STATS + EXTRACURRICULARS that got me into harvard + mit + more ! | gpa, sat score, interviews, etc

[@conexti2147]

finally somebody who isn't some insane international champion of something and this feels like ivy league is so much more achievable you gave me some new motivation

[@beamybattlefield2412]

stuyvesant is a crazy high school... students there already only get like 4 hours of sleep, so my understanding is that it's a big feeder school because of the intense work culture

[@sp-k]

she also went to stuy, many ppl w these stats don't get into top 10s like her

[@Rajesh-rx5rm]

@@sp-k wait so going to a feeder highschool that stuy increases ur chance of getting into t10's?

[@박민우-s3u3z]

@@Rajesh-rx5rm yes

[@carrie6073]

she goes to stuyvesant the admission officers have a verrryy close relationship with elite colleges and t10s will pick huge numbers of them because they're reliable and trustworthy to be good students. not excellent but very good. over say an excellent student from a lesser known school that's never been accepted to harvard before

[@angelfirpo3819]

Hey as a sophomore in high school I just wanna say that this video truly inspired me. I’ve always seen high schoolers on the internet starting non profits and studying abroad but as a first gen and low income student, I can’t take part in these overly ambitious projects. Congrats on getting into Harvard and MIT! ❤️❤️

[@allanmutemberezi1937]

I started a nonprofit helping the homeless in my city and getting it started costs 25$ all you will need is transportation to your events and a couple friends and you should be good. It will look like a great extracurricular so don't be scared to start one.

[@soph-wk9wn]

@@allanmutemberezi1937 hi! do you mind on sharing the process on starting your own non profit? SORRY if it’s a lot it’s just that i really want to start one but i don’t know where to start 😭😭 tysm!!

[@allanmutemberezi1937]

@@soph-wk9wn it varies depending on state but a good baseline is to have at least 3 people helping you run it, find a name and make sure no one else is using it, and look up nonprofit startup guide for your state and it should tell you the specific forms you have to fill out. For texas there was only like 2 forms which were pretty quick, these are only the instructions to make it recognized by the state if you want tax exemption status that will cost a couple hundred but it is unnecessary until you have made big steps in the actual works of your nonprofit

[@dd-xk3qk]

you seem like such a humble person, and you are also not an insane national champion or something and I bet the college loved your humbleness!

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank u thank u !

[@heroryan7859]

@@itsjinakohalas omg you should do an essays review video?

[@prayinq]

@@heroryan7859real!!

[@ThomasSun-xw3ux]

Though you didn't do any olympiads, your honors/awards are still amazing. If this is the standard then may my MIT dream rest in peace.

[@itsjinakohalas]

never say never !

[@eshalfatima339]

do u think mun awards are of any use

[@saidsaydaminov8981]

@@eshalfatima339mun awards are a risk if they’re just from local competitions. if you’re gonna out MUN related stuff there, then it’s better to put stuff like being secretary generals (or holding other positions of leadership) or awards from international conferences. but local awards may also help!

[@eshalfatima339]

@@saidsaydaminov8981 i was thinking about joining mun conferences but i hate public speaking and was about to push myself for it but seeing that there are some other stuff that i can be a part of im second guessing myself im in highschool rn with some some event head positions in school event, and with also being a part of student council and a student led ngo i think that these ecas are very basic and i wanna try out international competitions to win some awards but im just really lost

[@eshalfatima339]

@@saidsaydaminov8981 so far I've been in leadership positions in some school events and im a part of a student led ngo rn but these ecas seem very basic so i wanna try out some international competitions that i can win some awards at

[@ngocthientrangnguyen137]

She’s so smart and wise, she know what she needs to be special and what she should do to create impression with the admissions ❤ So much respect and admiration to her

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank u thank u !

[@bblunder]

I don't want to be that guy but she is also really pretty

[@tadfxcg]

you adding in extra tips u remembered at the end really made this feel more genuine and it's soo sweet that ur trying to help other students out ㅠㅠ thank u n good luck!!

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank u thank u !!

