Class of 2012 RD Thread & Profile

Colleges and Universities A-Z California Institute of Technology
41

<p>ACCEPTED</p>

<p>College Class Year: 2012</p>

<p>ACADEMICS
High School: Large public with IB program
GPA: UW: 4.0
Class Rank: 1/424
AP/IB: US Hist, US Govt., Calc BC, Chem, Physics B, all 5, IB SL History 6
SR YR AP/IB: AP Stats, IB HL English, HL Chem, HL Math, HL Physics, SL Spanish
SAT I: Math: 800 CR:800 W:800
SAT IIs: IIC:0800 CHEM: 800 PHYS: 800</p>

<p>EC
Key ECs: Math Club, Scholar's Bowl, Science Olympiad, Spanish Club, Spanish NHS, NHS, Tri - M Honor Society</p>

<p>Leadership positions: Math Club founder and president, Spanish Club treasurer, various smaller positions in NHS and Science Olympiad</p>

<p>Athletic Status: Haha yeah right.</p>

<p>Volunteer/Service Work: Hospital (over 250 hours), tutoring, various smaller stuff</p>

<p>HONORS AND AWARDS
Siemens Award for Advanced Placement, National Merit Finalist, Governor's Scholar, Kansas Honor Scholar, Presidential Scholar Candidate, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Spanish Exam Silver, Scholar's Bowl and Science Olympiad medals, various music awards, 3-time AIME (now 4), top in grade in Kansas on AMC 12 and AIME</p>

<p>AMC/AIME: 122/6</p>

<p>Essays: Fairly good -talked about math</p>

<p>Caltech Research Paper submitted: No</p>

<p>Reccs: Excellent</p>

<p>Hooks: Immigrated to US at age 8 (topic of Common App essay)?</p>

<p>WHY YOU BELIEVE IT TURNED OUT THE WAY IT DID
Probably due to my academics. I'm just really happy. :)</p>

42

<p>Yeah I agree with you V_ball08 that you don't NEED science ECs to get in. (I posted my stats earlier in this thread.) There are so many ways to show your interest in math and science other than just math team and robotics club!</p>

43

<p>I think generally, people who does have math, science ECs are more likely to get in. However, if you have a good way to show your love of math and science, that help fulfill the gap.
at my school 100% of Math club presidents that I've known got into both MIT and Caltech
100% of Robotics presidents who applied got into Caltech. And this year everyone from robotics who applied to Caltech got in!
(my sample size is like pretty small though... math club prez has a sample size of 4 >.< sample of robotics prez is also size 4, and 4 seniors from robotics applied this year)</p>

<p>And also, I think if you are an immigrant ( only have green card), They let you off the hook a bit for the CR and Writing part of the SAT.</p>

44

<p>meh.
I started learning English 5 years ago when I first came to the U.S.,
showed plenty of interest towards math, and I get REJECTED OMFGISHUDGOTOCOMMUNITYCOLLEGEQQ</p>

45

<p>OMG, I never thought I'd have a chance to post this. :D</p>

<p>ACCEPTED!!!!!</p>

<p>College Class Year: 2012</p>

<p>ACADEMICS
High School: a ordinary public school in Wisconsin
GPA: UW 3.92
Class Rank: 16/400something, not very sure
AP/IB [5]: AP Calc BC, Biology, Physics B, Chemistry
SR YR AP/IB: AP Physics C, AP Computer Science
SAT I: Math (800); CR(630); W(620) (Yes, it's pretty low. :D)
SAT IIs: IIC: CHEM: 800 MathII: 800
OTHER:
Nope, that's all
EC
Key ECs:
I have a bunch of stuff down but nothing big like class president or USAMO. I did try to do Chemistry Olympiad and got the regional top score, but they wouldn't let me continue becanue b/c I'm not a citizen. (I'm permanent resident.) music, math team, science competiton, all that good stuff.</p>

