<p>Accepted</p>
<p>Stats:
SAT: 2220 superscored (CR: 730, Math: 790, W: 700)
SAT II: 800 (Math Level 2), 730 (Physics)
ACT: did not take
GPA: 4.55/5.00 (two B’s)
Rank: 4/599
Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): AMC 12; AIME Qualifier twice; AP - 5’s on Calculus BC, 4’s on Eng Lang/Comp, Physics B, U.S. History, World History</p>
<p>Subjective
Essays: I told myself that the essays were my chance to really show my passion for math and science, so I did that in my Common App essay and all of my supplements; talked about my summer research; I like my “unusual way to have fun” essay, “diversity” essay, and “opportunities and resources” essay; I also did some intense research on the school and included what I loved about it and what I want to do there in my “diversity” and “opportunities and resources” essays
Teacher Recs: I imagine these were pretty well written, probably just not very specific
Counselor Rec: My counselor knows me pretty well, so I imagine it was written well
Supplementary Material: Really good research mentor recommendation, research abstract
Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): Girl in STEM, Summer research at Caltech’s Seismological Laboratory</p>
<p>Personal
Location: Southern California
High School Type: Public (>2000 students)
Ethnicity: Asian (Taiwanese)
Gender: Female</p>
<p>Other
Extracurriculars: Math Team Captain, Science Olympiad, Computer Engineering Club Co-President, National Honor Society Vice President, Women in Science and Engineering Club Co-Founder/President, Puzzle Club Co-Founder/President, CSF, Church
Awards: AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Commended Student, Science Olympiad, Mu Alpha Theta Log Contest, AIME Qualifier twice, submitted research project to Siemens Competition</p>
<p>Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?: I can’t believe this. I prayed before logging in to the portal and prayed again when I saw the letter to make sure what I saw was really what I saw. I am so honored to be selected EA to Caltech Class of 2018! To be honest, my GPA and scores were not as good as the majority of the applicant pool, but I think I got in because the admissions officers saw my passion for math and science in my essays, involvement in extracurriculars, and my summer research. I would say my summer research really made me stand out, at least in my school. So I just might be a Techer! It’s one of my top choices. Really happy for everybody else who got in! And to those who were deferred or rejected, know that there will be a college that suits you; don’t give up! Keep doing what you love, and bring that passion into your essays. Good luck to everyone still waiting!</p>