[@kattej837]

i think MIT chose you because you did as much as you could with everything available to you. like if you couldn't find a certain opportunity, you created your own! I think that is really useful for anyone in their freshman year (or equivalent) onwards. I'm based in the UK so I can't enter some big science comps like ISEF, so this video was kinda helpful to help me figure out WHAT i could do. thank you and also well done for getting in. :D

[@itsjinakohalas]

im glad that i was able to inspire you ! good luck

[@preciouso.1994]

Pl

[@piggysareawesome5338]

This makes me so much more calm about applying to colleges and getting into MIT (my literal dream). You're still so amazingly talented, but you're so extremely humble. The only person I know who got in was actually insane (like valedvictorian, state level swimmer, national science fair winner, playing in 4 youth orchestras level insane). This gives me a little hope with my basic stats as a rising junior!!!

[@darky_shade3901]

I'm a junior really wanting to apply to MIT and this video made me feel much better about my classes and stats and thank you for just being so nice and lovely I am sure you will go on to do great things!

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank you and good luck !

[@jewel_gamez]

watched your college reaction video like 2 weeks ago, and somehow your stats vid got recommended! your stats honestly make me feel better because they don’t seem so big and something that I could do. (your stats are still really impressive btw) im only a freshman, but im preparing early!

[@hopsmax2827]

Bc she probably went to a school that didn’t offer many APs.

[@notblu_e]

Finally, a person who isnt a hypertalented international olympiad winner, this gave me motivation, thanks.

[@ZapatistaSympathizer]

im a junior atm and this vid honestly gave so much hope for when I'm applying for college. Thank you

[@itsjinakohalas]

you can do it!

[@cithe6547]

Thank you so much 😭😭 I'm a rising senior about to start the application process and this video made me so much less anxious!!! You seem so humble, kind, and well-rounded and I'm so happy for you to start your journey at one of these amazing schools!

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank youuu

[@Keeks1983]

As soon as I saw "Stuyvesant", I understood why lol You worked your butt off! Congratulations!!

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank u !

[@이삭-ewy]

I'm touched by Jina's passionate explanation. It was very helpful!

[@AlenaCzar]

Wow your school had some diverse classes! I took AP psych this year as a sophomore and ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!! It was the only class I liked studying for (and got a 5 yay!) I’m just sad that my school doesn’t offer other psych related classes, only sociology and the Econ & gov aps, which I’m not the interested in. I’m taking ap bio this year cause it’s mostly related, and a child development class as I’m working part time at a daycare this summer and love that too! I’m not really reaching for ivy leagues, but I want to get a quality education and be able to pursue my passion. I wish my school had a class on mental health, which is something I don’t know much of but would love to learn! I wish you great success in your future! You’re a very kind, humble, and hard working person and you’ve inspired me a lot ❤

[@MadelineChavez-f2m]

I bet u were accepted to all of those amazing colleges because of your humbleness im glad you will be able to pursue your dream of engineering in MIT and I was wondering if next video you could show us your essay for Harvard but if its personal or if you dont want to share it, it is definitely understandable

[@itsjinakohalas]

maybe im thinking about making a video about it !

[@ocean_ika_]

Jina, loved your video! Would be great help if you could share the video of your essay! Helps me get an idea of what these colleges wish to see in essays.

[@jul7820]

This is truly amazing 😊😊🙏 You worked so hard throughout your high school years, I aspire to be you

[@itsjinakohalas]

thanks !

[@lelenaphilipos]

I also wanna say that you really motivated me. I hope you make more videos related to college stuff.

[@itsjinakohalas]

thanks for watching !

[@GraceKim-xo9uv]

This really helped me get an idea of things I can do (like ecs and volunteering) to get ready for my personal statement! You’re so smart and pretty ❤ thank u for this video!

[@itsjinakohalas]

im glad it was helpful ! thanks for watching :)

[@anerroroccurredgames]

This was super helpful, thank you! Please give serious consideration to the essay video, it would be super helpful. Not even necessarily sharing your own essays, just giving a general framework of what you aimed to achieve in your essays...

[@vlogswsophiie]

how are you so underrated?! this video is so helpful ty :)

[@itsjinakohalas]

glad it was helpful! thanks for watching !

[@sofiaallouche870]

my queen

[@itsjinakohalas]

my love

[@hello-zh3jr]

Finally someone who didn’t take calc bc in freshman/sophomore year acting like it’s completely normal 😭

[@itsjinakohalas]

hahah yup !

[@Stargazing8]

OH jina finally!! i was waiting for this video 😭, You are definitely one of those overachievers i heard of! sending you lots of good wishes

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank you !!

