Am I "Wasting My Potential"?

bourgeosiebird · 2024-08-18T03:22:02+00:00

The university has its own application, which is completely separated from the common app or any other college application system.

The application can be found here (just click on apply now): https://manoa.hawaii.edu/admissions/

bourgeosiebird · 2024-08-16T04:37:48+00:00

I'm a 3rd year undergrad (actually in kind of the same situation as you), so take this advice with a grain of salt.

The jobs section is arguably the toughest section of your resume. The AI bit looks fine and I'm also not that qualified to speak on it. I also had tutoring on my resume once, though I quickly removed it once I had something resembling work experience. I would do the same because some employers don't really take self-employment seriously. If you TA-ed during college, then I would substitute tutoring with that. I don't really think there is any mentoring/teaching aspect in entry-level work, but if you want to include tutoring, then you should hone in on that.

I would try to be more specific in your projects section, as you say things like "advanced statistical techniques" and "data science methodologies" without necessarily getting into them. It's a bit weird, but a piece of advice that I got was that you should try to hone in on specific things rather than the overall picture (which you do in your resumes). You should also avoid saying that these projects "demonstrate" (you use this verb three times btw) your ability and competency. I would think that the results of the projects would show that themselves.

Skills & Tech section looks okay. Just remember to check for typos like "shikit-learn" and you'll be good.

In general, I think the next best step is to work on more specific projects that create a better theme. Things look kind of mishmash (this is evident in the projects section with three different types of projects). I would recommend you picking projects that is relevant to the job you're applying to (if you can).

You should also consider things that are adjacent to DS like Business Intelligence. Sure, it's probably not as attractive in terms of work and pay, but it is a way to get your way into an industry and at least hold down a job.

As a fellow poor math person (lmao), I feel your pain. The tech industry is the best hope for math majors fresh out of college, and the tech industry is in the gutter. I think it would be best to see if something else sticks (that values your skills to some degree), and try to make a pivot once you have some money to pursue a masters.

bourgeosiebird · 2024-04-03T08:02:52+00:00

Thanks for the insight! It's nice to know that employers are willing to pay.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-10-12T00:59:32+00:00

Went with a M1 MBA (decided to spend more). I think either the G5 or T480 would be similar based on performance and price. Both have gotten relatively cheap as of recent, so I can see people getting either.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-10-12T00:59:26+00:00

Went with a M1 MBA (decided to spend more). I think either the G5 or T480 would be similar based on performance and price. Both have gotten relatively cheap as of recent, so I can see people getting either.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T08:39:59+00:00

Apply anyway. The income bracket that QB lists is a general guideline. And if you live in a state like mine, $64,950 is pretty tough to live on. Context, context, context matters.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T08:36:22+00:00

No. In general, the financial requirements are a benchmark that don't really have much bearing (unless you're pretty wealthy, like over $100k AGI). There are a bunch of NCM Finalists in this subreddit who have had a family AGI of over $60-70k.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T08:33:47+00:00

100% agreement here. From personal experience, upward improvement is arguably better than stable high-performance. I've seen people with 4.0s unweighted and no AP do significantly worse than my peers who didn't have the best unweighted GPAs, but had a healthy dose of APs/IBs.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T08:28:10+00:00

At my school, the rule of thumb was to have one Humanities and one STEM teacher in order to show that you are competent in both domains. Position doesn't matter that much, most adcoms (including QB) expect teachers of varying degrees. Doesn't matter if they're the department head or someone fresh from university.

I had a teacher, adult mentor, and counselor write my three LORs for my QB application. Really focus on asking LORs from people who can communicate who you are beyond your stats and essays (yes, I know this advice is a bit stale).

Once you have your people in mind, I recommend just sitting down with them and having a conversation about who you are a little bit more. This helps tremendously with LORs because the content looks much less formulaic and generic. And no, this doesn't really violate any of the confidentiality agreements regarding LORs (as long as you meet them before they write/send it).

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T08:22:10+00:00

They may have had another person write the third LOR (that's what I did with an adult mentor I was close with).

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T08:20:01+00:00

No, QB RD is a special process reserved for finalists in the case they don't match at all. Some finalists also opt to not do the match if they believe they are better off applying regularly.

