How I got into Harvard + more (Brown, UPenn, Cornell, Vanderbilt, etc.)

Summary

In this video, Kayen shares their high school academic journey, detailing their rigorous course load including multiple AP classes, their GPA progression, and top 10 ranking. They discuss SAT and ACT scores, emphasizing the improvement to a 1510 SAT and a 34 ACT. Kayen also highlights various honors and awards, their extracurricular activities showcasing leadership in the Black Student Union and Math Honor Society, and their character-building experiences in sports and part-time jobs. The summary of their Common App extracurriculars and the significance of their work at McDonald's and Buffalo Wild Wings rounds out the overview.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Kayen, the channel host, applied to five IVs and got into four, emphasizing the importance of a strong academic and extracurricular profile.
• 🏫 Kayen attended a public school in North Georgia, debunking rumors about attending a private school, which is a common misconception among viewers.
• 📚 Throughout high school, Kayen took a rigorous course load, including one AP as a freshman, two APs as a sophomore, and seven APs as a junior, showcasing a commitment to academic excellence.
• 🔢 Kayen had a high GPA of 4.45 at the time of application and improved to a 4.6 by the end of senior year, ranking 8th out of 620 students initially and moving up to 4th by graduation.
• 📝 Kayen took both the SAT and ACT, achieving a 1510 on the SAT and a 34 on the ACT, with the latter being the score sent to colleges due to its higher range.
• 🏅 The host received various honors, including a Certificate of Honor in mathematics and social studies, and was a National Merit Commended Student, highlighting academic achievements.
• 🏆 Kayen and a friend won third place at the HOSA State Leadership Conference for mental health promotion, demonstrating involvement in extracurricular activities.
• 💼 Kayen held leadership positions in the Black Student Union and Math Honor Society, and was a varsity athlete and cheerleader, showing a well-rounded profile with diverse interests.
• 📊 Kayen volunteered in data research and analysis for a local business initiative, indicating community involvement and a proactive approach to learning outside of school.
• 🍟 The host's experience working at McDonald's and Buffalo Wild Wings was noted by admissions officers, suggesting that resilience and work ethic are valued in college applications.
• 📝 Kayen's application included a detailed resume and thoughtful descriptions of activities, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and context in presenting one's experiences.

Q & A

What is the name of the channel host?

The channel host's name is Kayen.

Why did the video take a month to make according to Kayen?

Kayen apologizes for the delay, attributing it to the hardships of life, without specifying the exact reasons.

Where does Kayen go to school?

Kayen attends a public school in North Georgia.

How many AP classes did Kayen take in their freshman year?

Kayen took only one AP class, AP Human, during their freshman year.

What is the significance of the 'ab+bc' course in Kayen's school?

The 'ab+bc' course is AP Calculus AB and BC offered within semester portions, and it can be counted as either six or seven AP classes.

Did Kayen take any classes at a community college?

Yes, Kayen enrolled in Psychology, Government, and Economics at a local community college.

What was Kayen's GPA when applying to schools?

Kayen's GPA when applying to schools was 4.45.

What standardized tests did Kayen take?

Kayen took both the SAT and ACT, twice each.

Which test scores did Kayen submit to schools?

Kayen submitted their ACT score of 34 to schools, but listed both SAT and ACT scores on the Common App.

What is the significance of the 'Certificate of Honor' in Kayen's application?

The 'Certificate of Honor' signifies academic excellence in specific subjects and was one of the first honors listed by Kayen.

What extracurricular activity was most important to Kayen?

The most important extracurricular activity to Kayen was their involvement with the Black Student Union, where they served as President.

What job did Kayen have during high school?

Kayen worked at Buffalo Wild Wings and previously at McDonald's during high school.

What was the role of the 'data research and analysis volunteer' position?

As a data research and analysis volunteer, Kayen helped local businesses by providing advice on reaching out to students based on data analysis.

