What are my chances of getting into HYSPM?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi All!

I live in Texas and I am an Indian Male.

I am a current junior, looking at my chances of getting into HYSPM. Long Post incoming:

Rank:
1/666

GPA:
on a 100 point scale i have a 104.4 to 104.8 (5 points for every Pre-AP/Honors, and 8 points for AP)
Is this 4.0?

Classes—(My school restricts classes to what you can take, we got new counslers my junior year, so I was able to bypass that)

Freshman:
Bio Pre-AP
GT Leadership Pre-AP
English 1 Pre-AP
World Geo Pre-AP
Orchestra 1
Alg II Pre-AP
Latin 1
Compsci AP (5)

Sophomore: (I got 4s, I got f’ed.)
AP Enviromental Science (5)
AP Phyiscs 1 (4)
AP Biology (4)
AP Wold History (4)
Chem Pre-AP
English 2 Pre-AP
PreCal Pre-AP
Latin II Pre-AP

Junior:
AP Stats
AP Calc BC
AP Phyiscs C
AP Chem
AP English 3
AP US History
Advanced Data Structures (CS2)

Senior (Prediction):
AP Physics 2
AP Psych
AP Gov/Macro Eco (School doesn’t offer Micro, but thinking about challenging it)
AP English 4
AP Computer Science Principles
AP Human Geography
Anatomy/Phys H or CS3?

Extra Circ:
Science Bowl Captain (since Freshman Year)
-Went to Nationals my freshman year
-(also went 8th, but idk if that matters)
Quiz Bowl Captain (since Freshman Year)
-started team, got to national ranking my sophomore year
-Went to nationals my Sophomore year
-Ranked top 6 Sophomores in the country (out of around 300-400 at nationals) Rising Star Award (This is supposed to
be a big part of my resume)
History Bowl Captain (Since Freshman year)
-State Champions JV division
-Best JV player in State (History Bee)

Eagle Scout
-working to get 3 palms

Member of local community teen leadership council (meets every week)
-tutoring service embedded

UIL STEM subjects (since freshman year)
-multiple top chem, bio, and physics titles

What I’m doing this year to catch up:
Applying to be a Texas HAS aerospace scholar

Running for Mu Alpha Theta President

Running for NHS president

Joined the School Robotics Team
They have made worlds the last 4 out of 5 years for FRC
They may or May not make it this year, its possible

Doing research on Gravitational Waves with local head of physics department at university
Phyiscs and Algoritihim based project- will enter into local fair to qualify for ISEF
-local fair takes 8/500 (with about 200 of them being dumb projects), so 8/300.
Its iffy, but I think my project is very solid, as long as I finish it, I’m very far behind, but it may or may not fall through- idk

yet.

Creating an Ocean Bowl team (captain) , going to the regional competition to qualify for nationals.
-if we win regs, we go directly to nationals. its possible, but i have to find time to study for it.

Going to History Bowl Nationals
- This is quite easy to qualify for, so its almost positive ill qualify.

Joining History Fair, they made it to nationals freshman year (without me), and state last year. Most likely state this year, nationals is TBD.

Trying to get National Merit
I was 201 Sophmore year- I know its low, Working really really hard to get it up

Trying to hit >2300 SAT
I haven’t taken it yet, going to take it 6 times I think between now and application time. Thoughts? Extra practice?

ACT 35 to 36?
Also haven’t taken it yet. Thoughts? I’m doing my best to get on that.

Self Studying for Physics, Biology, and Chemistry Olympiad.
Trying to get top 20 camp in at least one. Its ALOT of work, but I think that if I don’t waste any time at all, I can do it.

Haven’t taken any SAT subject tests, should I take all 10 except languages? If I have the time, I can do it I think?
Thoughts? How many would you recommend?

Founding a Non-Profit with 2 other friends. I am leading the effort. We are still planning what we are doing, but we plan to hit state wide, and hopefully semi-national/ in other countries by this time next year. We have a calender, and we are trying to stick to it.

Attempting to qualify for UIL state science.

Summary for New things:

Ocean Bowl- iffy if going to nationals

History Bowl- I am going to nationals

Science Bowl- Good chance of going, flukes could happen

Quiz Bowl- For sure going to nationals

History Fair-For sure state, not sure about nationals

Robotics-For Sure SuperRegionals, not sure about Nationals

ISEF- This could happen, but I have to be good

HAS Aerospace scholar- no idea on chances

MuAlphaTheta President- This could happen

NHS president - This could happen

National Merit- Jesus I hope so

SAT- 2300 to 2400 ? Lets hope

ACT- 35 to 36 Maybe?

NonProfit- This will happen with brute force, I’m really pushing it

Chem/Physic/Bio Oly- This is unrealistic, but maybe?

