Would having a Mensa card help me get into a university?
I very much doubt that it would help. I joined Mesa while I was in high school, and I did find some of the publications interesting. However, I was never asked about Mensa, nor did I have occasion to mention Mensa, to any academic institution. Mensa is effectively a social club. They do (or at least in the past, they did) conduct some research and I did find very interesting articles, well written, in the Mensa Journal from time to time. However, again, Mensa is an organization that was formed to bring together people that have something in common: a relatively high score on a specific IQ test, or (at least back in the old days) some standardized test.The point is this: a top tier university genuinely does not care how smart you are, but they care a great deal about what you do with the intelligence with which you have been gifted. Do you have excellent grades that you have received over a period of years? Do you do exceptionally well on standardized tests? Do you write well? Do you actively express your interest in supporting your community — supporting other people — in a variety of ways? Are you, for lack of a better term, “well-rounded?” These are generally viewed as far more important than a high IQ as measured on some IQ test.Best wishes in your efforts to gain admittance to a university that will provide you with genuine benefits and value.
Can a high IQ help me get admitted to Stanford University?
A2A. A high IQ can help you be accepted to Stanford, but only indirectly. As AFAIK, IQ scores are not accepted as part of your application. You always have to take the SAT or ACT for application to be considered, without submitting them you application will be considered incomplete and automatically ignored. The fact that your live in Austria should not be a problem as the SAT are administered at several locations in Austria and Southern Germany.Test Center SearchGood luck.
Will playing the piano help me get into an Ivy League University?
Yes.The other answers seem to imply that the only way piano will help is if you're some sort of otherworldly prodigy, but from my personal experience, I don't believe this to be the case (if we consider Stanford on the same level as the ivies).I was never a national award winner (or even winner of anything at all!) at piano! The only time I ever performed mildly competitively I was third place.Though having national recognition under your belt certainly doesn't hurt (and many students at these universities are in fact nationally recognized), what the college admission process has taught me is that colleges just want to see what you're up to. They want to know what you've spent your time doing. They want to know if you're doing something meaningful outside of schoolwork. Even though you may not be a piano pro, it'll still help shape their opinions of you.I actually ended up writing my personal statement about piano (more specifically how I failed at piano and felt bad about it). I related the experience to many other facets of my life to show exactly why it was meaningful and significant enough that I'd spend my main essay writing about it.So short answer: yes, piano CAN help - but only if you utilize it properly. And chances are, unless you're an absolute prodigy, it won't be the only reason you'd receive admission, but it can certainly be an important part.
Would it help me get a PhD in a top university if I got an MS first?
There’s no question that being able to demonstrate your ability to do research can only help your application. Similarly, having someone with whom you've worked vouch for your research potential helps as well.You don't say much about your background already, so I will read between the lines and guess you don't think it's strong enough to get into the PhD program of your choice. If that's the case, do you think you're application is strong enough to get into the MS program for that program? If so, that's the best way to improve your chances - then you can be directly exposed to your preferred adviser and if she or he wants to work with you then your chance of being admitted is greatly enhanced.This issue has been discussed repeatedly on Quora, but it's worth noting that for a PhD it is your adviser that makes the most difference, not the school. When you are done, it will be your research that matters most. Your adviser will get you opportunities to present yourself. Your school will be a factor as well. In other words, adviser and/or school open doors to opportunity but you are the one that has to shine to succeed.So pick adviser first. That will suggest schools naturally. Then work to build a bridge there - do your existing professors know that person? Or someone at that school? Are they willing to reach out on your behalf - I was fortunate to have someone willing to do that for me, though by the time that worked I'd already built a connection with my adviser by that time. I know I was accepted because my adviser wanted me, more than anything else.Good luck on pursuing your PhD!
Is a University Honors Program worth it?
An honors program isn't for everyone so there are some questions you need to ask yourself to determine if you are the right person for this. Can you be disciplined enough to keep up with the standards? Is your GPA high now and is that easy for you to maintain or very difficult? Just based on the learning you would gain alone - that would be helpful to you in your major and in your life. But, are you interested in additional learning? Will you be happy in making some sacrifices in your personal and social life in order to accomodate this? When other people deter you and tell you that you're wasting your time, can you take a stand for what you are doing and continue while ignoring that kind of peer pressure? Do you have at least one friend who has done this program or is in it so that you can support each other in the endeavor? Well, I would think just having done thesis work would be very worthwhile as that is something high education will require at the Master's or Doctorate level - is that a direction you would like to go in the future? I would say that in comparison to the many ways a person can get into trouble in college and do silly things because they have too much free time - I would think investing in your future would be wise. Now getting a job is more about personal skills, relationships and having contacts than it is what is on you resume, but most certainly having that on your resume can help get your foot in the door at a certain level and help you connect with teachers and mentors who will be impressed by your interest in scholarly endeavors and will most certainly recommend you for the right internships and positions that will help you succeed. Trust me - alot of 30 and 40 somethings only wish they had set their minds on their future when they were young because you will reap the rewards or consequences for choices you make now.
