Columbia University

Columbia University: Melina Kim

Podcast Transcript

Transcript organized for clarity and readability

Attendees:
Melina Kim, Ashish Bhargava

Ashish Bhargava:
All right. Good deal. All right, welcome Melina. It's so good to have you. We look forward to this conversation. To get us started, would you mind sharing a bit about your background and what inspires you?

Melina Kim:
Yeah, of course. Thank you so much for having me here today. My name is Melina. I went to high school in New Jersey, then attended Columbia for my undergrad, and then completed two master's degrees at Harvard. I'd be happy to answer any questions that might be helpful to anyone applying to colleges or just interested in my journey. In regards to your question about what inspires me, there are many things that inspire me. One is just learning new things, and also my family inspires me to explore the world. I've been traveling a lot recently, so all of those things inspire me.

Ashish Bhargava:
That's awesome. So you didn't just do one; you did both Columbia and Harvard. We'd love to know more. But let's get started. When did you decide that your goal was to aim for an Ivy League college?

Melina Kim:
I would say after ninth grade when I was starting high school. I didn't exactly know how I was going to perform because I was entering a very competitive high school. But after getting good grades in my freshman year, that gave me the confidence to aim for an Ivy League or one of the top-tier schools. However, even if you don't do well in your freshman year, colleges do value an upward trend. So don't be too discouraged if you don't do as well in your freshman year.

Ashish Bhargava:
Got it. Just so we have a better feel for your application journey, would you mind sharing how many colleges you applied to and what was your yield?

Melina Kim:
Yeah, I applied to quite a few colleges. I applied to 17 colleges and got into 15.

Ashish Bhargava:
That's incredible, Melina. That's almost a 90% admit rate. Perhaps you could share how you selected those 17 colleges. What was your criteria? What was the strategy? How did you settle on the 17?

Melina Kim:
I wouldn't say there was one strategy, but I would say about one-third of the colleges were reach schools, about one-third were target schools, and about one-third were safety schools. The number got added up because I applied to a bunch of UC schools, which are all under one application. When I say 17, all the UC schools were included in that number.

Ashish Bhargava:
Got it. So you're counting each UC campus as an application.

Melina Kim:
Yeah, that's right.

Ashish Bhargava:
Got it. So a third of each category is a little different than what we have traditionally seen. Perhaps you could share more about why 33% safety schools?

Melina Kim:
I just wanted to make sure I had schools I knew I had a good chance of getting into because I feel like Ivy Leagues are not really safety schools for anyone, even if you have a 4.0. I don't think you can really call them safety schools. In terms of figuring out what colleges are safety schools, I looked up the stats on their websites, and if my stats fell above the 75th percentile, I considered it a safety school. I also discussed it with my college counselor, who was very helpful, and went on a few college tours to get a feel for each school because you also want to think about the culture and see if you fit in there.

Ashish Bhargava:
That's a very important aspect—the culture. How would you recommend applicants learn more about the college?

Melina Kim:
There are many ways to learn about a college. An easy way to start is by looking at their website. I also tried to visit colleges I was really interested in. I know it's hard to visit all the colleges, especially if you're far away, but I was fortunate to visit at least the East Coast schools. I attended info sessions and went on college campus tours, which were really helpful because they are usually led by current students. You can ask them questions casually. They are not reviewing your applications, so you don't have to be nervous when asking questions.

Ashish Bhargava:
Got it. You said you went to high school in New Jersey. So the East Coast was basically the focus area. How did you add UCs?

Melina Kim:
I mostly went on college tours on the East Coast because they were drivable, but I didn't rule out California or other schools on the West Coast. I was interested, but it was difficult to fly out for college campus tours. I didn't get to visit UC Berkeley and UCLA, but in terms of college campus tours, it was just easier to visit East Coast schools.

Ashish Bhargava:
Got it. Out of the 17, you clearly articulated the safety, target, and reach segmentation. What about your strategy for early action versus early decision?

Melina Kim:
I think early action and early decision can be good strategies for some but not necessarily for everyone. For students who have a clear top-choice college and are 100% certain about attending, early decision could be a great option because it could potentially improve their chances of acceptance. I personally applied early action to Harvard because I wasn't sure where I wanted to go. I got deferred from Harvard and then later went through the whole regular cycle.

Ashish Bhargava:
Got it. The recommendations become very important, especially when applying to Ivy Leagues and selective schools. How did you pick your recommenders, and what personality traits did you want them to highlight?

Melina Kim:
Recommendation letters can be an important part of the application process. I asked a couple of teachers I had in mind. I asked one of my English teachers because I had her twice, so she knew me well. It's helpful to think about how long you've known the teacher. I also considered asking teachers from my 11th-grade year because I learned from them most recently. When asking for recommendation letters, it's good to ask ahead of time and provide them with a rough draft of your essay. It's ultimately up to them what they write, but it's helpful to give them context.

Ashish Bhargava:
That's great. There's an aspect of SAT, GPA, and class rank. Would you mind sharing your SAT score, GPA, and class rank so applicants can understand what it takes to get into these Ivy Leagues?