<p>Leadership positions: Hmm... none:P</p>

<p>Athletic Status: lol, not me.</p>

<p>Volunteer/Service Work: @ local hospital</p>

<p>HONORS AND AWARDS
minor science competition awards, music
Essays:
I wrote about my brother (he has willi-prader syndrome) and family. I guess it was good b/c they say my essay is "beautifully written" on my letter. (I suspect this is the real reason I'm accepted. lol)
The other one I wrote about a calc class I took at local college this year and how it changed my feeling about math.</p>

<p>Caltech Research Paper submitted: nope nope nope~</p>

<p>Reccs: I had three. One from chemstry teacher, who have had e for two years, one from my humanities teacher this year, and one from AP CS teacher. The chemistry teacer one is pretty standard, but he did say I'm one of the best students he ever had. The one from humanities teache is really good. She knows me pretty well and wrote a lot of good stuff about me. :D I didn't see the CS one, but I assume it was okay. </p>

<p>Hooks:
I HAVE NO IDEA!
OTHER:
I am Taiwanese and I moved to the US three years ago. Maybe this made up for my weak scores? </p>

<p>WHY YOU BELIEVE IT TURNED OUT THE WAY IT DID
I think it's the essay, but then I'm not very sure. I'm too happy to think about it right now. ><</p>

<p>Well, I think academic wise, I'm probably the weakest around here. So if you have low score but really want to go to caltech, you should still give it a try One advise for future appliant is to really focus on the essay. Spend A LOT of time on it, let everyone you know (that can give good advices) read your essay.</p>

46

<p>@sdkdol; That isn't true; The only test I got a perfect score in was the physics sat ii. I think one of the other important things they look at is the personality of the student as they convey in their essays? Haha I don't know for sure though since I'm obviously not the officer of admissions. XD</p>

47

<p>@sdkdol</p>

<p>I got in with a 2260 and no math/science EC's.</p>

48

<p>I got in with a 2160 two years ago. Only math matters at all, I think.</p>

49

<p>WAITLISTED</p>

<p>SAT: 690CR; 800M; 730WR = 2220
SAT II: 800 Math2; 800 PHY; 780 CHEM</p>

<p>ACCOLADES:
Academic
- Top 40 students in the Australian end-of-year Examinations getting a national ranking of 99.90 percentile.
- 1st class honours for Maths at Melbourne University
- I received a ‘Prize’ (highest accolade) in the Australian Maths Competition (largest maths comp in the world) each year for the last 4 years;
- a HD in the IBM Maths Olympiad each year for the last 4 years;
- a HD in the ICAS Maths Competition each year for the last 4 years;
- a HD in the University of Canberra Maths Comp each year for the last 4 years
- High Distinctions in Australian National Science Competition for the last 2 years
- Australian Schools Chemistry Quiz for the last 2 years
- Maths Olympiad team in year 9.
- Go to the only selective school in the State – hence very competitive and rated in the top 10 schools in Australia.
- Received Academic Awards in the school for the top 5%, in each year of high school.
- Have a GPA of 99.9 on a 99.95 scale.
- An A+ average in all 4 years of high school
- I am currently doing a very rigorous year 12 syllabus and am also enrolled in a Maths course at Melbourne University. I am also self-learning the first year physics and chemistry courses.
- Also received the school Maths Prize – based solely on exam and internal test scores throughout the year.
- Class ranking is 1/351</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Last year, I entered the Young Achievement Australia where I was introduced to other business enthusiasts. 10 of us grouped together and created a company. The aim was to achieve business experience. We formed a company with a principle created by selling shares. 300 shares at $2 each were sold...hence $600 were raised. Using this principle, we created a company that sold season’s greeting cards to large companies. All in all, at the end of the year, we were able to create a profit after tax of $18,000. Hence the Return on Investment was 30:1 or 3000%. . Keep in mind that this is the profit after having donated 35% of the revenue ($14000) to charity, and paying a later tax of 30% ($7800). I was the FINANCE DIRECTOR.
(wrote my essay on it)</p></li>
<li><p>2 years back, I also helped register a direct trade between cricket bat manufacturers in rural India to direct retailers in Australia. This disposed off the middleman businesses, which were leeching off the low wages of India. Instead, by registering this direct trade, I was able to ensure fair wages to the cricket-bat manufacturers of a certain town in India.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Extra-Curricular:
- 4 years: School Debating Team
- Ray Willis Leadership Scheme (to address racial issues in society).
- 4 years: Environmental Action Group
- 4 years: Strategy Club
- 4 years: Pres of Maths Club
- 4 years president of the Business Club
School Sports Teams - 4 years: Cricket, Basketball, Tennis, Volleyball, Rugby and Squash (Captain)
Compete at a State level in Basketball, Squash, Cricket and Rugby.</p>