UIL state science- I can do this.

  • all the other things from the other years

I know Java, and am teaching myself C++ for Robotics, should I learn something else as well?

Sleep is not considered :confused:

Now you know this, What are my chances assuming I hit most of the things on my list? (ISEF, and OLY are low at best) Can I get into a HYSPM? I know its a list, but I think I want to shoot it from the angle of a “thirst for knowledge”? I actually do like competing, and I have a passion in competing in “bowls” they area alot of fun, and I like the rush. Plus academic competitions have always been my strong point.

I think I want to go into STEM, no idea what.

I know it looks I’m trying too hard, do I have to change things? I love math science, but I also really like history and stuff. I really just like knowledge, but I feel like my resume will look like I am boosting my resume. I like STEM more however though.

On a related note:
I know I have basically no chance of getting into RSI, but should I apply? Eh, all my things are in the future, my current resume is meager at best. What about TASP? Also MITES?

Also, what are your recommendations of things I can do to help my resume? Summer Programs(UPENn,EPGY, stanford thingy, Harvard program), Competitions, etc. I just want to get into a HYSPM, and I’m willing to sacrifice alot. I also cant pay for college because of parents financial condition, any idea about scholarships, and when to start applying? What can I do about that.

2

I’m on my phone so I can’t give you a detailed reply but in a nutshell, you need to calm down. You’ve got plans to be involved in ten thousand things and it’s unlikely you will end up doing any of them well if you spread yourself so thin. Planning on taking the SAT six times is ridiculous. Plus, it will change this year so you should probably only prepare for the new test. Some schools like Stanford, Yale, Cornell and Penn require ALL scores so they will see that you’re a serial test taker.

Focus on just a couple of things and do them extremely well.

You probably have zero chance for RSI coming fromTexas and competing with kids with lots of research experience and competition wins. Focus on other programs that have higher than a 4% acceptance rate or just write to researchers directly and try to line up an internship. Going to Harvard summer school or the programs at any other top school will not help you get into their school.

Everything you’ve written sounds like you’re just a mercenary willing to do anything and everything to get into HYPSM (they’re quite different schools,btw). Top colleges can tell genuine passion from faked interest.

Rethink your life and your objectives. Good luck with everything!

3

I completely agree with @falcoln1. Chill out and relax. Here is what I see:

  • A hardworking ORM with strong desire to succeed
  • Great grades, and decent course rigor
  • Applying from an overrepresented state
  • ECs are all over the place. ECs don't stand out
  • No clear and concise story

Try to focus yourself on a couple of key items.

4

Let’s pray that someone either joins your graduating class or someone drops out by graduation time.

5

Hi Falcon! Hi Sgopal2! Thanks sooo much for the reply. I really appreciate it :slight_smile:

So i understand that I need to cut things out of my schedule, but what would I cut?

The thing with Science Bowl, Quiz Bowl, History Bowl, and Ocean Bowl is that nationals are just too much of an absolute crapshoot to get a ranking. The level of play is too high that if I wanted to reach that level of the top in the nation, I’d have to cut ALOT of things out just to make maybe the near top. Which I cant even guarntee.

What could I do to make my resume more “HYPSM-oriented”?

How would I add a “clear and concise story” to my resume this late in the game. It’s only around 1 year till college applications, I am at a loss of how to come back.

Plus, the thing is, I actually love to compete in that type of thing. Like Ocean Bowl, Science Bowl, History Bowl, and Quiz Bowl are alot of fun and I genuinely like doing that. Not even as a college ec, its a passion, I started all my teams and made them juggernaughts in the region whilst captaining them. Plus its a free trip to various places around the country- how could I not like that XD

History Fair- I guess I can bail on that. I mean I like the people on my team and we work well together. I think I may have time, but im not sure. plus nats is alot of fun, so is state :confused:

Robotics is alot of fun. alot of my friends are involved in it, and we do alot of things! Plus worlds is free from our district so I think that makes it more appealing as well.

ISEF- I dont think I can bail on that now, its way too far into the game and I feel obligated to my professor and friends who are guiding me, I want to give it an honest effort.

HAS Aeronautics- Yeah Idk this was just a dumb idea.

NHS president - eh, I want to run just to run. why not, if i win, I win else its whatever, there are 24 hours in a day, it shouldnt be THAT bad.

Mu Alpha Theta- complete waste position. its a title but we meet once a month, and its a complete breeze, hoping I win.

NonProfit- idk right now. we are in our infamacy. This I created purely in efforts of getting into colleges, but I’ve put in some work on it, i could bail but thatd be annoying to me I guess. Looking for your feedback? I am apssionate about some of the things Ive discussed wiht my team, and I would like to sort of make a diffrence- its going to be stem based and dealing with indian kids in the slums.

