01 Student L, U.S. boarding school
MIT · Caltech · Cornell University College of Engineering
- Background
- GPA at the top of the class, SAT 1550+, top scores in multiple AP exams
- Applicant profile
- Energy-equity practitioner
From top competition results and scattered activities we distilled a core thread of “energy equity”, turned a field study in rural Gansu into a signature personal project on energy poverty, and connected it to subsequent in-depth research. The main essay traced the growth from problem-solving prodigy to someone concerned with real-world energy justice, creating a profile that combined engineering strength with a humanistic mission and stood out in the most competitive STEM pool.
02 Student C, public-school international division
University of Chicago · Vanderbilt University · Georgetown School of Foreign Service
- Background
- Strong GPA, TOEFL 115+; early activities were conventional humanities work that lacked distinctiveness
- Applicant profile
- Local policy researcher
To break the homogeneity of humanities activities we planned a year-long independent study of cultural-heritage policy in Beijing’s urban renewal, producing an academic report reviewed by experts. The main essay placed a local case in a global comparative frame and integrated Model UN and summer-school experiences, forming a “young policy scholar” profile that combined academic rigour, local commitment and a global outlook, well beyond the usual humanities-star label.
03 Student L, Beijing international division
Johns Hopkins University · Rice University · UC Berkeley Energy Science and Engineering
- Background
- GPA top 10%, TOEFL 115, SAT 1550, five AP exams scored 5
- Applicant profile
- Research-driven energy pioneer
Went deep into energy science through the national “Elite Talent” program and the Yau Science Award, publishing an SCI paper; an AIME score of 10 showed strong mathematical foundations; founded a sustainability club and led several environmental initiatives; attended the Pioneer and Garcia research programs, completing a “research → practice → policy” path of energy exploration.
04 Student H, Beijing international school
UCLA, Sociology
- Background
- IB 40, TOEFL 105
- Applicant profile
- A thinker across science and the humanities
Explored the intersection of environmental policy and community development through research on bioplastics and consumer behaviour and work on white-dolphin conservation. A UPenn summer program deepened the academic framework in the sociology of science, while years in a Chinese theatre dance troupe shaped a distinctive cultural insight and empathy.
05 Student F, Shanghai international school
Emory University · University of Hong Kong, Biology
- Background
- A-Level 4A*, IELTS 7.5
- Applicant profile
- A future scientist with a passion for teaching and a humane outlook
As founder of the biology club, systematically tutored peers and showed outstanding leadership and teaching ability. Honed frontier synthetic-biology skills through iGEM and research at Cambridge. Volunteering at a hospice gave the research a deep human warmth, and ten years of piano and gymnastics shaped focus and resilience.
06 Student H, international division in Gansu
Emory University, Sociology
- Background
- GPA 4.28, ACT 35
- Applicant profile
- A policy leader with local practice and a global view
From president of a rural-teaching society and the debate club to chair of a provincial Model UN, showed leadership deepening step by step in public service and reasoned communication. Three social-science research projects and a CTB project turned observations of western China into academic inquiry, and a UCLA summer program broadened the global perspective: rooted locally, looking outward.
