<p>Woah - what TV show is this?! How do you get your own TV show??</p>
<p>yeah, same question.</p>
<p>When a fellow classmate tells me, Hey Alex, it sucks we dont have a more difficult calculus class, I can do more than just carp about it; I can directly address such a concern to school administrators, including Superintendent Diana Sirko, on my independent television show Meet the Press with Alex and Jake. My 30-minute show, during which we interview people from all walks of life, came as a consequence of challenging the school on its policy concerning the separation of church and state. After having my articles severely edited without my consent in our school newspaper, I knew I needed an outlet that would be independent of the school. I wanted the show to challenge school administrators on critical issues such as class size and the allocation of school resources.<br>
In addition to having school representatives discuss issues, my friend Jake and I decided to expand the show to include other vital people in the community such as the mayor and editor of the local newspaper. These interviews have made a significant difference in our community. After interviewing the mayor right before the election to discuss issues regarding affordable housing, Su Lum, a local writer for the Aspen Times, wrote that we asked probing questions to understand the mayors position on key issues. Lum also wrote, I would have liked to have seen [Alex and Jake] interview all the candidates running in Tuesday’s election. I’m sure they would have had plenty of juicy questions. Through our show, we have been able to keep community members informed about issues at school and in our community.
The most thrilling part of the show though is interviewing such world-renowned people as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Evander Holyfield, Michael Eisner, and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright when they visit Aspen. Since we do not have to worry about rebooking the same guests, we are free to ask all our guests tough questions. I asked Albright, for example, Do you think Russia is a democracy given that they have recently canceled elections? and, Why does the U.S. not put more pressure on China to stop giving the Sudanese government oil revenue when the Sudanese government uses that money for weaponry to kill innocent Christian men and rape Christian women?
The television show has made me think about issues I would not have pondered before. When preparing to interview Kennedy I learned how corporations have valued profits more than the environment and how grave of an impact this has had on our planet. The show has also given me a chance to contribute to my community because I have played an essential role in helping parents understand where their school administrators stand on crucial issues.<br>
Ever since I moved to Colorado in 8th grade from New York City, I have had a challenging time here adjusting to the differences. The television show has helped make me feel more part of our community by giving me the chance to ask questions on behalf of the informed Roaring Fork citizen. When the assistant principal comes up to me and says, My son and I watched your show with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the environment and as a result we discussed the environment at dinner and he understands the issues better now, it makes me proud. Thats what being a leader encompasses: challenging the status quo on important issues and promoting discussions on vital topics that concern the citizenry</p>
<p>Was that a college essay? It sounds amazing. I get to go to school with you? Awesome!</p>
<p>Decision: Waitlisted</p>
<p>Stats:
Fee Waiver Used?: No
SAT I (by section):1530 old, 2230 new
SAT IIs: Math 2C 780, Chemistry 730</p>
<p>APs: Chemistry 5, Calculus AB 4
IBs: none
GPA: 3.631 / 4.0 (unweighted)
Rank: unranked, but I’m in like the 30-40 percentile
Senior Yr Courseload: very rigorous
Number of Apps from Your School: maybe 1 or 2 others
Other stats: none</p>
<p>Subjective:
Essays (subject and responses): the “destroy a question with your answer” prompt. My answer (“why”) was probably cliche, but it sounded like a good idea at the time.
Teacher Recs: both very good
Counselor Rec: good
Interview (feel and general location): It went smoothly, but I don’t think it helped me too much.
Hook (if any): I am a National Merit Finalist, have over 90 hours of community service at a local hospital, and played 5 seasons of varsity sports. I also want to play baseball at Chicago.
Location/Person: Teaneck, NJ / Kevin Chung
State or Country: NJ
School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Public Magnet; N/A
Income Bracket: average I guess
Gender: Male</p>
<p>Strengths/Weaknesses: My SATs and extracurriculars are pretty strong, but because the kids in my school are SO DAMN SMART, my class rank isn’t very good. Look at some of the acceptances: 20+ Cornell, 3 Princeton, 5 Cal Tech, 3 MIT, 2 Duke, 3 UPenn, 10+ Carnegie Mellon, 2 Johns Hopkins, 1 Harvard, 2 Yale, 1 Amherst…and these are only the ones I know of.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: I’m not as unique as other candidates probably. Also, it doesn’t help that I’m Asian. </p>
<p>General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: I am still hoping to get in off the waiting list. I would love to attend Chicago, but if not, I’m going to Rutgers (Pharmacy), where I can choose from a selection of 50+ STDs =[</p>
<p>Rutgers Pharm is an awesome awesome program. You’ll go far :-)</p>
<p>Just as long as you can survive the program, it’s insanely hard…</p>
<p>why is everyone here so smart? ): my stats are horrible compared to everyone who posted! my only goal in life => get into UChicago. wish me the best of luck!</p>