hi guys im a sophomore transfer from a washington cc! i was committed to uroch and then got into usc yesterday. i like rochester for the rlly well structured cogsci program, smaller/more academic environment, research opportunities and open curriculum. what draws me to usc is that the travel time is less/cheaper as i live in washington, general prestige, plenty of majors in case i wanna double major in design and number of opportunities outside the medical field in case i decide a phd in clinical psych/premed/smth similar isn't for me and smth like ux research fits me better. currently have 90% scholarship to rochester and waiting for usc to send their aid docs but IF i were to get smth similar from them does anyone have insight cuz maybe i dont know usc and its cogsci program well enough...

hi guys im a sophomore transfer (sophomore next year) and found a freshman roommate. can we room together or is that not allowed? i cant find any sophomores looking for a roommate anywhere:(

currently a freshman at a washington cc
major: cognitive science or pnp at washu (i plan to double major with infosci or envirosci and centered my essays around that)

white female asking for like 95% financial aid, we can pay max like 15k a year
HS GPA - 3.7 UW, 9 AP classes all 4s and 5s on exams

one dual enrollment class from sophomore year: 3.0

current GPA: 3.96 with 18-20 credits each quarter one, one W last quarter in intro to cs:(

1450 SAT

additional info: fathers severe addiction forced us to sometimes flee the house at night and this situation worsened some mental health stuff so my grades weren't amazing freshman year but now we are in a much better situation. i also worked to help support my family which led me to drop the cs class because i couldn't give it my all.

awards (pretty lacking here...): 

seals of biliteracy in russian and french

15th place nationally in le grand concours AP division( junior year of HS)

local university honors orchestra participant by nomination (junior year of HS)

invitation to local envirosci conference (this was a huge stretch but my attendance was fully paid for...)

activities:

college neuroscience club president

initiated memory focus of collaborative research project on binaural beat frequencies; contributed to survey design and inferential statistical analysis; co-produced original binaural beats through audio wave analysis and violin performance; initiated and organized all major club events, including lab tours at local neuroscience centers, coordinating guest speakers in neuroscience and neurodegenerative disease research, and educational events in local elementary schools; HHS/CITI–certified in Human Subjects Research Protection

retail shift lead

helped build new furniture for store opening,facilitated inter-store product transfer, product delivery/overall smooth run of store, operated point-of-sale (POS) systems to process purchases, returns, and refunds with accuracy and efficiency.

sustainability intern

 Advocated for plant-based dining by default on campus through outreach with decision-makers. Conducted on-campus food systems research and student surveys to inform data-driven strategies for change. coordinated a food-tasting event with some company representatives for earth month!

english tutor with nonprofit

taught english to ukrainian professor via zoom, created vocabulary quizzes and scenario practice questions, initiated video/article discussions, assisted with learning essential skills including professional email writing, everyday conversation, and academic language proficiency

french tutor (in HS plus this past summer)

 Designed curriculum and taught weekly French lessons to 7 elementary school students. focused on grammar, spelling, pronunciation, and cultural understanding through interactive activities, games and presentations.

french teachers assistant at efgs (junior and senior year of HS)

supported teacher in preparing and organizing instructional materials, maintaining an engaging and structured classroom environment. reinforced students' language and critical thinking skills through art projects, quizzes, and reading/writing assignments. served as a lunch/recess monitor to ensure student safety, helped resolve disputes and assist with injuries.

self taught interior designer (throughout middle school):

self-directed design projects using HomeByMe software to create 15+ 3D homes and explore how environment influences daily life and behavior. sent some schools a portfolio of my rendered work.

school newspaper staff reporter

researched, interviewed, and wrote timely articles on campus events/issues; collaborated with editors to meet deadlines and maintain journalistic quality. wrote 2 articles per week. articles were "spotlit" on website displaying writing skill and relevancy. i submitted to a journalism competition but i dont think i'll win anything:(

Writing:

my supplementals talked about my immigrant background, wanting to build better language learning tech for ELL students, merging enviro sci and psychology, club leadership, etc.

RESULTS:

pomona: rejected

carleton college: waitlisted

university of rochester: accepted with 20k PTK scholarship (committed cuz it was 15k total)

barnard college: rejected

washu: rejected

cornell: rejected

umich: rejected (offered to move my application to the next cycle, i declined)

northwestern: tbd

columbia: tbd

usc: tbd

tufts: tbd

go waitlisted:(

washu is releasing may 7th! just got an email.