I HATE THEMMM some prompts are fun atleast

Recently, I joined the 67 cult. I have devoted the entire senior year to worshipping the holy god 67 and singing its praises. I believe that with the purification of my god, I can attend any college I want.

The problem is these unenlightened peasants called AOs may still believe in their pagan nonsense gods. How do I enlighten them with the truth and guarantee my acceptance?

Sumbitted my first EA application today! YAY! Super nervous and proud at the same time! ☺️🫶

Literally everyone I know is submitting apps by Nov 1 (early application) and I am doing regular for all my schools. The more people talk about it the more I get worried that my chances will be lower and im making the wrong decision. Is anyone else doing all regular? Im kinda scared now since i dont know anyone who is doing regular this year.

I'm fried.
I genuinely don't think I'm a horrible applicant (avg tbh in terms of extracurriculars), but I think that I genuinely sold on my supplementals. Like they feel so generic :( I like my personal statement though
Alright bro it's like $500 down the drain :( I hope you guys locked in tho

hi! im a senior applying to schools rn.

shes SO last minute, but my college counselor just told me literally today she thinks id be a really strong candidate for ed to upenn. but im so worried about affordability! she said its possible to opt out if u cant afford it, but i wanted to see if anyone here was like truly sure about that lol.

im genuinely not opposed to eding, id love to attend. but finances are the only thing thats stopping me from eding. does anyone have a friend or experience with an ed somewhere they reversed due to financial circumstances? should i reach out to admissions ab this? its all so last minute tho??

lol help!

hi, im ED to dartmouth and im really having trouble choosing my 2nd supplemental. if i already chose the introduce yourself one for my 1st, do u think i should choose something more personal again like Celebrate your nerdy side, or something highlighting my ECs like In what ways do you hope to make—or are you already making—an impact? Why? How? thank you so much i am really so lost 😞

I swear 90% of the questions here are just people trying to cope. No a 1550 SAT isn’t going to magically make up for your 3.2 GPA. So many people come here knowing they have glaring weaknesses in their applications, yet still seek external validation just to feel better about their chances. Deep down they already know the answer to their questions. They just want someone to tell them otherwise.

If an Ivy typically only admit 2-3 kids from my high school and no more than ONE in the EA round, will there be some unusual conflicts among promising applicants? For example, this year I've already known four kids applying to the same ivy: #1 recruited athlete with a perfect GPA (15APs) and 1500+ SAT; #2 recruited athlete with a little problematic GPA (but is retaking the class via grade recovery option); #3 QuestBridge; 4) Legacy kid with good grades. Both athletes are still waiting for the green light.

So I’m applying uchicago ED1.

I recently moved, and my new hs is so much bigger and in a diff state. In my old school, there were sub 300 kids and I don’t think anyone was applying to uchi. Here I’ve heard of at least 2 other people applying ED.

My stats are so mid that I genuinely feel like it’s a waste of time, but bc of the uchicago promise I can’t help but apply. I mean, I’d qualify for free tuition 100%. I just feel so hopeless now.
I guess I don’t really mind not going. It’s not really my dream school, but, idk. I feel like my grades have been pretty good but they grade stuff did here so my gpa has taken a slight dip too.

I’m also not even submitting my 30 ACT.

ugh I just wanna get rejected already and get this over with

I took the September ACT and October ACT, and my best score was the October one. Rice University scores are self reported and only accept ACT up to September, so would I have to change the test scores in the testing section of the Commonapp to match only my September ACT when I specifically apply to Rice?

Got 2 C's every year, some B's, and A's otherwise. I procrastinate until it's too late every time. All of my classes were honors or aps though except freshman year when I had some normal classes. My weighted gpa was right around 4 and I'm wondering if I'll even be able to get into schools with a 50% acceptance rate like UCI. I got 4 or 5 on every AP though, and a 1520 SAT. I was always good in tests, I just couldn't keep up with my work.