[@iwanttoleave6305]

stuyvesant is a demon hs the moment i heard that name i knew shit was boutta get real

[@dough2644]

I want to go to the school and I ended up in Brooklyn Tech. Yes Stuy is difficult to get in.

[@Sabrina_Nurullaeva]

Im going to stuy in the fall and i really hope i also get into the ivies!!

[@iwanttoleave6305]

@@Sabrina_Nurullaeva I stressed about going to ivies my entire hs career and after getting rejected from all top schools for cs I have just been in constant pain. Do not build your life around trying to get into the ivies or top schools just do your best in school and learn for the sake of learning. That's my biggest regret.

[@Sabrina_Nurullaeva]

@@iwanttoleave6305 Oh, thank you for the advice.

[@dough2644]

@iwanttoleave6305 Yea. I dropped my standards from typical high-ranking schools like Princeton to Syracuse and Stony Brook a few years ago. Despite making it to Yale (very shocking), yes, I recommend to try to focus on your own personal life instead of stressing yourself just for the sake of ivies.

[@annabeltiong5317]

jina ate 🙈🫶

[@obbyperson7281]

ate what i dont see any food in this video

[@isco892]

OMG YOU’RE FROM STUY!!! I’m going to my sophomore year there, so thank you for the amazing tips in this video!! I wish you the best of luck from a fellow stuy kid 💕

[@itsjinakohalas]

have a great time at stuy !!

[@zunrenguan9942]

Incredible work! Great job my G!

[@butterflyflower1321]

Im crocheting while watching this LOL - i got do excited when you mentioned your crochet club I'm a freshman in hs and this is so refreshing thank you for posting this!

[@3arezu]

thank you so much for the video, it's nice to see that you don't need crazy awards to get in those schools (i'm international though...) so in your case i think they really valued you in a whole. You're so talented good job

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank you for your kind words !

[@hrithwikasrihari]

3:01 wow 99/98 in precalc and 94/93 in spanish 2, definitely 100% achievable

[@Sadnessiuseless]

Brody does not know what extra credit is

[@itsjinakohalas]

hard work pays off :)

[@kenn2wierd963]

It is cause she did it

[@ivy1314-o7i]

Hi Jina! I just watched your college decisions video and I’m truly inspired by you and in awe of your talents. I’m going to the same high school as you! You’re definitely my role model right now. ❤

[@itsjinakohalas]

hahha thanks for saying that :) have fun at stuy

[@ivy1314-o7i]

@@itsjinakohalas thank you Jina! I hope you’re enjoying your time at MIT! Also, did you take any of the AMC 10 exams or did competitions?

[@GDBobayx4tn]

I’m applying to Stuy this year and I really hope I get in. Thanks for the inspiration and good luck in college 😊!

[@itsjinakohalas]

good luck !!

[@riridescent]

good luck with your future endeavors!!

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank uuu

[@TheRealgodzzYT]

Congrats on MIT and Harvard you deserve it! :D

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank you !!

[@brunohath]

THANK YOU FOR THIS

[@JizelleHancox]

Hi!! Your penpal club really inspired me and I thought it was a super interesting idea! I was thinking of doing something similar but it would be mainly for helping students from other countries build their English skills thru having penpals that are native in the language and vice versa where they could help others learn their language. They would talk about wtver while also helping their penpal with learning new vocab and grammar. Could u go into more depth on how you started your club, maintained and grew it, etc? (Btw if the idea is too similar to what you did I will absolutely think of something else to do since I would never steal someones hard work/idea)

[@itsjinakohalas]

yep ofc! my high school has a pretty straightforward process of creating clubs so I just drafted a proposal with the other directors and submitted it to the student union club division. Then, we started advertising it at club fairs while emailing a bunch of different international schools to see if they wanted to partner. Then, once we got a partner, the club directors had meetings every week talking about next steps and to dos. If you have more specific questions, feel free to ask !

[@JizelleHancox]

⁠@@itsjinakohalasOmg hi tysm for answering my questions! I was also wondering how u found these schools and like what u said to get them to partner with you. Did u search up different schools in that country? Tysm!

[@itsjinakohalas]

yep i just searched them up and emailed them !

[@cloprk]

omg thank you so much for this video!! It's really helpful

[@itsjinakohalas]

im so glad that it was helpful !