What did Kayen win at the HOSA State Leadership Conference?

Kayen and a friend won third place at the HOSA State Leadership Conference for mental health promotion.

Why did Kayen list 'historian of Rho Pi Rho' last in their extracurricular activities?

Kayen listed it last because they didn't do much in that role, but it still showed leadership and involvement.

How did Kayen's work experience at McDonald's impact their college application?

The work experience at McDonald's was seen as character-building by admissions officers and was highlighted in their application.

What was the name of the social media campaign Kayen co-founded?

The social media campaign Kayen co-founded was called 'Breaking the Silence'.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Academic Journey and Test Scores

The speaker, Kayen, introduces themselves and provides an overview of their academic background, including the classes taken throughout high school, with a focus on Advanced Placement (AP) courses. They mention attending a public school in North Georgia and clarify misconceptions about their educational background. The summary includes their GPA progression from 4.45 to 4.6 and their ranking among peers. Additionally, Kayen discusses their SAT and ACT scores, highlighting their initial disappointment and subsequent improvement, ultimately submitting a 34 on the ACT to universities.

05:01

🏆 Honors and Awards

This paragraph details Kayen's academic honors and extracurricular achievements. They list various certificates of honor received in mathematics, social studies, and AP Calculus, emphasizing their commitment to academic excellence. Kayen also mentions winning third place at the HOSA State leadership conference, a mental health promotion campaign, and receiving the Compassion, Ownership, and Noble Character Award twice. They highlight their National Merit Commended Student status and the significance of these honors in showcasing their character and well-roundedness.

10:04

🏃‍♂️ Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Roles

Kayen outlines their extracurricular activities, starting with their role as President of the Black Student Union and Treasurer for two years, highlighting their passion and leadership in promoting inclusivity and change within the school community. They also served as President of the Math Honor Society, showcasing their dedication to their intended major. Athletic involvement in track and field and varsity cheerleading is mentioned, along with a job at Buffalo Wild Wings and Vice President of Social Media for FCCA, demonstrating a balance of work, sports, and leadership. Kayen's volunteer work in data research and analysis for local businesses and their two-year tenure at McDonald's are also included, emphasizing the development of character and resilience.

15:06

🌐 Social Impact and Honor Societies

The final paragraph discusses Kayen's involvement in social initiatives and honor societies. They co-founded a social media campaign called 'Breaking the Silence' for a HOSA competition, aiming to raise awareness on mental health. Additionally, Kayen served as Historian for Rho Pi Rho, a social studies Honor Society, indicating a continued commitment to academic and social leadership roles throughout high school.

Keywords

💡AP Classes

AP Classes refer to Advanced Placement courses, which are college-level classes offered in high school. In the video, the speaker mentions taking various AP classes, such as AP Human, AP Bio, and AP World, which demonstrate their academic rigor and commitment to challenging coursework. The speaker's discussion of their AP classes illustrates their dedication to academic excellence and their preparation for college-level work.

💡GPA

GPA stands for Grade Point Average, which is a measure of a student's academic performance. The speaker's GPA was 4.45 at the time of applying to colleges and increased to 4.6 by the end of their senior year. This high GPA is a key part of their academic profile, indicating strong performance across all their classes and contributing to their college application.

💡SAT and ACT

The SAT and ACT are standardized tests widely used for college admissions in the United States. The speaker initially scored a 1350 on the SAT and a 30 on the ACT, but improved to a 1510 on the SAT and a 34 on the ACT after additional preparation. These scores are significant as they are part of the speaker's application profile and demonstrate their ability to perform well on high-stakes exams.

💡Honors

Honors in this context refer to special recognitions or awards given for academic achievement or other notable accomplishments. The speaker lists several honors, such as a Certificate of Honor in Mathematics and Social Studies, and being a National Merit Commended Student. These honors highlight the speaker's outstanding performance and commitment to excellence in various fields.

