Lessons From My High School Research & Science Fair Journey
Dhruvik Parikh, Stanford University
Dhruvik studied Computer Science at Stanford. In high school, Dhruvik won the Young Scientist Award (top 3 overall; $50,000 scholarship) at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). He also attended the Research Science Institute (RSI) and was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 Recipient for his research. Currently, Dhruvik works as a software engineer at Foundry, an AI startup.
Following Your North Star: From Biology Research to Medical School
Jiwoo Lee, Harvard Medical School
Jiwoo is an MD candidate in the Harvard-MIT HST Program at Harvard Medical School. Prior, Jiwoo studied Computational Biology and Biomedical Informatics at Stanford. In high school, Jiwoo attended the Research Science Institute (RSI) and was awarded Best in Category at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) for her computational biology research on CRISPR-Cas9.
Strategies for Time Management, Productivity, and Discipline
Alexa Fein, Harvard University
Alexa is an undergraduate at Harvard studying Physics. In high school, Alexa conducted research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and attended the Research Science Institute (RSI), where she was recognized as a top presenter. She also served as the President of Tutoring for Tomorrow, a nonprofit that provides academic assistance to support local communities.
Effective Studying: ACTs, Science Olympiads, and Beyond
Ben Zhang, Harvard Medical School
Ben is an MD/MBA candidate at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School. He received his A.B. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Harvard and worked at the Broad Institute. In high school, Ben received a gold medal at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) and a bronze medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). He is now a high-performance STEM tutor.
Game On: Intersection of Entrepreneurship and Game Development
Jenny Xu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Jenny is a long-distance runner, artist, programmer, gamer, fitness instructor, Forbes 30 Under 30: Games recipient, and CEO of Talofa Games. She started making games and running at age 12, and in her 12 years in the gaming industry, she’s shipped 10 titles on the mobile app stores with over 9.2 million downloads. Jenny studied at MIT and graduated with a degree in Computer Science.
Creating Impact: Starting a Healthcare & Education Nonprofit
Zoya Surani, Duke University School of Medicine
Zoya is an MD candidate at the Duke University School of Medicine in the Primary Care Leadership Track. Prior, Zoya studied Cognitive Neuroscience and Education at Harvard under the Cameron Impact Scholarship, a merit-based, full-tuition scholarship. In high school Zoya founded iConquer: Ubuntu, raising over $200,000 to educate youth about health and wellness.
Crafting Your Narrative and Acing Interviews
Albert Wang, Princeton University
Albert studied Operations Research Financial Engineering at Princeton and currently works as an investor at Marshall Wallace. Albert was previously the youngest-ever Assistant Director of the Research Science Institute (RSI) and now serves as an advisor on the alumni committee. Albert also serves as a Board Member of Tiger Capital Management, a student-run investment group at Princeton.
Importance of Personal Growth, Self-Awareness, and Introspection
Erin Smith, Stanford University
Erin is a technologist and social entrepreneur. Previously, she was the founder of FacePrint, an artificial intelligence startup building tools to detect and monitor Parkinson’s disease. She was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient and Thiel Fellow for her work. Prior, she worked at Schmidt Futures and studied Symbolic Systems at Stanford, and began her research journey back in high school.
Art of Decision Making and Navigating Uncertainty
Isaac Robinson, Harvard University
Isaac is a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil). Previously, Isaac studied Mathematics and Computer Science at Harvard, where he was named a Technology Innovation Fellow by Harvard Business School. Isaac has also interned as a data scientist at Meta, a quantitative trader at Jane Street, and a researcher for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Stress Management, Self-Care, and Overcoming Burnout
Trisha Kulkarni, Stanford University
Trisha is a Master’s student studying Computer Science at Stanford. She is currently a strategic projects intern at Ambience Healthcare and has previously worked at Microsoft and the Chan Zuckerberg initiative. As a female engineer with a disability, Trisha is passionate about increasing representation in technical fields and has served as the President of the National Association of Blind Students.
Proactive Planning and Applying to Scholarships
Anne Lee, Stanford University
Anne studied Computer Science at Stanford, completing her degree in 8 academic quarters (~2.5 years). She received seven scholarships, including the Cameron Impact Scholarship (merit-based, full-tuition) and the National Merit Scholarship. In high school, Anne attended the Research Science Institute (RSI) and received a likely letter to Harvard (top 100 academic applicants).
Creating Opportunities: My Journey from an Inner-City, Under-Funded School
Harshal Agarwal, Stanford University
Harshal studied Computer Science at Stanford as a Cameron Impact and Gates Scholar. He is currently founding Ekatree, a startup transforming online service ordering. In high school, Harshal conducted environmental science research and received a special award at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). He is also an alumni of the Research Science Institute (RSI).
Idea to Reality: Discovering Your Passions and Taking Initiative
Isabella Delbakhsh, Stanford University
Isabella is an undergraduate studying Human Biology with a concentration in Data Science at Stanford. In high school, Isabella launched a podcast, "Hello World, The Future is Female" that has reached listeners in over 70 countries. She was also named an Amazon best-selling author for her book, “Freedom Speaks," where she delves into the rich history of women in Iran.
Navigating College Admissions and Crafting College Essays
E Jeremijenko-Conley, Princeton University
E graduated from Princeton summa cum laude (in Anthropology) with certificates in creative writing, theater, and journalism. E has completed an MFA at the Iowa Writers Workshop and has been awarded the Louis Sudler Prize, Laura Caldwell Fellowship, and James Patterson Fellowship. E is a college essay specialist at JennyEdu, where she helps students craft college essays.
Passion to Impact: Volunteering and Fundraising in High School
Michael Chen, Harvard University
Michael studied Applied Math and Economics at Harvard. In college, Michael founded Evera, a healthcare startup, and grew the company to a $3.5M run rate. In high school, Michael volunteered at the Summer Learning Collaborative and raised over $100,000 for the organization. Michael currently works at Scale AI, where he co-founded the International Public Sector business unit.