I'm currently in 11th grade and trying to figure out where to pursue my undergraduate degree in 2028. I'm a trans girl, and I wanna move somewhere I can feel safe, accepted, and free to express myself

I initially considered Germany, but after being diagnosed with clinical depression, learning German to a university ready level in just 2 years feels impossible. I'm now considering the US, but I'm unsure how competitive I would be and feel demotivated after reading lots of pessimistic reddit threads and about the high competition from my country

My main achievements so far are a 97.6% in my 10th grade board exam (which is like a national standardized exam in india) and a Minecraft modding profile with over a million downloads and around $4,000 in ad revenue. I don't have many other extracurriculars yet,but I'm willing to work on that (but i don't know what activities I can do)

I'm interested in stem, particularly mathematics, and would probably need some financial aid (my budget is like 12k usd per annum probably)

Which countries and universities would you recommend for my situation? Looking for advice on realistic options, scholarships for international students, and other countries I should consider

I’m deciding if I should do Early decision to Fordham , I’m applying for finance major and my only worry is the tuition my Wgpa is around 3.66 I took 2 aps got 4 on both
1300 sat and the colleges im applying to are
Fordham
Baylor
Indiana Kelley
Manhatthan
Ohio state
Penn state
Rutgers
St. John’s
Ut Austin
UConn
South Carolina
Bentley

Do you think it’s worth it to do ED I did a net price calculator it estimated to be 70k per year and I’m a finance major

so glad its over, lets hope we become a beaver this december

Background: Kid from Nepal, want to study intl undergrad in cs .

Used AI for this, dont mind me.

EDUCATION

Cambridge International A Levels | May 2026 – Present

• Subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science, English General Paper (EGP)

NEB Secondary Education Examination (SEE) | Graduated April 2026

• Academic Honors: Valedictorian (Rank 1/Class across grades 9 and 10), 4.0 Unweighted GPA at grade 10, 3.87 or sm at 9
• Leadership Roles: Head Boy (2 Years), Class Representative (2 Years), Eco Club Vice Captain
• Key Honors: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Science Exhibition Awardee, 1st Prize Municipality Math Exhibition

RESEARCH & QUANTITATIVE PROJECTS

Co-Authored Econometric Research Paper

Co-Author with Dr. Niroj Dahal (PhD)

• Title: Structural Breaks and Asymmetric Volatility Transmission in Frontier Markets: Evidence from Nepal’s Post-Reform Monetary Policy.
• Developed GARCH modeling and time-series econometric frameworks analyzing market risk and financial volatility transmission under structural policy changes in Nepal.

NEPSE Basic Analysis Tool | Python, Pandas, Matplotlib, Data Mining | Feb 2026 – May 2026

• Built a quantitative analysis script processing NEPSE index CSV data (2011–Present) to demystify stock risk dynamics during period of retail market herding.
• Computed log returns, annualized return, historical volatility, Sharpe ratio, max drawdown, and cumulative growth visualizers across 5 separate interactive chart windows.

Two-Asset Investment Tracker | Python, Computational Mathematics, Data Science | Nov 2024 – Jun 2025

• Engineered a terminal-based analytical engine to evaluate dual-asset stock pairs over customizable timeframes.
• Integrated profit simulations, daily return correlation metrics, and custom volatility heatmaps using matplotlib.

APPLIED COMPUTER SCIENCE & PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATIONS

Gesture Control System for Accessibility | Python, OpenCV, Computer Vision | Jan 2025 – Feb 2025

• Developed a real-time computer vision gesture-recognition system for wheelchair users and individuals with mobility constraints, enabling hands-free home automation control.
• Built low-latency detection algorithms translating spatial hand gestures into actionable system commands.
• Recognition: Awarded Best Project Layout at the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Science Exhibition alongside First Prize in the Chief Of Army Staff Quiz Competition

About A level Scores; Im in AS level 6 months in. Planning to give the SATs in 2027, preparing from now. These are the most notable ECAs I could think of. Any strategy, or any idea of how I stand? Would love to see uni recommendations or general advice too.

