I was thinking of re-applying to Ashoka this October in Round 1 (i also applied this year in round 4 but couldn't get in because of my badly written essays. that's a long-short story tbh), My major of choice is gonna be Physics (though I'm still confused between this, Political Science and History).

I was thinking if some senior could, like, help me with the essays and stuff. My writing is "good" so I certainly can do that part myself, but most importantly what i need is a person who could tell me that out of my many extracurriculars which ones I should put in, and how much or how deeply should I talk about them.

I've been told that my ECs are good, but my academics are a bit below average (10th-83%, 11th-65% and 12th-75%.) My ECs are mostly related to Philosophy, Political Science and Journalism, and a few of them are related to Physics (Aeronautics and Particle Physics etc.)

I also tried finding seniors on LinkedIn, Instagram but so far no one has replied. I mean there's still 2 months so it's fine I guess

Hi, I applied to Ashoka this year, in r3, but then shifted to r4 because NEET clashed with AAA. People said that my profile was nice and that it's highly likely that I get in, the only downside being my academics (10-84%, 11-66% 12-75%). But in the end, I wasn't even selected for an interview. I didn't really have any backup colleges left so have decided to take a drop and attempt IAT in 2027 and apply again in Ashoka this October, or just leave and complete my higher education Netherlands. I would be so so glad if a senior would look at my profile and please tell me my weak points, or what it was that was a dealbreaker.

Ik the admissions are weird, but was this not even deserving of an interview?

Below I've attached my essays that i submitted on the application, and at the end I've attached my Resume.

Academic Information

>Three essays shortlisted in the John Locke Global Essay Prize (Theology, History, Politics), with a Very High Commendation and $800 scholarship in Politics. Independently conducted physics experiments, including designing and testing small-scale rocket engine prototypes, building a spectroscope and a cloud chamber, and developing model aircraft. Engaged deeply with theoretical questions, authoring an unpublished paper exploring a philosophical argument for the existence of atoms. Participated in Army Public School Model United Nations and a debate on renewable energy, developing structured, evidence-based argumentation

Activity 1

>Founded and run an independent socio-political and cultural journal. I write and edit long-form pieces engaging with contemporary political and social questions, and manage the publication process. As part of this, I have conducted interviews with professors from Sciences Po, the University of Oxford, and JNU, engaging directly with academic perspectives. I have also published invited work by a political scientist and former Delhi University professor. The platform is committed to accessible, unbiased discourse and has allowed me to explore journalism as a space for rigorous, idea-driven public engagement. (www.thealdente.in)

Activity 2

>I create fashion designs and 3D concepts that merge Indian maximalism with Western minimalism, drawing inspiration from designers like Dior and Sabyasachi. My work explores the balance between ornamentation and structure, combining elements such as sarees, dhotis, trench coats, and embroidery into experimental silhouettes. A key focus of my designs is challenging gender norms by reimagining traditionally gendered garments for all identities. Through detailed sketching and conceptual modeling, I treat fashion as both an artistic and cultural dialogue using clothing to reinterpret heritage, question conventions, and express identity beyond rigid boundaries

Activity 3

>I wrote a novella centered on a teenage girl from a lower middle-class Indian family who is confronted by God in her dreams and told that she has never truly lived, only conformed. She negotiates for 100 more days, using that time to confront her circumstances and assert her agency. The narrative explores themes of mortality, rebellion, and suppressed anger within familial and societal constraints. It examines how young individuals process death, identity, and autonomy, while portraying generational tensions that arise through defiance. The work was also recognized in a local newspaper, highlighting its thematic depth and originality.

Book Recommendation

>I discovered The God of Small Things on my father’s shelf, and its language transformed how I saw writing. Arundhati Roy’s vivid prose revealed how small details shape lives. The novel deepened my understanding of caste, class, and gender, influencing how I observe, write, and engage with social inequality.

Essay

>I grew up in a home with books but without a fixed academic path. I had to figure things out on my own. In school, I studied Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, without Mathematics as a formal subject. Since I wanted to pursue physics, I began studying mathematics independently. This changed how I learn. I rely on self-study, repetition, and problem-solving rather than structured guidance.

