TRANSFER-PERUVIAN STUDENT

Colleges and Universities A-Z Reed College
1

Hi,

I have previously applied to Reed, but I got rejected.

My information:

  1. Born and raised middle-lower class Peruvian
  2. I am currently a Presidential Scholar at University of Richmond with a 96% scholarship. (32% admission rate)
  3. I want to major in Physics and Math (possibly a minor in Philosophy or Art)
  4. SAT of 2014: 2010 (780 in math)
  5. 50 out 1050 best projects according to the OEA in INTEL International and Engineering Science Fair (INTEL ISEF) 2014
  6. Three intellectual properties (two math algorithms and a cheap homemade 3D scanner)
  7. TEDxPeru video
  8. No IB or AP (my school didn't offer)

(everything below was not included in my last application)

  1. Wolfram Summer Camp Alumni
  2. Fab Academy Graduate (Advanced course in 3D technologies for local labs directed by MIT Center of Bits and Atoms)
  3. Very high possibility I will do Physics Research at the Jefferson Lab in Virginia this summer.
  4. Currently taking Language of Poetry, Math, Physics and Observational Painting.

What are my chances? What other information should I provide to give a better picture?

2

Looks great. Your essays will determine your admission possibility at this point.

3

I have a couple of questions still, because I am not 100 percent sure about transfering.

  1. How easy is to get summer research? At my current school, I basically only need to tell the professor I want to do research on summer and I get it.
  2. Reed have a computer science department? I should say I am mostly interested in machine learning
  3. Any recommendations on my essay? I feel like last time I just basically told my experience going to INTEL ISEF and it didn't work out, because I was doing it without help and I didn't know what the essay was about. Also, I have some trouble showing all i got in English, though I am a pretty good Spanish writer. Is there a way I can write the essay in Spanish?
4

Also, my dream, apart from getting a Ph.D in theoretical physics is to create a software company, not like entertainment oriented, but more like a Wolfram Research one. Do you think Reed will help reach the goal with like minded peers and opportunities related to my dream?

5

Just one more thing too. How easy will it be to get financial aid? and if so, how much will it cover for me? As I told you, I come from a middle-low socioeconomic background in a third world country, which I guess would be even lower in the US.

6

Are you an international student? If so, it will be very hard to get in as a transfer seeking aid.

No, you cannot write the essay in Spanish.

Why do you want to transfer to Reed? I am really not convinced.

7

Yes I am an international student. I want to get into Reed, because I want an intellectual atmosphere that would defy and nurture ideas. For instance, outside of class, right now I am reading Einstein’s Essays on Science, and I will continue with Ernst Mach’s Analysis on Sensations and Hume’s Treatise on Human Nature, because I am interested in answer questions, such as how scientific ideas come up (specially in physics)? As many physics hypothesis are based on pure thoughts, can we say they are based on aesthetical conception of the researcher? If so, How can we model (computationally, philosophically) those aesthetical systems? Can we model them just by making thousands of statements such as “grapes are the best fruits” or there all those statement can be based in one single or a couple of mathematical patterns? In that sense, as aesthetical conceptions are born from sensations felt by the researcher, can we extrapolate a specific sensation into a specific scientific idea? What could be the most concrete way of identifying those sensations? If poetry is considered that way, can we, by computing and generalizing patterns in the haikus of Basho, Issa, or in the rhythm of Nas or Tupac, arrive into aspiring scientific ideas? In conlclusion, can we ultimately answer in a detailed and satisfying way how does intellectual creativity works and how can it be consciously develop? How can we create ideas?.

I want to know why I am right and why I am completely wrong in my approach to these questions and other questions I come up with. I want people who to share these kind of ideas and I want to be intellectually stimulated, surprised and moved by people’s questions and ideas. I just feel a space like reed will make more human both intellectually and emotionally

8

I don’t see why you can’t do that at URichmond, though?

Admissions for internationals seeking aid as first years is already selective enough. As a transfer, it’s extremely difficult. I honestly do not think an international student at a good school with a good aid package should try to find something else… honestly, what you have is probably the best possible.

9

I guess you can infer I can’t do that at URichmond when I say I want an “intellectual atmosphere”. URichmond is very conservative and business oriented. Most people don’t like to listen to experiences from people who are different from them, and just focus on looking preppy and superficial talk. People are more interested in greek parties and getting high paid jobs after finishing the Robins School of Business than in learning for the sake of it. This leads to not have interesting people who are intellectually stimulating or who have read much.

10

You’re probably good.