[@prithika11]

as an incoming senior about to apply to colleges this video is so helpful because i think i could honestly do all of these things! do you have any advice on essays/can you plss make an essay video!!

[@forsaken8540]

i think schools in other countries like us have an excelent sistem of classes, in high school you can have classes of calculus, economics, music and so much other things that are really useful in life. Hope Brazil someday has a educational system like these.

[@Crash_UR_XIandXII_Syllabus]

You're amazing....ur Extracurricular activities were unbelievable...how did u manage, plan them would be really themselves mysteries.... You're top-notched.... And thanku for such guidance...🙏

[@Crash_UR_XIandXII_Syllabus]

Hello...maybe it can be disturbing for U...but i really want proper guidance from U...or U can suggest any guider who will help me in my application process...I really want to get into no.1 prestigious colleges...I dreamed of it but due to lack of guidance and procrastination, now it seems as if it will always be my dream...I would be really thankful to U if I could be helped by U 🙏 . I understand, now it'll be very very difficult for U to guide me properly as U have a lot of burden of ur studies too...But i request U to guide me plz....

[@CocoaCreme-vc7qj]

OMG congrats!

[@alxmat]

this video was so helpful! just random questions: 1. what major did you go for? 2. what software did you use to edit the video? 3. how did you make your thumbnail? thanks so much!

[@itsjinakohalas]

1. i applied as either bioengineering, biomedical engineering or chemical engineering. I applied to mit as a chem-bio engineering major but I applied to harvard as a biomedical engineering major. 2) I use final cut pro to edit my videos 3) I used photoshop to make my thumbnail hope this helps !

[@alxmat]

@@itsjinakohalas v helpful, tysm!

[@SunitaProminence]

I am in 8th grade and this is a helpful video. I hope I will be able to focus more on my future, and not let my emotions lead me astray from my goal

[@itsjinakohalas]

remember to have fun !

[@SunitaProminence]

@@itsjinakohalas Thank you for the advice!, I have been studying alot, these past 2 months, but like I also love hanging out with my friends, and stuff.

[@TanjimRafa-y8r]

You are so Pretty🥺🥺🥺

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank you !

[@tvvt005]

Wish I found this before I graduated hs, regardlesss wish you a love,y future, im sure your video will be useful for many ❤

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank you ! yea this video took a long time to make sadly :(

[@Ayushr0129]

Congratulations! 🎉

[@itsjinakohalas]

thanks !

[@ztwl333]

omg thank you so much!! this was SOOO helpful!!!!

[@itsjinakohalas]

glad it helped!

[@normalperson8484]

Very honest down to earth and relatable video

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank you !

[@mbici6969]

Yesss I asked for this months ago! Thank you!

[@itsjinakohalas]

sorry it took so long :(

[@mbici6969]

@itsjinakohalas no problem. If we're both alive on Ivy Day 2026, I'll let you know if I got in!

[@itsjinakohalas]

yes please update me !

[@kenma2994]

This was so helpful, thank you so much!

[@itsjinakohalas]

you're welcome

[@peace6070]

My inspiration is back With her New video! 🤍

[@itsjinakohalas]

yes thanks for the support !

[@highforfun]

So happy for you gurl, hope everything's the way you want, but hey... if this is what they're looking for, I'm probably not getting in

[@itsjinakohalas]

never say never

[@vesparui]

GO FELLOW STUY STUDENT!!

[@itsjinakohalas]

!!!

[@Frost_Blizzard]

Thank you so much for the video with all the useful information! I just have one question tho: I'm currently a 9th grader nd the year is ending but so far in my academic plan, I only have 5 APs and so far I'm interested in pre-med, so hearing the recommended left me a little worried. Do you have any tips for how to incorporate more APs as well as how to mangae/handle them? Once again, thanks for the amazing video (especially loved the info about the President's National Volunteer Service Award, definitely gonna look out for that)!

[@itsjinakohalas]

try to find a balance where you are taking challenging classes but make sure to nott overexert yourself. i think just knowing to allocate more time to the ap classes will help manage your time better

[@PandaciteYT]

I really thought she was getting like 5.00 GPA with like 1590 on SAT

[@itsjinakohalas]

hahah I wish

[@greenqueen8289]

This is really helpful, any tips on what to do in 8th to get into a good position during freshman year?

