<p>Hi guys. I'm an international applicant applying to Princeton for Math/CS/both from India and I wanted some advice:
I've written 2 research papers in Math (will be up on arXiV soon). I plan on sending them to a journal (but I don't expect the review procedure to get over anytime before my application goes). </p>
<p>Can I have it sent to Princeton? Is this like an X-factor or something? One paper derives new results and the other prescribes alternate novel methods to prove well-known results. I really want it to be conveyed well. How should I do it?</p>
<p>Honestly, do I stand a chance? My SAT is 2200+, I have 3 SAT subject Tests (800 M2, 790 Phy, 790 Chem) and decent ECs (mainly CS) like founder of CS club, founder of teen-help website, internships, coding projects, Coursera math and CS courses and a few other things.</p>
<p>I love Math (AP Calc BC score of 5; I know Calc BC is peanuts but I don't see any other way of challenging myself apart from that. Back in India, people prepare for Olympiads from birth, so no chance for me) but I hate Phy and Chem. I have an A1 in Math, A2 in CS, A2 in Eng, but a B1 in Phy and B2 in Chem. Even one day before an exam in Phy and Chem, I'm doing only Math. I want my application to convey who I really am: a math lover, who doesn't care much about other subjects but for CS and Math (I happen to write well, so English scores are good). I only do things I like, I can't study stuff I don't like just to get into a top uni. How do I pull this off without harming my chances? In the essay probably? I can write well. </p>
<p>Also, should I retake the SAT I for a 2300+? I've already written it twice and scored 2200+ in both.</p>
<p><em>sorry if you've seen this post elsewhere, I really need help</em></p>
<p>Hi guys. I’m an international applicant applying to Cornell for Math/CS/both from India and I wanted some advice:
I’ve written 2 research papers in Math (will be up on arXiV soon). I plan on sending them to a journal (but I don’t expect the review procedure to get over anytime before my application goes). </p>
<p>Can I have it sent to Cornell? Is this like an X-factor or something? One paper derives new results and the other prescribes alternate novel methods to prove well-known results. I really want it to be conveyed well. How should I do it?</p>
<p>Honestly, do I stand a chance? My SAT is 2200+, I have 3 SAT subject Tests (800 M2, 790 Phy, 790 Chem) and decent ECs (mainly CS) like founder of CS club, founder of teen-help website, internships, coding projects, Coursera math and CS courses and a few other things.</p>
<p>I love Math (AP Calc BC score of 5; I know Calc BC is peanuts but I don’t see any other way of challenging myself apart from that. Back in India, people prepare for Olympiads from birth, so no chance for me) but I hate Phy and Chem. I have an A1 in Math, A2 in CS, A2 in Eng, but a B1 in Phy and B2 in Chem. Even one day before an exam in Phy and Chem, I’m doing only Math. I want my application to convey who I really am: a math lover, who doesn’t care much about other subjects but for CS and Math (I happen to write well, so English scores are good). I only do things I like, I can’t study stuff I don’t like just to get into a top uni. How do I pull this off without harming my chances? In the essay probably? I can write well. </p>
<p>Also, should I retake the SAT I for a 2300+? I’ve already written it twice and scored 2200+ in both.</p>
<p><em>sorry if you’ve seen this post elsewhere, I really need help</em></p>
<p>Hi guys. I’m an international applicant applying to Harvard for Math/CS/both from India and I wanted some advice:
I’ve written 2 research papers in Math (will be up on arXiV soon). I plan on sending them to a journal (but I don’t expect the review procedure to get over anytime before my application goes). </p>
<p>Can I have it sent to Harvard? Is this like an X-factor or something? One paper derives new results and the other prescribes alternate novel methods to prove well-known results. I really want it to be conveyed well. How should I do it?</p>
<p>Honestly, do I stand a chance? My SAT is 2200+, I have 3 SAT subject Tests (800 M2, 790 Phy, 790 Chem) and decent ECs (mainly CS) like founder of CS club, founder of teen-help website, internships, coding projects, Coursera math and CS courses and a few other things.</p>
<p>I love Math (AP Calc BC score of 5; I know Calc BC is peanuts but I don’t see any other way of challenging myself apart from that. Back in India, people prepare for Olympiads from birth, so no chance for me) but I hate Phy and Chem. I have an A1 in Math, A2 in CS, A2 in Eng, but a B1 in Phy and B2 in Chem. Even one day before an exam in Phy and Chem, I’m doing only Math. I want my application to convey who I really am: a math lover, who doesn’t care much about other subjects but for CS and Math (I happen to write well, so English scores are good). I only do things I like, I can’t study stuff I don’t like just to get into a top uni. How do I pull this off without harming my chances? In the essay probably? I can write well. </p>