Does anyone know how many they want? UMich says 1 teacher evaluation & 1 councillor on their website, but on Common App there are 3 optional slots for teachers as well as additional recommenders. Currently, I have 1 councillor, 1 teacher, and 1 additional recommendation from a research program. Would it be preferable to add another teacher recommendation?
Thanks!

UPenn ED acceptance rate is around 14%, but they don’t post a singular Wharton rate. Does anyone know whether or not ED to Wharton gives an admissions boost to unhooked applicants? I’ve heard varying answers and am unsure to the extent it helps, especially since Wharton remains incredibly competitive.

Hi all!

My name is Mal and for some reference I graduated high-school in Saudi Arabia (resident, non-Saudi) but I also have permanent residency in Finland.

I graduated high-school this year and I pretty much got rejected from all the top universities I chose (KFUPM, Polito, Polimi and Aalto) and was late to applying to my safety which ended up in me taking this unexpected gap year.

I wanted advice on where to go for Mechanical Engineering as I have a couple options:

- I can go back to Finland and attend my safety school (ranked 350 in the world and it's alright but I feel though I won't be satisfied with it. The upside is I pay no tuition fees since I'm a resident and can aim for citizenship, but the current job market and weather there are definitely deterring factors)

- I can try to re-apply to what was my goal which is KFUPM (it has cheap tuition fees, but it's not guaranteed and heavily competitive + I'd rather not take a compulsory prep year and I'm not sure how much Saudization would affect resident engineering graduates here)

- I have been looking at studying abroad options mainly in Australia (University of Adelaide, Wollongong, Curtin, etc.) However they are also quite expensive but I am eligible for some scholarships (25% to 40%) and I think It would be possible to find part time jobs to help out even a bit. Wollongong specifically sticks out to me since it's not too expensive and has good ranking

Could anyone give me advice on which route makes sense the most for me? I am not a citizen of any of these 3 countries btw which makes it even more annoying

Hello, I'm a graduating senior from Southeast Asia, and this is my first time posting here. My dilemma is basically as the title says, but I'll just give some further context:

While I'm not primarily aiming for international due to the high tuition fees even with scholarships, my family's still encouraging me to at least apply to some colleges to open up doors if ever I qualify and do decide to study abroad. That being said, I have some reservations for this, because:

a) expensive application fees.... :( so im planning to limit the international unis i apply for to just a few

b) while i am consistent honors + valedictorian, my ECs aren't very competitive so I objectively know my chances with an ivy league/t1 colleges arent very high

c) there's a shit ton of colleges in US Australia new Zealand UK to the point i genuinely have no idea where to apply and how to organize my colleges research ...

...and so I'd like to ask for advice from people more aware of the current landscape of universities than I am, on possible colleges/anything at all that might help me narrow down my options.

This post will probably be buried under everything else in this sub, but if anyone does decide to answer, thank you very much !

TLDR: international student has no idea what affordable realistic international unis to apply to, doesn't want to spend too much money on application fees, please help

Every time I look for reviews of majors I’m interested in such as biomedical science, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, etc., it’s always the same thing : unemployed, unhappy people saying that choosing these majors was the biggest mistake of their lives.
Then you have people who have never studied finance or computer science telling you to go into those fields because they’re supposedly the only ones hiring in 2026. But when you check the subreddits for those majors the CS guys tell you that a CS degree is the new high school diploma

while the finance guys say their field is going to be fully replaced by AI soon (which I honestly believe).
So wtf am I supposed to study?

Yes, I have interests I want to pursue but at the same time, I don’t want to spend years studying something that won’t even allow me to make a living.

