The Academic and Extracurricular Profile of an NCSSM Student

Summary

In this transcript, four students discuss their extracurricular activities and academic interests leading up to their application to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM). Angela and Shashank highlight a balance between STEM and humanities, with a focus on math competitions, science research, writing, and debate. Elena emphasizes her passion for mathematics, participating in math clubs and taking advanced math courses. Anna, lacking STEM opportunities at her school, discusses her involvement in visual arts and her dedication to equestrian activities, which influenced her choice of the online program.

Takeaways

• 🔬 Angela balanced her interests between STEM and humanities, focusing on math competitions, high-level math classes, and environmental science research, as well as writing competitions and speech & debate.
• 📚 Elena's application emphasized her passion for mathematics, participating in math clubs, honor societies, and taking advanced math courses.
• 🏆 Shashank's extracurriculars were split between science and humanities, engaging in science competitions, research, and coaching a middle school science team, along with community volunteering.
• 🎨 Anna, lacking STEM opportunities at her base school, focused on her visual arts achievements and leadership in her school's art club, and discussed her aspirations in math and science.
• 🌐 All students integrated their extracurricular activities and academic interests into their applications, showcasing a well-rounded approach to their passions.
• 📈 The students highlighted the importance of taking advantage of available opportunities and creating new ones to demonstrate commitment and dedication.
• 📝 The application process involved writing essays that reflected their interests and experiences, allowing them to express their unique stories.
• 🏫 The students recognized the value of rigorous coursework and how it can be leveraged to showcase academic strengths.
• 🤝 Involvement in clubs and leadership positions was a common theme, indicating the significance of taking initiative and contributing to school communities.
• 🌱 A focus on community service and volunteer work was mentioned as a way to demonstrate social responsibility and engagement with broader issues.
• 🚀 The students' stories emphasized the importance of aligning their extracurricular activities with their academic and career goals, providing a cohesive narrative for their applications.

Q & A

What was Angela's approach to balancing her extracurriculars and academic interests?

Angela balanced her extracurriculars and academic interests between humanities and STEM. She participated in math competitions, took high-level math classes, and focused on environmental science research. In humanities, she enjoyed writing, participated in writing competitions, and took elective classes like creative writing. She was also involved in speech and debate, holding leadership positions and competing in various events.

How did Elena demonstrate her passion for mathematics in her application?

Elena demonstrated her passion for mathematics by listing awards and clubs focused on STEM, particularly math, in her application. She was involved in the math club and math honor society at her school and took advanced math classes. She also wrote an essay about her favorite STEM subject, which was mathematics.

What extracurricular activities did Shashank engage in that were related to science and humanities?

Shashank engaged in science competitions both individually and as part of a team, including Science Olympiad and Brain B. He also pursued research and wrote research papers, and took rigorous coursework. In terms of humanities, he coached his middle school's science team and volunteered at a community museum.

How did Anna's application reflect her interest in visual arts despite limited STEM opportunities at her base school?

Anna's application reflected her interest in visual arts by highlighting her involvement in art competitions, leading her school's art club, and discussing her achievements in the field. She also talked about her STEM coursework and how she made the most of the opportunities available to her, and expressed her interest in what she could achieve with the online program's offerings.

What was a significant non-academic activity that Anna was involved in, and how did it influence her application choice?

Anna was involved in working with horses, training, and preparing for shows. This activity influenced her application choice as it made a residential program impractical for her, leading her to apply for the online program.

How did the students integrate their extracurricular activities into their applications?

The students integrated their extracurricular activities into their applications by mentioning relevant clubs, competitions, and leadership roles. They also discussed how these activities aligned with their academic interests and how they demonstrated their passions through essays and other application components.

What was the common theme in the students' approach to their extracurriculars and academic interests?

The common theme was a balance between STEM and humanities, with a focus on pursuing high-level coursework, participating in competitions, and taking on leadership roles. They also emphasized their passions and how they made the most of the opportunities available to them.

How did the students showcase their leadership skills in their extracurricular activities?

Angela held leadership positions in speech and debate, Elena was involved in math-related clubs, Shashank coached his middle school's science team, and Anna led her school's art club. These roles demonstrated their ability to lead and contribute to their respective fields.

What strategies did the students use to make their applications stand out?

The students made their applications stand out by emphasizing their passions, taking advanced coursework, participating in relevant competitions, and holding leadership positions. They also wrote essays that highlighted their interests and experiences.

How did the students' extracurricular activities complement their academic interests?

The students' extracurricular activities complemented their academic interests by providing practical experiences and opportunities to apply their knowledge. For example, Angela's involvement in environmental science research and Shashank's science competitions directly related to their academic pursuits.

What advice did the students give for students who may not have access to extensive STEM opportunities at their base school?

