Video summary

COLUMBIA Engineering Student Explains How He Got In + More!

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas, concepts, and lessons

1) Background & academic profile (why his application worked)

  • Introduces himself as Shujan Singh, an incoming freshman at Columbia University.
  • Shares that he was also admitted to several other engineering-focused schools (e.g., Purdue, University of Michigan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Minnesota, University of Kansas).
  • Explains his high school context:
    • His school was not highly competitive and had no class rank.
    • Used a 4.0 GPA scale with:
      • Unweighted GPA: 4.0
      • Weighted GPA: 4.77
    • Test scores:
      • ACT composite: 33
      • ACT superscore: 34
  • Frames the video as moving from background → application questions → admissions lessons.

2) “Ultimate hook” / what made his application stand out

  • His key differentiator: he didn’t follow a common “research internship program” pathway just to look impressive.
  • He clarifies his major interest: Mechanical Engineering.
  • He argues that:
    • Many top-school students pursue research/IP/internships early, but he wasn’t genuinely interested in that.
    • Instead, he focused on activities he genuinely enjoyed, aiming to pave his own path.

Core principle

  • Don’t let online “should-do” advice fully determine your path.
  • Build achievements by:
    • Capitalizing on strengths
    • Following real passions/interests
    • Going “deep” enough for them to become strong extracurriculars

Important warning

  • Having a passion isn’t enough—you must invest significant time for it to translate into meaningful extracurricular achievements.

3) Treating high school vs college admissions as “two different worlds”

  • In high school, he did not tailor activities to specific colleges.
  • He didn’t think about college seriously until around June of junior year (starting to form a college list).
  • His approach:
    • Enjoy what you do in high school
    • Then apply when the time comes
    • He claims he didn’t do “single” actions to tailor toward a top school—he just did what he enjoyed
  • Result: he got into Columbia and other strong engineering schools.

4) His top extracurricular/project: First Robotics + how he built it

He presents a detailed “journey” showing how extracurricular impact can come from persistence and genuine commitment.

Why he chose robotics

  • Common advice says: do research, IP, internships, etc.
  • He instead chose First Robotics:
    • A global robotics organization that supports competitive teams in K–12 settings.
  • Freshman year:
    • Joined his local First Robotics team
    • Became so invested that he avoided other time-consuming programs because robotics consumed his focus.

How his robotics involvement grew over time

  • Freshman year: mostly networking / joining and helping the team.
  • During and after the robotics season:
    • Even when the season ends around April, he kept working:
      • CAD projects
      • 3D printing
      • Developing CAD models for new robot designs
  • Leadership progression:
    • Built up into leadership
    • Became co-captain during senior year

Starting his own robotics team (the “messy journey”)

  • Obstacles starting a new team:
    • His engineering teacher initially would not sponsor the team.
    • Reason: local sponsors were already committed elsewhere (plus other unspecified reasons).
  • Key lesson from obstacles:
    • If you want to pursue a passion at a high level, obstacles will appear.
    • The decision is whether you persist or quit, even if it takes longer than expected.

Funding strategy and persistence (explicit process)

  • Over one summer (sophomore year summer):
    • He reached out to 250+ local STEM companies requesting sponsorships.
    • Outcome:
      • By July: no funding initially
      • Eventually: 2 sponsorships out of 250 were enough to begin the team
  • Then, during the school year:
    • He applied for more grants and sponsorships.
    • He raised about $9,000 total.
  • Team impact:
    • Built a team of 15+ members
    • Focused on learning and problem-solving rather than only competition wins
    • He notes they did not win competitions, but still considers it a successful extracurricular.

“Not every extracurricular is about winning”

  • He emphasizes:
    • The goal is growth and impact
    • Use extracurriculars to create:
      • A stronger STEM/robotics culture
      • Stronger engineers in the school/community
      • Long-term benefits beyond medals

5) DECA and leadership: multiple roles can work if tied to impact

  • He also did DECA and served as president of his chapter.
  • He took additional leadership positions as well.
  • He addresses a popular online debate:
    • Some advice says multiple leadership roles across multiple clubs isn’t enough to get into top schools.
  • His rebuttal:
    • Any path can work if you show real impact
    • Leadership roles are credible if you can connect them to a strategy, purpose, or theme in your application
    • Execution and depth matter.

6) The hardest part is starting

  • He claims:
    • Starting is the hardest barrier.
    • Once you begin, it becomes easier because:
      • People can guide you
      • Others have paved similar paths (clubs/research/opportunities)

7) Application essays: how to be authentic (not just repeat the resume)

He answers: how to frame essays to show authentic personality rather than summarizing achievements.

