u/Ecstatic_Daikon_9830

ISEF 2x Qualifier + ISEF 4th Place Grand Award
Sophomore hoping for at least one T10. Also how to publish + do more with my research?

Demographics

• Gender: Male
• Race/Ethnicity: white
• Residence: no doxing :)
• Income Bracket: Upper Middle
• School Type: Public high school (small 120 kids) - 2 kids Cornell this year
• Hooks: idk?

Intended Major(s): Engineering/AI/Comp Sci - what fits my app best?

Academics

• GPA (UW/W): 4.0 UW 4.397 w
• Rank: I fs know its a 2 or 3 but school doesnt rank
• Coursework: 15 aps rn (2 freshman, 3 sophomore, 5 junior, 5 senior)
• Junior Year Coursework: AP Gov, AP Calc AB, AP Lang, AP Physics 2, AP Chemistry, maybe self study physics c mechanics

Standardized Testing

• SAT: taking in august
• AP Scores: 5 Ap world, 5 comp sci principles
• Predicted Scores (Heard Seminar is easy so hopefully at least 4, AP Physics 1 was easy (5?), CSA hopefully a 5

Extracurriculars / Activities

1. Varsity Debate Team (Secretary + LD Squad Leader) - ungodly amount of time during debate season (my team is like 2 people we have to make all prep ourselves), 4 year rn
2. Developed/taught 4, 4-week coding workshops to 40+ students annually. Mentored beginners in Python/JavaScript, creating custom curricula and final projects.
3. Lead Coach for middle school extemporaneous debate and started team with a few other friends. Developed weekly curriculum for 25+ students, personally mentoring 5+ debaters to regional competition awards. Spearheaded winter season prep, focusing on evidence analysis and argumentation skills.
4. MIT Lincoln Lab BWSI (summer before sophomore year)
5. UPenn ESAP SEAS AI program for this summer
6. Full time job over summer lifeguard at pool + swim instructor
7. STEM Club President next year, 2 year rn
8. Comp Sci Honors Society - treasurer + will be president next year and manage outreach stuff + 2 year rn
9. Student Council Treasurer - 2y
10. JV Cross Country + JV Track + Gym (in of season)

Honors & Awards (not many any ideas?)

• ISEF 2025 & 2026 + 4th Place Grand Award 2026 (independent research so no professor)
• 2026 State fair - 2 special awards out of 11
• 2026 Local fair - ~5 special awards
• 2025 Local fair (got to ISEF through regional fair!) - youngest ISEF finalist in history of fair + ~4 special awards
• debate state qualifier (state sci fair on same day didn't compete)
• NSDA Degree of Distinction
• First place AMC10 in school

LORs

• none yet

Essays

• Got into beaverworks and upenn seas so I think they should be decent but those arent the most competitive

hoping for a T10 (HYPSM is dream) + berkeley, umich, case western, ucla, cornell, georgia tech.
Any tips on application and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also I need info on how to publish cuz I do my research completely independent.