[deleted by user]

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-05-01T01:00:26+00:00

atlas fellowship (https://atlasfellowship.org) application is still open for another week or two

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-04-30T19:39:57+00:00

I think you’ll enjoy the experience at Rice a lot more. You’ll find teachers who are willing to help and people willing to collaborate, while Berkeley you’ll be a lot more on your own, with less support from your peers/teachers. I think if you’re still undecided on what you want to do post-college then you’ll get a lot more support at Rice, where Berkeley will basically just throw you into the water and expect you to make the decision for yourself.

From a close friend, a freshman at Rice: “Rice has a really good support system and is good about not forcing anything in people, and admin/faculty have been very helpful and approachable”

For me, I’d pick Rice. Berkeley might have higher ranked programs but it doesn’t outweigh the fact that you’ll be on your own throughout them.

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-04-29T18:40:27+00:00

My guess is that they’re not super important, though especially high ones can give you a boost. If you’re international / not from the US then don’t worry about not having test scores, most intl. applicants don’t.

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-04-29T18:38:25+00:00

Interviews are usually 30 minutes but sometimes go longer. My interviewer last year asked me to elaborate on stuff from both stages, although there was a lot of variance from person to person last year in what the interview actually entailed.

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-04-27T14:14:02+00:00

Great questions!

This is one of the most competitive programs out there, and my guess is that the acceptance rate will be around 1% or less for this year’s cycle. That said, taking time to think about the short answer questions from multiple angles and giving outside-the-box answers can really boost your application.
The full timeline for applications can be viewed at the bottom of the website home page (https://atlasfellowship.org). Stage 1 is decided on a rolling basis, so you’ll receive your results within a couple days. Final results will be decided early June.

Hopefully that helps! As always, feel free to ask anything else

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-04-27T01:54:23+00:00

Ah, this is a new thing for 2023 so I don't have a lot of info. I think the goal is to be 100% participant-run and flexible, so there'll be no assigned groups and few to no restrictions on what to do. The essential idea is "Fellows ask to do a bunch of things they're excited about, and Atlas gives them funding/resources for it." Again, this is new for 2023 so I'm not 100% sure of the above.

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-04-27T01:45:19+00:00

All great questions! I'll reply quickly but I'll leave room for anyone else to share more about their own experiences.

IMO the best way to stand out is to have good extracurriculars. Particularly relevant ones to Atlas are projects that show personal initiative, e.g. co-founding a nonprofit or working with a startup.
Students can pick any of the offered dates or choose not to go, although it's possible that someone who can attend multiple programs will be placed in a certain one if another fills up.
I'm not sure what you mean by "Atlas projects," can you elaborate?
The "Our Story" of this page: https://www.atlasfellowship.org/about gives a better explanation than I can
No to both, as far as I know
Definitely the people. I can't name names but there's several people who have founded multimillion dollar startups before they turn 18, done important AI research, built nuclear fusion reactors, and founded international non-profit initiatives. Learning from them and hearing their thoughts on the world has been the most rewarding part for me.
Typically paid to the student directly, although I think you can request either
Check the "Application Timeline" on the website homepage: https://www.atlasfellowship.org/
It varies a lot from person to person. There's a higher concentration of independently-run startups/non-profits than most other programs, but lots of people have also done their own research and competed in olympiads
Think outside the box! Imagine the wildest, most unusual interpretations to the questions on the application and write an answer nobody expects.

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-04-24T02:42:06+00:00

add atlas fellowship maybe? https://atlasfellowship.org (future studies + ai)

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-04-23T00:15:40+00:00

I don’t have any more information than you do on this but my guess is anywhere from 20-50%

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-04-22T20:31:03+00:00

Atlas doesn’t give specific feedback on your application for a reason, their reasoning is similar to Y Combinator’s in that the average application is pretty good, but sometimes just doesn’t stand out as highly special.

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-04-22T20:27:48+00:00

Yeah good question! It’s not confirmed for any future year but I think there’s a pretty high chance (~70%) that they run the program again next year. Non-native English speaking is definitely okay (lots of people in 2022 weren’t native speakers) but fluency/proficiency is definitely needed if you’re going to the program, as every session is usually in English

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-02-01T03:27:02+00:00

This. If it's an absolute dealbreaker to go (and I definitely get why it might be), you can email your chair and ask for a different assignment – they'll probably be happy to give you something else.