UIL- this requires like max 2 Saturdays. Its pretty easy to qulaify. If I win a state title, itll go on my resume, else nah.

OLYS?- this is the most contraversial to me. Its hard, hella hard. I have a time crunch as well. I could do it, I could not. But I feel as if I want to hit a stem resume, this should be something I put in.

I know that winning an event means alot to colleges, but I think I’m suffering from a point where if I go to to many national comeptitions just from qualification- which should be something big on its own- its morphed into a list of things that shadow each other. Like where everything just becomes absurd that I went to this many nats.

So what do you think, that is my rationale on all my ECs. What can I do to improve, what do you recommend I drop?

I am aiming for a “STEM” themed resume, should I take out anything history themed from the app to try and stay true to that? Even then, I dont have anything thats like dripping with stem stuff. I need your help, please give advice on what you think I should do. I really reallly really want HYPSM, I am freaking out and I just want to help my chances is any way.

Assume all my test scores shoot up.

Maybe considering applying to Exeter/Andover/other boarding school for senior year or repeating my junior year, what do you think?

Also should I apply to TASP? And youre positive its not even worth applying to RSI?

Thank you thank you thank you
Pranj :slight_smile:

6

Think about it this way. If I was a college admissions reader and had to sum up your entire high school career into 3 or 4 bullet points, what is most important to highlight? This is exactly what readers do. After reading your file, they fill out an evaluation card and will staple it to the front of your folder. Keep in mind that most readers will have read 30-40 applications that same day before getting to yours. So being able to stand out is quite important.

You need to cull your enormous list into easily digestible points.

7

Cut the activities or competitions you don’t think you’ll be able to invest much time on, especially real “iffy” ones.

Please do not take the SAT six times. It is a waste of Saturdays, and if you prep well, you should only need to take it once or twice.

Also, it is spelled “a lot” and “algorithm.”

8

You have so many EC goals that if you tried doing them all at your highest level, you’d become so very stressed out and would have no time whatsoever for fun… and adcoms might mistake your thirst for knowledge and competition for an attempt to bludgeon them with excess activities. So pick a few that you’d enjoy the most and put your energy and focus into those. You might also consider joining a club at school, singing in a choir, or playing in a band – something that shows you’re interested in participating in things for the sake of their enjoyment, not necessarily to lead or win an award.

And HYPSM are not the same: each is its own school with its own residential culture, relative academic strengths and weaknesses, environment, social ethos, etc.

  • Yale is known for its outstanding Humanities/social science quality and its residential colleges.
  • Harvard is great in so many programs and seems to put as much emphasis on grad/PhD programs as it does on its undergraduates. The best-known social feature is the finals clubs.
  • Stanford's architecture is unique (compared to the other four, at least), the weather is great, and it's similar to Harvard in the divided focus between grad and undergrad education. Very strong all-around academically, though stronger in STEM than in the Humanities/SS.
  • Princeton is the most focused on undergraduates among the five. It is great all-around like H and S. Its culture is highlighted by the eating clubs.
  • MIT has arguably the best collection of STEM programs in the world, but its Humanities/social science offerings are decent too.

This is just a surface-scratching description of each of these schools. You should investigate them – and many other schools, including some matches and at least one safety – and apply to the schools you would enjoy attending. In other words, don’t get caught up in the names of the schools; rather, look at the courses and programs they offer, the physical features of the school, the living arrangements, social vibe, weather and location – all of the things that comprise the “fit” component. “Fit” is so incredibly important; you don’t want to end up at a prestigious school that you hate.

9

@pranjal245, I completely agree with @Falcon1. You’re trying too hard, and that comes across very clearly to adcoms. They don’t want smart kids who are trying too hard. They want smart kids who are busy doing the things that they love and that excite them; by doing so, that excitement and passion (Stanford calls it “intellectual vitality”) comes through loud and clear. MIT’s Chris Peterson calls it “applying sideways”:

http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways

Applying sideways is one of the most important strategies and lessons that a smart kid can learn. Right now, you are applying head on: you are trying to design your life in a way that you think will look good to adcoms. That doesn’t work. Some things which are signs of applying head on instead of sideways include:

  • Planning on getting a specific test score, and on taking the tests over and over until you reach it. Test scores are a small piece of the puzzle. Get above the threshold (2200-2250) and you're fine, as long as you have the other stuff. Re-taking the test under these circumstances can be detrimental - it suggests an applicant who is obsessed with scores and impressing adcoms, instead of one who is focused with doing interesting things with his/her life.
  • Someone who is obsessed about GPA and designs their schedule with it in mind. Many valedictorians fall into this trap.
  • Someone who takes too many AP tests, and self-studies for many of them. Again, this is a question of priorities and time utilization. Are you better off studying for tests, or spending the time doing something creative and interesting? Here's an applicant who had 5's on 15 different APs and who was valedictorian, but who got rejected by almost every top private school to which he applied:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/admissions-hindsight-lessons-learned/1790144-what-did-i-do-wrong-p1.html

  • Someone who loads up on ECs, is obsessed with club/school titles to demonstrate "leadership", and who doesn't show clear prioritization and focus.
  • Someone who is applying to "all the Ivies plus Stanford and MIT", without differentiating them. As @prezbucky notes, these are vastly different schools, and some will be better fits for a given applicant than others. Applying based on name and prestige is a bad strategy, and is indicative of someone who is applying heads on instead of sideways.

