1. The X-factor: Getting noticed in a crowd- learnings from mentoring high schoolersin science/technology - AshaUSA Panel September 13th, 2014

2. What are good colleges looking for? • The usual • High school academics: good GPA, AP courses, … • Standardized tests: good SAT scores, SAT2’s, … • Good college essays • Well-rounded individual • Some sense of community service • … • The unusual • Informally called the X factor (for eXceptional)

3. The X-factor • Type I: An exceptional level of achievement in what lots of people do • State/national level achievement in sports • State/national level achievement in science/technology competitions • Almost perfect GPA, outstanding SAT scores • … • Type II: An unexpected achievement • Publishing a novel while in school (Stanford) • Publishing a research article in a professional journal (U Chicago) • Inventing a patentable technology (MIT) • Starting an organization for mentoring middle school girls in STEM areas (MIT) • … • X-factor makes admissions’ officers take note, and say to themselves ‘this applicant is different’

4. How to get the Type II X-factor • You have to know that it’s important • Figure out what type of X-factor excites you • Identify your mentoring team • Parent: keeping track of things, managing logistics, … • Subject expert: professor, researcher, artist, writer, anyone who’s an accomplished expert in their area • Process expert: knows about competitions, how to present yourself, what they’re looking for, etc. • Work out a plan with your mentoring team • Work hard to execute the plan • Keep refining the plan as it progresses

5. Experience as a subject expert • Professor of Computer Science at the U of M • Work very actively with companies • Research partnership • Consulting/advising • Started my own company • Mentored 9 high schoolers over the past 4 years

6. I want to thank • First and foremost my mentees, from whom I have learned a lot • RichaSharan (U Penn/Wharton, Biomedical Engg & Mgmt) • RashiSharan (U Michigan, Industrial Engg) • Samarth Damania (U Chicago, Economics) • Parag Srivastava (CMU, Comp Sc.) • Arjun Singh (Boston U, Journalism/Intl Relns) • Ansh Shukla (Stanford, Math/Comp Sc) • Sanjana Srivastava (MIT, Comp Sc/Bio) • In progress: Rohan Sinha (12th), Rishabh Sinha (11th) • Other high-schoolers: SiddharthDamania (Stanford), Ritika Prasad (Stanford), Ishita Prasad (Stanford), Rishi Sinha (UC Berkeley) • Process experts: PrincesaVanBuren-Hansen, Lois Fruen • Parents: Bhavesh, and many others

7. Some Useful Resources • College rankings • US News spends far more effort on marketing their rankings than on its quality, so use it with care • Most respected and correct: Academic Ranking of World Universities (also called “Shanghai Ranking) • http://www.shanghairanking.com/ • College admission stats, cost, and much more • National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) • http://nces.ed.gov/ • One of the best books on writing college essays • Harry Bauld, “On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance at the College of Your Choice” • For perspectives of former and aspiring college applicants • The College Confidential blog • http://www.collegeconfidential.com/

8. Good luck in your quest! jaideep.srivastava@gmail.com