asinine

Decision: Accepted

Objective:

• SAT I (breakdown): 2280; 800 M, 770 CR, 710 Wr
• SAT II: 800 Math IIC, 790 Bio-M, 740 Chem
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%?
• AP (place score in parenthesis): Calculus AB (5), Calculus BC (5), Bio (5), English Language (5), Physics B (3), World (5), Statistics (5)
• IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
• Senior Year Course Load: Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra, AP English Literature, AP Chem, AP Government and Politics, Engineering Drawing, Java
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AIME: 6, National Merit Commended, NJ Music Teacher Association Awards

Subjective:

• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
  Piano performances at Carnegie Hall, NYC and Kimmel Hall, PA, etc.
  Painting (Sent on tour to Boston, NYC, Shanghai, etc.)
  Taekwondo (3rd Degree Black Belt)
  NHS, Mu Alpha Theta, Latin Honor Society, JSA, NJ Science League
• Job/Work Experience:
  Instructor and tournament judge for the ATA (American Taekwondo Academy)
  Self employed high school tutor.
• Volunteer/Community service:
  Leader of local Cancer Society chapter, recruits sophmores for monthly projects. Includes school wide and regional activities.
• Summer Activities:
  2 summers at CTY in Genomics and Genetics.
  Wrote review for the genomics behind Chronic Myeloid Luekemia.
• Essays:
  Common app: Dealt with a moment of self discovery through nature that I had which changed my perception of the world. I centered some of the essay around a quote by Thoreau from Walden and portrayed it as a period of self actualization.
  Supplement: This was a bit cliche since I talked about my interests in Molecular Biology and a meeting with a relatively famous Yale graduate.
• Teacher Recommendation: Waived, never read. One from my Bio teacher and another from my Comp Sci. teacher.
• Counselor Rec: Waived, never read.
• Additional Rec: Sent in a Music and Art supplement with average recs. Great portfolio though.
• Interview: My interviewer only went to Yale from grad school and was an international applicant so we had a bit of difficulty relating to each other, but it turned out pretty well. He was extremely knowledgeable about the sciences so we chatted a lot about my future goals.

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): NJ
• Country (if international applicant): USA
• School Type: Highly competitive school. Feeder school for Princeton, but not so much for others.
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: Male
• Income Bracket: Middle
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None I guess. Could double legacy at Columbia help me here too?

Reflection

• Strengths: Solid test scores?
• Weaknesses: Moved here in beginning of junior year. Counselor resigned halfway into my junior year as well.
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think I showed a lot of well roundedness. I'm not really amazing at one thing, but relatively proficient in a few (music, art, math and sciences). Maybe my essay was pretty creative, too?

General Comments: I turned in my app on 10/30 the day before it was due so I wouldn't worry about handing it in just on time. They look at everyone exactly the same way. Also, am I the only one who waived the right to read all my recs?

Good luck guys for RD.