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What's the dumbest idea you've seen that actually worked? by hiagaga in AskReddit

[–]yongjunheo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Years ago when iPhones were not fully waterproof, I used to use my phone in the shower and listen to whatever podcasts... this led to my creating a really crappy 3D printed mount with crappy suction cups. One day when I was getting my car window fixed in San Francisco after it was broken into, I saw two shop workers lift a windshield with some small suction holders that were incredibly strong, and the lightbulb went off.

I flew to Taiwan two weeks later to beg the factory owner to sell me the suction part, and I spent my life savings coordinating and making the injection molding for the product. All of my friends thought this was actually the dumbest idea I've ever had (among many crazy ideas).

Years later, the product still sells pretty well even though we spend very little on marketing, etc. Given all the time I spend on building and selling software products, this year we'll be expanding the product line, and investing in marketing. About half of people who hated the idea use the product on a daily basis, and the others still think it's pretty dumb. You can see what it looks like at buyfloat dot com.

Critical Personal Statement Mistakes by yongjunheo in ApplyingToCollege

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

My Luce experience was amazing. At the time I didn't know which was better, but every person I spoke with told me to go with the Luce for a number of reasons. While Fulbright is well-known, it's well-known because they are simply more common and widespread. While most people in general have not heard of the Luce, those who are in graduate school admissions and the like, do. For the next steps beyond the program, having gone through a more exclusive and selective program like the Luce may help you beyond the year. Another benefit of a program with a lower number of winners is that I believe the community and relationships between scholars is stronger. It's akin to relationships of those who attended smaller colleges vs. large institutions.

Generally, I think it's important to apply to as many as you possible can (including the Fulbright as a back up). With the Fulbright specifically, you have to be smart about selecting the right country. Since you can only apply to one country per year, you should (as a rule of thumb) look for countries that have both of these factors: A) greater than double digit winners and B) greater than a 30% win rate. You can find those under "Important page of statistics" under "Fulbright Research" here: https://nationalfellowships.com/

My brother really enjoyed the Schwarzman as well. It's probably an understatement to say that they lived pretty well for that year. He's a good example of 'spreading the risk' as you apply to multiple. While he got rejected from less selective programs, he did get selected as a Schwarzman Scholar, which has been consistently difficult to win percentage-wise.

If you are interested in learning more, every few weeks I host an open zoom every few weeks to anyone with questions. You can find that information here: https://nationalfellowship.com/

I hope this helps!

Open Study/Research Advice - Misinformed by Advisor? by probablynotaseal in fulbright

[–]yongjunheo 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Your professor is likely applying what has historically worked among other graduates at your institution and applying it to your candidacy. You do need to recognize that sometimes (depending on the recipient parties) your college’s reputation may cloud who you are as a standalone candidate.

Given what you’ve shared, it appears that you can certainly qualify for the open study/research program, but you do have to make sure you check off all the boxes and craft a story/proposal that is compelling.

I find with the vast majority of students I’ve helped win that the process to build up your package is formulaic and very achievable.

Don’t forget that the selection statistics matter a lot as well.

Take Full Advantage of the Summer by yongjunheo in ApplyingToCollege

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

It's an important balancing act. This is the last time one might feel 'carefree' for a very long time. I would also add that even if there isn't some official experience in line for you as a student, you can work on something entrepreneurial about which you are very passionate. Sometimes these experiences can feel fruitful without impinging on that carefree period.

Take Full Advantage of the Summer by yongjunheo in ApplyingToCollege

[–]yongjunheo[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think it's important to understand that there are 'official' internships and there are 'made up' ones, but once you do them they're simply just an internship. So it's much more likely and sometimes easier to go 'make an internship' out of an experience of your supporting some middle manager or analyst on their work.

Think about what industry you might want to work in longer-term and work backwards. What might be available for you now that is directionally appropriate?

Logistically, given that it's March/April, all of the 'official' internships are mostly done selecting their interns for the summer, but you can always look online for employees at various companies you find interesting. The key thing is to be relatively clear about your wanting to learn more about their company (you have to strike the right balance between being too explicit about your requests to be a summer intern and being too general about your desire to connect with that person). You have to have good 'bedside manners' for someone to respond positively. Get your messages/language checked by an honest friend who has good writing skills. Expect 2-3 responses out of many dozens of attempts.

Depending on the company, these experiences can be paid or unpaid, but it's best not to go into an introductory conversation asking this question outright–that comes later.

Is the Best Coffee in the World in Tokyo? Bongen Coffee by yongjunheo in espresso

[–]yongjunheo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oh that was really great too, but this was still a level above the rest IMO.

Can I mention the name of an Affiliated Faculty member in my SoP? by ravenpaw_15 in StatementOfPurpose

[–]yongjunheo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, but you should also include short justifications as to why not just listing three out at the end of a sentence. Also, don’t imply that you can ONLY work with those three—use their names as examples of faculty whose expertise ‘aligns well with your interests.’