[@itsjinakohalas]

hm, tbh I rlly don't think that 8th grade/middle school rlly matters that much for college applications if you want, you can start thinking about your potential career path, but even that might be too early. enjoy middle school ! then in freshman year, you should try to join a lot of clubs, etc to get a feel for what you might want to do in the future !

[@greenqueen8289]

@@itsjinakohalas Thats rlly helpful! thanks for the advice :)

[@jameskoh314]

spectacular.

[@alee76582]

GPA of 3.76 as a high school diploma (94/100 | Italian hs graduation) , a general GPA for the 5 years of high school of around 3.5, competitive karate for 11 years, participation in the Italian karate championships for 2 years without winning, however, participation in a 1-week erasmus in Portugal, 1 language internship lasting 1 week in Dublin, participation in a Hackaton in which I and my group came 3rd in the ranking, PET language certifications with an overall score of 163/170 and FIRST with an overall score of 179/190. And also I’m about to do a three-year economics degree (undergraduate)in Digital management, degree course in English. Do you think that's enough activity? I’m an international student from Italy and I’d like to apply to Harvard .

[@itsjinakohalas]

your application looks pretty good but ofc we can never guarantee acceptance :( definitely give it a shot tho !!

[@links343]

when you write down your extracurriculars do you talk about the skills you gained by doing them or do you only write down the actual activites done? like is it better to purposefully try to advertise it for them and show why these things are good for xyz or should i let them figure that out for themselves?

[@itsjinakohalas]

you should advertise by stating what you did for that activity and what that activity achieved

[@laurafan3450]

YESSS JINA

[@itsjinakohalas]

YESS LAURAA

[@MoAazim]

hey! im starting high school next year, and was super inspired by your video. first of all, congrats on getting into mit!! its one of my dream schools - quite a high reach haha :DD i'd like to know what 4 ECs you put in for ur MIT application (not sure if i missed that in the video) and on what basis you selected them? plus, any tips for a freshman? would highly appreciate it. tysm! 😄

[@itsjinakohalas]

i honestly don't remember which ecs I put for mit but it was probably my first 4 ecs i think in freshman year just explore find friends and find what your interested in

[@MoAazim]

@itsjinakohalas thank you so much for answering :DD

[@yuripark4067]

How would you start a business or a passion project?

[@itsjinakohalas]

well theres a lot of ways that you can do it! after figuring out what you want to do, you can research online, reach out to people about your business/passion project you could also do it through making a club at your school !

[@fookbia8875]

You put in the work and with some luck you did great. My daughter is going to be the Valedictorian in her school. Very similar background. Count your blessings.

[@itsjinakohalas]

congrats!

[@Stareyiii]

I got a question, do you have to do a speech if you get valedictorian?

[@rocktalksalot]

hello! I am an 8th grader tring to get into stuy! I got a 597 on my last test but everyone around me isn'y going bc they think it's too hard. Do you have any tips on what to do at stuy? I go to MS54

[@itsjinakohalas]

like tips on how to survive stuy? or tips on how to get into stuy? I think stuy is manageable if you have time management skills and prioritize things well its definitely tough but knowing that everyone deals with the same thing is always nice

[@rocktalksalot]

@@itsjinakohalas well idk if i got in but i heard the homework was terrible and was just wondering what a good grade would be for freshman year. I also have been thinking about extracurriculars as they have excellent funding.

[@aishxni]

i'm a freshman in high school and harvard and mit are literally my dream schools TT i'm so scared that i'm not doing enough because all of those stats videos are so unrealistic, but your's gave me hope. i used to think i was busy, but you definitely do more haha what major did you apply for?

[@itsjinakohalas]

i applied as a biomedical engineer for harvard and a chemical-biological engineering major for mit

[@backkslashhh]

I have a question. How do I found out about volunteer opportunities around my area? Also my high school doesn't allow freshmen and sophomores to take APs 😢

[@itsjinakohalas]

you have look online, local newspapers, even creating one yourself, etc colleges usually have a question regarding special information about classes, etc so you can write them there and they will take that into account when viewing your application

[@SnehalSrishti]

Hi!! I know ECs are super important, but how big of a role do you think the essay played + was your essay connected to your ECs? Thank you for the incredible video- this is super duper helpful for many students, including me!!

