Tags: Princeton

Institution: Princeton University

Study: Major in physics, minors in math and computer science

High School Experience

My high school experience was incredible because it was what I wanted. I truly felt that if I wanted to learn more about something I could or if I wanted to play a certain type of music, I could! There were lots of opportunities for exploration. In terms of things I didn’t like, my main complaint was actually a lack of advanced courses. I was able to take advanced courses throughout my years but I didn’t have many options for them.

Course choices

I was always heavily interested in science/stem but less application-based courses and more theory-based courses. This interest guided my to take as many science classes as possible my junior and senior years but I wasn’t able to take much my freshmen and sophomore years just due to course progression-type things.

AP/IBs

I took as many as I could! I knew all of the teachers were spectacular and wanted to challenge myself. I passed some exams but I also failed some (procrastination kills)! It is what it is and these scores don’t hold as much weight as you think! I took 8 APs.

GPA

4.4 weighted

Standardized Testing

ACT: 33; 31 reading, 33 science, 34 math, 35 English

Extracurriculars

Played trumpet for every instrumental ensemble at school (musical pit, marching band, jazz I, jazz II, jazz combo, wind ensemble, trumpet ensemble, etc.) all four years. I was first chair in some of them my freshmen year and first chair in all from sophomore through senior year. Student body president. NHS member. Link crew member. Robotics at the beginning of high school.

Recommendations

I was relatively close with my recommenders at the time of my recommendations. They have relatively close relationships. I actually grew to have some differences with each of them (two) by the end of high school though.

Essays

Reflections of events in my life. One was about why I volunteer at my local hospital, one was about my path to becoming so passionate about music, the last was about my path to becoming an atheist and how it’s affected my thinking as a person.

Strengths

I think excellence in music but because of some general accomplishments as well: not ONLY music but also not like 40 different activities.

Advice

Your scores DO NOT need to be perfect—showing good qualities through your depth and breadth in activities, to me, was much more important. But do not make your life about getting into a certain college. Live the way that you’ll be happy!

Circumstances

None

Why?

Prestige, undergrad experience, and friendliness, in a nutshell.

#Princeton