no math science activities?

Colleges and Universities A-Z California Institute of Technology
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<p>caltech is pretty much my number 1-2 choice school (stanford is the other)
however, i dont really have too many "math-science activities"</p>

<p>besides my test scores for math and science( SAT MATH 800, SAT II MATH IIC 800, SAT II PHYSICS 790, AP CALC BC 5, AP PHYS B 5)</p>

<p>i tutor for math and science
but i dont really think there's much else; this isnt particularly my fault, as my school offers ZERO math-science activities/olympiads/contests etc etc</p>

<p>and im about to be a senior, and i just heard about AMC recently
and thats not until after apps are due!!</p>

<p>also, i volunteer for a hospital (but that probably doesnt count)</p>

<p>i truly enjoy math and science (they're the only subjects i have ever cared for) but i dont know how to express this on my app without 'activities'</p>

<p>***what im trying to ask is... Does that kill my chances to get into CalTech? i was going to apply EA too...
is there anything else i can do with the limited time i have to improve my 'math science activities/ecs' ??</p>

<p>THANKS SO MUCH sorry this thread is confusing</p>

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<p>if there's anything else i need to post let me know!</p>

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<p>I was in the same boat last year, and Caltech took me. I still don't even really know what AMC is haha. How's your GPA/class rank though?</p>

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<p>Same question as tachyon: what's your GPA/class rank? </p>

<p>Also, don't think that your volunteer work for the hospital doesn't count. I was grade-wise strong on math/science, but the only math/science activity I had was an officership in Math Club and some math tutoring. My extracurriculars were much more ranging, though, so that might've added a bit more appeal (my school, like yours, doesn't have very many math/science stuff...).</p>

<p>So besides your math/science activities, how goes your other activities?</p>

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<p>GPA: 4.00 unweighted (A's in everything thus far)
Class Rank: 1/688 (my school keeps rank unweighted, so there are probably 12-15 people with the same rank)</p>

<p>Sophomore Classes:
Advanced Pre-Cal
Honors English
Honors World History
Spanish 2
Honors Chemistry
Basketball</p>

<p>Junior:
Basketball
AP Physics B (5 on exam)
AP US History (4 on exam)
AP Calc BC (5 on exam)
AP English Lang (4 on exam)</p>

<p>Senior courses:
AP Stat
AP Gov/Econ
AP English Lit
AP Chem
AP Bio</p>

<p>other activities (not too great):</p>

<p>I've been on the high school basketball team every year (1 frosh, 2 years jv [captain junior year], 1 year to be varsity)</p>

<p>Youth and Government Delegation (Treasurer) = basically a mock government program</p>

<p>Math+Science Tutor (both for pay and voluntary)</p>

<p>Hospital Volunteer (committee [lol is that how you spell it??] member on junior board)</p>

<p>Youth League Basketball Coach (voluntary)
Youth League Soccer Coach (voluntary)</p>

<p>Basketball Referee, Scorekeeper (voluntary)</p>

<p>Academic Letter Foundation (President) = team of 4 which determines who gets the Academic Letters</p>

<p>National Honor Society Member</p>

<p>California Scholarship Federation Member</p>

<p>I attended the CA Boys' State 08 (elected Superintendent of Public Instruction [state position])</p>

<p>thats pretty much it.........
(if there's anything else you need to know, tell me)
thanks for the help everyone!</p>

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<p>Looks very well-rounded. I'm guessing SAT (total) >2300?</p>

<p>You have as good a chance as anyone; remember to spend lots of time showing your passion in your essays.</p>

<p>(And you're looking good for Stanford as well! I got rejected EA, but it sounds like they changed policy for RD... You look like a good fit for them, as well, given your sports interest. :D)</p>

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<p>I think you have great odds! How did you spend your summers? Coaching, it sounds like, but were you doing anything else at the time? And did you take any courses though a community college or university that are in science or math? It's not an "extracurricular" activity, technically speaking, but it's a demonstration of interest and just as (or more) productive than being in a high school math/science EC. ...Well, maybe my public HS's offerings were particularly cr--py. Example: the robotics club used Lego Mindstorms. I was better off taking classes or learning on my own because I sure as s--t was not learning anything from those people.</p>

<p>I would emphasize the how much time you spend independently researching topics in science and math. Show them that it's on your mind all the time. Maybe you get lost on Wikipedia (or actual books/journals) for hours at a time just browsing through everything about some topic. It sounds cheesy when I say it, but this is definitely a time-consuming and profitable "extracurricular activity," so find some phrasing that works.</p>

<p>Also, is there any way you can spin the Hospital Volunteer thing as something that has enhanced your bio knowledge?</p>

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<p>unfortunately, my SAT as of now is <2300 but hopefully after the October test it will be >2300
and snowcapk, i think thats a pretty good idea with the independent browsing and musing, because i really do do that!
i dont know how i would be able to spin the hospital volunteer though</p>

<p>is there anything else i could do to enhance this "math-science" situation
like start a club maybe? what kind of club could i possibly start?</p>

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<p>The best thing you could possibly do is get research experience. (But you don't have to have it - I got in without it.) This will be tough for you during your senior year when you have so many other commitments, but it will really help you decide whether this is the right career path for you and be ready for research at Caltech. If there are any colleges, even small LAC-style things, in your area then you can try hitting up the professors. Read about their research interests on the faculty webpages and then e-mail them or show up at their office hours - you might have to check out course webpages in order to find those. In my experience some will not respond at all, but keep at it and someone will be willing to take in a HS student. They were young once. (Hard to believe, isn't it?)</p>

<p>IMO research is a waaaay better time investment than starting a club. As has been pointed on other threads, admissions looks for students who know what they're getting themselves into because this place is pretty rough.</p>

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<p>i'll try my best to get some research thanks for the idea
however, if i cant get research opportunities, should i just start the club as a back up sort of thing??
i wish i had known about this stuff earlier and i woulda started a loooooooooonnnnnnggggg time ago
i hope it doesnt kill my chances </p>

<p>snowcapk would you mind posting your 'stat's or pming them to me?</p>