<p>Leadership
- 4 years: Student Representative Council
- 4 years: House Captain
- 4 years: Red Cross School Ambassador
- Awarded the Bluey Truscott Scholarship... an esteemed distinction based on student’s performance in academics, extra-curricular activities and leadership.</p>

<p>Community Service
- Senior Residence: approx 120 hours each year for last 3 years
- Tutor children from the recent wave of Sudanese Immigrants.
- Red Cross Volunteer in the Youth and Education Services.</p>

<p>Work Experience – I have been trying to fund my education in America (fingers crossed) since I was legally allowed to work.
- 2 years: KFC
- 2 years: At a tutoring college. Started teaching (maths and science) when I was 16 - taught people older than me.
- Now do private tutoring
- Also worked for an insurance company in the last 2 summers as an assistant to the managing actuary.
- Accountant for Gloria Jeans</p>

<p>ESSAYS: Original and from the heart i reckon....If anyone would like to read them to analyse my chances in greater detail, i would appreciate it. One was about how the differnet societies have shaped my personality. The other was about my 2 businesses. A common theme in all my essays was about "following my passions"</p>

<p>Recommendations: Quite good i guess, cannot compare since i havent read others'</p>

50

<p>EXAMPLE: ACCEPTED</p>

<p>College Class Year: 2012</p>

<p>ACADEMICS
High School:
GPA: UW (3.98): W(4.96):
Class Rank: .... 2 of about 500
AP/IB [5]:5's in French, Calc AB, Physics B, Chem; a 4 in History; 5 on the SL History and 6 in SL French; Full IB Diploma Candidate, AP Scholar with Distinction
SR YR AP/IB: Plan to take AP Physics C, Calc BC, Environmental Science, and Human Geography; Plan to take HL Chem, Physics, and Math. I was planning to take HL English but it conflicts with the Science Bowl competition (<em>shakes fist</em>) meaning I must take the test next May if I still want to recieve my IB diploma. :'(
SAT I: Math (800); CR(800); W(800)
SAT IIs: IIC: 800 CHEM: 800 Literature: 800
OTHER: Hmmm... I've taken the AMC a bunch and qualified for the AIME for the past 5 years, but never did that well on it.</p>

<p>EC
Key ECs: Summer research program (working with HPV), Math Team, Science Bowl, Science Olympiad, Band/Orchestra/Chamber/Choir, Chemistry Club, Quiz Bowl, Volunteering at a tutoring center...</p>

<p>Leadership positions: Captain of Math Team, Science Bowl, and Science Olympiad (my school is big, ~2200 students, but I guess there was some sort of leadership void so I got captainships in all 3 major EC's...); again due to the leadership void I founded a chemistry club in my junior year and started the quiz bowl as an offshoot of the science bowl... I'm also section principal in the city honors orchestra.</p>

<p>Athletic Status: Mathlete... haha very funny... I have none whatsoever, except I do enjoy a good game of ultimate.</p>

<p>Volunteer/Service Work: I tutored 2 hours a week for 2 years. I mostly taught math and some reading to recent adult Somali immigrants who were going for a GED. It was a really great experience, even if I didn't put in tons of hours, and over the course of 2 years I really could meet some amazing people with great stories to tell.</p>

