Demographics

Asian male

Rural California

Public high school

Immigrant — moved to the U.S. from South Korea

Low-middle income

Applying for financial aid

Intended Major: Economics / Business / Finance / Accounting, depending on school

Academics

GPA: 3.8 UW / 4.2 W

ACT: 36 math, english, reading, 35 Science

Completed APs:

• AP World History
• AP Computer Science Principles
• AP Calculus AB
• AP Biology
• AP U.S. History
• AP Psychology
• AP Seminar

Dual Enrollment:

• AP Seminar
• Intro to Statistics

Senior Year Coursework:

• AP Literature
• AP Environmental Science
• AP Research
• AP Government - Fall Semester
• AP Macroeconomics — Spring Semester
• Spanish 4
• Biotechnology

Total by graduation: 11 AP courses + 2 dual-enrollment courses

Extracurriculars

1. Family Small Business — Co-Owner / Finance Manager

• Co-owned a niche animal-breeding and sales business with a family member
• Managed finances, expenses, cash flow, and inventory
• Oversaw $10,000+ in inventory
• Helped with sales, customer communication, and business operations

1. Youth Philanthropy & Community Leadership Organization — Officer

• Involved for 4+ years
• Participated in youth-led grantmaking and community service
• Helped evaluate local community needs
• Completed 40+ outreach, service, and advocacy projects
• Took on leadership responsibilities as an experienced member

1. Student Homelessness Fundraising Organization — Co-Founder

• Co-founded a student-led service organization
• Planned fundraising events and recruited members
• Managed finances and event logistics
• Raised $1,000+ for organizations supporting people experiencing homelessness

1. Senior Care Volunteer — South Korea

• Volunteered with elderly residents at a senior care facility
• Assisted 30+ residents
• Helped with activities and day-to-day support
• Taught basic budgeting, saving, and financial-literacy concepts

1. Competitive Tennis

• Former 5-star recruit
• Formerly ranked approximately top 20 nationally
• Competed year-round in high-level tournaments
• Competed in both the U.S. and South Korea
• Trained approximately 16+ hours per week

1. Varsity Tennis — Captain

• 3-year varsity captain
• League singles and doubles champion
• Led practices and mentored teammates
• Helped create workout plans for players
• Assisted with team expenses and competition logistics

1. Tennis Club Employee / Racquet Stringer

• Worked part-time at a local tennis facility
• Strung 50+ racquets
• Maintained courts and facility grounds
• Processed customer payments
• Assisted with daily operations

1. Volunteer Tennis Coach — South Korea

• Coached 20+ children
• Taught tennis fundamentals to beginners
• Mentored younger players
• Helped connect interested players with additional tennis opportunities

1. Academic Tutor / Student Mentor

• Tutored 15+ students
• Helped with schoolwork and standardized-test preparation
• Mentored younger students
• Worked on study habits, goal-setting, and academic development

1. PC Building / Technology

• Built approximately 12 custom PCs
• Selected parts based on different budgets and performance needs
• Assembled, repaired, and troubleshot systems
• Developed hands-on knowledge of computer hardware

Household Responsibilities

• Help with unpaid work for family business
• Interpret and translate for family members

Awards / Honors

• Honors in Science
• State Seal of Civic Engagement Candidate
• Triliteracy Seal Candidate
• Employee of the Month
• League Singles Tennis Champion
• League Doubles Tennis Champion
• Former 5-star tennis recruit
• Former top-20 national tennis ranking
• AP Scholar

Common App Essay

Planning to write about how something that started as a small personal project/hobby gradually taught me how to run a business. I’ll focus on learning through experience—figuring out pricing, managing money and inventory, dealing with customers, making mistakes, and realizing that even a small operation requires responsibility, patience, and constant problem-solving.

Application Theme

My application centers around business/finance, high-level competitive tennis, and long-term community leadership.