I just submitted my application to the Astrophysics track at Univ. Colorado, how to deal with my paranoia?
Munira
Dang, how are people already done with applications? Iām ~halfway on essays lol
@BazookaBanana I barely started my app eitherā¦ donāt worry lol
prob international. American peeps got hella time
Hi,
I submitted my app to Astro a few days ago. Iām quite proud of my essays, though I used a reasonably casual tone; is that fine?
My scores and grades shouldnāt be a problem either. But SSP takes like 12 international right? Did you know any of these kids? Were they olympiad geniuses and/or did they have published research? I just want to gauge my chances of acceptance.
Thank you
I had the same question =). Guess weāll just have to wait till March. If you donāt mind sharing, what were some of your stats/extra-curriculars?
hi guys!! junior planning to apply to astro this year. one thing Iām worried about is that I donāt have much research background or STEM extracurriculars (I built a bottle rocket once for the Science Olympiad, but thatāsā¦) but Iāve really wanted to go since last year (couldnāt apply, though! didnāt take calc then RIP). do yāall think some really good essays could clear the bar? sorry if I sound entitled or too breezy - I donāt mean it that way at all!! I just feel kind of lost? idk idk
@starstray weāre in the same boat lolā¦ i dont have any stellar STEM extracurriculars or research experience and am fully relying on the essays
hi all! is anyone applying to biochemistry?? it seems like everyone on this forum is applying to astrophysics LOL
@coconutfloat me too lol. I was initially proud of my essays. Now I feel like if I were the admission committee, I wouldnāt accept myself. As much as I tried to sound genuine I think Iām coming across as pretentious sometimes.
Hey guys! Iām a junior applying to biochemistry and wondering if I have a real shot at getting accepted:
SAT: 1530 (730 EBRW, 800 MATH)
PSAT: 1350 (I flopped during this and tbh idk if this is even worth putting on the application. Should I include this on my app anyway?)
GPA: 4.00 UW, 5.100 Weighted
Rank 6 out of 1097
5 on AP Human Geo (9th Grade); 5 on AP Chem and 4 on AP World(10th Grade)
Highest Math Class for juniors is Honors Precal (taking AP Calc AB & BC next yr)
I literally have no STEM extracurriculars or proper research experience, BUT I have a reason why.
Basically since 8th grade until this past winter break, I really wanted to be an NBA player so from 9th grade to half of junior year, I dedicated hours every day after school practicing basketball. It wasnāt until a deep reflection after New Years that I realized that relying on making the NBA is not going to end up well. Thatās when I realized that science and RESEARCH is my real fate.
Iām pretty good (I think) at writing essays so hopefully I can rely on my essays alone lol
I also love RESEARCH and am curious 24/7 so Im hoping to convey that in my essays.
Do I have a chance of getting accepted?? Thanks
@orca1729 we can only hope for the bestā¦ what were your stats? I swear, everyoneās is better than mine. I took SAT once and didnāt prepare for it so thatās prob why I got a 1410ā¦ took ACT today but prob not gonna submit lolā¦ PSAT11 was a 1320 (canāt even qualify for commended ahhh) The only science-related extracurriculars I have is SNHS and a tutoring service that I started. My gpa is a 103.03 on 100 scale and Iām ranked 2/550
@coconutfloat my SAT is pretty good: 1550+. i havenāt take any subject SATs though; I donāt know if thatāll hurt my application. im an international student so i donāt have a gpa or class rank, but im sure my grades wonāt hurt me. do you know if IB is well respected in america? i havenāt taken any APs so i hope IB courses will do.
as for ECs, i have a bit of research experience (not in astro tho lol), some tutoring, school math team, and I mentioned an astronomy summer thing I went to last year. bascially, not very impressive. especially considering im international, and thereās probably insanely smart people applying.
2/550 is a brilliant rank btw, and SNHS sounds very impressive(i just looked it up)!
the more I work on essays, the more I realize how bad my drafts are at the moment rip
@orca1729 honestly yeah the people that get in are insanely smart. I feel like IB is considered on the same level as AP, so youāre probably fine. But your SAT score is amazing! I would kill to have a score like that. Iām taking it again in March so fingers-crossed I do well.
Your stats still sound better than mine lolā¦ I think the best thing both of us can do is to work on the essays and try to stand out and show our interests in astro in a unique way. Iām planning to write about my family restaurant, because I work there everyday and it takes a lot of time away for me to pursue anything outside of school. But Iāve always been a curious kid and obsessed with space so Iām hoping to convey that.
I still think I have a super slim chance, but one can hope.
Good luck on your application!
I got in without any subject tests and a 1550+ SAT. I also do the IB and was admitted, so youāre fine. Unis in the states view the IB as the same as AP
@proteinkinases
Did you know of anyone that got in the program without the normal teacher recs?
The SSP website recommends to ask the the current math and science teachers, but my science teacher from last year knows me a lot better. My current math teacher is also the same teacher as last year and she doesnāt really know me very well. Iām planning on asking my AP seminar teacher instead.
How important are teacher recommendations and is it okay if I ask my science teacher from last year and my AP seminar teacher from this year?
@hinterland Iām not sure, sorry 
IMO I think having a teacher who knows you and can vouch for your character is better than having a teacher who barely knows you and writes a lukewarm LOR. I donāt take AP so Iām not sure what exactly AP Sem entails; if itās STEM related then go for it I guess. Iām not sure how much this will affect your application though
Famā¦ this thread seems way less active than previous years. btw whatd yall write for your fave topics in science/math?
@orca1729 IKR!
I wrote about why I like astrophysics in general and then described my interest in specific topics like cosmology and exoplanetary science. I basically described how I first encountered the latter during my work experience and how I have explored it through an independent research project and by taking online courses.
I am an international student and Iām so nervous for the decisions, even though thereās still plenty of time before they come out.
What other programs, if any, are you guys applying to?