[@itsjinakohalas]

hi! i'm actually dropping an essay video very soon ! my essays were connected to my ecs i think that my essays did play a big role bc it gave me character/personality that wasn't shown in other parts of my application!

[@smritisingh7653]

Congratulations as you have got into your dream school🌸💐. I am an indian sophomore student. And i want to get into an ivy league or any top universities of usa. What are the strategies for sophomore and junior year as to get into, just like you did☺️. Thank you for reading. Hope so you will guide me.

[@itsjinakohalas]

hi sorry im not too sure since I dont have the same background as you but its good to find smth that makes you stand out

[@coconutzrule5935]

AHH CONGRATS ON GETTING INN!!! If you don't mind, I have a few questions about the PVSA. Did all of your PVSA hours come from YCPT? I hope to go for this award too but I'm worried that if I recieve the reward by volunteering at "random" places, colleges won't see my passion for a certain cause. I'll try to look at more specific places where I can vollunteer!! 💗💗💗💗

[@itsjinakohalas]

my service awards came from ycpt and one of my orchestras ! it might be better to volunteer for similar causes, but I also don't think its something to worry too much about

[@melihaekinci2653]

I don't understand how people get their average of 96-97 and above. Do you guys ever have teachers who are so annoying that they cancel points even for the smallest things(not even mistakes)? I always have this problem, even if I understand the unit, I still end up with those frustrating "mistakes".. The thing is not everything goes as planned or perfectly (at least from my experience).

[@itsjinakohalas]

yea its annoying when they do that i just try to follow their steps exactly to try to prevent that from happening

[@sssahil2903]

Hiii love your videos. Did you submit your AP scores? I noticed you put AP Scholarship with Distinction as one of your honors so I wanted to know if you had to report scores because of that…

[@itsjinakohalas]

I didn't have to report scores bc of that but I did want to submit my scores bc they were pretty good

[@sssahil2903]

I also wanted to report AP Scholar with Distinction and I had virtually the same scores you got! (5,5,5,4,3)…are these worth submitting or should I just put the honor?

[@1km67k]

You give me hope :)

[@itsjinakohalas]

im glad to hear that :)

[@kimmielux]

Do you have any tips for the SAT? I struggle with math and i have no idea what can help me 💔

[@itsjinakohalas]

i think the best thing for the SAT is to do practice tests/problems Khan Academy is a great resource !

[@youngiep5068]

Omg this was super motivating to watch, Tysm Jina!!! Quick question tho- how do you even start a self made business, join really impactful communities and organizations in the first place?? I’m too scared to start and I don’t really know which direction i should go first🙁. Currently in the summer of my freshman year so hopefully I have more time to prepare for college apps in advance. Lovely video btw🥹❤️

[@itsjinakohalas]

i started by looking for and asking around for opportunities in my communities. some organizations will advertise in newspapers, online, social media so those are good places to start. as for the self made business, i just heard that there were parents who wanted a reading tutor, so i started doing it !

[@angelaqoriankaescalantepor4901]

You look so humble and friendly! I bet the collegue loved it when they were reading you application. Just one question, did you have to pay for the programs at John Hopkins and NYU or were they through scholarships? I'm really into Medicine and Science programs :)

[@itsjinakohalas]

i applied past the financial aid deadline so i had to pay for it :(( however for many of these programs they do offer financial aid but the deadline just happens to be before the regular deadline i would advise to apply for the financial aid one !!

[@nouranelkafoury]

that girl only grinds.

[@itsjinakohalas]

haha i try to have some work life balance

[@hummahaloz]

What do you recommend for balancing ecs and schoolwork and also how did you get involved to find opportunities?

[@itsjinakohalas]

honestly sometimes there was barely a balance because I ended up losing sleep especially because I had to commute, but I think that good time management rlly helps. i mostly found my opportunities through my own research or through my friends/parents.

[@nuesita]

love the ZB1 sticker!

[@itsjinakohalas]

yes! i've been a fan since boys planet !

[@JenniferChen-jc9bk]

hey jina! im a freshman in stuyvesant and i would just like to ask u about any advices that u would give me and any ecs that u recommend that would look good on my college apps. Also i chose not to take any aps for freshman year but is there any way i could fit 7-9 aps in hs?