<p>Also, should I retake the SAT I for a 2300+? I’ve already written it twice and scored 2200+ in both.</p>
<p><em>sorry if you’ve seen this post elsewhere, I really need help</em></p>
<p>Hi guys. I’m an international applicant applying to Stanford for Math/CS/both from India and I wanted some advice:
I’ve written 2 research papers in Math (will be up on arXiV soon). I plan on sending them to a journal (but I don’t expect the review procedure to get over anytime before my application goes). </p>
<p>Can I have it sent to Stanford? Is this like an X-factor or something? One paper derives new results and the other prescribes alternate novel methods to prove well-known results. I really want it to be conveyed well. How should I do it?</p>
<p>Honestly, do I stand a chance? My SAT is 2200+, I have 3 SAT subject Tests (800 M2, 790 Phy, 790 Chem) and decent ECs (mainly CS) like founder of CS club, founder of teen-help website, internships, coding projects, Coursera math and CS courses and a few other things.</p>
<p>I love Math (AP Calc BC score of 5; I know Calc BC is peanuts but I don’t see any other way of challenging myself apart from that. Back in India, people prepare for Olympiads from birth, so no chance for me) but I hate Phy and Chem. I have an A1 in Math, A2 in CS, A2 in Eng, but a B1 in Phy and B2 in Chem. Even one day before an exam in Phy and Chem, I’m doing only Math. I want my application to convey who I really am: a math lover, who doesn’t care much about other subjects but for CS and Math (I happen to write well, so English scores are good). I only do things I like, I can’t study stuff I don’t like just to get into a top uni. How do I pull this off without harming my chances? In the essay probably? I can write well. </p>
<p>Also, should I retake the SAT I for a 2300+? I’ve already written it twice and scored 2200+ in both.</p>
<p><em>sorry if you’ve seen this post elsewhere, I really need help</em></p>
<p>I recently posted this on another thread, but it applies to your thread as well.</p>
<p>As a general rule, Admissions Officers are NOT experts in computer code, scientific research, musical performance or artistic ability. If you submit a supplement, Admissions has the option to forward whatever has been sent to them to the relevant academic department for review. The department will evaluate your submission and send their comments back to Admissions. </p>
<p>It’s important to remember: NOT ALL supplements are reviewed. Admissions only forwards supplements for review if they are really, really interested in a student from reading their transcript, test scores, teacher recs, essays, and EC’s. So, here are two scenarios that every student who submits a supplement faces: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Admissions is interested in you and they forward your supplement to the relevant department for review. The department reviews the material and writes “Nothing really special here, about average ability for a high school student.” Admissions then puts your file on hold due to the tepid review, as they want to wait and hear back about other supplements that have been sent for review.</p></li>
<li><p>Admissions is interested in you and they forward your supplement to the relevant department for review. The department reviews the material and writes “WOW, This kid is really special, not may other high school students can do THIS.” The Admissions Officer then puts your file into a pile to be presented to the full committee.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If you submit a supplement, you need to understand that your work will be compared to all other student’s who have also submitted a supplement. In past years, there have been students accepted to Harvard that have sold their company or idea for millions of dollars while they are in high school – yes those kids exist – and they have submitted their projects or research papers as supplements to their application. If your work is not of the highest caliber – and only you know if it is – then submitting something extra may not help your application and you might be better off just writing about your interest.</p>
<p>Harvard is probably not the right school for you. This is not the type of student they look for. And if you are exceptional enough to be admitted anyway, Gen Ed will drive you up the wall.</p>
<p>BTW: Are your papers in Latex, or Latex-generated PDFs? If there’s a chance anyone from the math department may look at them, they should be.</p>
<p>@Gibby, so do you think they’ll even have it sent to the math dept given what stats I’ve mentioned or am I rejected straight away?