>My environment had limits. I did not have access to formal lab spaces or equipment. I worked with what I had. I built small rocket prototypes after reading about propulsion. I made a cloud chamber to observe cosmic rays. I built a basic spectroscope to study light. These projects were simple, but they made concepts real. When something failed, I had to understand why and try again. This taught me to work through confusion instead of avoiding it.

>Alongside science, I spend a lot of time reading and writing. I am drawn to literature and political thought. Books like The God of Small Things changed how I pay attention to detail and structure. I started noticing how small things shape larger outcomes, both in stories and in real life.

>I also founded a small online journal focused on socio-political writing. Through this, I have interviewed professors from Sciences Po, Oxford, and JNU, and published work by a political scientist. This gave me exposure to academic thinking outside textbooks. It also helped me learn how to ask direct questions and engage with complex ideas in a clear way.

>Writing is an important part of how I think. I wrote a novella about a teenage girl who is told she has never truly lived and is given one hundred days to change that. The story focuses on control, family pressure, and personal agency. It was later mentioned in a local newspaper. Writing this helped me explore ideas about freedom and identity in a way that academic work does not always allow

>My environment also includes direct exposure to inequality. While tutoring students from underprivileged backgrounds, I saw how access, language, and confidence affect learning. These differences appear early and shape outcomes over time. This experience made me more aware of how systems, both social and educational, influence opportunity.

>I also work on fashion design as a personal interest. I create sketches that combine Indian and Western styles and often challenge fixed ideas of gender. This process involves structure, balance, and iteration, which connects with how I approach both science and writing.

>These experiences led me to physics and philosophy. Physics gives me a way to study how systems work at a fundamental level. Philosophy allows me to question the assumptions behind those systems. I want to study in an environment that supports both, where I can move across disciplines while building depth. My academic path has not been structured, but it has been consistent in one way: I learn by questioning, building, and refining.

RESUME:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bIIqhMkvlm-c26eEv0L-5sVTCr7Hz_8q/view?usp=sharing

Approximately on 9AM IST today, The Delhi Police has forcibly kidnapped Sonam the public personality, educator and scientist, who was sitting on an indefinite strike on the Jantar Mantar from June 28, 2026 asking for the resignation of Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, the Education Minister of India who was directly responsible for the 2026 NEET (The National MBBS Entrance Test of India), and the disparities in the results of CBSE Grade 12th examinations.

Sonam Wangchuk had to march towards the Parliament on 20th July, 2026, where he would ask for accountability and ask why the government had not even acknowledged the protests.

On July 17, The Delhi Police Commissioner changed and on July 18 the new commissioner gave the order to forcibly remove Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site.

The Police say that this was in accordance with the order of the Delhi High Court’s orders. But the orders were to first monitor the health of Mr. Wangchuk, and if the situation was life threatening then they must take the doctor’s advice and proceed accordingly.

The Delhi Police instead stormed the protest site on 9AM IST On 18th July, 2026,  they assaulted many protestors and detained many of them, one of which was Mr. Abhijit Dipke who was the founder and the person heading this protest, and forcibly took Mr. Wangchuk away to some undisclosed location, possibly a hospital, in what seemed like a literal event of unlawful kidnapping. This is a serious contempt of court and a violation of International Human Rights too. No one’s allowed to leave the premises of Jantar Mantar, no one’s allowed to come in.

Sonam Wangchuk’s health is not the concern of the government, if it was, then it would have acknowledged the protest and had, at the very least, resorted to dialogue. They’re only picking him up to destroy this protest

Underneath is all the important information and resources:

This paper leak, which was the starting spark of the protest, alone has affected many students and their families, as 22 Lakh (2.2 Million) students were to appear for them. This has also caused the tragic deaths by suicide of more than 11 children who were studying under the stress of such competitive exams where the selection rate is less than 5%. Atleast it’s the 11 which were reported, we believe there are many many more suicides. (in 2024 alone, which was the year when another NEET scandal took place, almost 14,488 student deaths were recorded, the highest of many).

Mr Dharmendra Pradhan has been in office since 5 years, and in that timeframe India has suffered from 90+ paper leaks (4-5 happening this year only), the same papers for the examinations which decide the future for crores and crores of students, and in a country with such a large wealth disparity, these examinations often are the only way for a middle class person to afford a good life for themselves and their family.

