Video summary

STATS & ECS THAT GOT ME INTO HARVARD, MIT, STANFORD, YALE + MORE!! *sat, gpa, aps, awards, ecs

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main Ideas, Concepts, and Lessons

  • Purpose of the video: The creator shares the exact academic statistics and extracurricular activities they believe helped them gain admission to selective colleges, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, MIT, and others.
  • Tone/intent: They stress that this is not meant to brag, but to be helpful and inspirational.
  • Key lesson about admissions: College admissions are holistic—no single factor guarantees acceptance, and all parts of an application can contribute.
  • Personal framing: They caution against comparing yourself to others, emphasizing that everyone’s path is different.

Methodology: How to Build an Application (as Presented)

1) Academics and Testing

SAT

  • Took the SAT once during junior year
  • Score: 1580/1600
    • 780 Reading & Writing
    • 800 Math

GPA

  • 4.6 weighted GPA
  • 4.0 unweighted GPA

AP Exams

  • Took 9 AP exams total
  • Self-studied 3, earning 5s on those
  • Stated order of APs:
    1. AP Music Theory
    2. AP Chinese
    3. AP Seminar
    4. AP World History
    5. AP US History
    6. AP Chemistry
    7. AP Computer Science a
    8. AP Lang
    9. AP Calculus BC
  • Plans to take more APs the following year for college credits

Class Rank

  • Valedictorian
  • Ranked #1 out of 31
  • Context: transferred to a small school in junior year; noted pros/cons such as strong relationships but less institutional history with top colleges

2) Honors and Awards (5 Listed)

  1. Davidson Fellow Scholarship (2023)

    • Described as highly prestigious
    • Requires submitting a research project with multiple components (e.g., papers/videos)
    • They were the only music-category award winner in 2023
    • Research topic: benefits of instrumental music practice on increasing attention span

  2. US National Chemistry Olympiad

    • Took part in junior year
    • National finalist in their county
    • Also received outstanding student recognition at their school for the local round

  3. Scholastic Writing Awards

    • Silver Key (short story category)
    • Two honorable mentions
      • One in short story category
      • One in critical essay category

  4. OC ACS First-Year Chemistry Exam

    • Earned top/outstanding chemistry student award
    • Their school placed 2nd as a team award in the county
    • Timing: 10th grade (during honors chemistry)

  5. AP Scholar with Distinction

    • Presented as a reflection of AP performance

3) Extracurriculars (10 Activities Listed)

  1. Piano

    • Played for 13+ years
    • Participates in international competitions
    • Performs at concerts
    • Submitted a music supplemental portfolio where accepted

  2. Self-Published Author

    • Author of 5 novels online
    • Written/published over 1 million words in 4 years
    • Novels have over 9 million views internationally
    • Earned $10,000+ via monetization

  3. Nonprofit Founded: “Between You and I” (501(c)(3))

    • Founded 2018
    • Grew to 300+ volunteers
    • Community and program activities include:
      • Senior Center concerts
      • Trash cleanups
      • Virtual English and Music learning programs
      • Fundraising concerts raising nearly $10,000 for disasters (e.g., Turkey & Syria earthquakes, Hawaii fires, and COVID-19 early on)
    • Program described: help students keep practicing music and English learning, started during COVID to support productive instrument practice

  4. International Business & Development Internship (4 Years)

    • Team lead; built a team of 5 high school students
    • Worked with 4 Nigerian entrepreneurs to help start small businesses in Buchi, Nigeria
    • Produced: micro-grant proposals, financial solutions, marketing plans, logos, etc.
    • Motivation/interest: economics/business

  5. Investment Club

    • Co-founded in junior year
    • Weekly meetings to teach students how to invest and make financial decisions

  6. ASB (Associated Student Body)

    • Public relations officer in 11th grade
    • Elected ASB president that year
    • Responsibilities described: leading meetings, creating agendas
    • Additional initiative mentioned: founded PATH, a schoolwide fundraising ride where students vote for a cause and ASB hosts events to raise money

  7. Piano Teacher

    • Teaches 4 piano students weekly
    • Works on pieces, theory, finger technique, and more

  8. “Ryder Reporter” / Journalism

    • Published 9 articles on LA Times High School Insider
    • One article included in 2020 top stories list
    • Also published in Youth Colonia anthology (2022 & 2023) and Literacy Guild Anthology

  9. Hela’s Bakery Business Owner

    • Home cookie business
    • Functions as baker/owner, financial manager, and marketing manager
    • Metrics shared: ~1,400 cookies sold; social media videos ~3 million views

  10. Volunteer at Discovery Cube Science Center

    • Volunteers occasionally
    • Helps operate science-based exhibits, engages guests, and answers STEM questions

Closing Message: Broader Takeaways

  • The creator argues that applications are holistic, and applicants should understand that multiple elements (academics, honors, extracurriculars, personal commitments) can matter.
  • They emphasize not comparing yourself to others—ultimately, it’s about your own path.

Speakers and Sources Featured

  • Speaker: The YouTube creator (unnamed in subtitles; narrator throughout)

Referenced Organizations / Outlets (Sources/Brands Mentioned)

  • Comment app (referenced for listing activities/honors)
  • Davidson Institute (implied via the Davidson Fellow scholarship)
  • US Chemistry Olympiad / Chemistry Olympiad
  • Scholastic Writing Awards
  • OC ACS First-Year Chemistry Exam (as named)
  • LA Times High School Insider
  • Youth Colonia anthology
  • Literacy Guild Anthology
  • Discovery Cube Science Center
  • ASB (Associated Student Body)
  • 501(c)(3) (legal category referenced for the nonprofit)
  • Colleges referenced: Harvard, Stanford, Yale, MIT (plus “more” without specifics)

Original video