Resume and Science Problems

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I have an interest in top-tier science colleges and currently have a very rigorous course load and a good ACT score (35 composite). However, I don't have the activity hours. This wouldn't be too much of a problem, except for A) I'm a high school junior (so it's a bit late to work towards a science fair without serious dedicated effort), and B) I'm on a very inflexible transportation schedule (so I can't join after-school clubs or go to places where I can dedicate serious effort towards a science fair).</p>

<p>To get out of this situation and make myself more unique, several people have recommended working on high-level math/science problems. The way I understand it is that I'll acquire high level textbooks (several are already en-route to my library), find a few problems, and work out the answers. I send the answers with my application and the colleges see that I'm so passionate about math/science that they stop focusing on my lack of activities.</p>

<p>At least, that's how it works in theory. Of course, I'm not sure how I'd send them in. Do I just send papers in attached to the application? Do I note it somewhere on the applications themselves? Should I even bother doing this?</p>

<p>In case it helps, I'm hoping to get into a Caltech/MIT-grade university. Heck, Caltech itself is my dream college.</p>

<p>Thanks,
Dakar</p>

2

<p>Apologies for the double posting, but was this the right forum? If not, where should have I posted it?</p>

3

<p>I'm guessing you're currently a junior?</p>

<p>If you're planning on sending your main application by mail, just attach the papers with some kind of explanatory notice. If you're applying online using commonapp.org, you can choose between sending the materials as a mail-in supplement (I think pretty much any private school will be fine with that; MIT and Caltech for sure) or putting it into an electronic document, probably under the "Additional info" section of the common app. If you choose the latter option, I would use a program like TeX to render the mathematical expressions (you could scan them in, but that might be messy).</p>

<p>If you're applying online without the common app, you can go the document route if there's a place to attach supplementary documents, otherwise they'll usually just ask you to send it by mail. I guess you could probably email the materials in, but I haven't heard of anyone doing that before.</p>

<p>Hope this helps a bit... I'm a bit sleepy so sorry if I'm being incoherent. :)</p>

4

<p>People actually send math problems in?</p>

5

<p>^ I didn't know people did that either.</p>

<p>Do something like what Jacob Steinhardt did with Cayley graphs and enter it into Siemens and Intel.</p>

6

<p>I don't think solving problems from a textbook will help you by itself. You say it's a bit late to start a science fair project without "serious dedicated effort." Well... if you want to go to Caltech or MIT, you need some serious dedication, no!? So, if I were you, I would say research ("science fair project") is the best route to go, as it does not require you to be in a specific location, really - perhaps, in addition to learning high level science or math topics on your own, though sending solutions to problems would not be helpful or necessary, unless your solutions are truly particularly creative (think about it this way - their students solve problems like that all the time...). </p>

<p>So, I would suggest looking for unsolved problems or topics that interest you, and formulating a research plan. It is not too late for Siemens or Intel, as above poster mentioned. Then, talk about your transportation issues in your essays, and talk about how those issues have caused you to have to get creative in expressing your passions. Lack of activities, especially if your school/area offers them, is a real way to show lack of passion, if there is no context given, so if you REALLY have the passion, show it in other ways - yes, ways that might require some "serious dedicated effort," because I think it is just that kind of effort that can get you into a school like Caltech/MIT.</p>

<p>(I am speaking from experience - my research projects took a lot of effort... as did starting a math team... but I got into both schools, for the record. Also, I have worked through university-level textbook problems in math, my area of interest. Honestly, it doesn't usually feel like "effort" - it IS work, but I really love it. If you're that way too, don't be afraid to jump into something that requires "serious dedicated effort"! But if you really have the passion, you should FEEL that something is missing in your life, and it should be PULLING you to do more, like doing research and solving textbook problems, going beyond your school's resources, advancing your knowledge, etc! Don't do it for college admissions reasons!!!!!!!!!!! Do it because you feel inclined to learn more, to go for the research, solve the hard problems, etc. And if you don't feel this inclination? Well... <em>shrug</em> I don't know.) </p>

<p>That was really long. Anyway, good luck! I hope that helps?</p>

7

<p>Interesting points. I am not averse to "dedicating serious effort", it's just that transportation means that I can't get to labs or anything. I'm hoping on interning over the summer, though.</p>

<p>With respect to the intel/siemens idea, I have two questions:</p>

<p>1) Isn't it a bit late? Even if I come up with something worth admitting, I can only apply in my senior year. And by the time I even know if I'm a finalist or not, it'll be too late to apply to many colleges and definitely apply for early admission. Should I just say "I submitted something?"</p>

<p>2) Given the transportation issue, I'm restricted entirely to mathematics and theoretical work. Is doing this within the realm of a high schooler? I'm mostly concerned with the fact that anything I do will have already been done before. I'm not a prodigy or anything, just a person who has a passion for the material. I doubt I'd be able to do anything significant, even with "serious dedicated effort", that way. Is it possible to develop a competent showing over just a summer of experimental work or half a year of theoretical work?</p>

<p>On a sidenote, the main reason I was considering the problems idea is that, while such is work done regularly in college, I'm still a high schooler and it demonstrates I have the passion. I plan on starting anyway, I just want to know if it is worth submitting.</p>

<p>Thanks,
Dakar</p>