💡Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars are activities that students engage in outside of their academic coursework. The speaker discusses their involvement in various extracurricular activities, such as being President of the Black Student Union and a member of the Math Honor Society. These activities showcase the speaker's leadership, passion, and well-roundedness, which are important aspects of a college application.

💡Black Student Union

The Black Student Union is a club or organization typically found in schools that focuses on the interests and concerns of Black students. The speaker was the President of their school's Black Student Union during their senior year, indicating their leadership role and commitment to issues relevant to the Black community.

💡Math Honor Society

A Math Honor Society is an organization that recognizes academic excellence in mathematics. The speaker was the President of their school's Math Honor Society, which underscores their strong interest and aptitude in mathematics and their leadership capabilities.

💡Track and Field

Track and Field is a sport that includes various running, jumping, and throwing events. The speaker was a four-year Varsity athlete in track and field, which demonstrates their dedication to sports and physical fitness, as well as their perseverance in a challenging athletic environment.

💡Cheerleading

Cheerleading is a sport that involves organized routines of chanting, jumping, and stunts to support a team. The speaker was a three-year varsity cheerleader, which shows their involvement in school spirit and their commitment to a team-oriented activity.

💡Volunteer Work

Volunteer work refers to the act of giving one's time and effort for free to help others or support a cause. The speaker mentions their volunteer work as a data research and analysis volunteer for a local business initiative, which reflects their community engagement and desire to contribute positively to society.

💡McDonald's

McDonald's is a well-known fast-food restaurant chain. The speaker worked at McDonald's for two years, which they describe as a challenging but character-building experience. This job is highlighted in the video as an example of the speaker's work ethic and ability to overcome adversity.

Highlights

Kayen introduces their channel and apologizes for the delayed video release due to life's challenges.

Clarification of attending a public school in North Georgia, dispelling rumors of a private school education.

Detailed account of the rigorous AP courses taken throughout high school, including seven APs in junior year.

Mention of enrolling in college-level courses through a local community college and a special program at Georgia Tech.

High school GPA of 4.45 at application time, ranking eighth out of 620 students, which improved to fourth by graduation.

Experience with SAT and ACT exams, including initial and improved scores, with a final ACT score of 34 being submitted to colleges.

Description of various honors received, such as Certificate of Honor in Mathematics and being a National Merit Commended Student.

Extracurricular activities listed on the Common App, emphasizing leadership roles and community involvement.

Leadership roles in the Black Student Union and Math Honor Society, showcasing commitment and passion.

Involvement in athletics as a four-year Varsity track and field athlete and a three-year varsity cheerleader.

Work experience at Buffalo Wild Wings and McDonald's, highlighting the development of character and work ethic.

Volunteer work in data research and analysis for local businesses, demonstrating community engagement.

Co-authorship of a student poetry book, a creative accomplishment resulting from participation in a club competition.

Vice presidency of social media for FCCA, indicating a role in leading and organizing within the school community.

Co-founding a social media campaign for a HOSA competition, showing initiative and public health awareness.

Historian role in Rho Psi Rho, a social studies Honor Society, indicating minimal involvement but leadership recognition.

Admissions officers' interest in work experience and extracurricular activities, as evidenced by emails and scholarship inquiries.

Offer to answer questions and provide advice via social media, showing Kayen's commitment to helping others with their college applications.

