Decision: Admitted
Major (and division if applicable) applied to: College of Letters and Science, Asian Languages and Linguistics
Academic stats:
Calculate your GPAs with https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/
UC Unweighted GPA: 3.86
UC Capped Weighted GPA: 4.05
UC Fully Weighted GPA: 4.52
Comments about course load (including senior year): 11 APs until Junior Year; Capstone Courses in Senior year
SAT (total and sections): 1520 (800 M)
Did not report subject tests.
AP exams (scores in parentheses): Calc AB (5), Calc BC (5), Chinese (4), English Lang (4), Studio Art 2D Design (5), Physics 2 (4), APUSH (5), European Hist (5), Biology (4)
Subjective:
Extracurriculars: Chinese Culture Club VP, Varsity Debate, Biology Club VP, Classical Guitar
Volunteer/Community service: Painted murals in nursing homes, Hospital volunteer
Summer Activities: Scholarship Immersion Program studying Mandarin in Taiwan (after Junior year)
Awards: Presented at Taiwanese Consulate banquet, Won local Chinese Speech competitions, included debate awards as well
Essays (topics, details):
Essay 1 (Leadership Experience): Wrote about how I helped an English teacher teach English to Taiwanese students at a language summer camp by making the class more interactive. The final message was about motivating others reflecting the qualities of a leader.
Essay 2 (Creative Side): Wrote about my life-long love for art and how I used it to assist Alzheimer’s and dementia patients through murals.
Essay 3 (Skill/Talent): Wrote about cooking with my mother at a young age and how I have discovered that it is its own art form over the years.
Essay 4 (Educational Opportunity/Barrier): Wrote about my summer experience in Taiwan and overcoming certain obstacles in learning and conversing in Chinese.
Demographics
State (if domestic applicant): OOS
High school type: STEM-based Independent School
Gender: Male
Race: Asian
Applied for financial aid?:
Highest level of parent education: Post-graduate
Living with both, one, or no parents?: Both
Reflection
Strengths: My essays were creatively written while still answering the prompts fairly directly. I had a pretty unique major preference. Solid stats and rigorous coursework.
Weaknesses: I probably only had a few standout activities and luckily they supported the major I was applying for.
Why you think you were accepted: I still feel really good about my essays and my stats. I know it’s always a competitive applicant pool, though, and I still can’t believe I got in.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted: Georgetown, VTech, Boston College, Boston University, UCSD, UPitt
Waitlisted: WashU, UVA
Rejected: Vanderbilt (ED2)