If you will have the a-g requirements at the UCs, personal contacts with professors who are willing to contact admissions on your behalf will probably be useful. Berkeley is allowing 2 letters of recommendation this year, so that could also help you.
I know that UCSB has taken students as young as 13 (http://dailynexus.com/2006-10-05/ccs-marine-biology-program-admits-13-year-old-whiz-kid/). CCS does have a math degree and would be a good way for you to waive a lot of early classes and be doing math research from the start. But of the UCs, UCSB is not the math powerhouse that Berkeley and UCLA are. Might be a better safety than checking the UCR box, though.
I agree that it seems like MIT and Caltech are the most likely to admit a young math whiz, especially if you make contacts with math professors there.
@Ynotgo I do meet the a-g requirements, my school has contacted UCLA and confirmed that. My mentor is a professor at UCLA, and she’s already talked to the admissions department.
I understand Princeton and Cornell may be reluctant to accept me, @chancethrow7815. I’d be happy if I got into MIT, Harvard, or Caltech, though!
@renaissancedad I think I may apply to Cambridge, but I’ll talk to my counselor and mentor first. Thanks for the advice!
You sound mature enough to handle it, and Oxbridge cares much more about pure brilliance in your course of study than HYPS. In 3 years you could finish a math tripos at age 19 and prob ably have your pick of graduate programs worldwide.
It is another option to consider.
Princeton does consider applications from high school juniors, BTW:
@TopologyisFun Sorry, maybe I wasn’t clear. I actually do support you trying to graduate early; to me it makes total sense. Princeton and Cornell simply don’t accept people early. I would recommend going through the Common Data Sets of all of the colleges you might be interested in and doing a little ctrl+f ‘early admissions of high school students’ to make sure that you aren’t wasting your time. Good luck!
@chancethrow7815, I posted a link to a Princeton admissions website that says that they do consider applications from high school juniors who have exhausted local resources. It’s worth exploring.
I agree with you that this makes sense for @TopologyisFun, both academically and logistically. Most importantly, he may just possibly be the rare over-qualified kid who is socially mature enough to probably handle to leap, though I’m obviously basing this on limited interaction.
@renaissancedad Thanks for the link! I believe I’m mature enough for college, and my recommenders said that they will say so in their recommendation (since they know that colleges wouldn’t want socially awkward students)!
I don’t think anyone has answered a question I asked before, which is tangentially related to this post. Do the Intel STS finalist decisions come out in time to inform colleges? Semifinalist?
I apologize, you asked me earlier and I omitted to respond.
The 2015 semifinalists were announced on January 7 of this year, and the finalists on January 21, after the deadline for RD applications, and after the results for EA/ED.
Presumably the dates will be somewhat similar this year. For RD applicants, I believe that some schools such as MIT/Caltech reputedly follow the STS announcements, and applicants have been known to notify admissions offices to make sure that their results are factored in to decisions.
Given his advanced mathematics ability, general maturity, and the fact that he has exhausted local options to a large extent, I think that MIT, Caltech, Cambridge and possibly Princeton would all be great fits for @TopologyisFun.
It’s an intriguing question, but remember there are plenty of applicants who have stayed in high school for all four years being in your position. My friend took multivariable calc freshman year and is staying in school all four years. You’ll be competitive, yes, but you’re a member of a very competitive group of applicants, applicants who may have the four years of a language and four years of English that you lack. I’d say if at all possible (i.e., if your visa doesn’t make continuing school infeasible), continue on with high school. Best of luck to you no matter which path you choose!
@TopologyisFun, I’m always impressed with your maturity and poise for someone so young. Have you gotten in touch with people at Harvard or Princeton about your early status? Have you looked into Oxbridge given your visa situation.
You are a ridiculously strong applicant and seem like a humble and terrific person, and it would be a shame if you don’t end up at a top program that values you. I suspect you will.
@renaissancedad Thank you! I have talked to people at Harvard and Princeton, and I plan on applying to Oxford. I don’t think my visa status will be a problem, but I will check with them.