u/Ok-Alps-773

I’m a rising junior interested in cs/data science and I was wondering if there is anything I should be doing to improve my chances in getting into a top college like stanford/mit (im dont have many stem-focused ecs)

i took ap hug freshman year and got a 4, and have finished ap chem and world this year. I plan to take ap csp, calc ab, lang, and stats next year.

my gpa UW and W is around 3.9/4.5 respectively and im like top 20/500 in my class (also in a public school in socal)

The only notable ec I have is co-founding a non profit that has raised over $5k for orphans in need (not 501c3 status yet would like more advice in applying for that if anyone knows)

Some questions I have include:
What important CS/data science ecs I should be starting rn?

What are things that would strengthen my
profile greatly?

Should I try doing research? And if so, how should I start?

Should I try to compete in competitions like hackathons with my little knowledge in coding or is it too late to start?

Any and all advice/shared past experiences are appreciated.

I’m a rising junior interested in cs/data science and I was wondering if there is anything I should be doing to improve my chances in getting into a top college like stanford/mit (im dont have many stem-focused ecs)

i took ap hug freshman year and got a 4, and have finished ap chem and world this year. I plan to take ap csp, calc ab, lang, and stats next year.

my gpa UW and W is around 3.9/4.5 respectively and im like top 20/500 in my class (also in a public school in socal)

The only notable ec I have is co-founding a non profit that has raised over $5k for orphans in need (not 501c3 status yet would like more advice in applying for that if anyone knows)

Some questions I have include:
What important CS/data science ecs I should be starting rn?

What are things that would strengthen my
profile greatly?

Should I try doing research? And if so, how should I start?

Should I try to compete in competitions like hackathons with my little knowledge in coding or is it too late to start?

Any and all advice/shared past experiences are appreciated.

I’m a sophomore from SoCal interested in applying to programs like MIT RSI, but I feel like I’m behind on research and major projects. I’m really motivated to improve make the most of the time I have left. What should I focus on right now to build a strong profile? I’m especially interested in STEM (data science or CS), and I’d appreciate advice on starting research, finding mentors, and creating meaningful projects that stand out. Any tips or personal experiences would be really helpful, thanks!