Am I cooked?

I’m a high-school student from Ukraine, female, applying to US colleges. I need financial aid (~$5–10k contribution possible). GPA: 4.0/4.0 (11.3/12). Test-optional. Planning to major in Chemical Engineering.

Activities:

Other Club/Activity

•	Founder and leader of Nature Nerds STEM club; ran mentorship workshops; created educational content with 8,000+ views.

•	History tutor and club leader at Academy of Social Science; tutored peers, led an online club of 150 students, organized academic discussions, lectures, and online conferences.

Research

•	Published research paper in the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; presented original research on monitoring food products for phenolic compounds using spectrophotometry at scientific conferences.

•	Independent research project creator; developed a water filtration system using human hair; participated in ISEF-affiliated fair and Genius Olympiad; exploring patent application potential.

Internship

•	Research Assistant at Syngenta AG; assisted in seed and laboratory experiments, collected data, analyzed results, and supported ongoing agricultural studies.

Academic

•	Co-founder of a Young Scientists Lectorium; combined theory lessons with hands-on practice and established collaboration with schools.

•	Student at The New York Academy of Sciences; led a team researching alternative energy sources, collaborated on experiments, and wrote scientific reports.

Science/Math

•	Neuroscience student in NeuroBee Program; studied neuroscience and neuroanatomy in preparation for neuroscience Olympiad.

•	Entrepreneurship: co-founder of Shape the Future, an eco-startup and ecosystem/climate modeling project aimed at incentivizing waste sorting through community-based bonus system.

Athletics: Club

•	Football team captain; led practices, coordinated teammates, and represented the school at matches.

Honors & Awards

•	History Olympiad: 1st place City-level (2023), 3rd place Regional-level (2024), 1st place City-level (2024), 2nd place Regional-level (2025)

•	Law Olympiad: 2nd place City-level (2023), 3rd place City-level (2024)

•	Research: Paper on “Armenian Genocide 1915”, Regional-level presentation

•	Chemistry Olympiad: 3rd place, Regional-level Olympiad

•	Participated in Wynogradskiy International Summer School for young people with achievements in science

Personal statement:

My main essay starts with the hook: “I was humiliated by chemistry” and tells the story of how I began my journey in chemistry—facing setbacks, learning from failures, and ultimately growing through them. I aimed to make it reflective, showing how challenges sparked my curiosity and commitment to research and real-world impact.

I just got my fifth rejection. Am I cooked?