The students advised making the most of the opportunities available, discussing potential interests and how they could be pursued with the resources at hand, and considering alternative programs or schools that offer more extensive opportunities.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Balancing STEM and Humanities in College Applications

Angela discusses her extracurricular activities and academic interests, highlighting a balance between STEM and humanities. In STEM, she participates in math competitions, takes advanced math classes, and focuses on environmental science research, including science fairs and writing research papers. In humanities, she enjoys writing, participating in writing competitions, and taking creative writing classes. She is also involved in speech and debate, holding leadership positions and competing in various competitions. Her application narrative showcases this balance as her unique story.

05:00

🏆 Emphasizing a Passion for Mathematics in College Applications

Elena shares her focus on mathematics, which is reflected in her college application. She was involved in STEM clubs, particularly math-related ones, such as the math club and math honor society. She took advanced math classes and emphasized her passion for mathematics in various parts of her application, including an essay about her favorite STEM subject. Her strategy was to highlight her mathematical interests and achievements multiple times throughout her application.

🔬 Combining Science Competitions with Community Involvement

Shashank talks about his extracurriculars being split between science and humanities. He was involved in individual and team science competitions, such as Science Olympiad and Brain B. He also pursued scientific interests through research and internships. In terms of humanities, he coached a middle school science team and volunteered at a community museum. His approach to applying and writing essays was to make his time valuable by constantly engaging in meaningful activities.

🎨 Leveraging Visual Arts and Equestrian Experiences in Applications

Anna, from a school with limited STEM opportunities, focused on her visual arts achievements and her role as a club leader in her school. She discussed her potential in math and science, given the opportunities. A significant part of her application was her work with horses, which included training and preparing for shows. This aspect made a residential program impractical for her, and she discussed how she would utilize the online program to pursue her interests.

Keywords

💡Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars refer to activities that students engage in outside of their academic curriculum. In the context of the video, these activities are used to showcase a student's interests, skills, and dedication beyond the classroom. Angela and Elena both mention their participation in STEM-related extracurriculars, such as math competitions and clubs, which demonstrate their passion and commitment to their academic interests.

💡STEM

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It represents the fields of study that are often emphasized in educational and career paths for their practical applications and future job prospects. In the video, Angela, Elena, and Shashank discuss their involvement in STEM activities, such as math competitions and science research, which are integral to their academic profiles and applications.

💡Humanities

Humanities are academic disciplines that study human culture through subjects like literature, history, philosophy, and languages. In the transcript, Angela and Shashank mention balancing their interests between STEM and humanities, highlighting the importance of a well-rounded educational experience. Angela's involvement in writing competitions and creative writing classes exemplifies her engagement with the humanities.

💡Science Research

Science research involves the systematic investigation and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions. Angela and Shashank discuss their interest in environmental science research, mentioning participation in science fairs, writing research papers, and conducting research projects. This showcases their initiative and depth of interest in the scientific field.

💡Academic Interests

Academic interests are the subjects or areas of study that a student is particularly passionate about or shows a strong inclination towards. In the video, the students weave their academic interests into their applications by discussing the classes they took and the extracurricular activities they engaged in, such as math competitions and creative writing, to demonstrate their dedication and enthusiasm.

💡Application

In the context of the video, 'application' refers to the process of applying to a specific program or institution, likely a specialized or advanced academic program. The students discuss how they incorporated their extracurriculars and academic interests into their applications to demonstrate their qualifications and fit for the program.

💡Leadership Positions

Leadership positions are roles that involve guiding, directing, or supervising a group or organization. Angela mentions holding leadership positions in speech and debate clubs, which not only shows her commitment to the activity but also her ability to lead and influence others, a valuable trait in any academic or professional setting.

💡Writing Competitions

Writing competitions are events where participants are challenged to create written works based on specific prompts or themes. Angela's involvement in writing competitions is an example of how she has pursued her interest in the humanities, demonstrating her skills in creative writing and her competitive spirit.

💡Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad is an academic competition that tests students' knowledge and skills in various scientific disciplines. Shashank mentions participating in Science Olympiad, which is a prestigious event that highlights his commitment to and excellence in the field of science.

💡Community Involvement

Community involvement refers to participating in activities or organizations that contribute to the well-being of a community. Shashank talks about coaching his middle school's science team and volunteering at a community museum, which shows his dedication to giving back and engaging with his community, beyond just academic achievements.

💡Visual Arts

Visual arts are artistic disciplines such as painting, sculpture, and photography that focus on creating visual compositions. Anna discusses her heavy involvement in visual arts, including winning competitions and leading a club at her school. This showcases her creative talents and how she has pursued her passions despite the limited STEM opportunities at her base school.

