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Boy, aged 16 to study Maths at Harvard University!!

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Original post by black1blade
The people who get to the round 2 are often quite like that but with good a-level knowledge, you can get a gold after doing a few of the past papers as practice.


Honestly, I couldn't improve much after my first couple attempts because I didn't know how to solve questions I got wrong (MS doesn't help much). The NMR goes to crazy levels on that ****. Organic was disgusting at times too

"How Chemical Reactions Happen" seems to be a favourite book among gold medalists. Never got it, probably worth it

I did find it quite strange how some strong students couldn't get an award though - some of them were medics too (our whole chem classes did it).
Original post by Black Water
Can you literally apply to any universities over there?


Yep, you have to pay individual application fees for each uni, and sit the SAT and usually two subtests (i.e. Subject specific SATs) when their dates are available in the UK (often in big cities like London or Birmingham, they don't go to small towns, unfortunately).

You'll need to write a college essay, which isn't very similar to a UCAS PS. They look for different things, but great examples are all over the internet.

Honestly, another negative, academically speaking imo of American unis is that their interviews are personal, and non-academic. They'll talk about you and what you can do for the uni based on your life and college essay - no intellect questions.
Original post by Kyber Ninja
Honestly, I couldn't improve much after my first couple attempts because I didn't know how to solve questions I got wrong (MS doesn't help much). The NMR goes to crazy levels on that ****. Organic was disgusting at times too

"How Chemical Reactions Happen" seems to be a favourite book among gold medalists. Never got it, probably worth it

I did find it quite strange how some strong students couldn't get an award though - some of them were medics too (our whole chem classes did it).

The olympiads are more about testing problem solving rather than knowledge you already have. For example in the organic ones you can work backwards. Also all the mathematical ones that may draw upon UG stuff, they always give you all the equations. But yeah I agree the NMR ones are insanely hard. I got 46.5/81 in mine so fingers crossed for gold but it might be high silver.
Reply 103
Original post by Kyber Ninja
Yep, you have to pay individual application fees for each uni, and sit the SAT and usually two subtests (i.e. Subject specific SATs) when their dates are available in the UK (often in big cities like London or Birmingham, they don't go to small towns, unfortunately).

You'll need to write a college essay, which isn't very similar to a UCAS PS. They look for different things, but great examples are all over the internet.

Honestly, another negative, academically speaking imo of American unis is that their interviews are personal, and non-academic. They'll talk about you and what you can do for the uni based on your life and college essay - no intellect questions.


You have to pay for the application fees? Do you know how much? That’s kind of a piss take. Yeah I’d new it would be taken place in major cities.
Original post by black1blade
The olympiads are more about testing problem solving rather than knowledge you already have. For example in the organic ones you can work backwards. Also all the mathematical ones that may draw upon UG stuff, they always give you all the equations. But yeah I agree the NMR ones are insanely hard. I got 46.5/81 in mine so fingers crossed for gold but it might be high silver.


I get what you say, but people who read up on organic at UG will just memorise the reactions. They'll also "get used" to the physical chemistry equations so that's really no application for them. It's why the Chinese are always dominating it, it's their culture tbh.

Oo, that's a tight one. I think that's a Gold. I got something like 45% in mine and missed gold by a few marks - it's usually around 50-55% no?
Original post by Black Water
You have to pay for the application fees? Do you know how much? That’s kind of a piss take. Yeah I’d new it would be taken place in major cities.


Average is $30 ~ £22.

For the prestigious ones, it's more like £50 an application

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/the-short-list-college/articles/2017-10-10/50-colleges-with-the-highest-application-fees

Such a money hungry process
Reply 106
Original post by Kyber Ninja
Average is $30 ~ £22.

For the prestigious ones, it's more like £50 an application

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/the-short-list-college/articles/2017-10-10/50-colleges-with-the-highest-application-fees

Such a money hungry process


Wow they’re robbing you blind. That’s not really worth it then.
Original post by Black Water
Wow they’re robbing you blind. That’s not really worth it then.


Ofc not.

This is why the rich attend the best unis in America. The UK media should look at "merica before they **** off every top uni in the UK for not helping social mobility.
Reply 108
Original post by Kyber Ninja
Ofc not.

This is why the rich attend the best unis in America. The UK media should look at "merica before they **** off every top uni in the UK for not helping social mobility.


Yeah. Money will literally get you anything. It isn’t that cheap to go to university over here as well but it is cheaper.
Original post by Black Water
Yeah. Money will literally get you anything. It isn’t that cheap to go to university over here as well but it is cheaper.


I mean, if you're Scottish it's free. If you're Welsh, you only play £4,000 a year. It's really only England and NI that have it bad (by UK standards).
Original post by Kyber Ninja
I get what you say, but people who read up on organic at UG will just memorise the reactions. They'll also "get used" to the physical chemistry equations so that's really no application for them. It's why the Chinese are always dominating it, it's their culture tbh.

Oo, that's a tight one. I think that's a Gold. I got something like 45% in mine and missed gold by a few marks - it's usually around 50-55% no?


Yeah I think so. In the lower sixth chem challenge I got exactly enough to get a gold (33/68) which is p funny.
Reply 111
Original post by Kyber Ninja
I mean, if you're Scottish it's free. If you're Welsh, you only play £4,000 a year. It's really only England and NI that have it bad (by UK standards).


Yeah but then that’s crap for us.
Original post by Black Water
How many olympiads are you sitting lol. Is your brother doing A-Levels?


My brother is doing his A levels (he's in y13); he introduced me to the chemistry and biology olympiads. I sat some papers and did it in school unofficially. But to answer your question, just maths and physics.
Original post by black1blade
Yeah I think so. In the lower sixth chem challenge I got exactly enough to get a gold (33/68) which is p funny.


The Cambridge Chemistry challenge or the Chemistry Olympiad? Isn't the latter /75?
Reply 114
Original post by thekidwhogames
My brother is doing his A levels (he's in y13); he introduced me to the chemistry and biology olympiads. I sat some papers and did it in school unofficially. But to answer your question, just maths and physics.


Oh right. What subjects is your brother taking?
Original post by thekidwhogames
The Cambridge Chemistry challenge or the Chemistry Olympiad? Isn't the latter /75?


They all vary year on year. One year the round 1 chem was out of 100 (the year that kyber is talking about where 45% was gold).
Original post by Black Water
Oh right. What subjects is your brother taking?


Maths, Chem, Biology.
Original post by black1blade
They all vary year on year. One year the round 1 chem was out of 100 (the year that kyber is talking about where 45% was gold).


Ah I forgot - yeah they do.
Reply 118
Original post by thekidwhogames
Maths, Chem, Biology.


Nice, is he planning on doing Medicine?
Would be nice to see the lucky students recieving admission into Harvard from the UK, and even harder achievement. Considering only 4 schools in the UK have had a successful admission last year. Congratulations to the fellow American, nice to see those who dilligently worked their way up to presitgious places.

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