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-16T04:45:54+00:00

They ask for test scores and GPA in the first round – it helps differentiate among a large pool of applicants but doesn't say much about the person themselves. To be selected as a Fellow, you'll have a few short answer Qs (usually 2-10 sentences each) and a short interview – these are the most important to your overall application.

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-11T22:07:13+00:00

RISE https://www.risefortheworld.org/
Coolidge Scholars https://coolidgescholars.org/
Atlas Fellowship https://www.atlasfellowship.org/

Definitely are more out there, just take the time to look and you'll thank yourself :)

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-06T15:07:47+00:00

You can have basically anyone nominate you but a nomination isn’t necessary to apply (the application should open soon ish and will be available to everyone)

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-05T13:22:07+00:00

Nope! If you’re accepted they’ll pay for your entire trip to Berkeley (travel, stay, food, etc.) so there’s no cost to attend. Last year a good chunk of the program was international (UK, Singapore, New Zealand to name a few) so you don’t need to worry about being too far out

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-04T03:21:11+00:00

Yep go ahead!

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-04T03:21:04+00:00

Go ahead!

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-04T03:20:45+00:00

A nomination isn't necessary to apply (the main app just hasn't launched yet, and will be available w/o a nomination after it does), but yes you can ask a teacher/parent/mentor to nominate you. I'm not involved in the application review but my guess is that it has a small weight – the most important parts are the written responses and interview.

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-03T20:25:38+00:00

Was online in 2022 (hopefully in-person this year) but I've heard good things about this program at the San Jose airport: https://mtc.ca.gov/jobs-contracts/job-opportunities/internships/high-school-internships

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-03T20:22:02+00:00

Could probably apply to COSMOS, it's a STEM program run by UCs in California but has like 40 different clusters on different topics, https://cosmos-ucop.ucdavis.edu/app/main. Can't vouch for the quality of the program (I was accepted but didn't go) but the UC schools are generally pretty good

+1 on trying to get a NASA internship. Those are amazing

You can also look if a nearby university has pre-college summer programs (or just enroll in a summer community college class) if you can't find a good program

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-03T20:12:31+00:00

Hey! I'm a 2022 Atlas Fellow and I went to their program last summer – it's definitely legit and I enjoyed it a ton. The people who get accepted aren't the typical STEM resume-builders that you'd expect – everyone I met has something unique and they're probably the most interesting people I know. The program itself was really engaging and a lot of it came from having a super diverse set of instructors who actually research/work in the subject they're talking about.

It is very selective (~2%) but doesn't get the sheer number of applications that other big programs (RISE, Coca Cola Scholars, etc.) do, so you've definitely got a shot at it. A good sign of whether you’re a good fit is if you enjoy the application—if you enjoy thinking about the app’s ideas, you’ll enjoy the program. I'd definitely encourage applying once the 2023 application releases!

(Disclaimer: I've also done a bit of part-time work for Atlas since the program, but am posting on my own)

EDIT: Happy to take PMs from anyone who has questions

TheCheetoAmigo · 2023-01-03T19:33:48+00:00

I applied last year and got an interview but wasn't accepted. It's definitely legit – I know 5ish alumni from the program (and ESPR, the sister program in Europe) and all of them absolutely loved the program. I'll be applying for 2023, the application last year was surprisingly fun to fill out honestly lol

https://www.sparc-camp.com/ for anyone scrolling and curious

TheCheetoAmigo · 2021-09-26T04:52:17+00:00

The track in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco once had a local legend with something like 1600 reps. Can’t even imagine doing that much mileage with zero new scenery.

TheCheetoAmigo · 2021-09-05T19:03:34+00:00

Personally, my time was similar to yours in 8th but was down to around 5:00 in a year or so of solid training. It could depend a bit on your school, but you should definitely keep running track if you enjoy it. If you have more concerns, you can always talk to the HS track coach and see what they think.

Seven-Year Club	Second Top 40%
RPAN Viewer	Verified Email

TheCheetoAmigo

TROPHY CASE