🍦 Today's Scoops: Science fairs and more from Sahiti (Oct 14)

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

1. Link Lounge Refresh

2. School of the Day: UC Santa Cruz

3. Hear From Your Peers: Science fairs and more from Sahiti

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.

extracurriculars.org (NEW) - Find the best and newest ECs to pursue in the #1 High School EC database

inspirit.ai (NEW) - The only Artificial Intelligence program for high schoolers developed by Stanford and MIT alumni

Diamond Challenge - The ultimate high school entrepreneurship competition

ROTC Scholarships - Get involved in the military and go to college for free

INFO ZONE
Upcoming Visits and Info Sessions

UCSB College of Engineering Presentation on Admissions Process - Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 5:00 PM until 5:45 PM (Pacific)

MIT Online Information Session - Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM (Pacific)

Stanford University Virtual Visit - Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 3:30 PM until 5:30 PM

SCHOOL OF THE DAY
UC Santa Cruz

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: Santa Cruz, CA
🎓 Undergraduates Enrolled: 17,502
📊 Acceptance Rate: 47% (65,912 applicants)
💸 Tuition: $11,834 (in-state), $42,611 (out-of-state)
📅 Admission Options: Regular Decision (Dec 2)
🏆 Top Ranking Programs: Chemistry (#96), Environmental Science (#100), Computer Science (#134) (Niche)
📈 Most Popular Majors: Computer Science (15%), Biological and Biomedical Sciences (15%), Social Sciences (13%) (Scoir)

Some Positives

🌲 Gorgeous Campus: UCSC is often hailed as one of the most beautiful campuses in the world, with a location in the Santa Cruz Mountains and breathtaking views of the ocean. The campus offers an unparalleled connection to nature. Explore Campus Life.

🔬 Strong Science Programs: UCSC is recognized for its strength in marine biology, astronomy, and environmental science. The Institute of Marine Sciences and Lick Observatory provide hands-on research opportunities that draw students passionate about the natural world. Learn more about UCSC Science.

👩‍💻 Computer Science & Engineering: UCSC has a growing reputation in computer science and engineering, offering cutting-edge programs in fields like gaming, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction. The Baskin School of Engineering is a hub for innovation and research partnerships in Silicon Valley. Discover UCSC Engineering.

🌍 Environmental Leadership: UCSC is a national leader in environmental studies and sustainability. The university’s Sustainability Office and various eco-friendly programs reflect the campus’s commitment to green initiatives and climate action. Learn more about Sustainability at UCSC.

Some Negatives

🚗 Remote Campus Location: While the UCSC campus is scenic, it’s also somewhat remote. Getting around the hilly terrain can be challenging without a car, and transportation options to downtown Santa Cruz or the surrounding areas can feel limited.

📚 Smaller Academic Offerings: Compared to larger UC campuses, UCSC has fewer degree programs and course offerings. Students looking for highly specialized or niche fields may find fewer opportunities to explore them here. Explore UCSC Majors.

HEAR FROM YOUR PEERS
Science fairs and more from Sahiti

Sahiti is a high school senior from the Bay. She’s planning on studying CS or Engineering in college. In her free time, Sahiti enjoys doing yoga, telling bad jokes, and painting.

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 getting in to research. I did my first independent project in freshman year and since then research has opened the door to countless opportunities from working with professors to publishing papers. One thing I chose to do with my research was compete in science fairs and that also came with a whole suite of benefits. I built up great communication skills, got rid of my stage fright, and just generally got to meet a lot of cool people.

Do you have an idea of what you want to study in college and how did you decide upon that?
I want to study computer science or engineering. Ever since I learned how to code back in 6th grade, I’ve loved it but it took me a while to figure out exactly where I wanted to apply programing as a tool. In early 9th grade, I built my first research project, a machine-learning powered shower timer that used the sound of a shower to track water consumption. I would say that really introduced me to the idea of using programming as a tool to engineer solutions to all the problems around us, and since then I haven’t looked back.

You mentioned that science fairs have been something you’ve been doing for a few years. Tell us more about that. What do science fairs mean in terms of college apps and what makes a winning project?
Obviously science fairs look great on college apps because they’re extremely competitive whether it’s on a regional, state, or national level. I first competed with my shower timer project in a local science fair and I didn’t even make it to the second round. But in the following years, I kept coming back and competing, not just because I loved showcasing my research, but also becuase I loved seeing all the cool things people were making around me.

In terms of winning projects, the biggest piece of advice I would give is make sure you find your niche as a researcher. Broad areas like biology and computer science are super competitive and you’d most definitely be better off going super deep into a smaller area. Another thing I would say is make sure you pay attention to your communication skills. No matter how good your project is, if you don’t know how to talk about it you’re not going to get anywhere. Also make sure you’re always prepared. The grilling gets worse the further you go!

Over your years of taking part in activities like this, you must have accumulated a large number of projects. How do you go about displaying all these in your applications?
My activities list has a lot of research project, with many projects getting their own place on the list. There’s also always space to elaborate in the additional information section. I’ve personally won quite a few awards for my research that have made it to my honors and awards section. And obviously there’s always essays. In terms of selecting a project to talk about, I always go with the one that either has the best story or works best with the rest of my application to craft the most cohesive story. I also got a letter of rec. from an external mentor to give my work more credibility.

DAILY DEADLINE UPDATES
UT and UNC due tomorrow!

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
Have an idea for the newsletter?

Is there a question you’ve been dying to have answered related to college admissions? Or, is there something just nagging you about Scholar Scoops that you want to see fixed soon? We want to hear from you. You can submit feedback at https://forms.gle/7Rj2eBCiauEc5oNV8. Thank you so much!