Beyond Graduation | Paul Chan
As we come to the end of the year, we’ve had the chance to chat with Paul, a senior at SCIS. With a passion for trading stocks, Paul will be attending New York University (NYU) where he’ll study economics in the city that never sleeps. Read on to hear all about Paul before we send him off to the Big Apple!
Tell us about yourself.
I am originally from California, and I moved to Shanghai in 10th grade. I really enjoy listening to podcasts, reading books, and trading stocks. I always enjoyed games of chance and reward, but with stocks, they’re more of a scientific base. I did a lot of research and shadowed to learn more about stocks then once I turned 18, I began trading.
Congratulations on getting accepted to NYU! How did you feel when you received the offer?
I knew what day I would hear from them but because of the different time zones, I wasn‘t sure exactly what time it would be. So, I was nervously checking all day. When I woke up, I got an email and saw that I had got into NYU. I was really excited about that. It was funny because I didn’t check the letter actually and only checked the portal panel that said, “accepted students”.
How was the application process for you?
It wasn’t that stressful because SCIS has been talking to and preparing me for the college application process ever since I got here. I was more familiar with it and did not have to learn a lot of new things when it came to applying. Nothing surprised me so I was prepared to start writing essays in the summer.
What made you want to attend NYU?
I had applied to a few schools like Michigan and The University of California. Once I heard back from NYU, I withdrew my application from other schools. I wanted to attend NYU because I like the programs and the fact that the campus is in New York. With the campus being in the city it isn’t very traditional. This way I can get more experience and interact with different people from other walks of life. It will keep me out of the college bubble.
What are you hoping to study and why?
Economics. My dad is an investor and that got me interested. On the surface, it seemed pretty easy but there is a lot more involved than just putting money in and getting a nice return. I find it interesting how economics plays an important role in a lot of things in life and how it can affect politics.
Do you feel like your time at SCIS has prepared you for university?
Definitely. The main thing is my classes. Dr. Valerio’s physics class is a lot like college where it is more of a lecture style. I've been given a lot of freedom to go at my own pace and learn how to adapt to a higher level of learning.
What do you think you will miss most about SCIS?
The community because you get to interact with so many different people here.
What advice would you give our upcoming graduating class?
Be proactive. You have a lot of time with free blocks. Allocate your time more effectively to map out what you will be doing. This way, you won’t be caught off guard by any exams or Internal Assessments (IA)s.
When you are building your profile for college applications you can tailor different aspects of yourself for the specific program you are applying for. If you are applying for something in mathematics or engineering, you would want to tailor your activities to line up with that. Whereas if your essays were talking about sports and you are applying for a physics program, it wouldn’t be particularly relevant.
Self-Directed Learners.
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