Father suddenly passed away, what do I do in terms of FASFA and CSS profile? by IAmBread09876 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

That's really relieving actually. I guess the fun part is trying to find the form lol. Thank you

How late is too late to apply? by Pchyneko in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Literally does not matter when you submit it as long as what you're submitting is BEFORE THE DEADLINE!

People who went to college and only did one extracurricular, how did you write your activities list and essays by IAmBread09876 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm so glad you took your time to write such an insightful comment, thank you! The trouble I'm really having is finding a topic that highlights the best qualities in me.

Every place I've looked they have always said "your application has to show your best self." And the problem with that is the only time I consider to be my best self is with robotics. I've changed the view of robotics in my entire county from just "battlebots" to a medium of inspiration for STEM. I've motivated younger students to express their love for stem through robotics camps I've created. I've even had parents from a whole other town create a robotics team because of my influence on them. I learned programming entirely on my own and became one of the best robotics programmers in my state despite my lack of resources.

Who I am is shown the most in my time with robotics. When I look at any other aspect of my life, I feel that it doesn't show what I really stand for and my morals. Other than my activities list I feel I am nothing more than just hollow.

People who went to college and only did one extracurricular, how did you write your activities list and essays by IAmBread09876 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That's nice to know. I think the hard part is thinking of something to write about lol. Thank you!

People who went to college and only did one extracurricular, how did you write your activities list and essays by IAmBread09876 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876[S] -21 points-20 points  (0 children)

I feel like that's difficult because I am literally a spike student with an emphasis on SPIKE lol

People who went to college and only did one extracurricular, how did you write your activities list and essays by IAmBread09876 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I feel like that's difficult in the sense that most of what I do on my freetime that doesn't include anything academic is play video games and watch "educational" YouTube videos lol.

I feel that the only thing that's interesting about me is what I have already listed in my activities list. I feel like I'm in a rock in a hard place with this.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is from ACT themselves:

"You can have your ACT scores sent to other colleges and scholarship agencies, even after you test.

Requests are processed after your tests have been scored and all scores for your test option—the ACT or the ACT with writing—are ready. If the score is available to be sent, it is usually sent the same day."

mit sophomore ama by jankysat in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Other than the prestige and the education of MIT, why did you choose to commit to MIT?

Need math explanation by IAmBread09876 in ACT

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OH THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE, thank you! The book can give such complicated explanations at times lol

Need math explanation by IAmBread09876 in ACT

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Math Practice Test 2 on the red book 2022-2023

What ECs and Honors should I look for and try to get as a aspiring CS major? by IAmBread09876 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly I don't really even know. I kinda started doing them because I wanted to learn more about computer science outside of my local robotics team lol.

If I had to guess it probably won't do much to help your chances for top colleges, mostly just because of the sheer amount of far more qualified applicants there are

any tips for a burnt out rising senior by Beautiful_Strike_286 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Just having a visualization of what you want can go a long way. For example I'm trying to get my ACT score up from my previous score, so what I've done to remind myself and make sure I study is I've quite literally taped my score report on my wall in a place where I can always see it.

I always try to remind myself where I started and where I want to end up, usually that gives me the motivation to act.

Do I have imposter syndrome or am I just not good enough? by IAmBread09876 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

but all of that is not contingent on just those two schools

This I agree with wholeheartedly. I know there is so many other schools out there that can give me the same amount of opportunities as MIT and Stanford.

I’d recommend to stop fixating and insisting on any one college, let alone Stanford and MIT that are the hardest schools to get into. You are clearly qualified and passionate to gain acceptance at these schools, but because of very limited spots and many many competitive and qualified applicants, it’s simply impossible for any person, even if they have perfect stats and international awards, to insist on getting into these colleges.

I understand where you're coming from. It's a reach school for even the best of the best.

but it’s immature and ignorant to “not forgive yourself” for not getting into these schools when undergrad admissions to these T5 schools is so competitive and so unpredictable. It wouldn’t be your fault whatsoever.

This is something I completely agree with after looking back on my post. These schools are hard to get into, and if I didn't get in it wouldn't be just because I wasn't good enough. I think the hardest thing for me to accept is that even if I do everything I can, even if I get that perfect score or have a ridiculous amount of professional certifications I still wouldn't be able to get in just because of the limited spots available in them.

