How I got into UMichigan, NYU, Purdue, UCSD, UF, etc...

a run-down of my test scores, extracurriculars + application journey + tips and reflection

Manic and obsessed are the two words I’d use to describe my attitude towards college applications. It started at the ripe age of 6th grade, when I’d use my pockets of leisure time to watch girls on Youtube share tips and tricks on how to get into Ivy league schools. I was brought up to be a goal oriented person since early childhood; it just so happened to be that the bar was set to the altitude of the pearly gates. It’s no secret that South Asian parents tend to put a tremendous amount of emphasis on higher education when raising their young, and mine were no different - so much so that I developed a Pavlovian reaction to the words “Harvard” and “scholarship”, the earliest usage of which dates back to kindergarten. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t have had it any other way, because my upbringing taught me everything I know today. There’s an oversaturation of information on the web, and this is my attempt at contributing to the pool with something that’s a little fresher. I’m not only going to talk about my stats in this post but also include a morself of reflection (as is a Koushin substack necessity) around what is a very confusing and stressful time of one’s life. If you are in a similar situation, you might find this post to be useful.

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1. My schools and scholarships:

I applied for Chemical Engineering (or biochemical/biomedical, depending on the school) for undergraduate class of 2028 to approx. 31 different universities. All of them were regular decision except for Columbia University which I applied to through Early Decision and ended up getting rejected from. I was accepted at UMichigan, UF, UCF, ASU, SBU, NYU, Purdue, UCSD, UCD, and MSU. I was also a Questbridge finalist, but more on this later. I am, at the time of writing this article, enjoying my summer before I start my first semester at the University of Florida as a ChemE major. My cumulative scholarship package from all universities amounts to $220,926 which includes the Bright Futures scholarship for Florida residents.

I took full advantage of the common app fee waiver. That was a bad idea. A lot of students tend to apply to as many places as possible to increase their chances of getting into at least one university. I learnt the hard way that that is not how it works. What I essentially ended up doing is spread myself out too thin. A college application, even for a singular school, should take you a lot of work. In the process of applying to as many places as I could, not only did I go through severe burnout, but I also produced very little quality work. Deadlines loomed over me like a rent-demanding landlord throughout the entire months of October’23-January’24 . I had prioritized quantity over quality, and my mental health and applications paid the price. So if you’re applying anytime soon, I’d suggest limiting your schools to around 10; this way you can focus a lot more on those specific schools.

I did not use the help of any consultancies or agencies. My essays were reviewed by my dear friends and peers.

Questbridge

QB is an organization for high-achieving low-income students for US high school students. They provide full-scholarships to a student if the school that they applied wants to take them in too. There are two rounds to the process, the first round chooses finalists, and the second round matches the finalists to their schools. I was a Questbridge finalist, but I ended up not matching to any of the colleges I chose.

Looking back, I probably could have avoided the Questbridge venture altogether. It was a last minute decision, and it caused a dent in my Common App as the entire Questbridge application requires you to write separate supplementals, personal statement, and an ECA list altogether.

I submitted my QB application from a wooded cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, five minutes before our check-out time and less than an hour before our flight back home. I worked on my essays on the outgoing flight (see picture). Needless to say it was very rushed.

The “Questbridge finalist'“ embellishment probably looked impressive on my CommonApp Honors page, but I’m convinced it wasn’t too much of a deciding factor.

(My biggest takeaway from QB though was the friends I made through the discord server; I met tons of other applicants across the US and they’re all amazing. [chan if ur reading this hellloo!!!! :’)) tysm for all the help, ur the bossman])

2. Was I a domestic or int’l applicant? And how does it matter?

This is an issue that’s important to address right off the bat because there’s been a lot of speculation around what category of applicant I fall under. I was born and raised in Bangladesh and went to school there till 11th grade. I moved to Florida in April 2023, and this change was both a blessing and a curse to my college applications.

Greenherald is my alma mater, but I completed my senior year at Freedom High School in Orlando. By Fall’24 I would’ve spent more than a year in Florida already so for tuition purposes I am qualified as a Florida resident. I have transcripts and diplomas from two different high schools, but it is impossible to deduce whether or not I was considered an international or domestic student for ACCEPTANCE purposes. All US universities have estimates on how many international applicants they want to accept, and a different set of standards for them also. My transcipt had both American and Bangladesh credits on it, but I don’t know for certain what standards the admissions officers held me to.

3. My classes: APs, O levels, A levels

I was carrying 8 A*’s from my O levels in 2022: Chemistry (98/100), Biology (99/100), Physics (96/100), Additional Mathematics (99/100), Mathematics (97/100), English Language (93/100), Bengali (96/100), and Bangladesh Studies (94/100). The idea that some examinations hold more weight than others is not true; your application is looked at in a far more holistic manner. However, if you can maintain A’s and A*’s in your report card it automatically puts you in the upper tier of candidates. Don’t chase percentage marks, chase letter grades.

