Hey everyone! I applied through the Questbridge National College Match and if that doesn’t work out, my app will be rolled over to Early Action.
Demographics:
Male
Race/Ethnicity: Asian/Filipino
Type of school: public/magnet, but I attend the magnet part of the school (STEM-focused)
State: Nevada
Intended Major: Math
UW GPA: 4.0/4.0
W GPA: 4.8/4.8 (on-track for Valedictorian)
SAT I: 1540 (800 M, 740 R and W)
SAT II: Math II: 800, Physics: 610 (rip)
ACT: 33 (36 E, 34 M, 32 R, 31 S, 9 W)
APs: APWH (5), AP Lang (5), APUSH (4), AP Bio (3), AP Physics 1 (1, also rip)
Senior Year Courseload: AP Calc BC, AP Stats, AP English Lit, AP US Gov, APES
ECs: Computer Science Club, HOSA, NTHS, Chamber Orchestra, Honors Orchestra, All-State Orchestra, private cello lessons
Work Experience: Mathnasium (since late 2018, during the school year and summer)
Summer Activities: AEOP Unite Program (2018), tutoring at Mathnasium, babysitting, traveling
Leadership: Lead Instructor at Mathnasium, Secretary and Co-founder of school’s Computer Science Club, First Chair Cello of school orchestras in 9th and 10th grades
Awards: Questbridge National College Match Finalist, Questbridge College Prep Scholar, AP Scholar with Honor, National Merit Commended Student, AEOP Unite Scholarship Recipient, 3rd Place in HOSA State Leadership Conference for Medical Spelling, Honor Roll-type awards from school
Essays:
Biographical essay about struggles being raised under a typically strict Asian household and of being an immigrant to the U.S. and not knowing English too well. Also talked about how I grew out of my comfort zone, became more confident in my abilities, and tried new things.
Topical essay about taking risks by eating the spiciest wings at BWW (pretty cheesy, connected this to other risks I’ve taken throughout my life and how my life would be so much different had I not taken those risks)
First short answer about transition from being terrible at math to being a Lead Instructor at Mathnasium as well as how math was what connected me to American society
Second short answer about Brenda Howard and her impact on the LGBT community’s presence and confidence
UVA Arts and Sciences Supplement: Talked about the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and how I’m still confused about it but also trying my best to understand it.
LORs:
AP English Lang teacher (11th grade): knows me quite well, I’ve discussed my essays and personal life with her. I paid a lot of attention, did well in her class, and got a 5 on the AP exam which hopefully helps lol.
AP Calc BC Teacher: I have had her since 11th grade (Precalc) and I’m currently in her Calc BC class. I’ve improved a lot in between Precalc and Calc and have consistently done well on tests/quizzes. She seems to appreciate my enthusiasm for math.
Possible Hooks:
- Group research paper from AEOP (Army Education Outreach Program) Unite published to the Journal of Big Data (related to math, neuroscience, and computer science), which is considered a top-quartile computer science research publication.
- Closeted LGBT
- Immigrant
- First-gen in the U.S. (parents graduated college in the Philippines)
- Pretty low household income (~60k for a family of 4)