In 2026, Pradhan had taken the responsibility of the paper leaks and the CBSE scandal, yet his speech of responsibility was followed by yet another set of paper leaks and allegations, following which there was an outcry for him to resign from his post as he is clearly unable to handle such cases efficiently. He has yet to give his resignation.

Following another remark by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant, where he stated that, "There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don't get any employment or have any place in the profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists, and they start attacking everyone…” 

This again was met by an outcry of the youth, leading to the creation of the Cockroach Janta Party, a (at first) satirical meme-page which pretended to be a political party of the youth, one of its main concerns was demanding the resignation of the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This movement caught much traction, gaining upwards of 20 Million followers on Instagram within a week. The movement was led by Abhijit Dipke, who was a graduate of Boston University at that time living in the USA.

He then proceeded to travel to India on June 6 and started a peaceful protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. His demands were to ask for the resignation of the Education Minister, which would ideally start a snowball of accountability, setting a precedent of what happens with people who don’t do their jobs correctly.

He then proceeded to hold various protests across india, returning to Delhi on 20th June, where he proceeded to hold an indefinite protest on the site of Jantar Mantar until Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. He was also joined by Mr. Sonam Wangchuk, who is a big personality here in India, singlehandedly brought up the literacy rates from 5% to 75% of his hometown, Ladakh. He had also helped the government with many natural projects.

His last protest before the Jantar Mantar was in September, 2025, an indefinite hunger strike organized alongside the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). He demanded statehood and Sixth Schedule constitutional safeguards. He called off the protest after local demonstrations turned violent, resulting in four deaths. 

After that, on September 26 he was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA), police officials said that he was in touch with Pakistani Terror Groups and had made many speeches calling for violence, none of which they managed to give any proof of. He was jailed for 170 days, only to be released on March 14, 2026.

On June 28 he began his indefinite hunger strike, which was to be had till July 20, 2026, where he would, alongside many protestors from all over the country, march towards the Parliament, asking as to why has the government not even acknowledged the protest.

https://preview.redd.it/tdichqnvjxdh1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=15fad7b184938e0699822dc66fbfef6df9da9c76

Statement from Sonam Wangchuk’s Wife

Sonam Wangchuk Hunger Strike 2026: Why He Is Protesting - Frontline 
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/india-moves-fasting-activist-hospital-police-say-2026-07-18/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjej3dxxg2do
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-cockroach-youth-movement-founder-arrives-new-delhi-protest-modi-2026-06-06/
 
Video Proof:

SaveInta.com_AQM_BiAIp3LU_v_2wHZhLUEV4M51JcnbC-DmxHoMpeFIw1pDnt1KvMBLWQu4f1y1p40QONn80X3H2m0dc3_e_7YOas-fb8QDhApROGM.mp4 - Google Drive

SaveInta.com_AQN9Db3RR_xpmy5g7OOGMq9SOe_nGtWc_5BhRakPlL-NvfcnwaWR8xME0Iyrlh-wcQ28n7Bzr6_HNgyY19ckJdrGtYu6hLCSY8RRQ48.mp4 - Google Drive

SaveInta.com_AQNJ9JjWT_otJORpWImjr0cNxYainzxMTZwsuHaLHSv7d4HQ_LdYn5DfjFPngTWAylcGD2_uDO7VkZwyjVM08BcSWekxQ_4f3_pUXCo.mp4 - Google Drive

SaveInta.com_AQNoY-JwZEikA9J7BO5lXB5i2NeZ5EbGzik4kXE7ZK6Q6h1UZyU4LOtxGcGvisXvS25T3ZS-Iui0PY3awr9dZUBE_loNv3cQIrluBdg.mp4 - Google Drive

Approximately on 9AM IST today, The Delhi Police has forcibly kidnapped Sonam the public personality, educator and scientist, who was sitting on an indefinite strike on the Jantar Mantar from June 28, 2026 asking for the resignation of Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, the Education Minister of India who was directly responsible for the 2026 NEET (The National MBBS Entrance Test of India), and the disparities in the results of CBSE Grade 12th examinations.

