<p>I'm currently a HS junior and I'm wondering in general if anyone has suggestions on how to boost my extracurriculars for applying to Caltech next year. I have the high grades and test scores but I know everyone else applying to Caltech also does. I know ECs are important and I would enjoy doing them I just seem to have trouble finding them..</p>
<p>What I've heard a lot is to do math/science Olympiads, AMC & AIME, or other competitions. The thing is I don't like competition. I'm not a competitive person and I'm an extremely shy person. I am on a FIRST robotics team this year, (only because I've been severely arm-twisted into by a friend who wants to use me for my programming x.x) so hopefully I will enjoy that and it will help me out but it's too early to tell how well it's going to go. I'm in math and science honors societies at my school, but I'm not really confident enough to try and run for any of the officer positions in them.. Both those clubs are very big at my school and just the idea of standing up in front of the whole club makes me cringe. I'm pretty much my school's poster child for "that quiet girl".</p>
<p>The only community service I have is volunteering for a pre-K through middle school science camp at a local science museum during the summer. It's probably not the most academically stimulating thing that I could be doing but I do enjoy it a lot and I plan to keep doing it.</p>
<p>I've heard a lot of applicants doing research during HS. This is something I'm very interested in especially if it's a small group or individual thing. As you may have gathered from this post I am really intimidated by and don't function as well in large groups. That's definitely not to say I don't function well in groups at all. I prefer working in small groups to working alone.. But I don't really know how to go about.. doing research. I have no contacts at any universities nearby, and guidance counselors at my school aren't very helpful in this area. Or any area.. </p>
<p>Oh yea, the areas of study I am specifically interested in are Computer Science and Biology. But I'm also interested in exploring other fields of science that I don't know much about, so really anything. Anyway, sorry for the long post. If anyone has any advice at all for me I will appreciate it very much. ^^</p>
<p>For computer science, it’s really possible that you can start a project by yourself without a mentor. However, such would entail extra work. You can consult
[Science</a> Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools](<a href=“http://www.sciencebuddies.org/]Science”>http://www.sciencebuddies.org/)
to get some ideas. Anyway, you need to be able to evince your passion, or let it show itself via your involvement. Research is a huge time commitment, and oftentimes, most students involved started research since freshman year. However, for a theoretical based project, an intense summer (and with some luck) you may be able to reach a result significant enough to document in a research paper. If you’re hooked in bio, please do USABO and have your school registered for it now before mid-February. For more info, go to [USA</a> Biology Olympiad (USABO) | Center for Excellence in Education](<a href=“http://www.cee.org/programs/usabo]USA”>http://www.cee.org/programs/usabo)
if you know lots of bio, especially that in Campbell Bio, you should be fine in reaching semifinalist round…to go beyond that, it’s a rather long shot IMO, for a 1st timer.
I hope this helps a bit</p>
<p>I’m currently a senior at Caltech. The most important thing Caltech admissions looks for is a passion for science. It is pretty much a given that all of the seriously-considered applicants have high grades and scores in math/science classes and tests, so what will set you apart is a demonstrated interest in science that goes beyond the classroom. For me, I was very involved in my school’s FIRST robotics team, and I did research the summer before senior year. A reasonable number of people have done research/competitions in high school, but probably a lot less than you’d think by hearing the advice everyone gives.</p>
<p>Everyone has a different hook that gets the attention of admissions. One of my friends started up a science camp at their high school. Another friend took extra courses from a local community college because they wanted to know more than what their high school was teaching. Others have no clue how on earth they managed to get in.</p>
<p>What it really comes down to is to just do the things you love and find a way to go more in depth into them. Volunteering at a local science museum is great. You say you’re interested in Computer Science and Biology – are there teachers at your high school you have a good relationship with? Maybe they could help you do an independent project in one of those areas. What about professors at nearby colleges? It’s a long shot, but sending 50 emails out might result in some great advice or research options. Or even just keep up reading new articles being published in those fields so you can talk about the areas of research that interest you the most in your Caltech essay. And honestly, don’t worry too much about being shy/quiet – so many of us nerds are. :)</p>
<p>Sweet, thanks to both of you for the tips. I will definitely look into all of those things. Next year I’m going to be taking quite a few community college classes so hopefully this year and this summer I can find reasearch or projects to focus on while I still have some free time. I’ll ask my guidance counselor about the bio olympiad as well, I don’t exactly want to do an olympiad but the open exam atleast looks quite easy and I guess it would help me out if I did well. </p>