8
Colleges
6
Q&As
15
AP/IBs
12
Essays
4
Awards
10
Activities
Studying Econ/CS @ Stanford / Full Rides to Madison and UMN
College application season was a stressful time! I originally had over 20 schools on my list (way too many, I know), but I was fortunate enough to have been accepted to my top-choice school. At that point, I decided to withdraw my other applications. As an applicant, I tried to center my profile around my passions for business, technology, public policy, and speech; I’m hoping that all applicants—but particularly those interested in the aforementioned categories—find this profile helpful. Best of luck with app season!
Studying Econ/CS @ Stanford / Full Rides to Madison and UMN
8
Colleges
6
Q&As
15
AP/IBs
12
Essays
4
Awards
10
Activities
Race
Asian
Gender
Male
School Type
Public
Legacy
No
Low income
No
First generation
No
International
No
Recruited Athlete
No
GPA (W)
4.23
GPA (UW)
3.99
GPA Scale
4
ACT
35
# AP/IB Exams
15
Personal Statement
Stanford
UW Madison
University of Minnesota
5 | AP English Literature & Composition |
5 | AP English Language & Composition |
5 | AP Biology |
5 | AP Psychology |
5 | AP World History |
5 | AP Government & Politics: United States |
4 | AP Calculus BC |
4 | AP Calculus AB |
4 | AP Government & Politics: Comparitive |
4 | AP Statistics |
i | AP Physics C Mechanics |
i | AP Spanish Language |
i | AP Economics: Macroeconomics |
i | AP Economics: Macroeconomics |
i | AP Human Geography |
(You may need to scroll to see all scores.)
National Merit Semi-Finalist
(National)
Academic All American from the National Speech and Debate Association
(National)
AP Scholar With Distinction
(National)
Spanish Bilingual Gold Seal (Expected Upon Graduation)
(State/Regional)
Rally
Co-founder, COO
Provide campaign management software to local politicians. Generated $35k in profit in 2020 and $100k in profit in 2021.
Extemper's Bible
Founder, Managing Director
Created a non-profit that provides free camps & resources to extemporaneous speakers and coaches. Our website has nearly 100k visits extempers.org.
Edina Speech Team (United States Extemporaneous Speaking -- USX)
Captain
Made finals of all 3 nat championships. I placed 1st at NCFL Nats, 3rd at the Tournament of Champions, 4th at NSDA Nats. Read add. info for more.
Edina Debate Team (Lincoln Douglas)
Captain
Won 3rd place at 2020 Edina State Tournament. Offer mentorship and guidance to Edina's novice squad.
Edina City Council and Edina School Board Debates
Organizer, Moderator
Organized and moderated the first-ever student-led forums in my city's history. These forums were covered in the local news and broadcast on local TV.
The Singing Strings
First Chair, Cello
Was the first-chair cellist. I performed for the Finnish Prime Minister and at Orchestra Hall, home of the [Minnesota Symphony.
St. Joseph's Hospital
Volunteer
140 hours volunteered for St. Joseph’s Hospital. I answered patient questions and transported patients.
Academic WorldQuest
Team Member
I helped lead my school to its first nationals appearance in eight years, and we finished in eighth place.
Swimming
Swim, Junior Varsity Team
Member of the junior varsity swim team.
Edina Planning Commission
Student Commissioner
One of two students selected citywide to serve on Edina's planning commission. I helped oversee development plans and zoning practices in Edina.
Do you have any additional info to share?
Additional Info on Activities: [Organization Redacted]: [Organization Redacted] is a political technology company I co-founded after noticing the lack of infrastructure and resources local campaigns had. My role is to acquire new clients and use feedback from our clients to help lead our software engineers. Our software optimizes candidates’ digital presence, identifies likely voters and donors, and automates candidates’ canvassing processes. I’m fascinated by entrepreneurship, and I hope that [Organization Redacted] will be the first of many companies I’m able to create. City Council Debate: If you'd like to watch the student-led forums I organized and moderated, here are the links! City Council Forum (2020): [URL Redacted] School Board Forum (2021): [URL Redacted] Speech: During the 2020-2021 speech season, I was the only USX Extemp Speaking student to have made the final round of all three major national speech championships. I was the first student from my school since 2004 to win any final round of a major national championship. Additionally, I have made the final round at various national-circuit tournaments, including Glenbrooks, Harvard, Bronx, and Dowling. I also competed at the Montgomery Bell Academy Round Robin, an invite-only speech tournament for the top sixteen extempers annually.
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Who should read over your essays?
Close friends, parents, counselors, or teachers — keep the list small though!
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Do you recommend using private counseling and/or essay editing services?
It's entirely dependent on the student! That said, I think you can go a long way with resources like AdmitYogi!
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How did you build your college list?
It was about 25 schools, but I ended up not applying to any of them once I got into my top-choice school, Stanford. My advice? Don't do what I did. Keep the list down to around 15-20 max. You only need around 3-4 safeties, maybe 6-10 targets, and the rest can be reaches. Take this with a grain of salt though; what works for me may not work for you.
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Do you have any advice for interviews?
My Stanford interview ended up being very conversational, and I would suggest to high schoolers to remember that, more often than not, you're talking to an alum of the school. They're probably 5-25 years out from graduating and are only doing this because they genuinely love their alma mater. When you're going through the interview process, make sure to be conversational and personable! Don't over-rehearse any questions — simply try to come across as sincere. If you can show candor, a love of the school, and intellectual passion, your interviewer will be going to bat for you. That said, don't stress too much about these interviews; for most schools, they don't matter. The only schools they do matter for are Harvard + some schools that track demonstrated interest (like Tufts). Even at Stanford, it wasn't hugely important. Finally, don't stress out too much if you don't get an interview. It has nothing to do with you as an applicant and everything to do with the availability of college interviewers in your region. I know tons of people who still got into their dream schools, even without an interview!
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How long did you spend on each essay?
It depended on the essay. I spent a lot more time working through my Stanford essays than I did on my essays for Madison and the UMN. I tried to plan my essays well in advance of their deadlines, which saved me tons of stress & time. I'd recommend you do the same!
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Did you earn any selective scholarships? How did you strategically position yourself to get selected?
I did get near-full rides to both Madison and the UMN. For scholarships to state schools, your GPA, class rigor, and test scores matter the most. Put some time into your ECs and essays too, though!
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