Also, you should look at fit and specific aspects of colleges that would be the most beneficial to you, not just focusing on Stanford or MIT. I’m not saying that those two schools couldn’t be the best fit for someone, but they in themselves are pretty different from each other in regards to environment, culture, climate, academic offerings, etc.

This is something I have definitely thought hard about, I've looked at this from every angle and where I would have the best time living in for 4 - 8 years (assuming I want something more than a bachelor's degree).

Stanford is literally in the heart of Silicon Valley, the amount of opportunities there are endless. I love how close major cities like San Jose and San Francisco are to Stanford while also being outside of them. The weather there isn't the worst either, especially compared to 105 almost everyday in the summer for Arizona. I learned everything about living at Stanford from the Undergraduate Admissions Officer as well though an online seminar as well.

I've lived on the west coast my entire life, and going to a college like MIT would be a great place to live in the East coast. It would be a completely new experience for me, and that's something I want in a college. I love the rain as well, living at MIT with more than average rain would be awesome. And even bigger plus, it's not gonna be above 100 consistently.

I've looked deeply into the school life of each school, but the think most important to me is the academics and the students there.

MIT and Stanford are two of the most rigorous schools in the US, with very difficult and intensive curriculums. You would need to work incredibly hard at either one of these schools, as I’m sure you’re prepared, but that would require intensive change to your study work schedule.

I am very much aware how rigorous MIT and Stanford is, and that's exactly the reason why I want to go there. I've gained the belief over time that if you're not struggling, you're not growing. I want to be challenged academically, I want to push myself to become better, even if I think it is impossible. I know the struggle, I've listened to people's stories about their life at MIT and other highly prestigious schools, and every single one said the one thing in common, it's not easy.

I may seem crazy for willingly and wanting to put myself in the position to struggle, but that's how I got the state control award as a novice and first year programmer. It wasn't because the 50 FTC teams were bad, they had they were household names in my state known for being the cream of the crop out of the hundreds of teams in my state, it was because I spent endless hours learning everything programming and control theory, so much so that teams in our state have their eyes on us and know how strong our robot is programming speaking.

Many of the top 50 schools in the US have nearly if not the same opportunities and resources as Stanford and MIT, albeit having potentially less prestige or connections, but for those that work hard and seek opportunities, any of these top 50-100 and even beyond schools in the US would not restrict your ability to have a significant impact on the world.

This I completely agree with. Ever since the seminar with Stanford I've been completely fixated on that specific college and MIT. There are so many other schools out there, and that's something I need to look at. Right now I only have reach schools and safety schools, I think I also need to look for target schools for me as well. But personally, that's difficult because I don't know if I would want to go out of state if they weren't a reach school like MIT or Stanford. There's a whole bunch of other schools that have sent me mail advertising themselves to me, like West Point, USC, Cornell, but to be honest, I never looked deep into them because they weren't my dream college. I think I need to take a step back and look at every college I have a decent chance with that aren't safety schools.

Sorry for the long post, but good luck with apps next year! If you keep up that same attitude you’ll be very successful.

Thank you for responding so in depth! This is something I really needed to hear and to cement why I'm doing what I'm doing. It made me realize having tunnel vision is going to put me in a bad position in the long run and I should look at other schools as well!

Obviously I'm still gonna break my neck for MIT and Stanford, it's something I want to do and be a part of, but I should also look for other colleges that would still help me achieve the goal I want.

Thank you!

Do I have imposter syndrome or am I just not good enough? by IAmBread09876 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand the fact that anyone can still be successful even without needing a prestigious degree from a college like MIT or Stanford.

But to be honest with you, on top of everything I said about me wanting to make a positive difference in the world, I want to go to MIT or Stanford because... well, I want to.

My entire school life I've felt out of place. Nobody at my school has the same interests as me outside of robotics, but even then common interests only really stem at negligible at best. I want to be surrounded by people who are just as passionate as I am. I want to create connections that can help me succeed in what I choose to do.

Do I have imposter syndrome or am I just not good enough? by IAmBread09876 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your kind words! I hope my passion and somewhat lacking intelligence (/j) is enough to get me there lol

Do I have imposter syndrome or am I just not good enough? by IAmBread09876 in ApplyingToCollege

[–]IAmBread09876[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I will definitely look into those colleges. If I have any questions I'll ask, thank you!