jpm13
jpm13,
Rochester
B.S., Biology, , Spanish Language and Literature
Hey! I'm a freshman at University of Rochester Class of 2020 interested in double majoring in Biology and Spanish, eventually applying to med school. I'm passionate about studying science, doing research and learning new languages.
Features Included
8
Essays
12
Schools
12
Scores
5
Advice
6
ECs
3
Sports

Background

Hometown Middlesex County, New Jersey
GenderMale
EthnicityAsian
AdmissionRegular Decision
Class of2020
English First Language Yes
Other Language(s) Spoken Tagalog, English

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
  • University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)
  • Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
  • Brown University (Providence, RI)
  • Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
  • Tufts University (Medford, MA)
  • Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
  • Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, PA)
  • Boston University (Boston, MA)
  • Rutgers, State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick (Piscataway, NJ)
  • Fordham University (New York, NY)
  • Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.

University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)

Applied for a B.S. in Biology

Accepted and Enrolled Legacy: No

School Specific Essays

School Specific Advice

List of schools I interviewed with and my interview experience
761 Words
I interviewed with 4 schools, which I describe the experience and questions they asked below. Remember that each interview is different, and the best way to prepare is to really know what you're talking about. Be ready to talk about your high school involvement in great detail--don't waste your time memorizing news articles "just in case they ask you new-related questions." University of Rochester: Overall one of my best interviews. I did an on-campus interview and had to fill out a form that asked about my general interests and high school involvement. The interviewer, who was very nice, based her questions...
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How to increase chances at my school
53 Words
For the University of Rochester, definitely go for an interview. They "highly recommend" an interview, which...
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More Essays

These essays haven't been tagged by school. Click school logos above to see tagged essays.

Personal Statement
669 Words
Interest in other academic subject
Eight bloody arms suddenly appeared in front of me, mercilessly clawing at my face, like bear claws swiping at helpless prey. Then, I was dead. "Continuar Jogo ou Cair Fora" After dying so many times, I deduced that the words projected onto the computer screen meant "Continue Playing or Quit". Five minutes into the game and I was already dead; the main character was still trapped in a closed-down asylum; and the monster that killed me was an ugly, faceless...
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Supplemental Essay Strong beliefs/principles
732 Words
Deeply ingrained in Filipino culture and present in every bowl of sinigang, in every platter of siopao, even mixed in with arroz caldo for breakfast, is meat. And from the way the fridge swelled like a stuffed turkey with packs of chicken breasts, beef cutlets, and pork chops, it's safe to say that there's probably more meat in my home than in a slaughterhouse. Thus, in 9th grade when I decided to go vegetarian for about two months, I wasn't...
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Supplemental Essay “Why us” school essay
519 Words
This was my Why Johns Hopkins? essay: It scares me that my family has grown accustomed to bad news about sickly family members. There are no tears or desperate pleas to doctors who announce of my grandma's worsening cancer or of the cell-eating bacteria returning to my mom's heart; there are just hushed conversations of acceptance, grim faces taut like cramped muscles, and the resigned, "there's nothing we can do but pray." But I refuse to be reduced to resignation....
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Supplemental Essay “Why us” school essay
102 Words
Tufts University Supplemental Essay 1. Why Tufts? If there's any college I could see myself eating my spaghetti and rice (something I grew up loving in a Filipino household) it would be at Tufts. With over 30% of the student body being students of color and clubs that range from Caribbean club to Hellenic society, Tufts understands and cultivates diversity more than any college. Students like Jumbo Talk Tufts blogger, Orlando Economos, a poetry and debate enthusiast and Michael Edegware, a writing,...
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Supplemental Essay Unique question posed by school
722 Words
Rutgers University Essay "Hola" I said awkwardly. My failed attempt at a Spanish pronunciation was instead a horrible mixture of an American and Filipino accent. The student replied with a shy smile and dug into his backpack for the homework he needed help with. I took advantage of this pause to rake my brain for the necessary vocabulary needed to tutor this student. Papel, historia, ayuda--I rehearsed phrases and words I could say, questions I could ask, anything that could...
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Supplemental Essay Unique question posed by school
267 Words
Tufts University Question #2 Prompt: What makes you happy? Happiness is driving down the closest place to "rural" in New Jersey, rolling down my window all the way and obnoxiously singing to country music I barely knew the lyrics to. In other words, happiness to me, is freedom from chaos. Living in New Jersey, in front of an elementary school (I'm serious—the elementary school is literally 20 steps from my house) means that after school, I leave the chaotic high school...
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Supplemental Essay Unique question posed by school
269 Words
Tufts University Question #3 Prompt: Describe your household environment or family, or both. The best part of living in North Brunswick, a town of a nearly perfect ethnic distribution, is that diversity has turned Sunday dinners with the Macerens into a feast around the world. Platters of lamb gyro and chicken kebabs nested on beds of rice and vegetables from the Lebanese restaurant nearby or plates of sausage calzones and tiramisu from the local Italian pizzeria all have made their way...
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Additional Essay Details
40 Words
In my essays I tried to incorporate a little of humor, seriousness, and culture. Best advice is to start EARLY. Like very very early. I ended up writing 9 different essays before I finally settled with the common app essay above.
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General Admissions Advice

What I’d change about my application process
187 Words
Of all the small errors I brooded over to explain my list of college rejections, I think my ultimate failure was in not realizing that the college application process does not begin the summer of senior year--it starts when you're a freshman. I started high school with mediocre grades, complacent with the A's and B's...
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What might make for a good “Why Us” essay topic at my school
193 Words
The "Why us" college essay is probably one of the most difficult essays to write because so many schools overlap in the qualities that you are looking for. But the worst thing to do is to spew out facts and statistics that could easily be found on the school's website. The "Why us" essay is not...
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My advice about getting recommenders
215 Words
Almost everyone asks an English teacher for a recommendation letter. People think that being able to "write well" = a good recommendation letter. However, recommendation letters are judged based on their personal quality, not their writing quality. Select a teacher who thinks highly of you and can write passionately. So yeah, you may have your chem teacher in mind who has terrible spelling or...
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High School Performance

Weighted GPA
4.31
 
Rank
Top 5%
 
High School TypePublic
Academic Performance in High School Low at first but improved

Test Scores

Highest SAT
1530
on 1600 scale
Highest SAT
2240
 
SAT Score Details
 
Original SAT Score2240
Other SAT Scores
SAT Prep
PSAT Scores

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details9 classes and scores

Sports

SportsSwimming/Diving, Cross Country, Tennis

Extracurriculars

ActivitiesKey Club, Tutoring/Mentoring, Spanish Club, Science Club/Team, National Honor Society, Admissions or Post-Acceptance Committee
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work

Experience & Awards

How Spent Summers
Volunteer Experiences
Awards Received

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