Right now you are a freight train going heads on down a path: aiming for specific SAT/ACT scores, trying to cram in more ECs, hoping for NMS, etc. As you yourself note, you are doing things with “brute force” and “sleep is not consideration”. You’re headed for a nervous breakdown, and also for rejection from a lot of schools, who will see in an instant that you are trying too hard, and would be a nervous wreck on campus.

So, what do you do?

  1. Stop "brute forcing" things and consider sleep. Take care of yourself, pace yourself, and make sure that what you are doing is fun. Colleges will take an applicant who is empowered and invigorated by their life over one who is stressed out and exhausted by their life any day.
  2. Stop obsessing about specific goals. Plan on getting into the 50th-75th percentile on standardized test scores. Take the courses that light you up the most. Challenge yourself, and don't obsess about an occasional B. You won't be "f'ed". Take responsibility for your results, too.
  3. Think hard about what you want to do and who you want to be as a person, and design an integrated curriculum + ECs that expresses that. Don't try for a ton of community service hours if that's not who you are. Don't go for super-competitive science competitions if that's not who you are. There are tons of ways of expressing yourself: research internships, starting a non-profit or educational group, teaching/tutoring, etc. Get rid of all the extraneous activities which don't contribute much. Adcoms could not care less that you are president of your NHS chapter, or involved in Mu Alpha Theta. These things will make you look just like everyone else, you'll easily be pigeonholed as "another boring, robotic Asian male STEM applicant". And then you can write your own "What did I do wrong?" thread under "Lessons Learned".

If you truly love to compete, compete. You can write about how you are a naturally competitive person, and that gets your creative juices flowing. But I’d also look for some less traditional ways of expressing yourself, so that you stand out a bit. But regardless, make sure that you apply sideways. That will require a major re-write of your entire approach. The good news is that it will probably also be healthier for your sanity and for your development as a person.

10

Unfortunately, I have no advice to give you. Everything you write just sounds like plotting and scheming to me. I’m glad my kids don’t have this attitude and they’re been able to do well so far.

Do not take 10 subject tests.

Do not take the SAT six times.

You got 4’s on your junior year perhaps not because you “got f’ed” but because you’re doing too much.

Try hard to be good a few things rather than a master of everything. I don’t know what you’re “freaking out” about but it doesn’t sound healthy to be so obsessed with five colleges in an acronym.

If you’re doing high-level research on gravitational waves perhaps you should just continue doing that for the next year-and-a-half. I don’t know for certain about RSI, it depends on how you fare with your current research. TASP and RSI are two completly different animals. How is it that you are passionate about attending either one or are you just prestige-hounding? (I think the answer to that is fairly obvious.)

I agree that it’s a good idea to seek some leadership positions at school. The rest of what you posted though, I just have to say “calm down”. You’re at the top of your large class. Just focus on being a good person and someone your teachers and other recommenders would be proud of writing a recommendation for - not some take no prisoners succeed at all costs kind of kid. Try to FOCUS on doing one or two thing extremely well. You read my reply and then proceeded to justify the myriad of activities on your list. Well, if that’s your plan then good luck with it.

There will always be mountains to climb after college acceptances. It’s your approach on to how to tackle them that matters and if you’re so neurotic and obsessed right now, you’ll only be more so later on in life. My kids just worked hard and let good things come to them. I hope this will happen to you as well. Good luck!

11

I think @Falcon1 and I are saying pretty much the same thing.

12

Small edit to #7: final (not “finals”) clubs.

13

^^ Spee just went coed on Friday. Historic moment!

14

Well said @falcon1 and @renaissancedad !!!

15

MODERATOR’S NOTE:
I’m closing this thread for numerous reasons:
• Everything that the other posters have said is 100% correct and there is nothing left to add
• You have not taken any standardized tests yet; come back when you have that piece.
• You seem to also be in the process of applying to boarding school; if you devote your attention to both HS and college admissions, you will probably fail at both. If anybody wants to add additional comments, they can do so on that thread.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-chances/1811005-reapplicant-for-11th-grade.html

Breathe and good luck.