently underestimate mathematical accomplishments across the board. I suggest reading up on some of these contests. Regardless thanks for your help!</p>

6

<p>I wasn’t intending to make any comments on your math achievements…</p>

<p>I merely state that at the University of Chicago, there is a rather sizable emphasis on theoretical studies as opposed to applied ones. I make mention of it because it has very strong Math and International Relations Departments, and that you certainly have the stats to have a very good shot at admission if the rest of your application meets with the kind of quirkiness and curiosity they’re looking for. I make mention of the other places because they, too, have strong math and IR/IS/Poli Sci departments.</p>

7

<p>Nvm that then, thanks for the advice! I was not aware that those schools had both good IR and Math departments.</p>

8

<p>Jeez DataBox, we know you’re the best 2011 applicant (making me jealous a lot) but i urge you to apply ED somewhere (perhaps an ivy) instead of applying EA to the schools I want to go to :D. Just kidding, you’re good…but if that Model Congress EC you do is a part of the National Forensics League Congress debate, then it’s not much of an accomplishment, nor is MUN delegate awards. That’s just in my opinion though cause I don’t really think much of MUN but Congress is okay. All your other EC’s are top notch. Hopefully, we’ll meet at University of Chicago someday :p.</p>

9

<p>Sorry about that, although I’m definitely not the best 2011 applicant. Harvard Model Congress in not part of NFL, it is a separate entity that is organized by Harvard. I agree MUN delegate awards are not much to look at by themselves, but if you can consistently win top honors at the nation’s top conferences I believe that they will strengthen and diversify your portfolio. Furthermore, my work in things such as MUN, HMC, and Mock Trial further my international relations/government credentials and I am currently regarded as one of the top MUN/HMC delegates in the western region. Thanks for your advice. University of Chicago would be amazing, but at the same time semi-unattainable =)</p>

<p>I would greatly appreciate more advice!</p>

10

<p>your stats won’t keep you out of Chicago. They are superb and probably above the 75th percentile for admission. but i don’t know if you have the type of personality they are looking for.</p>

11

<p>"I am currently regarded as one of the top MUN/HMC delegates in the western region.'</p>

<p>…How? It’s not a tiered competition, like Mock Trial… you’re in individual committees. I don’t know how you’d be “regarded” as such.</p>

12

<p>Hmm…what type of personality is Chicago looking for?</p>

<p>And it’s more by word of mouth, at least in California, the advisors for intense MUN/HMC teams keep tabs on delegates, taking notes and assessing their performances during conferences. Several advisors from around the region have contacted my advisor with regard to my performances at conferences and apparently I’m at the top of their “hit lists.” It almost seems as if the adults have more fun with these things than the students.</p>

13

<p>The only colleges I think are reaches for you are Upenn, Mit, and HYP but only because you can’t be sure with those schools.</p>

14

<p>Haha, yeah, frankly, you can never be sure with most schools in the top 30.</p>

15

<p>Hey what HMC committee were you in? I was in Senate C: CST/Finance</p>

<p>I got an outstanding delegate award, but do you know if they actually are significant? I didn’t really take it that seriously, but do you think I should put it down?</p>

16

<p>Oh, definitely. Committee awards, especially Outstanding and Best, are impressive. I’ve amassed several myself and they show that you excel in debate fairly well. Also, while in an interview, it provides a nice segue into that sort of discussion.</p>

17

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<p>This year I was the Secretary of the Treasury on the Presidential Cabinet, last year I was the Surgeon General on the Presidential Cabinet. You should go ahead and put it down, it can’t hurt =)</p>

18

<p>I think you have excellent chances. Your current stats are extremely impressive for a rising junior, and although HYPSM are obviously still reaches you have a good chance of getting in. </p>

<p>Chance me back?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/722896-chances-great-engineering-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/722896-chances-great-engineering-schools.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

19

<p>Two passions is not bad at all! Especially math and government. Maybe you should think about bBrown, they have no core curriculum so you can take almost all math and government classes. Your stats are certainly on par for Brown</p>

20

<p>i agree with IBfootballer about UChicago
my friend got into MIT Caltech and UChicago and he chose the latter because he was intresting in theoretical mathematics
now MIT and Caltech are more practical</p>