<p>HONORS AND AWARDS
1st place in state Science Olympiad Astronomy for 2 years.
1st place in state SciOly Sounds of Music (Instrument building/performance contest)
2nd place SciOly team in state for 2 years (compared to 11th or something my freshman year!)
1st place in 2008 state Science Bowl- going to nationals in DC!
State Math Team Champions in 2007, 2nd place in 2006 and 2008- again compared to below 10th my freshman year.
3-time division medalist for math (not such a big deal- my division is not that good :P)
selected to Minnesota ARML team
Tied for 1st in state Chemistry Olympiad (but didn't make it any farther... I hope to this year!)
All-State Concert Band
Various Solo/Ensemble awards
National French Exam medal...
National Merit Finalist</p>

<p>Essays: Well I worked really hard on my main common app essay, and it was very nerdy, but also a little clever and showed how I apply my perspectives on science to other things in my life...</p>

<p>Caltech Research Paper submitted: No</p>

<p>Reccs: My chem teacher of 3 years wrote me one, and she said she tried to tell them about my personality. Over the years my resume has gotten ridiculous, as if all I do is extracurriculars and tests and grades, but really I'm a pretty crazy kid who likes to have fun, and I definitely haven't got parents that make me do anything.</p>

<p>Hooks: Um... bilingual, single parent home, low-income. If those are hooks. And I'm a girl. And I go to a hugely diverse inner city high school.</p>

<p>OTHER: I'm happy I was accepted!</p>

<p>WHY YOU BELIEVE IT TURNED OUT THE WAY IT DID: Probably leadership in EC's and test scores... maybe recommendations and essay helped. I think I was that applicant that was pretty strong in just about every category (except athletics) but didn't have anything like USAMO or published research... I guess I still got in! Maybe music helped... but there are a lot of math/science kids who love music too.</p>

<p>I'm still not sure if I will go to Caltech, but my best friend got waitlisted and he is much more likely to go... he DID qualify for the USAMO and is on the science bowl and science olympiad with me, and he is co-captain of the math team. He has good grades and high but not perfect SAT's... he thinks he got waitlisted for a mediocre essay and not getting as MANY awards, even if he has a few in math especially which are much more prestigious. He is definitely better at math than I am. Eh... sometimes the whole thing seems arbitrary. Good luck to all of you who were waitlisted!</p>

51

<p>ACCEPTED</p>

<p>College Class Year: 2012</p>

<p>ACADEMICS
High School: Some international school in Singapore which has never sent anyone to Caltech...
GPA: UW (not calculated): W(4.39):
Class Rank: 1/300, but we don't rank (officially)
AP: 5's in CompSci A, US History, US Gov, CompGov, Calc AB, English Lang, Physics B.
SR YR AP: Human Geo, English Lit, Chemistry, Physics C, Calc BC (course is MVC, actually).
SAT I: Math (800); CR(800); W(800) (really, pure luck.)
SAT IIs: IIC: 800 CHEM: 780 Physics: 800 US History: 770
OTHER:</p>

<p>EC
Key ECs: Summer Science? Tech Theater, MUN, some other stuff. Clarinet, a bit, but not as seriously as I wish... </p>

<p>Leadership positions: Technical Theater stage manager, student council Treasurer, Math Club VP, Business Club VP, JNHS VP (got dropped into my laps).</p>

<p>Athletic Status: Varsity Math too? XD</p>

<p>Volunteer/Service Work: Tech Theater, teaching migrant workers computer skills, a club that donates computers to a nearby country.</p>

<p>HONORS AND AWARDS
NHS/JNHS/Thespian Society, NMSFinalist, lots of course awards, but nothing really national... ABRSM Grade 8 piano, I guess.</p>

<p>Essays: </p>

<p>Hilarious. Talked about moral absolutism, so I sort of bypassed the ethical dilemma part, just a bit. My fun thing was going on stationery shopping sprees. (: Oh, and one of my favorite books? Giancoli (you know!)</p>

