Tentative Chance and Feedback for a Junior ?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I know that it’s probably a bit early to be asking for chances, but I suppose a little advice and guidance (and probably a good dose of realism) couldn’t hurt.

Background + Stats

Major ???: Mechanical Engineering

CAD is super cool and so is making stuff and machining, Robotics is fun, I don’t hate math with a passion quite yet and Physics is super neat. Also, Engineering in the real world and making things that help people is like, mega sick.

School: Private
Ethnicity/Race: Asian (Yikers)
Gender: Male (RIP)
Rank: School Doesn’t Rank
SAT : 1580 (first sitting)
ACT: nah lol
GPA UW: 4.0 (school doesn’t weight GPA)

School doesn’t have AP or IB program, but some STEM classes are pretty analogous, ex: School’s Honors Calc class is pretty much the same as AP Calc AB

AP Tests: Calc AB 5, CompSci A 5
taking Physics C, Physics E and M, and Calc BC this year

Junior Courseload: (Private school curriculum makes this sort of screwy)
Spanish 5 Honors Seminar, Experimental Chem, US History, American Literature,

Advanced (Calc-based) Physics, Honors Calc II

I self-studied pre-Calc over the summer after my freshman year to have more classes with my friends lol

In general, generic Asian STEM male, which I’ve heard is not a good look.

ECs (I might be a little weaker on this front) in no particular order

FRC Team Mechanical Fabrication and Design Lead, Competition Technician(Robot Chauffeur)
3 years

  • Use the C and C mill + Router to make parts, train new members on basic fab stuff like power tools and machining etc.
  • Direct annual design workshop on game-release day
  • Design Comp-bot and iterate mechs
  • CAD robot in Fusion 360
  • Fix the robot when we don’t have access to pits during comp
  • Only one mentor (we all love you Dale) who mostly coordinates paper-work + logistics so the team is entirely student run
  • qualified for worlds every year, but the previous Tech-lead was a crazy good designer so I’m a little worried about being able to fill her shoes and take us to World this year.

Varsity Swimming
3 years

  • Keep yoself fit ig

JV Cross Country
3 years

  • Keep yoself fit 2, electric boogaloo, also cuz the XC team is filled with the nicest people at the school

Chapter Director for a Studen-Run and Founded Non-Profit (started like 4 years ago, and not by anyone at my school)
3 years

  • Teach underprivileged kids music theory and violin, cuz most Oregon elementary schools don’t have funding for arts programs
  • do paperwork and organize about 4 other volunteers that also teach
  • the volunteers do a pretty good job managing themselves tho

State Youth Orchestra Member
3 years

  • Play viola
  • play 4 paid concerts a year, plus 2 free ones for children and arts-exposure
  • Our conductor curses in Hungarian , he also makes fat jokes about himself

Science Bowl A Team
2 years

  • S’allright, I do Bio for some reason, cuz all the kids on the team are math gods

MTG Playgroup President
2 Years

  • We play Magic the Gathering lol (I figured If i was gonna describe my ECs i ought to be comprehensive)

Not a lot there quantity wise, perhaps some things I can improve ?

Awards (I don’t got many)

  • Scholastic Art and Writing Pacific Northwest Regional Silver Key x2
  • FRC Dean’s List Semifinalist (Finalist results come out later)
  • FRC World Champs Qualifier x2 + other Misc Team Awards
  • F4 Cadathon 22nd place ? (Big meme on this one)

Possible AP scholar and National merit stuff to come later

Work Experience:

Freshman Year Summer

  • Camp Counselor for Elementary Schoolers, 2 Weeks
  • Caddy, 1 Month

Sophomore Year Summer

  • Directed Middle-School FLL Summer Camp (Just me and a senior), 3 Weeks
  • Did some machining work for an FRC Team alumnus on a brushclearing robot designed to remove invasive plants, 4 weeks
  • Camp Counselor for Elementary Schoolers, 2 Weeks (but I got paid more this time)

Colleges I’m Lookin’ At (A lot of VERRRRYYY High Reaches, not an actual college list, just colleges that I’d love to attend)

  • WPI
  • RPI
  • GeorgiaTech
  • HarveyMudd
  • Caltech (hah)
  • Mit (HAH)
  • UMich
  • Northeastern
  • UC Berkely

Whaddaya thonk of me chances at any of these spots ? Any other colleges I should take a look at ???

Grazie

2

Idk if this matters, but I’m also a soloist for the school choir

3

Keep up the good work and you’ll have plenty of options. Nothing off the table on your list and of course nothing guaranteed.

4

Can’t tell you exactly why, but there is something positive about the way you stated your interests and described your experience. Your subject interest seems real. It seems refreshingly honest and not stale.

Keep on it! Your genuine interest will drive you.

5

Thanks for the encouragement, it’s much appreciated