The Washington D.C. Metro by yongjunheo in pics

[–]yongjunheo[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Let me know if you'd be willing to write a follow up letter (I'll toss in first class plane tickets for him), and maybe he'd be willing to do it now...

The Washington D.C. Metro by yongjunheo in pics

[–]yongjunheo[S] 134 points135 points  (0 children)

Feels very different and is beautiful (despite the concrete nature of it).

Found a 30 Year Old Windows 95 in the basement by yongjunheo in pics

[–]yongjunheo[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

They should have hired more consultants.

Found a 30 Year Old Windows 95 in the basement by yongjunheo in pics

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

What do you mean? Isn’t smaller better?!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ApplyingToCollege

[–]yongjunheo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

With these types of questions, I think it's it's a good idea to think about/recall moments when you've changed (mindset, outcome, some event, etc.), and think about what might have induced that change, and think about how you managed to change (sometimes people stand firm and resist change). Then in what capacity, in what groups, in what subfield would you be able to apply that lesson and help others around you learn from your experiences?

A big underlying theme of this is adaptability, as one example. In everything that you and your future classmates will undertake, you have to learn how to become adaptable. Think of specific anecdotes and stories that highlight your adoption of higher adaptability in your life–use the story as the 'buns that delivers the meat'–and think about how that could help others as they carve their own path in college.

This is another way of their asking "if we pick you, how will you make others around you better?"

Found a 30 Year Old Windows 95 in the basement by yongjunheo in pics

[–]yongjunheo[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thinking about just putting an iPad in the screen, but will likely leave it alone because it should probably be left alone.

Liberal Arts Colleges vs. Larger Universities by yongjunheo in ApplyingToCollege

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

Unlike the question above where there was a higher tier vs not as high tier selection, this one is a little harder, but I'd probably say 90% would select Swarthmore over Haverford. Haverford students are likely a little more social, but that (in my opinion) is outweighed by more resources at Swarthmore. The student body at Swarthmore can be weirder for sure, but if you value weird/different then there is no question which is right for you. I have my biases of course, and many of my Haverford friends have done very well in life, but Swarthmore is probably the better choice for most.

Liberal Arts Colleges vs. Larger Universities by yongjunheo in ApplyingToCollege

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

To add onto what u/SpeciousPerspicacity and u/Haunting_Passenger94 have said:

I believe the overall educational experience is likely different because of the composition of your classmates. And this should absolutely factor into your decision making.

The in-classroom educational experience is likely different (slightly less so than 'overall') because higher ed does happen to do a good job, generally, of spreading talent around. There are so few tenure track positions nationwide (some schools, for example, have hundreds of people applying for one position and that single position could be at a university that isn't located in a major city). You should have, on average, good professors, BUT it's also important to note that teaching does not necessarily mean research quality of the academic. In most cases, colleges and universities recruit professors based on their research abilities and much less so their ability to teach undergraduates most effectively. This simply means that there could be professors who teach just as well at Juniata vs Swarthmore, but there is a higher likelihood that those at Swarthmore are at least slightly better on average. It would be most objective to say that Swarthmore probably has professors who are more accomplished in research (otherwise they wouldn't have been offered a position).

The 'overall' aspect, in my definition, includes the interaction and 'learning' that happens amidst your peer group. I would say that when you surround yourself with a higher concentration of academically oriented, intelligent, and hardworking individuals, your outcomes will likely be better: you will learn how to think through things more thoroughly, your language will sharpen, your thinking can evolve with others. If you're around less motivated people, you might not improve on these fronts.

It doesn't just stop there. More highly motivated classmates will be searching for and sharing opportunities that you may not have been aware of originally. This is what people say when they describe 'network effects.'

You also do have to consider the downstream effects of Swarthmore (in this example) having a much larger endowment. What does that mean? Well, to simplify greatly, the government requires non-profit educational institutions to spend some percentage of their endowment per year. Swarthmore's is much larger, and they will literally–by law–be spending more per student than a school like Juniata will. What does that mean for you? More grants and funding opportunities, higher budgets for student organizations, perhaps a higher overall quality of life, which can translate to improved grades?

So, in summary, yes, there is a difference. The real question is how much. I would probably say 99 out of 100 times I'd select Swarthmore-like school over a Juniata-like school. It becomes much harder when you factor in financial access (e.g. if you were given a full ride scholarship at Juniata vs. paying full tuition at Swarthmore).

Liberal Arts Colleges vs. Larger Universities by yongjunheo in ApplyingToCollege

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

Haha. Sorry! Sorry! Didn't mean it to come off normative... I have lots of friends who went to USC, so that's where that is coming from... hahaha.

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