- University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania, College of Arts and Sciences
From an early interest in “physics/EE + economics + gender studies” to a “quantitative-humanist physics researcher guided by light”, who built mainland China’s first campus light-pollution monitoring station.
- Major
- Physics + Environment + Public Policy
- GPA
- 4.58 / 4 weighted (class rank 12)
- TOEFL
- 115
- SAT
- 1570
- Character
- Excellent grades, clear goals, strong follow-through
Applicant profile A quantitative, humanist physics researcher guided by light.
Planning path
- Initial academic interests before planning: physics / EE + economics + gender studies
- Academic interests after planning: physics + environment + public policy
- Research: Pioneer application; customised research; guidance to land a light-pollution research project
Application storyline
Activities, achievements and essays all revolved around one narrative: a girl fascinated by light and darkness, solving real problems with scientific method while reflecting on the relationship between technology and the humanities.
Activities
- Research leadership: built mainland China’s first campus light-pollution monitoring station in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong and the Shenzhen Observatory, and published a paper.
- Leadership: student council president, building a service-oriented campus culture.
- Top research: Pioneer research paper “Deriving the generating function of plane partitions”, graded A+.
- Academic organisation: leader of the SYPT research group, organising a team to tackle physics challenge problems.
- In-depth research: customised research on black-hole gravitational lensing.
- Personal research: optical modelling of wet-darkening.
- Computing: programmed a hedge-trimming robot, winning a municipal second prize and organising a public demonstration.
- Community service: photographed 70 campus plant species and built a visual campus plant guide.
- Sport: starting point guard on the basketball team.
- Writing: wrote and edited poetry and articles on gender and campus topics for the school journal.