Hi guys!
I’m new to CC and am an anxious junior applying to a bunch of STEM summer programs. I know most of these programs are crapshoots but I’m hoping the CC gods will shine upon me and someone (any alumni hanging around? 
) will take a look at this post and give me an honest opinion of where I stand and how I might be able to boost my app in the next month.
Also if there aren’t any threads on this already feel free to add onto this and make it a chance-me thread :))
About me
- Asian female
- Pacific NW
- Well funded public HS w/ lots of APs
- Interested in CS/bio intersection, so bioinformatics, genetics, computer vision (diagnostics), systems modelling, etc.
Stats
- 1580 SAT (780 EBRW 800 Math taken August 2021)
- PSAT this fall sucked so I’m not submitting it unless required
- 4.0/4.0 UW, 4.6/4.0 W
- My school doesn’t do class rank
Coursework
- AP Calc AB (5, 9th), AP Spanish Lang (5, 9th), AP Chem (5, 9th), AP Stats (5, 10th), AP Bio (5, 10th), AP CS A (5, 10th), AP Calc BC (5, 10th), Organic Chemistry (taught by HS teacher)
- This year: AP US, AP Lang, AP Physics 2, Human Phys, Dual credit 300-level Spanish class, Multivariable calc
Awards
- FIRST Robotics Competition Dean’s List Finalist (first from my team to compete @ Worlds)
- Won state in a speech and debate event
- USNCO Semifinalist (by this I mean National Exam qualifier… I feel like I’ve seen “semifinalist” mean different things so this is my understanding of it)
- PVSA Gold Award
Extracurriculars
Robotics
Sub-team lead, developed and lead new online outreach program and fundraiser, use OpenCV for autonomous movement
Independent Study
Putting it here because it’s the closest to research I’m doing. Doing some stuff in genetics avoiding the wet lab (since I’m pretty sure I’m not old enough to work in one as of now lol).
Hope to get it published/presented at a conference, though even if I submit it now I won’t know whether it’ll be accepted by the program app deadline. I’ll probably end up including the abstract or the full version I submit for publication in the app. It’s not that “complex” of a project - mostly stats.
Debate
Done it since middle school and love it. For a personal essay with a not directly STEM related prompt I’ll most likely write about it as it’s been a huge impact on me.
My thoughts/worries
- Most of my awards/ECs are not (or only slightly) related to what I want to attend these programs for. How can I compensate for this in my app?
- Advice on essays? I feel like this is my weakest area - how do you draft and write your essays? I’m trying to switch up my process and am currently feeling very uninspired lol.
I’ll also be applying to local opportunities.
Thank you all for taking the time to read and comment! If there are CC norms I’m breaking please let this newbie know and I’ll fix it. Also to my fellow juniors let’s make this into a general chance me thread if there isn’t one already.