During my time as an O level candidate there was also a lot of noise around world-highests and country-highests, especially by worried parents; the glamour of it. There was glory in it. I remember someone telling me that earning a world-highest score guarantees you a spot in an Ivy League, even. While it is a nice embellishment on your resume, that’s about as far as it goes. A world-highest alone won’t get you in anywhere, so don’t chase after the 99’s and 100’s. Someone with perfect scores and no contribution to their community is far less desirable to schools than someone with a few B’s but a meaningful high school career.

During Advanced Subsidiary Level (AS/11th grade) I had 4 predicted A’s in Biology, Pure Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics. My AS levels were the most academically exciting years of my high school life. I was studying subjects I had genuine interest in without the burden of state-required courses, we had just come out of Covid so my lab classes were in full swing, I was allowed a lot more freedom in socialising, and I had reached the peak of my debate career. If there’s anything that taught me time management while balancing classes alongside work and extracurriculars, it was my last year in Bangladesh.

I did not actually sit for the official Cambridge AS exams, as my flight to the US was scheduled a month before the exams began. However I had done all my mocks, qualifying exams, and precambridge tests, which allowed my school to include the predicted grades on my final transcript. I do not generally recommend taking 4 subjects in A levels unless you’re unsure of what you want to do in life. It is honestly a lot and unless you’re confident in your abilities it may come back to haunt you. I was sure I was going into STEM, and therefore I chose to keep all 4.

During my senior year at USA I had AP Chemistry, AP Macroeconomics, AP US Gov & Politics, and AP Calculus BC, and briefly, before dropping them: AP Biology and AP Physics C:Mechanics. I scored a 5 in all 4 of them. To be perfectly candid I was a little blindsided by how everything works and I probably could’ve tweaked my schedule, but I was already overwhelmed trying to learn how everything works here to meticulously plan my classes. To illustrate, AP Calc AB (for 11th graders) is a prerequisite in order to take the BC version (for 12th graders). I had never had AB before but wanted to challenge my intellectual capacity so I embraced the damn-it-we-ball mentality and took BC anyway. I was fine, save the days I spent on Khan Academy teaching myself AB concepts that Cambridge Math didn’t cover.

I also had Honors English 4. Under normal circumstances I might’ve lamented not taking AP Literature or Lang instead, as they would’ve earned me college credit. But I have zero regrets. This class was the most fun I’ve had in an English course and it genuinely gave me a reason to go to the school everyday (shoutout Mr. Hazel you’re the besttttt).

4. The SAT

I took the paper SAT twice. Once in August 2023 (740 EBRW 800 Math) and once in October (750 EBRW 750 Math). I scored a composite 1550. I was satisfied with this score. I got some questions on Instagram asking how I studied for it which I would like to address now.

I had a lot of free time right after I moved to Florida. I started by doing the online practice tests that CollegeBoard has out, but staring at the screen and trying to do split-screen was hindering my ability to absorb the text so I resorted to pen-and-paper. I had the Big Black SAT book (try to buy this, it’s good) and the Princeton Review Prep book (don’t buy this one it’s not accurate). I went to the library and printed out past exams. I was doing a lot better on the paper versions than on the computer but it still wasn’t what I was aiming for. My environment played such a huge factor on my performance, especially because the SATs are so time-sensitive. In the end I just went with my gut and trusted that the clinical environment of the testing room will help me and it did!

I’ve always found testing halls to be uniquely ambient. Something about the still air, lack of distractions, and sole focus on your exam paper really satsfies the ADHD brain. But I digress, the SATs are no insurmountable feat. You just have to know how to approach it. Once again, they don’t measure how smart you are, they just measure how good you are at taking the SAT.

There is a rather… interesting origin to the SAT, which, if you didn’t already know, you can learn about from my article in The Daily Star.

5. ✧･ﾟ: Extracurriculars*✧･ﾟ:*

Here is the brief list of just the titles of my extracurriculars in no particular order:

1. President (10), Vice President (9): Greenherald Debating Society

2. National Camp member 2023, Competitive Debator and Adjudicator: Bangladesh Debating Council

3. Contributor, The Daily Star - SHOUT/Campus/Rising Stars

4. Content Writer - The Dhaka Apologue

5. Volleyball, Team Captain (9th), Setter position, Greenherald Girls Volleyball

   Team

6. (In the hobby category) Self taught on the violin, keyboard, guitar, ukulele

7. Front of House Member, Tijuana Flats

   

   SHOUT was an amazing journalism opportunity and I love being a part of this writing community even though I cannot attend their physical meetings anymore.

   Recently I’ve had a lot of inquiries over direct messaging on social media asking if olympiads and certificates are sufficient for applying to colleges abroad, which reminded me a misconception that I myself had before application season. Certificates from various local tournaments and competitions alone will seldom count. The CommonApp does not allow you to upload documents or pictures of your crests, trophies, or certificates. Therefore, chasing after a large quantity of local accolades is, however commendable, not recommended. I acquired, over the years, a sizeable collection of trophies and medals from science fairs, math fests, english olympiads, etc. However, because they were not mind-blowingly impressive, they didn’t end up on my CommonApp but did end up proudly showcased on the shelves of my grandmother’s display cabinets.