Transcripts

hi everyone welcome back to my Channel

or welcome to my channel if you're new

my name is kayen and this is the stats

EC's and awards that got me into four

out of the five IVs that I appli

to I'm just going to be honest this

video was not supposed to take me a

month to make so I apologize to all of

you that have like had to reach out to

me and ask me about it I'm life is hard

sometimes okay just some context I go to

school I live in Georgia I go to school

in North Georgia I go to a public school

in North Georgia a lot of people were

just like claiming I went to private

school I go to public school so

hopefully that helps with all this

information I'm about to drop on y'all

okay let's start with all the classes

that I took so starting my freshman year

high school these are all the classes I

took I only took one AP I took AP human

that's all that we were allowed to take

freshman year some schools are like that

some schools are different but I was

only allowed to take one AP in my

freshman year moving on to my sophomore

year schedule I took two APS AP Bio and

AP world

and it is what it

is and junior year this is where it gets

crazy I took seven sl6 APS at my school

we had a course called abbc which is AP

Calculus ABN BC offered within like

semester portions

so some people count that as 6 AP some

people count that as seven technically

it's seven

but there's kind of all you need to know

about that editing Kaden here I

literally completely forgot to talk

about my senior year classes as a whole

so I'm going to put them right

here I do want to touch on I do enrolled

through my local Community College I do

enrolled psych I do enrolled gov and I

do unroll econ gov and econ were two

things I need to graduate and I was not

taking them I was not taking two AP

classes like I was not adding that to my

senior year schedule hello no so I do

enrolled them and then py I just do roll

cuz they were like you can't do G and

Eon in the same semester I like okay

whatever so that's that and then my math

class I did a do enrollment program

which is basically if you're on like

this accelerated math program in Georgia

you can like you have the opportunity to

apply to Georgia Tech to do enroll

multivariable calculus and linear

algebra and I was accepted thankfully

but it's not like as prestigious as you

may think there's like 700 maybe 600 700

kids in it in Georgia but it's pretty

cool I put that on my applications I

think it's pretty impressive to take in

such a high Lev math class at my age so

put that on there too so if that's what

you're wondering that's what that is so

taking all those

courses before I applied my GPA was a

4.45 and then at the end of my senior

year my GPA was a

4.6 so really 4.45 is probably what you

need to know cuz that's when I was

applying to schools and stuff I used

that GPA and then with that GPA I was

ranked number eight out of like 620 kids

which it is what it is but I was not vow

I wasn't S I wasn't close but I did I

did end up moving up to number four at

the end of the year but I was number

eight when I applied okay so test scores

I took both the SAT and ACT twice the

first time I took the SAT I took at the

beginning of my junior year and I got

a

1350 um I'm not going to say much about

that 1350 is not a bad score at all but

a lot of the people around me did a lot

better and I was was pretty discouraged

I won't lie to you but I did end up

taking it again and then like a week

after I took the SAT the first time I

took the act for the first time and then

I got boom I got a 30 and this was like

again I wasn't unhappy with my score but

a lot of people were doing better than

me and competition is a thing so I was

like let's let's get on that grind so I

come back at the end of my junior year

and I took the again and I felt really

bad about it honestly but I went on like

a cruise the week before too and I

didn't have much time to study so

I I was on C Academy but I wasn't doing

much but I will say what I think helped

me the most is I went through all the

Concepts on cond Academy I don't even

know if they have these anymore cuz like

digital SAT but I went through all the

individual Concepts because everything

you look in the concepts are going to be

on the paper so I feel like that helped

me more than just running through

practice problems like crazy so anyways

take the again I felt bad about it but I

got

a I got a 1510 and I never thought I

would ever touch the 15s so that was

like crazy to see then a week after I go

in I take the ACT again and

I got a

34 and like the score range for the 34

was pretty much like 10 points higher

than my SAT score so I ended up

submitting that to all the schools

rather than my SAT like I put both of

them on my common app because you can

list both your scores in common app but

I only officially sent from act.org my

ACT score I didn't send my score from

college board so if you're wondering

that that's that helps but I will say I

did send like my AP scores my SAT score

and my AC score to Georgetown because

they use a different platform and they

were asking for a lot so in case you're

applying to Georgetown there's an FYI

all right I'm going to move on to my

honors now I'm going to read these

straight off Common App if you guys want

some tips on how to like organize your

common app I will definitely make

another video on that I just don't want

this one to be too long so starting with

my honors in order my first one that I

listed was a certificate of Honor in

mathematics social studies and AP

Calculus abbc this is a whole jumble of

things you only get what five spaces for

honors so make what you can bear with me

I like jumbled some stuff up but

basically I got a certificate of honors

in math in social studies my freshman

year and then in AP Calculus abbc my

junior year and that's pretty much just

for being a good student like I don't I

couldn't even tell you like having good

grades being a good student my second

honor that I listed well let me just go

back I really put this as my first one

because I wanted to be a math major

that's why I put that as my first honor

moving on something I thought was really

impressive was that me and a friend got

third place at the HOSA State leadership

conference if you guys don't know what

HOSA is it's like the medical version of

like Deca so it's like medical

competitions and stuff really why was I

doing that couldn't tell you but we got

third place for mental health promotion

which was a new event and we made a

mental health campaign so if you have

questions about that you know you can

ask me and then my third honor I put was

involved compassion ownership and Noble

character award this is literally just a

random award my school makes it's called

the icon award um am I an icon

absolutely but this award I got it twice

which is why I thought it was so

important that I put on here because

it's like things don't you know twice as

maybe once was by chance twice mean

something so I put it on here really

because I think it showed a lot about

who I was and about my character

so you know I'm well-rounded what can I

say then my fourth honor was the

African-American recognition award let

me just tell you I got this my sophomore

year I feel like a lot of people get

this award at I got it for my PSAT score

cuz I took the PSAT like off the first

three years of high school for really no

reason but I got um this award because

I'm black too so is that random kind of

but I put it on here because I thought

it was in a

honor and then lastly I was a National

Merit commended student was I a

[Music]