Sonam Wangchuk had to march towards the Parliament on 20th July, 2026, where he would ask for accountability and ask why the government had not even acknowledged the protests.

On July 17, The Delhi Police Commissioner changed and on July 18 the new commissioner gave the order to forcibly remove Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site.

The Police say that this was in accordance with the order of the Delhi High Court’s orders. But the orders were to first monitor the health of Mr. Wangchuk, and if the situation was life threatening then they must take the doctor’s advice and proceed accordingly.

The Delhi Police instead stormed the protest site on 9AM IST On 18th July, 2026,  they assaulted many protestors and detained many of them, one of which was Mr. Abhijit Dipke who was the founder and the person heading this protest, and forcibly took Mr. Wangchuk away to some undisclosed location, possibly a hospital, in what seemed like a literal event of unlawful kidnapping. This is a serious contempt of court and a violation of International Human Rights too. No one’s allowed to leave the premises of Jantar Mantar, no one’s allowed to come in.

Sonam Wangchuk’s health is not the concern of the government, if it was, then it would have acknowledged the protest and had, at the very least, resorted to dialogue. They’re only picking him up to destroy this protest

Underneath is all the important information and resources:

This paper leak, which was the starting spark of the protest, alone has affected many students and their families, as 22 Lakh (2.2 Million) students were to appear for them. This has also caused the tragic deaths by suicide of more than 11 children who were studying under the stress of such competitive exams where the selection rate is less than 5%. Atleast it’s the 11 which were reported, we believe there are many many more suicides. (in 2024 alone, which was the year when another NEET scandal took place, almost 14,488 student deaths were recorded, the highest of many).

Mr Dharmendra Pradhan has been in office since 5 years, and in that timeframe India has suffered from 90+ paper leaks (4-5 happening this year only), the same papers for the examinations which decide the future for crores and crores of students, and in a country with such a large wealth disparity, these examinations often are the only way for a middle class person to afford a good life for themselves and their family.

In 2026, Pradhan had taken the responsibility of the paper leaks and the CBSE scandal, yet his speech of responsibility was followed by yet another set of paper leaks and allegations, following which there was an outcry for him to resign from his post as he is clearly unable to handle such cases efficiently. He has yet to give his resignation.

Following another remark by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant, where he stated that, "There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don't get any employment or have any place in the profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists, and they start attacking everyone…” 

This again was met by an outcry of the youth, leading to the creation of the Cockroach Janta Party, a (at first) satirical meme-page which pretended to be a political party of the youth, one of its main concerns was demanding the resignation of the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This movement caught much traction, gaining upwards of 20 Million followers on Instagram within a week. The movement was led by Abhijit Dipke, who was a graduate of Boston University at that time living in the USA.

He then proceeded to travel to India on June 6 and started a peaceful protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. His demands were to ask for the resignation of the Education Minister, which would ideally start a snowball of accountability, setting a precedent of what happens with people who don’t do their jobs correctly.

He then proceeded to hold various protests across india, returning to Delhi on 20th June, where he proceeded to hold an indefinite protest on the site of Jantar Mantar until Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. He was also joined by Mr. Sonam Wangchuk, who is a big personality here in India, singlehandedly brought up the literacy rates from 5% to 75% of his hometown, Ladakh. He had also helped the government with many natural projects.

His last protest before the Jantar Mantar was in September, 2025, an indefinite hunger strike organized alongside the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). He demanded statehood and Sixth Schedule constitutional safeguards. He called off the protest after local demonstrations turned violent, resulting in four deaths. 

After that, on September 26 he was arrested under the National Security Act (NSA), police officials said that he was in touch with Pakistani Terror Groups and had made many speeches calling for violence, none of which they managed to give any proof of. He was jailed for 170 days, only to be released on March 14, 2026.

On June 28 he began his indefinite hunger strike, which was to be had till July 20, 2026, where he would, alongside many protestors from all over the country, march towards the Parliament, asking as to why has the government not even acknowledged the protest.