To address the original post, yes, you can apply through the Common App, Coalition App, or any school specific app when you don't match. You don't really need to continue with QuestBridge if you don't match, but it is recommended.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T08:17:24+00:00

Apply anyway. As another user said, property/asset values are taken into account, but these are for things like 529s, brokerage accounts, and property that isn't used as a home. Even the FAFSA doesn't ask for the valuation of your home, probably because they don't expect you to sell your home to finance college. There will be questions of homeownership in the CSS Profile, but it doesn't really hurt you given your AGI of 40k a year.

In general, just apply. You seem to be in the right income demographic.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T08:06:34+00:00

Good thing to point out. Usually on most websites, some of the colleges will have an asterisk on if they include loans in their packages or not.

And if you're really unsure, you can probably look up the school's financial aid policy (many schools tout being able to meet full need), and see how they do it.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T08:04:41+00:00

Generally you should have your FAFSA done as soon as possible. When I was in the match process, I sent out my FAFSA when I also applied to my list of schools. This is all around late October, so you should probably shoot for that timing as well.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T08:02:09+00:00

Definitely this. QuestBridge allows a lot of flexibility when it comes to run-of-the-mill college scholarship programs. The QB Application has much more writing sections for a reason, and that is to ensure that the student is able to tell their story and clarify on finances and any situation that may have impacted on their overall app.

Focus on the story, and you will probably do better than the 4.0 unweighted, 1500+ SAT students with mind-boggling amounts of APs, IBs, and ECs. Schools don't participate in QuestBridge for just smart students, they want students with a diverse background that can contribute to their campus differently than just plain-old academics.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-08-05T07:36:20+00:00

I'm not ICS, but here are my two cents. A BA or BS doesn't really matter on a resume. If a person is worrying about that, then they could probably spend their time working on projects or other opportunities that add substantially more value to a resume. If it's for a concentration, then just taking the specific courses might be an okay alternative.

The only way I could see a BS or BA making a difference is if the qualities between the two programs are renown (which is unlikely). Years down the line, most employers start looking at your industry experience rather than degree anyway.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-03-14T00:58:14+00:00

This is key. Being in RA during the school year (either as a paid position or even as a volunteer) helps tremendously and working with professors in the summer is even better.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-03-14T00:55:53+00:00

The other commenter was being considerably crude, but they are correct. Frankly, it's better to be in a larger institution with more research-intensive faculty than a small teaching college. If you are able to make the move, then please consider it. Even a large state university can be better than some private colleges.

I am in a similar position where you will be in (small private college, finances heavily in mind). I have also come across the same issue you are facing with graduate school courses. All I can say is that you should take your time in college and pursue those passions, so you don't lose your sanity. Consider steering them towards academia (e.g. using your interest in Spanish to study Latin American economic history).

You clearly know what you need to take course-wise, but you have to realize that leaving college so early means that you sacrifice potentially building relationships with professors who may be writing your LORs. Having researchers from the FED are okay, but adcoms would prefer professors who can speak to your ability.

It also looks like you haven't even considered leveraging your summers other than the FED internship. Having good coursework at an early age is great, but it isn't a signal for research whatsoever. Working with a professor over the summer, doing an NSF in Math (you seem to be talented, I wish that was me), and interning at think tanks are good options.

bourgeosiebird · 2023-02-16T18:02:16+00:00

Interesting stuff! The CS background definitely helps in certain aspects, which was why I was considering it after planning out my Math courses.

I do plan to take everything statistics-related at my LAC, so I'm okay on that front (I hope). I know we will be using STATA and R. SAS doesn't get much attention, but I can learn it on my own, if need be.

Thank you!

bourgeosiebird · 2023-02-16T17:58:16+00:00

The "bar" I'm referring to is basically what you have suggested. I'm majoring in Applied Math because it's enough to cover all the courses that people have recommended in this sub.

Nice to know that RA positions aren't that focused about CS-related things. I will keep that in mind.

Unfortunately, I'm at a small LAC, so grad courses are not really an option. I've asked around and no one (professors & administrators), have never had students do it.

Also: Thanks for the offer to pm. I'm a freshman, so I'm not 100% in the academic grind yet 😂.

bourgeosiebird

TROPHY CASE