How can I stand out to adcom as probably the most competitive demographic out there? Right now I’m pretty much like every other Asian guy that wants to get into an Ivy. I have high SATs, GPA, and a rigorous courseload. I play piano, do math competition, science competition, etc. I just feel like I don’t know how to stand out. How can I make myself stand out more?
Sure you play piano and compete in math competitions and science competitions, but that by itself is worthless. Do you stand out at those competitions? Do you place? If the answer to those questions are no, then how do you expect to use those to stand out in college admissions?
How to stand out as an Asian male? Get an SAT math score less than 800 - that will stand out. 
Seriously, though, definitely a tough demographic. Perhaps doing some innovative community service project. Just find a way to be different in a good way.
I definitely think it is tougher for Asians because they are automatically assumed to be highly capable in math and science, musical prodigies, and work-ethic juggernauts. The only thing left is to try to break the mold - whether through community service or having a positive altruistic impact on the community.
But, aye - there’s the rub! The age old paradox of doing something truly altruistic that doesn’t smack of having the dual function of making you look good.
Perhaps look through the threads of profiles of accepted applicants to get some ideas?
Good luck!
Apply to the Midwest and South.
Think about quirky schools like Uchicago, Beloit or Hendrix, look at the questions they ask, think about their questions to see what they expect and infuse (Not sure if you understand what I mean!)
Have favorite tv shows, bands, apps, novels, graphic novels, and be able to talk about them; get into cooking, building, whatever you’ve been interested in or used to love as a child - genuine enthusiasm for something non academic may help.
A couple of ways to stand out: Master basketball like Jeremy Lin or take up golf and be like Tiger Woods. Forget piano, violin, math and science competitions blah blah blah blah blah blah. For Asians, it’s best NOT to list those activities because then you are like the other hundreds of Asians in the applicant pool with perfect SATs. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to bring your unique personality (if you have one) to the forefront. Your essays must bring you to life. Otherwise, welcome to the world of piano-playing Asian valedictorians with 2400 SATs and rejected by the HYSM. Dime a dozen.
Play football. Science and math is good if your a gold medal IMO or Intel STS winner, but STS semis or USAMO will be just fine.
Oh dang all this is really depressing haha. Sports are most likely out of the question. I have zero interest or talent in athletics. I guess I’ll do what I can in the next few years to look more unique. Other wise goodbye Ivy League dreams lol.
@thatasiankid make a chance me thread w/ your stats/ecs if you want to see your chances
I’m only a sophomore so I don’t think there’s much to go off of yet. I might make one when I get my SATs back.
There’s nothing wrong with piano/violin and dedicating a lot of time to science and academics, but your question was “how to stand out as an Asian male”, and unfortunately a lot of Asian parents focus on test prep, piano or violin, and science, thus enticing their kids toward certain paths. Many straight-A Asian kids have been known to get trumped by a simple interview question like “what’s your favorite TV show” or “what’s the last book you read on your own, not an assignement for school?” or “What do you do for fun?” Hesitation, slight panic, or blank stare will feed into the “drone/robot pushed by parents” stereotype… and it does exist, as a stereotype and as a reality. :s So avoid being a copy-paste of anyone else, don’t follow your parents’ “format” on at least ONE thing - you should follow their advice for most, but try to step out of it for one activity, and negotiate with them ahead of time, explaining it’ll be good to make you stand out.
Pick up the accordeon? Learn Italian (community college? Italian cultural center?) and raise money to go to Italy with your Italian club (of which you’d be founder and president), tie this into an interest for archeology and the story of Pompei… or tie it into an interest in international cooking, start an international cooking club at school, have recipe contests involving the multicultural parents at your school, and have the favorite of the month cooked in the cafeteria (which would presuppose getting the principal’s permission as well as the chef’s/cafeteria personnel?)? Do research on your neighborhood’s history and “map” it with a “historial mapping” app?
Develop an interest in anything - and you can develop that by starting with a kid’s book on literally anything that sounds remotely itneresting even if you’re not quite interested in it yet, just vaguely curious. Next step: finding out that one thing that looked cool in the kids book; then pursuing anything you can about it, and from there, pursuing it until you know tons of stuff, do a lot of stuff related to it, have tons of ideas related to it, create and network in relation to it…
What’s your favorite TV show: The Price is Right and Millionaire(game show fanatic)
What’s the last book you read on your own, not an assignment for school: Around the World in 80 Days
What do you do for fun: Tennis, golf, video games, going to Main Event
I’m Asian and I found those questions pretty easy to answer lol
You can write a novel, I’m thinking about writing a fiction book about my major(economics) with a some sort of twist on it or a children’s book.
qpqpqp: they’re not difficult questions at all, they’re actually supposed to be easy, a way to get to know the kid… but some students (Asian kids, sorry, but not exclusively) seem to be stumped by that. Obviously then you’d be expected to develop 
and typically you’d get really animated talking about game shows or whatever, relaxed and in a good mood, not as stressed out and tense, and you’d move to harder questions, like, if you could change one thing in your HS experience, what would it be.
@MYOS1634
Thanks for responding. I’m pretty good with people and socializing and stuff so while I may do stereotypical Asian nerd stuff I’m pretty good with those kinds of things too. Questions like those wouldn’t be very hard for me it’s when they get to really deep questions that I stumble a bit but I’m pretty good with talking so I’m not too worried about that.
Do debate and compete to become nationally ranked. It’s a great way to stand out!