<p>Caltech Research Paper submitted: SSP paper, scanned (my original PDF got destroyed when NMT ate it..)</p>

<p>Recs: Probably mediocre.</p>

<p>Hooks: I have no clue. Caltech has plenty of int'ls as it is... Maybe the whack humor in the essays; it's what you get when you're up at 4 trying to write essays because your family is silly and decided to go uppity to Hokkaido for winter break. And dragged you along. </p>

<p>Anti-Hooks: Asian male. </p>

<p>OTHER: Worked 40 hour weeks over the summer as a tech assistant in sophomore-junior year. </p>

<p>Why it turned out the way it did? </p>

<p>Well, I'm thinking maybe my counselor rec was a lot better than I'm... thinking it is! Our school does very little sciency/mathy things, and so the opportunities are just not there; I'm guessing that my counselor talked a bit about that. So, I've been spending more after-school time with other activities, and maybe they just want someone ... to operate their lighting board or something. Yay stagecraft!</p>

52

<p>Oh my goodness; stationary shopping sprees? Hello new best friend. XDDD; Just kidding, I have an absurd obsession with asian school supplies. >>;;</p>

53

<p>WAITLISTED</p>

<p>College Class Year: 2012</p>

<p>ACADEMICS
High School: Public
GPA: UW (3.87): W(4.7):
Class Rank: school does not rank
SAT I: Math (800); CR(760); W(750)
SAT IIs: IIC: 800 BIO/M: 750</p>

<p>EC
Key ECs: Math Team, Science Olympiad, Envirothon</p>

<p>HONORS AND AWARDS
National Merit Semi-finalist</p>

54

<p>Rejected
too bad...</p>

55

<p>ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!
I absolutely cannot believe it.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.95 - My only non As came in Calc BC and precalc (A-)
SAT: 800 CR 800 Wr 440 M (2040)
SAT2: 800 Lit French 800 Math 1 470 (My guidance counselor said it was required for Georgetown)
AP Scores: English Language 5, French 5, U.S History 5, AP Calculus BC 1, AP Statistics 2, AP Spanish 5
ECs: Track - All state Pole Vaulter
Essays: Excellent, I put a lot of time into these.
Recs: Excellent (My stats and French teacher wrote me stellar recs)
Hook(s):African American, I am the author of a new york times best seller from 2 years ago, All state pole vaulter
Why I got accepted/rejected/waitlisted?: I got in probably because Cal Tech wanted some diversity in the class and not all genius math asians? I honestly have no idea I only applied because my grandfather went there and he really wanted me to apply. He graduated Val of his class. I did not expect to get in but i am ecstatic that i can attend!!!!!
Thoughts: WOW I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS I AM SO HAPPY. CAL TECH CLASS OF 2012.</p>

56

<p>^440 SAT Math? Uh, no offense, but are you going to survive caltech? You're not joking are you?</p>

57

<p>^^ I'm guessing it was a joke...</p>

58

<p>Why would this be a joke? I presume Caltech just wanted to add some diversity to the campus and simply overlooked my poor performance in the math part of the SAT. In fact while I was taking the math part of the SAT during one section a girl vomited in my classroom and I was completely distracted. I wrote a letter to all my colleges explaining this poor performance and they seemingly understood. Standerdized tests are not everything in a college app and I am living proof of that as I have always performed well in my math classes. Please do not doubt me it makes me feel terrible.</p>

59

<p>^Sorry that I doubted you. Your 800s on the other 2 sections are indeed impressive. Being the author of a best selling book probably did it for you.</p>

60

<p>^ Out of curiosity, what's the book name? </p>

<p>
[quote]

SAT2: 800 Lit French 800 *Math 1 470 (My guidance counselor said it was required for Georgetown) *

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Also, if you weren't aware, the Math IIC is required for Caltech applications. But you knew that, I'm sure, since you got in...</p>