The accolades that ended up on my CommonApp were those from international debate competitions. Same with the contributions I made to my school through the debate club. Basically anything that is a national/international level achievement and anything that made a significant impact to your community is what you should put on your application. Unfortunately, the science fair win from grade 6 will not help you in your case. Neither will an internship that you got from the organization that your parent works at. It has to be YOU who goes out of their WAY to achieve something. It’s all about the work you put in.

6. My Personal Statement

I wrote about a screwdriver. That I used to play with. A lot, as a kid. I connected that eagerness to pull apart toys and broken computer parts to an innate desire to gain knowledge and know how the world works. I tied that to my major, ChemE, because science is just taking apart the world and finding out how it works, and also to debate, my biggest extracurricular, which also required a huge amount of observing and analyzing the world around you.

I used to spend a lot of time in the lab at my coaching center (esp during covid when we didn’t even need the lab component). I also had a mini-lab setup in my home from scrap equipment. It wasn’t an “official” highfalutin extracurricular or anything as it wasn’t an internship but I wanted to include it in my application anyways so I mentioned it briefly in my essay as a part of the desire to explore and control matter.

I had written two personal statements, one for Quesbridge and one for CommonApp (big shoutout to Tanzim bhai ik i annoyed you day and night for essays) . I was not the biggest fan of the QB essay so I do not think of it or discuss it too much. Reading others’ personal essays helped me a lot when trying to come up with a topic of my own. In this creative venture, however, I realized that those who know how to market themselves are much more privileged in the application competition. After a certain threshold it really just becomes all about how you package yourself rather than what your empirical achievements have been.

7. Tips

There are many things I learnt the hard way, but because I don’t want you to too here are some things I wish someone had told me before.

• If you’re applying to US colleges, you will be judged on so much more than just your test scores. Try to focus on being a dynamic student instead of just chasing after perfect grades. This has to start early as last-minute efforts to be a part of an organization will not give you enough time to make meaningful contributions.

• DO NOT CHOOSE COLLEGES BASED ON RANKS/ACCEPTANCE RATES. I fell for this trap and went for all the bigshot universities. Instead, search ‘best schools for [your major]’. This is going to set you up for success. Please please please keep safety schools in your list.

• Apply to schools that offer financial aid and scholarships generously. Unless you come from a very wealthy background, I guarantee you it will come down to money in the end.

• Don’t attach your worth in the world to the school you attend for undergrad. I understand that because college applications encompass who you are as a person based on your entire school career till date, it’s easy to think that your acceptances are going to be based on your worth. That is not true. Admissions decision-making in elite schools are kept intentionally ambiguous to drive up applicants. You have no idea what makes someone get in or doesn’t.

• Stay away from the big and famous scholarship sites such as bold.org or niche. It’s more than likely they won’t get you a scholarship and instead just flood your inbox.

• Talk to your teachers in class. Make an effort to engage, even if it’s light banter. This will help them single you out from everyone else and allow them to write you a recommendation letter that’s not just the generic one they give to everyone.

• Talk to people who have had your major. Discuss career opportunities and see if it matches the lifestyle you want.

• Do things yourself. Ask for help and guidance, but do things yourself. I have a bone to pick with the culture of excessively buying services in my home country. It seems as if there is a coaching center for everything, and I’m afriad it’s stopping students from figuring out solutions and exploring the world on their own. Skills such as discussing in forums, emailing the financial aid office, coming up with essay ideas yourself, critical thinking, problem solving, and networking are all things that are a necessity for survival in college, and they cannot be purchased. They can only be acquired through trial and error as you start navigating life outside of school. They’re valuable and they’re required; so try to step out of your comfort zone.

• Make use of EVERY opportunity around you. They call America the land of opportunities, which is why millions of people move to the country every year. It’s because survival instinct causes people to seek the most beneficial environments to apply their skills at. Our world still very much operates on an opportunistic, early-bird-get-the-worm manner, and if you are not using the resources you have (clubs, competitions, programs, sports, classes) then someone else will.

• Consider gap years. It’s perfectly fine to take a year off of studies and come back the next year to apply if it suits your needs. There’s no predetermined timeline that you have to follow. However if you do end up taking one, make it useful. Travel if you can afford it, intern, work, volunteer, or just try to gain experiences.

and lastly…

• Relax. Application season can seem like the end of the world, but they’re not. College is just another stepping stone to your whole career and therefore your institution must not define you. I made the mistake of attaching all my self-worth to acceptances, which is why my first rejection broke me. It may be easy to be fooled by the pompous celebrations of acceptances into elite colleges; you WILL start comparing yourself. But remind yourself that people do not post their failures online, only the achievements.

Utilize your high school years to be the last years of free experimenation. Learn to love, to cook, to create art, to help those in need and to recognize wrong from right. I cannot stress the latter enough. Currently, too many rich and successful people are actually just bad people, and I’ve started to notice that the pipeline beginning of that pipeline is the last year of high school, right before they step out into the real world.

I used to think that my life would be over unless I attended Harvard, but that was a silly ideal put together by misinformed beliefs by a child who hadn’t seen a quarter of the world yet. I guarantee you that no matter where you end up, you will learn to love it. Thanks for reading this incredibly long post and I hope there were some, if not many, takeaways.

If you have any other questions, feel free to use the comment box below :)