Melina Kim:
Sure. I took the ACT instead of the SAT and scored 35 out of 36. I took four SAT IIs and scored 800 in Math Level 2, 750 in Chemistry, 750 in Literature, and 740 in Biology. I had a 3.94 out of 4.0 unweighted GPA. My school didn't rank students.

Ashish Bhargava:
Thank you. That's pretty phenomenal. You had a really good ACT score. A lot of high schoolers focus on the ACT and SAT, particularly in their sophomore and junior years. What tips would you offer these high schoolers as they prepare for the ACT/SAT?

Melina Kim:
I studied over the summer and didn't focus too much on standardized tests during the academic year to maintain my GPA and extracurriculars. You can always retake the SAT or ACT, but you can't change your grades once they're on your transcript. I studied over the summer, especially the summer before my senior year. I would recommend practicing as many past papers as possible and focusing on weak areas. If you do well early, it can reduce your workload.

Ashish Bhargava:
Got it. Let's shift gears to extracurriculars. What was your strategy for extracurriculars, and what should be the strategy for high schoolers now that you've gone through the whole application cycle?

Melina Kim:
I don't think there's one correct answer to this. Personally, I did extracurriculars I enjoyed, like playing squash and serving as the president of my school's art club. I've always loved art since kindergarten. I wouldn't force myself to do extracurriculars I wasn't interested in but aimed for a balance. It's important to show you're passionate about something while gaining various experiences.

Ashish Bhargava:
When you mentioned sports, there's an aspect of external validation. What would your recommendation be from an award collection point of view?

Melina Kim:
Awards can play a role in your application, but they're just one portion of the holistic application. Don't focus on collecting as many awards as possible. Instead, focus on doing your best in your high school classes and participating in extracurricular activities. The awards will naturally follow if you do well. Colleges will consider the whole picture.

Ashish Bhargava:
Pivoting to application essays—a topic that is the bane of existence for most seniors going through applications—how did you pick the topic for your application essay, and how did you approach writing them?

Melina Kim:
For my application essay, I wrote about a science scholarship program I was in, where I did research at a cancer research lab. I centered my application around that experience, talking about my hands-on experiences in the lab, the complexities of cancer research, and how I felt when I started and finished the program. I also tied in volunteer work I did with oncology patients and provided a glimpse of how this experience would tie into my future.

Ashish Bhargava:
You mentioned a number of different things related to your essay topic. How did you arrive at what aspect of

that activity you wanted to highlight in the essay?

Melina Kim:
I brainstormed towards the end of my junior year summer and worked on it throughout the fall. It wasn't a quick process, but I worked on it here and there when I had time. Don't wait until the last minute to write your essays. Start early so you have time to brainstorm, draft, revise, and seek feedback. Focus on getting your ideas down first, then ask for feedback. Ultimately, it's your essay, so how much you incorporate from their comments is up to you.

Ashish Bhargava:
That's an interesting aspect. Out of the 17 schools, did you get invited for interviews?

Melina Kim:
Yes, I got invited for a few, but not all. Alumni interviews were mostly casual conversations about what I was involved in at high school. I didn't get many questions about academics. It was more about hobbies and extracurriculars. Do some basic research about the college you're interviewing for and show up on time. It's also your opportunity to ask questions about the school.

Ashish Bhargava:
You applied to 17 schools and got admitted to most of them, but you did get rejected from a couple. Can you tell us more about that?

Melina Kim:
I applied early action to Harvard and got deferred, then later got rejected. Initially, I was upset, but I got into my next top-choice schools, Columbia and Penn. The thought of being in New York City for the next four years was exciting, and I was even more excited after the accepted students' revisit day on campus. Everyone around me was supportive, and my parents never made me feel less valued if I didn't get into a certain school.

Ashish Bhargava:
What do you think the role of luck is in the application process?

Melina Kim:
Luck can play a role in the admission process in varying degrees. Factors like the number of applicants that year and the reputation of your high school can impact admission decisions. It's important to focus on what you can control instead of worrying about factors out of your control.

Ashish Bhargava:
You attended two Ivy League schools, Columbia and Harvard. Looking back, what key traits and experiences do you think are valued by Ivy League schools or elite schools in general?

Melina Kim:
I think Ivy Leagues value students who are intellectually curious, have leadership potential, commitment to community service, and academic excellence. They want to create a diverse and well-rounded class, but that doesn't mean each applicant has to excel in every area. Focus on areas that interest you and be yourself.

Ashish Bhargava:
You mentioned your master's. What was your undergrad major?

Melina Kim:
I majored in East Asian Studies with a concentration in Visual Arts at Columbia.

Ashish Bhargava:
We created GoodGoblin to help college applicants go through this stressful time. What are your thoughts on GoodGoblin, particularly as an applicant?

Melina Kim:
One of the biggest benefits of GoodGoblin is the personalized guidance through the advanced AI algorithm. Each student is different, so personalized suggestions can be very beneficial. Efficiency is another big benefit. Applying to colleges can be a stressful time with multiple applications and deadlines. GoodGoblin can help students with the college search and essay writing process be more efficient.

Ashish Bhargava:
That's awesome. Thank you so much, Melina. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. This was very helpful.

Melina Kim:
Thank you so much for having me today.