Unanswered Q & A from the Seminar - Part 2

Today, I will post the second part of the Q & A that we couldn’t finish during the last online Seminar. If you still have questions that were not answered in the last post, I hope you find your answers here.

Question 1) EC Top List I did two internships in high school, should I add them to the top of the EC list?

Answer) This question is about the top list of the EC list, but there is no set item for the first spot on the EC list. When deciding what to list first, I recommend putting something you’ve been passionate about for a long time in the first spot. Alternatively, it’s also a good idea to put an activity that is strongly connected to what the student is emphasizing in the entire application as the first item.

Question 2) Approach to Internships or Research What’s the best way to do internships or research? I want to do an economics-related internship and research during my high school years, but it still feels very daunting.

Answer) Research is not about the research paper itself, but about using the research as a basis to attend local fairs or apply to competitive camps. Let me explain assuming that the student prepares alone. For example, in the subject of Economics, study at the AP Macro/Micro level and read 2-3 or more economic-related books and newspapers to select your area of interest. Once you have a specific topic, search for a professor who is researching in the related field, read the professor’s paper, and then contact them separately. This is a good method. The second method, if you get help from someone, I recommend studying with someone who has at least a Ph.D. while selecting a topic because those with a Ph.D. degree know the approach to a research paper well. However, remember that a research paper does not necessarily have to be produced, and you should think about using the research paper for something else. Internships are also typically done by studying a related field and then directly contacting the company you want to intern with. There are also often cases where internships are conducted through acquaintances.

Question 3) Is Physics a less competitive major? Physics seems to be a relatively unpopular major, is the competition high?

Answer) If it’s a STEM-focused university or a university outside the Top 20, the competition can be less than Engineering or Bio.

Question 4) GPA for CMU’s CS Major What should the GPA be for Carnegie Mellon’s Computer Science major?

Answer) The GPA for Carnegie Mellon’s Computer Science major is comparable to preparing for Harvard. It’s a highly competitive major that requires a very high GPA.

Question 5) Acceptance Rate for Undecided Does the acceptance rate decrease if I go in as Undecided?

Answer) This is a common question, but the answer is that it varies each year. Although there is nothing clearly set for each major or university, universities set a certain quota for students applying as Undecided. If many students apply as undecided in a certain year, it becomes difficult to get accepted, and vice versa, so it varies each year.

Question 6) EC for Humanities and Social Science What are some ECs for the Humanities and Social Science section?

Answer) I mentioned in the information session to compose activities diversely within the 8 areas (refer to the image), but in fact, they can be composed very diversely within the 8 areas. Especially, there are many questions about EC related to Humanities & Social Science, so I plan to upload a separate video. Please refer to it.

Question 7) Majors related to semiconductors You mentioned semiconductor-related majors, what majors are related to semiconductors?

Answer) I mentioned that the semiconductor industry is promising, and you asked what majors are related to such a semiconductor industry. I recommend Material Science/Material Engineering/Chemistry/Chemical Engineering/Applied Physics/Electrical Engineering.

Question 8) Coding and Engineering Is coding very important when applying for an Engineering major?

Answer) I would say that coding is not important at all when applying for Engineering. You have to learn it after admission, but even if you don’t have coding experience at the time of admission, it doesn’t affect Engineering admission.

Question 9) Will I look like a student trying to get in easily if I apply upward? You said to consider unpopular majors when applying upward, but if it doesn’t match the EC list I have, won’t I look like a student trying to get in easily?

Answer) Of course, if a student applies for a major that has nothing to do with what they have been doing, that could be the case, but if they have composed various ECs in various ways, they can create a story to some extent, so it’s okay.

Question 10) Last SAT Paper Test I heard it’s good not to miss the first Digital SAT test. Conversely, will the score be relatively good for the last paper test than usual?

Answer) You may have this question because I told you not to miss the first test when the test method is replaced, but I don’t see any reason for the College Board to give a good score on the last paper test. It is expected to come out as usual.

Question 11) Major for Yale and Brown upward application You told me to choose a less competitive major when applying upward to Yale and Brown, but on the websites of both schools, it says that you only declare your interest at the time of application, not that you are admitted to that major.

Answer) Most universities do not choose a major when they are freshmen, and declare a major in their third year or before. But that doesn’t mean you can completely ignore the major at the time of application. Universities cannot randomly select all students regardless of their major. For example, when students are selected and it’s time to choose a major, many students can gather in a certain department. Because a department without freshmen cannot be created, when selecting students, they think about a rough quota and distribute and select them, so that’s why I told you to consider the major strategically when applying upward.

Question 11) In-school and out-of-school Extracurricular Activities Should the 6 items that can satisfy diversity be classified only as Extracurricular Activities? Does it matter what I did in school? If I do an international related press corps as an EC, would it be included in Humanities & Social Science? If I do an IT science press corps using my desired major, Computer Science, would it be included in Humanities & Social Science?

Answer) Not only EC but also GPA included in school, club activities should all be considered, and all activities should satisfy diversity. To answer whether the international related press corps you are thinking of is included in the Humanity & Social Science activity, if it is a humanities and social sciences related coverage, it would be included, but if it is IT related content, it would be difficult to say that it touched Humanity & Social Science.

Today, I posted the second part of the Q&A like this, but there are still remaining questions. If there are parts that I haven’t answered among the questions I received from subscribers and neighbors, I would appreciate it if you check other posts.

We had time to get answers to 12 questions you were curious about. Even if it’s not the correct answer, I hope you got some tips on what you’ve been curious about.