Statement from Sonam Wangchuk’s Wife

Sonam Wangchuk Hunger Strike 2026: Why He Is Protesting - Frontline 
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/india-moves-fasting-activist-hospital-police-say-2026-07-18/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjej3dxxg2do
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-cockroach-youth-movement-founder-arrives-new-delhi-protest-modi-2026-06-06/

I don't even know wtf is this shit. I can't go to the US due to reasons and Ashoka was one of my last resorts lmao. Will try again.

Congratulations to eveyone who got in

I am healed.

I don't really have much to say, except that for the past few days I was feeling so down and melancholic, and I today outta nowhere decided to buy a Harmonica from the local store, and I haven't felt better.

I'm gonna learn how to play this first and then move on to other instruments too. I've always wanted to buy an electric guitar.

bye!

I haven't really gotten a rejection neither an invite, the last correspondence happened on 2nd July where they asked me to send my IAT Results over till 5th July for my "last stage of assessments". I sent them over and they replied with, "Thank you for sending this across. We have made a note."

I'm just so depressed, knowing that I won't get in, even though with above average ECs, it's been hard to even get up from my bed, and yeah I mean there's so many things contributing to my mental wellbeing, but tbh since the last few months I had really kept this as my last straw, to help me get away from all the things happening at home.

I shouldn't have had asked them to transfer my application from R3 to R4 just because of that pig of an exam, referred to as NEET.

I have lost all hope, but nonetheless, life ain't ending even though it feels like it is.

gosh.

PS. My AAT+OSE went rather well, my ECs: https://drive.google.com/file/d/100XJ_quE1nPDkcP_2RqmcaGH-xSz1fR8/view?usp=sharing

This has been on my mind since morning, when this happened, I don't really blame Uber for this as they've been rather responsive, but I still needed a place to vent.

I booked a cab in the morning from my Uber account, when a ride was booked, the driver called me on the phone, I was busy so I gave the phone to my nephew, to him, the driver complained that the distance was 10km away from his position and asked him what the fare was showing on the app.

(why would the driver firstly accept the ride and then complain about the location? if it auto accepted then it should be his problem to cancel the ride)

He told the driver that it was ≈ 400INR, to which he told my nephew that he'll take 800INR because he had to "also come 10 kilometres".

He then told the driver that I will only pay what was showing on the app, and after that the driver continued to verbally abuse him and made a few deregotary sexual remarks. He cut the call and he cancelled the ride.

What's worse is that my nephew himself is a minor and is autistic and even though this ordeal isn't THAT serious compared to the things people go through everyday, it certainly has affected him more than it would do to anyone else.

I'm just sad since morning tbh because of this.

I do have the audio recording of the call, which lasted around 50 seconds

PS. Cab driver accepted the ride, asked for double money from my underaged nephew, verbally abused him after he was refused any cash

Got my Ather Rizta S last month, a few days ago the pro pack was activated and I got the number plate, but I cannot use the turn by turn navigation, call display (most important for me) and music function.

I checked the app and in the "active subscriptions" page it says "0/2" and on the "Ather Connect" tab it says "inactive"

should I call the showroom or will it resolve in a few days?

I know in R3 people got the interview invite even as late as just a week before the final decisions, but did the batch also get the rejections before that too?

I don't know if I should be hopeful about the interview notif coming because it's seldom I get things I am hopeful for.

Apologies for the nuisance.

My CV:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/100XJ_quE1nPDkcP_2RqmcaGH-xSz1fR8/view?usp=sharing

Physics 12th ka complete hai and 11th ka aadha hogaya, same for biology, Mathematics I'll manage, but Chemistry mujhey samajh hi nhi aati jitna koshish kar lu, I have a hard time memorizing it, I used to think ki on the scale of most logical to most illogical, Chemistry lies in the middle, but now I'm realizing that to me it's even more illogical than Biology. So far I'm using that MTG NCERT Line by Line book for biology, SL Arora and HC Verma for Physics.

Translation:

Physics for 12th is complete and about half of 11th is done; it’s the same for Biology. I’ll manage Mathematics. But I just can’t understand Chemistry no matter how hard I try, I also struggle to memorize it. I used to think that on the scale from most logical to most illogical, Chemistry sits somewhere in the middle, but now I feel like, for me, it’s even more illogical than Biology.

Right now, I’m using the MTG NCERT Line-by-Line book for Biology, and SL Arora and HC Verma for Physics.