semi-finalist but I was commended and I

thought this sounded pretty cool and

it's from college board so I thought let

me put it on there and I thought in my

opinion it's better than me just putting

like National Honor Society or like some

other random Honor Society I was in so I

put this on here okay now I'm going to

talk about my extracurriculars just for

reference Common App gives you 10 spaces

so I'm just going to read straight from

there I will say though I did also

submit my resume to the schools that

allowed it my resume pretty much just

reiterates what I'm about to tell you

but I will say the one thing my resume

had that doesn't isn't on here is is

that I was like co-author of this like

student poetry book which literally came

from me entering my poetry into a

competition for hours for this club so

that's really not that big of a deal so

the first activity that I listed on

Common App was the one that I felt I was

most involved in and what was most

important to me and I was most

passionate about which was my

involvement with the black student union

at my school I was President for my

senior year and then I was treasurer for

2 years before that um if you want to

read the description that I wrote I'll

conclude it right there so you can pause

and read but pretty much I

was in charge of the whole name change

and I struggled with the cloud a lot it

felt like it was kind of dying in front

of me so a lot of what I talked about in

my personal essay too was me rebuilding

that club and how I wanted to see it

grow and what I've done to shift it from

you know the path that it was going on

and how I changed the name and I felt I

needed to go a down a different path to

like Rec recuit new members and to make

it more important than it had seemed to

be before my second activity that I

listed was that I was president of me

Alpha Theta which is math Honor Society

I was only President my senior year but

I will include the description here I

felt that it showed that I was competent

and I was capable of being a leader but

also it showed that my major my love for

math I wanted to be a math major I

applied as a math major pretty much

everywhere so I felt like that went hand

inand like oh why does she want to be a

math major is she doing stuff related to

her major so I felt like that was

important that I included that so early

on and then my third activity that I put

was track and field I was a four-year

Varsity athlete for track and field I

wasn't crazy I won't lie to you I was

maybe like top 60 in one event triple

jump what can I say I was a big triple

jumper but also track and field is hard

like running is hard especially the 400

meter dash don't even don't even clock

me on that wrote my essay on the 400 how

much I hate that thing so there's the

description that I included if you want

to pause and read that but yeah I was

four-year athlete was vary and I felt

like it was something that shows a lot

of character so I put it as my third

activity and then jumping into my fourth

activity I then put that I was a

three-year varsity cheerleader I did

basketball cheerleading whether or not

you consider it a sport some people do

some people don't I don't really care I

did it for 3 years was I just cheering

on the sidelines yes did we stunt barely

but I put it on here and I'll include

the description because a lot of the

things I think that made my application

so strong were how I described the

things that I did rather than just me

being like OB was a cheerleader like I

described it as me building a community

okay activity number five was my job

this was the job that I was currently

working I put two jobs in here but the

job that I was currently working at that

time was working at Buffalo Wild Wings

go which is a to-go version of Buffalo

Wild

Wings um let me show you what I wrote as

my description I was working late nights

you know it wasn't easy I was working a

lot so I put that on

there there's not much else I can say