Highlights

Angela balances extracurriculars between humanities and STEM.

Angela participates in math competitions and high-level math classes.

Angela's focus in STEM is environmental science research.

Angela has written research papers in environmental science.

Angela is involved in writing competitions and creative writing classes.

Angela holds leadership positions in speech and debate clubs.

Elena's extracurriculars are heavily focused on math and STEM.

Elena participates in math clubs and honor societies.

Elena emphasizes her advanced math coursework on her transcript.

Elena's application showcases her passion for mathematics.

Shashank's extracurriculars are split between science and humanities.

Shashank is involved in science competitions and research.

Shashank coaches a middle school science team.

Shashank volunteers at a community museum.

Anna's school did not offer many STEM opportunities.

Anna has a strong influence from visual arts and has won competitions.

Anna led a club at her school focused on visual arts.

Anna discusses her approach to STEM through available coursework.

Anna's application highlights her work with horses and training for shows.

Anna chose the online program due to her commitments with horses.

Transcripts

what is your story i'd like you guys to

talk about kind of the extra curriculars

and interests that you guys had leading

up to um your ncsm application i'd like

you guys to talk about you know the

classes you guys took

um and how you guys weave those

extracurriculars those academic

interests into your your

application uh let's go to angela first

okay so uh as for me my extracurriculars

and my academic interests are kind of

balanced between humanities and stem

so uh in the aspect of stem i do math

competitions and i do take pretty high

level math classes at

my base school and a big focus of my

stem interest is in science research

especially in environmental science so

i've done a lot of science fairs and

science competitions and i've wrote

research papers and stuff in that aspect

and then in humanities i really like to

write so i've done writing competitions

and i've also tried to take elective

classes like creative writing and such

when i have the chance uh and i do

speech in debate which is one of my main

extracurriculars so uh i've joined

clubs both at enlo and now in system and

javier leadership positions in

speech and debate and i've done a lot of

speech and debate competitions as well

so

for my story it's mainly like a balance

between stem and humanities

great thank you so much let's go to

elena

um so for me uh green hope my like

biggest thing was math and this is

reflected in my application where they'd

have you like list awards and what clubs

you did and mine were mostly focused

around like stem clubs um and like

specifically a lot of math things like i

would participate in

um like the math club and the math honor

society at my school um

and also you could see this kind of in

my transcript because i tried to take

like a lot of advanced math classes at

my old school

um

so i just tried to like emphasize this

multiple times throughout and i

definitely touched on it um because

there was like this one essay that was

like

what's

the stem subject you liked the most so i

wrote about that too so it's just like

um there's a lot of different places in

the application where i kind of tried to

emphasize like my passion for

mathematics

great awesome thank you so much let's go

to shashank

cool so after talking about my uh

extracurriculars from when i was

applying to

a year ago um i actually kind of have a

similar story to uh angela um

where my extracurriculars were kind of

split between uh science and stem and

humanities

um i i was involved in a lot of

science competitions uh both um

individual ones as well as team ones

um some of them like everybody's heard

of like science olympiad and

like the brain b and things like that

and

i i was part of the science pro team as

well

so

science science competitions were kind

of how i pursued my scientific interests

in my early high school years

um

and

after that i've uh pursued it more in

like a research and

trying to do research papers through ssm

and through

summer internships that type of thing

that's that's how i brush my academic

side of it

um along with taking

uh

uh hard coursework for it as well like a

rigorous like coursework

then humanities wise um

i coach my middle school science full

team

uh which i guess not really humanities

but it's more like

it's like a stem related and like

coaching that type of thing

um

and i i volunteered uh

in the community

museum

so i i essentially just tried to find

different opportunities for me to

involve myself in the community and i

was

trying to just not waste my time uh so

that's kind of like how i approached uh

applying test ssm and how i wrote my

essays like i was trying to use my time

value

make my time valuable and do something

constantly

great last but not least let's go to

anna

[Music]

hi so um my base school did not offer a

lot of stem

opportunities or extracurriculars so

this wasn't something that i went heavy

on in my application i kind of went

talked about some other extracurriculars

i had a heavy um visual arts influence

and i've

won a couple competitions and um i was

headed my club at my school

and i showed my stem through the

coursework even though it wasn't

entirely rigorous i

um did what was offered and as good as i

can with what i was offered and i talked

about what i might like to do with what

was offered at math and science so if

you don't have those opportunities at

your home school you can kind of look at

what you might get through math and

science and talk about what you could do

with those opportunities

um one of my main reasons for applying

for the online program was

that i did a lot of work with horses and

i trained and i got ready for shows so

it wouldn't have been possible for me to

do residential

so i enjoyed kind of

what i could do with that opportunity

and talked about how i would approach

that and how i would utilize it

[Music]