🍦 Today's Scoops: Courses outside school and more tips from Aarav(Oct 9)

Good morning folks! Here’s what we have today:

1. Link Lounge Refresh

2. School of the Day: Emory University

3. Hear from your peers: Aarav’s Tips: Community college courses and more

LINK LOUNGE REFRESH
New Resources & Scholarships!

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays we will be updating the Link Lounge section with links to great resources such as scholarships and tools during the college application process. You’ll find it at the top of your email on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and near the bottom during the rest of the week.

Congressional App Challenge - Competition run by congress to choose the best student-made app in each congressional district

Robertson Scholars Program - Full-ride scholarship to Duke or UNC, if you get into either school

(NEW) PEO STAR Scholarship - $2,500 scholarships for exceptional female seniors

(NEW) Hack Club High School Hackathons - Upcoming hackathons for high schoolers, with thousands in prizes

SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Emory University

Every day, we cover a different school, helping you learn something new about your favorite schools or find a new school that could end up being your dream school.

📍 Location: Atlanta, GA
🎓 Undergraduates Enrolled: 7,101
📊 Acceptance Rate: 11% (33,179 applicants)
📝 Average SAT/ACT: 1490/33
💸 Cost: $59,920 (tuition), $18,972 (room and board)
📅 Admission Options: Early Decision I (Nov 1), Early Decision II (Jan 1), Regular Decision (Jan 1)
🏆 Top Ranking Programs: Chemistry (#7), English (#19), Business (#36) (Niche)
📈 Most Popular Majors: Business and Management (18%), Social Sciences (15%), Biological & Medical Sciences (15%) (Scoir)

Some Positives

🏥 Top-Tier Health Sciences Programs: Emory is home to the Rollins School of Public Health and the School of Medicine, both of which are globally recognized. The university’s close proximity to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and Emory Healthcare provides unparalleled opportunities for students interested in public health, medicine, and biomedical research. Learn more about Emory’s Health Sciences.

🔬 Strong Research Opportunities: Emory places a significant focus on undergraduate research. With renowned research centers like the Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Winship Cancer Institute, students have the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research across a variety of fields. Explore Research at Emory.

🌍 Global Outlook and Social Responsibility: Emory’s commitment to social justice and global engagement is evident in programs like the Carter Center, founded by former President Jimmy Carter, which works on global peace and health initiatives. Students can engage in hands-on service and policy work both domestically and internationally. Explore the Carter Center.

🎨 Interdisciplinary Learning Opportunities: Emory fosters interdisciplinary learning with innovative programs like the Emory-Tibet Partnership and the Center for Ethics, which allow students to explore topics at the intersection of science, religion, and social policy. Learn more about Interdisciplinary Studies.

Some Negatives

📚 Pre-Professional Focus: While Emory offers a robust liberal arts education, the university has a strong pre-professional focus, particularly in health sciences. Students not interested in medicine, public health, or business may feel that certain fields are less emphasized.

🚶 Lack of Major Athletics Culture: Unlike many other schools in the South, Emory is not known for its athletics culture. While it excels academically, students seeking the traditional “big sports” experience may find the school’s Division III athletics less prominent compared to other universities. Explore Emory Athletics.

🚗 Limited Public Transportation: Although Atlanta is a bustling city, public transportation options are limited. Students without cars might find it difficult to navigate parts of the city, as Emory’s campus isn’t directly connected to a major public transit line. Learn about Transportation.

HEAR FROM YOUR PEERS
Aarav’s Tips: Community college courses and more

Aarav Kumar is a high school senior from the Bay Area. He’s planning on majoring in Business or Econ and pursuing a career in Finance. Outside of school, he enjoys learning about history, watching sports, and going on long runs.

Are there any things in your high school journey that you look back upon and think, “Yeah, I made a great decision with that?”

Definitely taking community college courses. I picked up my first class back in 10th grade and since then I haven’t looked back. What I really like is the fact that you get a college-like experience before you even get to college. You get to experience what it means to have a good or bad professor, how the grading system works, and how exams in actual college halls look like. Community college classes have personally helped me further and develop my interests beyond what’s offered at school. For example, I’m currently taking an accounting course which is something I would have otherwise never gotten to experience in high school. It also definitely helps that a lot of times credits roll over and you get to skip classes when you get to college. Not to mention, AOs love to see students going above and beyond the scope of what their high school offers.

Do you have an idea of what you want to study in college and how did you decide upon that?

I’m planning on majoring in business or econ and later going into finance as a career. Both my parents work in software so obviously there was some influence from there to begin with, but it really just took a few experiences with tech to realize that I didn’t have too much of an interest in it. I’ve had an interest in econ since 8th grade because of a particularly great teacher I had, but it was my sister, who works in finance, who pushed me over the edge and really convinced me to pursue extracurriculars opportunities that eventually let to me deciding on finance as a career path.

Sounds like you’re involved in some pretty interesting stuff. What are the most unique opportunities you’ve taken part in while in high school and how would one go about finding opportunities like these?

I’m actually currently working with the Smithsonian Institute to do some transcription work for historical documents. It’s not necessarily related to my major but it’s something I really enjoy doing as somebody with an interest in history. I’m also involved in a pretty cool allergy advocacy organization which I would say is important to me because allergies are something that I’ve dealt with for my entire life. As for looking for these opportunities, my biggest piece of advice would be to just keep your eyes open. Talk to other students, spend some time on LinkedIn, and most importantly don’t ignore those big buttons on websites that say “Volunteer Now” or “Get Involved”!

Especially when writing, how do you navigate tying all these diverse activities together to craft a cohesive, well put together application?

Honestly I think the whole idea of crafting a narrative is overrated. As long as you choose activities from a genuine place and do things that you’re actually interested in, putting together an application that represents you honestly should be a breeze. Remember, your ECs define you as an applicant so don’t be afraid to spread yourself apart. There’s no need to have all your ECs hyper focused on just one field, rather, lean into the fact that you’re a unique person with varied interests.

DAILY DEADLINE UPDATES
6 days until UT’s EA Deadline!

In the Daily Deadlines section, we will keep you updated on upcoming deadlines in the college admissions world. Remember to not procrastinate and stay ahead of these deadlines!

University of Texas/UNC Chapel Hill Early Action Deadline: October 15
Most ED, REA & EA Deadlines: November 1

THE ARCHIVE
Looking for past mailings?

You can view all our previous posts at our website at https://scholarscoops.beehiiv.com

IDEAS COME FROM EVERYWHERE
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