Will my high school research experience help me with university admissions?
Your research experience will help stand you out as passionate about science, but it isn't a guarunteed admission or anything. Do it because you love it, not to get into college.
Will competitive programming help in getting university such as MIT, Stanford for undergraduate? What is the rank required to get in?
A2A - can’t speak to Stanford, but can talk about MIT.I’m not totally sure what you mean by not having “accomplished anything meaningful (as programs are of PCM)”. What exactly is PCM? I only know it as pulse-code modulation. But I’ll shape my answer assuming you’ve had a fairly normal, good-but-not-stellar high school experience/grades thus far.Certainly demonstrating good competitive programming skills can be very valuable to your application to MIT - strong extracurricular achievement, particularly in STEM fields, is something that MIT admissions loves to see on an undergraduate application. But there is no particular level of competitive programming that, once you achieve it, you are guaranteed admission. MIT admits a very small fraction of applicants - this year the admit rate for the incoming freshman class was 7.8%. They regularly turn down science & math Olympiad competitors, competitive programmers, people who finished at the top of their class, and many other highly accomplished candidates, so it’s safe to say that there is no way of guaranteeing entry, and there is no level of competitive programming that they particularly want you to achieve before you can get in.A really good level of competitive programming can help make up for other areas of your application that are lackluster, though. I know a couple people whose grades in high school weren’t always perfect, but they were able to show that they were incredibly intelligent and passionate through some extracurriculars that they pursued very enthusiastically.Still, it’s not enough just to do the competitive programming. MIT doesn’t admit accomplishments, it admits people. The admissions officers would like to know (and this can be conveyed through your essays on the application) why you like to do competitive programming. They want to know what your motivations are, why you are passionate about programming, what drives you to try to improve your skills. They would be more likely to admit a competitive programmer who is really excited and passionate about what they do but has achieved a lower level than a better competitive programmer who isn’t as interested in programming and is just doing it to “tick boxes” on the application. So, in summary, the most important thing for your application is that you can show your intellect and passion through your competitive programming accomplishments.
College and University Admissions: Would starting a blog to show off my electronics and computer science projects help me to get into MIT?
Ooooh my first A2A. I'm humbled!So here's the situation: Somewhere around a 1/3 of applicants to the institute are academically qualified (GPA is awesome, SAT/ACT scores are also great), but only ~10% are accepted. So how do you stand out from the others? Ok so some people I've talked to do have "Golden Tickets" and got into every school they wanted. They were Int'l Math Olympiad champs or start-up founders or had published research or something like that before coming to MIT. Crazy right! This is not typical of an MIT admit.What IS typical of an MIT applicant is evidence they pursue their passions and interests.Everyone has an interest. (I think computer science is neat.)A lot of people learn about their interest. (I did Code Academy.)Some people apply their interest. (I made a personal website!)Awesome people share their interest. (I created a website to help my local food bank organize deliveries! I taught middle schoolers how to make simple mobile apps!)My interests were/are running, computer science, and teaching. I ran everyday of high school (minus a few lazy days or a week off after a season ended). I would get the opportunity to be a captain for my cross country and track teams in high school and still relive some of those moments to this day haha.I always liked teaching but didn't want to be a teacher. My first job was teaching rifle shooting at a scout camp. I also tutored, TAed, and founded an after school program to teach middle schoolers how to program with Scratch.I fell in love with Computer Science my senior year of high school. My CS teacher hooked it up. Thanks to her connections, I got to go to multiple conferences and a few friends and I got together to create a service to automatically assign lockers to students. We submitted this to a high school programming competition and ended up placing 3rd! So show the admissions folks you care enough about something you would apply and share it. Find something you may genuinely be interested in. Good luck, stay the course, and know that you will find the right place! Oh and start early.
Would community college help me get into pre-med school?
YES! I was in the same boat you are in now. I went to community college and busted my butt to raise my grades. It is cheaper, and you don't have to worry about acceptance. After 2 years of good performance, they didn't even look at my high school history. I got a 4.0 in community college and was eligible to go to top colleges. The only thing is...you really have to be committed to get in to med school. If you still can't hack it in community college...med school isn't for you. Get serious! By the way...what the guy said about colleges not looking favorably on you in the sciences...that's not true. I was a chemistry and geology double major and went on to great things. I got lots of scholarships and now I have a great job. Don't listen to him!
Can courses from Coursera, edX, Udacity help me gain admission to prestigious universities for their undergraduate programs?
When you talk about top University, there are really only four pieces of information that an admission officer sees: SAT, GPA, PS (Personal Statement) that show your accomplishment supported by your LORs.If you are a top student in High School, you should be taking AP classes. The typical number of AP courses taken is 8 or more. There are AP Exam prep courses on edX which may help you get better grades, but they do not have transcript so they will not seen.What are the best math sites for self-studying? lists a number of sites that teach mathematics that will help you with your SAT and math classes. If you have a local college, you can take college courses in the summer. Taylor Academy also has courses that you can get college credit.The PS needs to have activities that standout support by strong LORs. This will be what distinguishes you from the other applicants.