I am a high school senior in India, who has only begun to do really “heavy EC’s” this december, after deciding to try mainly for the US instead of Oxford. My main EC is that I have started working on a maths research paper, being mentored by a Doctor from Stanford. In addition to this, I am also self - studying Hatcher’s Algebraic Topology, which is a graduate textbook. However, I am not sure whether or not I will be able to complete it by the time application season comes. So, will this still be a a major “hook”, or is it worthless until it is published? I can still ask him for a letter of recommendation in which he mentions this.
Also, I have begun to write poetry in the last year. If I can win something major (like Foyle young Poets), would this make poetry a major “hook” as well? Even as a self - depreciating Nihilist, I believe there is a chance for this.
My stats are:
- IB score 41/42, 7s in all subjects except German SL
- EE is a semi - original result in maths, it is a proof of a variant of the Toeplitz conjecture.
- Maths IA is a novel but cumbersome proof of the Borsuk Ulam theorem for 3 dimensions.
In addition to these, my EC’s are
- Founder of maths club
- created exhibition of mathematics in our school
- Completed Kumon program in 9th grade with 5 years ahead distinction.
- Self studied Apostol's Calculus, Armstrong's Topology and Mathematics - A discrete introduction by Edward R Schneidermann (we cant enroll for college courses in India, and the usual college online stuff (Multivariable, linear algebra, etc.) is now too below my level to be of any help.)
- Self taught philosophy, read Plato's Apology and Republic, Descartes's Meditations, Burke, Aristotle's Poetics and kant's Progonomera.
- Run a poetry circle with 20 students from schools across the city, where me and a friend taught literary theory, aesthetic philosophy and poetry writing. It was modelled after an MFA conference. At the end, we will publish a book with two poems written by each participant.
- Participating as Performance engineer for F1 in Schools world finals, joined after team from my school beat nationals. The team is of 6 people now.
So, what are my chances for the Ivies? What are they for Oxbridge?