Advice 1: Show campus impact (not necessarily academic only)

  • Your goal is to communicate what you can contribute to the college campus.
  • A personal statement is a strong place to show:
    • Value systems
    • Cultural identity/heritage
    • Passions and research
    • How you will contribute positively

Advice 2: Evoke emotion in the reader

  • He argues that admissions officers should remember:
    • Not exactly what you said, but
    • How they felt while reading it
  • Practical guidance:
    • Write from the perspective of an admissions officer:
      • “Am I feeling something from this essay?”
      • “What should they take away that makes them consider my potential?”

8) Time management: balancing GPA/tests/extracurriculars

He answers: how he maintained top academics with extracurricular involvement.

Key idea: balance (trade-off) exists

  • As GPA/test goals get higher, extracurricular time may decrease.
  • Top-college students manage:
    • A GPA/test level that’s strong and “doable”
    • Enough time left to build extracurricular depth

His GPA philosophy

  • He didn’t aim for a “5.0” or extreme maximum.
  • Goal was:
    • Get A-level performance to show academic competence
    • Then put extra time into extracurriculars
  • Why: it creates a well-rounded profile instead of only academics dominating.

Summer strategy for test scores

  • He recommends prioritizing standardized tests over the summer.
  • Why:
    • Summer provides more time to “knock out” test prep
    • Frees the school year to focus on extracurriculars/passion projects

Final framing

  • High school success becomes time management across:
    • GPA
    • Summer test prep
    • Extracurricular strength

9) Mindset: “One college is all it takes”

  • He applied to 18 schools:
    • Rejected from 10
    • Waitlisted for 2
    • Accepted into 6
  • He stresses:
    • Getting rejected widely is normal.
    • The admissions process is partly random (some schools simply may not connect with an application).
  • His recommendation:
    • Don’t assume you must get into many colleges to validate your worth.
    • One school that values your potential is enough.
    • Rejection elsewhere doesn’t negate your chances.

Methodology / instructional bullet points (compiled from the video)

A) Build a standout application by following genuine interests (not just trends)

  • Choose extracurriculars based on what you genuinely enjoy, not what “looks best” online.
  • Invest deeply enough that interest becomes:
    • Stronger contributions
    • Higher-quality achievements
  • Do not assume passion automatically becomes an impressive activity—schedule time and effort into it.

B) “High school admissions” approach (timing & tailoring)

  • In early/high school:
    • Focus on activities you enjoy rather than tailoring toward a specific college.
  • Start college list and essay/application work later (he mentions around June of junior year).
  • When applying, submit the application without forcing it to mirror “top-school templates.”

C) Building an extracurricular from scratch (robotics example)

  • Start by joining or helping an existing team to learn the workflow and culture.
  • During off-season months:
    • Continue technical work (e.g., CAD/3D printing for robotics).
  • When starting a new team:
    • Expect sponsorship barriers.
    • Persist even after rejection.
    • Use a structured outreach plan:
      • Contact 250+ potential sponsors if necessary
      • Track results and adjust
  • Replace early scarcity with later scaling:
    • After initial sponsorships, apply for grants and additional sponsorships.
  • Use the “impact mindset”:
    • Growth and STEM culture matter even without competition wins.

D) Essay writing: authenticity without repeating your resume

  • Make your essays about impact on campus.
  • Include personal elements that show:
    • Identity, values, heritage
    • Passions or the personal meaning behind your projects
  • For the personal statement:
    • Aim to evoke emotion in the reader.
    • Write using the admissions officer’s perspective:
      • “Will this make them feel something and remember that feeling?”
  • Ensure all essays align with your contribution and narrative rather than sounding like a resume.

E) Managing academics + tests + extracurriculars

  • Maintain balance by choosing a GPA target that you can sustain while keeping extracurriculars strong.
  • Prioritize standardized test preparation over the summer (when time is greatest).
  • Throughout the school year:
    • Keep adjusting time to avoid spikes where academics dominate while extracurriculars weaken.

F) Application mindset

  • Apply to multiple schools if you want, but don’t frame your self-worth as dependent on many acceptances.
  • Repeat the mantra: “One college is all it takes.”
  • Accept that rejection can happen even for strong applicants.

Speakers / sources featured

  • Speaker: Shujan Singh (incoming freshman at Columbia University; student sharing admissions and extracurricular experience)
  • Source mentioned: Atlas Education (referenced for a free one-on-one consulting session via a link in the description)

Original video