[@itsjinakohalas]

yep! a lot of people fit in 7-9 aps in hs even through they didnt take any freshman year hm i would say try to find smth that aligns with your interests and show consistency and leadership !

[@xavierschoen5747]

I was wondering what was different until those ECs came in. My gpa is a 3.9 unweighted and 4.5 weighted as a Jr as of now. Sadly my school doesn't voice ECs very well and I didn't know any older years, so sophmore year was wasted with shitty classes that dropped my grade, and I have basically no ECs to show for my firat half of highschool.. I know Harvard, MIT, ect are off the table, but I'm trying to at least get into a decent college.

[@itsjinakohalas]

you can always try to join ecs as a junior ! also this might be smth you can write about in the additional information section

[@AtharvaTitan]

I had a startup in class 10 , and now in 11th , The 10th one Failed, Is this Extracurricular Good enough For increasing my chances? Also : Rank 2 in NAO Olympiad, Rank 1(in district) in International Informatics Olympiad 100/100 in Computer Represented school on National level in Chess in grade 5 Is this worth considering?

[@itsjinakohalas]

I think that the olympiads and chess are pretty good !

[@AtharvaTitan]

@itsjinakohalas so should i not Consider my 2 Startups in the Essays ? But I learnt so many Things from that Experience which might Help me make less mistakes in future

[@Elena-p9l2k]

Hey! I was wondering if you could make a video explaining the volunteer process, I’m looking to get the presidential gold service award but the process looks complicated and it doesn’t help that I’m under 18. If you could explain your process that would be super appreciated!

[@itsjinakohalas]

hi! the process itself was actually done by my volunteer organization, so im not sure what the process is like :( i would search online/through newspapers to see if there's an organization near you that gives out the service awards !

[@MariamChokor-l2r]

Hey! Quick question. Did you self report all your AP exam scores? Should I still report my 4s?

[@itsjinakohalas]

i did self report all of my ap exam scores ! hm, everyone's gonna tell you something different, so it's up to you i still thnk 4s are good and some colleges even take 4s as credit

[@mariam1234-l5u]

do you have any advice for apush? i’m taking that right now and i want to get atleast a 4

[@itsjinakohalas]

i took notes in class and then I used an ap prep book

[@DonehogawaSeneca]

I love this video

[@itsjinakohalas]

thanks for liking !

[@justsomeguy2864]

i got into bronx science last march with a 582 and I'm wondering how hard the competition is between peers and how it feels to have a multitude of kids apply to the same top tier universities that most are very much qualified for? Were you surprised that any of your friends got rejected??

[@itsjinakohalas]

congrats getting into bxsci ! good question, i think that most people work very hard at stuy and other good high schools, but it wasn't that toxic because everyone just works towards their own goals. yea, i was very surprised that some of my friends got rejected, but college decisions are so unpredictable. it felt competitive at times because a lot of people are trying to go to the same top unis but also a lot of people get in from stuy so it wasn't that bad

[@justsomeguy2864]

@@itsjinakohalas Ok tysm!! And congrats on ur acceptances aswell u ate

[@kkagie]

hey just wondering, sorry if i missed this in the video, but what major did you choose?? EDIT: All good I found your other vid 😭😭, but how did you pick your major? hella struggling rn even tho i still got a whole nother year and a half btw, super relatable.. except for the fact that i failed my shsat so now im attending a priv boarding school 🤡

[@itsjinakohalas]

no worries! you still have a good chance getting into top colleges !

[@ftjosephh1817]

Love the video! Quick question, what did you volunteer in? / when would you find the time to volunteer?

[@itsjinakohalas]

i volunteered against domestic violence and sexual assault. my volunteer organization met from 5-7 on fridays

[@fvbiha]

Hey im a soph at stuy too and im just wondering if colleges or ivys care if you self study aps or if they prefer you take the class

[@itsjinakohalas]

hm from my knowledge i dont think it makes a difference ! so you can def try to self study them

[@fvbiha]

@@itsjinakohalasOkay thank u so much and also do you know the names of the programs you applied to which gave the presidential awards for community service?

[@jyanggames]

As a sohopmore who missed the shsat (transfered right before freshman year) and goes to (probably) the worst high school in NYC thanks for the self confidence boost I guess?

[@itsjinakohalas]

you always have a chance don't beat yourself up too much !