Hey, I’m from Bangladesh, and I have a question for those who understand the Ivy League admissions process.
I studied at a missionary high school, one of the top schools in Bangladesh. However, my journey wasn’t always privileged. Until Grade 10, I was in a rural school where opportunities like academic Olympiads, international competitions, and advanced extracurricular programs were practically nonexistent.
Despite these limitations, I’ve been working independently on an academic research project, and my first research paper is now nearing publication.
But here’s what I genuinely want to know:
Can a research paper, combined with a strong academic profile and a compelling personal journey, be enough to make me a competitive applicant for Ivy League universities?
I know that publishing research isn’t an automatic ticket to admission. I also understand that thousands of applicants have exceptional achievements, access to world-class mentorship, and opportunities I could only dream of.
What worries me is whether the circumstances I grew up in will ultimately define the limits of my application.
Will being from Bangladesh, an underrepresented country in some academic circles, work against me? Will the absence of Olympiads and prestigious competitions during my formative years weaken my profile beyond repair?
I’m not looking for false hope or reassurance. I want an honest assessment.
Can someone who had limited opportunities for most of their academic journey still compete at the highest level of undergraduate admissions? Or am I trying to reach a door that was never meant to open for someone like me?

I want to apply RD to yale (dream school, cant REA because i transferred schools 2 weeks ago and dont have enough time to get everything shifted in) for sociology major, ive only ever had Bs in science classes (1 B sophomore year, 2Bs junior year) but because i transferred schools, my old school put a 0 in for a ton of assignments that I was unable to complete due to traveling and moving so now my 1st quarter grades for cal BC and physics are low Bs and I don't think I can move them up to an A for first semester, would this harm my chances?

TLDR: my “busiest” hours and my average hours vary a lot but i’m worried as on paper, it looks sus

am i cooked if this is what i’m reporting, especially if one of my EC’s is about a game i played? looking back i definitely lowballed so many of the hours bc i was so unsure, but idk if i can change anything since i put an average hour count for my brag sheet for my counselor’s LOR. i’m just iffy that it’ll seem sus as i alr submitted to a college and got accepted.

1. grades: 9, 10, 11, 12 || busiest: 5hrs/wk, 24 wks/yr. avg: ~2-3hrs/wk.
2. grades: 9, 10, 11, 12 || busiest: 15hr/wk, 52wk/yr || avg: ~5-10hrs/wk. i definitely lowballed the busiest hours here. there were times where it could have been 20-25 hours.
3. grades: 9, 10, 11 || busiest: 25hrs/wk, 31wk/yr || avg: ~10hrs/wk.
4. grades: 9, 10 || busiest: 21hrs/wk, 52wk/yr || avg: ~7-10hrs/wk
5. grades: 9, 10 || busiest: 21hrs/wk, 52wk/yr || avg: ~7-10hrs/wk
6. grades: 9, 10, 11, 12 || busiest: 10hrs/wk, 23wk/yr || avg: ~1-2hrs wk (9, 10) and ~7-8hrs wk (11, 12)
7. grades: 11 || busiest: 168hr/wk, 1.25 wk yr (should I even put this? it’s a trip to another country that meant a lot to me + changed my mindset but ofc it was so short so idk)
8. grades: 11, 12 || busiest: 3hr/wk, 27wk/yr || avg: 1hr/wk
9. grades: 11, 12 || busiest: 6hr/wk, 10wk/yr || avg: 1hr/wk
10. grades: 11, 12 || busiest: 1hr/wk, 10wk/yr || avg: 1 hr/wk

ok so this is what i’m mainly worried about. #4 is a community i contributed to relating to a game, which is #5. sometimes i’d spend 42 hours on #4 and 0 on #5 or vice versa. ofc, this is once in a long time too. there were points (especially when activities 2 or 3 got really intense) where I’d maybe spend 1hr/wk on this. i was making progress in the game and learning a lot of stuff and i’m really happy for what i did, but ofc i know playing a game isn’t going to be viewed positively by AOs. should i leave my hours as it is or completely delete #5?

overall though, when i was spending 20+ hours on one activity, of course it would be hard to spend another 20 hours on a second activity. the years i did these also changed too so do you think AO’s will notice?

thank you so much for reading!!