My recommendation has it mentioned (my teacher asked me if I wanted it to be mentioned) and I’m guessing my essay will have it mentioned too. Besides, I’m getting an external LOR from a prof from the best uni in India for my work. He has seen it and on that basis, he decided to mentor me for it. Will it help?</p>
<p>@NavalTradition I mainly don’t like stuff here because we’re made to rote learn if we want to do well. Questions come from a fixed set with hardly (if any) changes in ALL subjects. That includes Math as well. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t mind doing stuff if I don’t have to rote learn it to do well. </p>
<p>And yes ofcourse, it’s in LaTeX. My laptop crashed while I was nearly through typing it, so I needed to start again. Half way through now</p>
<p>you sound like a great candidate! Don’t say you hate anything on your application though!
Can you add one paper to the end of your Common App where you can upload additional info and then upload the other to the Princeton supplement where you can provide additional info?
If they are too large, send them snail mail…
And your test scores are fine as they are!</p>
Then, in my opinion, you’re not a candidate for a top uni like HYP. By your own admission, you’re closed to learning new things. This is a VERY bad trait for schools like Harvard and Princeton who pride themselves on offering a wide range of options. Your attitude is the antithesis of the liberal arts focus of H and P.</p>
<p>@T26E4, The thing is I come from India. Contrary to what you may have heard, we’re made to rote learn if we want to score well. Questions come from a fixed set of about 200 odd questions, with little, if any changes. Quite a lot of kids rote learn the answers, even to problems that involve calculations. This happens even in Math! So, all they test is if you can recollect a problem you’ve seen before; there’s ZERO originality in the questions. </p>
<p>I’m totally open to new things: out of a dozen courses on Coursera, most of them are in totally new subjects. I even took AP Econ just to see what Econ is like and ended up with a 5 after self-studying.</p>
<p>I don’t like Phy and Chem at school in India, I DO like it otherwise! Infact, Physics is cool given its close relation to math.
And, I love exploring new things: most Of the math I know is self-studied by reading other books. Going beyond the curriculum to learn new stuff helped me come up with research in the first place. </p>
<p>P.S If you’ve heard good reviews about Indian education in science, it was most certainly about the IITJEE: it’s awesome but since it’s only an exam, unis won’t accept that on a transcript.</p>
<p>Princeton has a similar requirement. Does this interest you? Or does it sound like a big hassle? I knew kids (some but not all of them Indian) who didn’t understand that coming into freshman year and were totally ****ed off and unhappy about it.</p>
<p>Know what you’re getting into. These schools are more than just an ordinal rank in a book.</p>
<p>If you can demonstrate that you’re a strong applicant then you should apply. The defeatist attitude of other people ‘studying for olympiads’ since birth is a bit worrying. The Princeton admissions office doesn’t really make mistakes so I’m sure you’ll do fine for the GE requirements. The Harvard admissions office…well you saw around 100 of those mistakes revealed last year.</p>
<p>You could always base your intellectual vitality supplement essay on the papers, though. Or get a recommendation from your collaborators, if any.</p>
<p>You can certainly send the papers to cornell. I actually sent in some of my physics research paper. However, just remember: they don’t have all day to read the paper (and will likely NOT understand the material). They recommend only sending in an abstract of the paper- one that the reader can understand, and one that a professor could understand- per paper. That’s what I did. Either way, you have a very good shot.</p>