about that I was just working a job I

just put that in there to show that I

was well-rounded so number six I put was

that I was vice president of social

media for fcca at my school I wouldn't

even lie to you guys I was really just

taking pictures and I'd offered my put

here and there but it shows leadership

and it shows that I was competent of

leading a group so I'll include that

description but you

know I had it on

there hey okay number seven this is

possibly the most complex activity that

I have on here just because it's hard to

explain um I was a data research and

Analysis volunteer for North Georgia

Business Spotlight which is initiative

that

actually really doesn't exist anymore

but this girl from one of the schools in

my community had contacted me on

LinkedIn we're now friends obviously but

she contacted me on LinkedIn and I was

kind of taking a back and she was like

Hey like I have this initiative where we

help out businesses local businesses and

give them advice on how to reach out to

students kind of our age and within our

age group and give them advice on how

they can you know seek to broaden Their

audience so I was like oh yeah like

that's cool fine I'll be a part of this

and I was part of the data analysis part

so really I would just take data and I'd

give a little bit of advice but I don't

know I feel like it sounds a lot cooler

than maybe what I actually was doing but

I put it on here because I was doing

volunteer work and I was helping and it

shows that I was involved in my

community so and then also if you wanted

to see the description for that I'll put

it right there okay guys number eight

and perhaps what a lot of the admissions

officers seem to have found the most

interesting like even for my scholarship

ship for Vanderbilt they asked me about

my job and my time working here so guys

I worked at

[Music]

McDonald's for two whole years and I

don't have many good things to say about

it honestly it was really really bad um

I do definitely think it developed a lot

of character for me that was my first

job I work started working there at 15

um include this description in my time

working there they introduced the

rewards program so I was heavily

involved in

that

but yeah I don't know a lot of the

admissions officers I got an

email

from I think my Harvard admissions

officer saying she really thought it was

really cool how I told my story about

work at McDonald's and how like I would

pretty much smile through the pain

so yeah not much else I can say about

that but okay number

nine this goes back to the honors and

awards section where I talked about

winning third place at the HOSA State

leadership

conference so this activity I you can

it's kind of not an activity but I just

said I was co-founder of a social media

campaign called breaking the silence go

look it up if you want to and in this

I'll show you the description I do

address that this was something I made

for a HOSA

competition but it was a social media

campaign I worked on it with a friend I

didn't hide I didn't sugarcoat anything

so I put it on here I thought it was

cool I thought it was unique and last

but not

least is I was historian of roppa roppa

is social studies Honor

Society I put this last because I

genuinely did not do a thing like you

can probably even tell in my

description

that I didn't do anything but I put it

last again shows

leadership and it was pretty random so I

put it last

so okay guys so that's pretty much it

for the whole stats EC's the honors if

you have questions I know I've been

saying this throughout the whole video

but you know don't be afraid to DM me on

Instagram I will answer the

quickest um my Tik Tok I usually link

too but ask in the comments

too um

I don't know what else to say you know

where to find me I plan on making some

advice videos some tips videos probably

YouTube shorts because I'm really lazy

but I'm sorry this took so

long all right goodbye y'all