[@jyanggames]

@@itsjinakohalas my other info section on the common app is cooked

[@exposedidv6933]

About to be in my senior year with 0 EC. 😃

[@CollegeChingu]

That is totally fine!! Start your own, or do something outside of school. Colleges go through admissions profiles school by school so if you have an extracurricular that is outside your school (like Jina did with her reading buddy program) that makes you look really impressive.

[@exposedidv6933]

@CollegeChingu I plan to start a Roots and Shoots chapter at my school, and Ive already applied to join my schools STUCO and Ambassador program so idk.

[@CollegeChingu]

@@exposedidv6933 I think that sounds good! Just try to choose one to devote slightly more time to so you have one activity with like a large time commitment: colleges really like that

[@costeamara3966]

You are amazing literally 🎉 congratulations ❤

[@itsjinakohalas]

thank you so much !

[@Raya-e6r]

Thanks for sharing such an amazing video sister. I also want to pursue majors just like you. I wanted to ask you how you got into John Hopkins pre - college program? Can you give some tips?

[@itsjinakohalas]

i honestly dont remember that much about the application process sorry :o. but its probably good to be true to yourself and write in a way that you show off your best qualities while also being humble

[@elijahpark7137]

Helllo, rising junior here. I am just curious on what I should focus on a lot. I haven’t done many volunteer hours up to this point because I am a PK. But plan to do a lot in Korean school. Should i do a lot of clubs or like volunteer hours? Do these colleges also look at the amount of time spent at church serving with your family? Because that’s been most of my life up to this point. What is the recommended amount of volunteer hours that colleges look for? Thank u so much!

[@itsjinakohalas]

hi! I think that you should probably invest time in both clubs and volunteer hours. Usually, colleges don't look at the amount of time spent at church, but there are ways that you can incorporate this into your application. You can talk about what specific volunteering you do at church, leadership if you have any, what you learned from volunteering at church, how much time you spend volunteering at church, etc. hm, there isn't rlly a recommended number of hours that colleges look for, so ig maybe the more the better? but also remember to also do other extracurriculars, good grades, etc :) hope this helped

[@elijahpark7137]

@@itsjinakohalas thank you so much! I just recently started a KZbin channel for guitar, would that be beneficial in any way?

[@itsjinakohalas]

hm not too sure about that it could be smth you can write about but in terms of ecs its more like a hobby

[@maidel2178]

Hi! Thanks for the video and congratulations!! I was wondering what major you applied for these colleges, also do you think is it bad to apply 'undecided'?

[@itsjinakohalas]

hi! i applied as either biomedical engineering, bioengineering, or chemical engineering to all of my colleges. I would say that it's better to apply with a major instead of applying undecided bc for some colleges it's harder to switch between majors

[@beaza9374]

did you school offer foriegn languages? i hate spanish and want to drop it so bad but i want to know if i need to go to spanish 4 to get in

[@itsjinakohalas]

yes, i took spanish in high school. For me, it was a requirement to take spanish for 3 years, so that's why I took it. I think that its good to have but not a requirement.

[@jazzydadj6206]

Hi! First of all, thank you for the video; it motivated me as a sophmore in HS to work harder to get into a college I want! That being said - and maybe these are stupid questions, but it does seem like a cool thing to start up where I am - I was wondering about your local reading business. Are you bilingual, and is it easier to be/do you have to be bilingual if you wanted to do something like this? Also, could you give me a few tips on how you started your business? Thank you!

[@itsjinakohalas]

hi! ig i am bilingual and it might be easier to be bilingual when helping someone learn a language; however, it's not requirement because it is better for the other person if they are immersed in the language. You can start by reaching out to local libraries, people you know and see if they are interested!

[@jazzydadj6206]

@itsjinakohalas ohh okay thank you!!

[@리프리올다이]

Hi, I am currently a junior and have a question. I took AP Calculus BC when I was a sophomore and AP Physics 1 as a junior. I received decent grades in both courses. I didn't take the AP exams this year, which means I have AP course credit but not exam credit. If I am interested in applying to top universities, do you think I should take the exams as a senior? Or do you think it is too late to take the exams as a senior?

[@itsjinakohalas]

i think that if you want ap credit for those classes, you should take the exam, but college application season is over by the time you take the ap exams, so i don't think it would make a big difference on your applications