Hey, I’m Ayontika Naha, a senior in high school, studying at Singapore International School in Bombay, India. I spent my summer at the University of Pennsylvania as part of their Wharton Global Youth Program, exploring my passion for finance!
“I was surprised to see how a rigorous field like finance, which people often believe does not have any space for subjectivity, can be interpreted differently by students from across the world.”
I chose to study abroad for a summer program as a high schooler because I'd heard so many positive things about summer programs overall; I knew a lot of people who went, and they’ve all shared how incredible their experience was and how much there was to learn. So I really wanted to do something similar. There were many summer programs in India, but I wanted a global perspective and to meet people from different parts of the world, which is why I decided to apply abroad. Moreover, I think this summer program was crucial for gaining insight into what university life is like in other countries, as I plan to study abroad for university.
Why I chose Wharton
I aimed to get exposure. Of course, Wharton is an extremely prestigious school, and I don't think I would have chosen to do my summer program at any other university. That said, the country itself did not matter much to me when choosing a summer program, as I just wanted to experience student life and academic courses at any international university and meet new people from across the world.
The stats I applied with
I applied with a record of 10 A*s in my IGCSE examinations, including a score of 99% in Economics and 98% in Additional Mathematics. I am currently doing the IBDP program, where my scores have been slightly fluctuating; however, at the time I applied, I had a score of 41/42 points. I also used my SAT scores to further strengthen my application, as at the time I had a score of 1520 (super-scored).
Extracurriculars
There wasn’t a direct section in the application where you could talk about your extracurriculars, but they did ask for a resume. I am extremely passionate about finding solutions to inequality, the arts, and empowering young girls, so all the extracurriculars in my resume were linked to those areas.
Here’s a breakdown of the activities I mentioned in my resume:
I wrote a research paper on the GST's impact on the bottom 50% of income earners in India, demonstrating my passion for inequality as well as finance, as I applied to the program for the Essentials of Finance course.
Moreover, I used art as a tool for social impact, incorporating painting into the initiative and directing the funds raised toward supporting underprivileged girls and addressing inequality. I also support underserved artists through art workshops and teach them how to price their work appropriately so that it can sell.
Lastly, I founded Zero to Infinity, a math organization that holds math competitions for tribal kids. These kids have never had the opportunity to take a test or competition similar to this in their lives; therefore, the organization aims to encourage them to practice math and reduce their fear associated with the subject. Along with the help of a few others, we also crowdfund and reward the winners of the competition with money, supporting their higher education further.
Letter of recommendation
I also sent a letter of recommendation from a teacher at my school, which I believe further demonstrated my suitability for the program. I think a strong letter of recommendation definitely helps because it shows how you are as a person and a student beyond just what shows on your resume and your grades and numbers, so I think it’s extremely useful for any application because universities tend to get a better understanding of how you are as a student from the teachers who interact with you daily.
My Summer Program Experience
The summer program lasted 12 days, and I thoroughly enjoyed every day. I went for the Essentials of Finance course, which I found interesting for many reasons. Firstly, we were randomly divided into teams on day 1 itself. Every day, towards the end of classes, we would meet with our team members and take time to reflect on what we learned throughout the day and engage in activities. I think this was a great experience because you’re not just sitting in a classroom and listening to professors; instead, you get the opportunity to apply the knowledge that you’ve learned from those classes. Secondly, I loved how the program gave me insight into how university life actually works, because our classes ended in the afternoon, and after that we had freedom to go and revise the content we’ve been taught in lessons and take some time off to relax and hang out with our friends.
Wharton also offered us a lot of after-class activities that we could sign up for, which was a great way to get to know more people and interact. Overall, I would say it was a very enriching experience not just in terms of academics but also in terms of knowing how university life works and knowing more about the major that you plan to apply for.
From the start, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in either business, economics, or finance, but I wasn’t exactly sure which specific area was the right fit for me. After this program, as I participated in a finance-related course, I would say it made me realize how much I enjoy finance, purely because of how in-depth the content was taught. The professors in our lectures told us that the lessons we are being taught are similar to those taught to first-year students in the Wharton program for finance. Therefore, I believe I got a pretty close idea of what kind of lectures finance students engage in at university, at least in a school as prestigious as Wharton. This allowed me to grasp a deeper understanding of what the major demands of the major are and how the course proceeds. As I said previously, since I got to apply the knowledge I gained, I could see whether I truly enjoy conducting different types of finance-related analysis myself. After this program, I am confident that finance is indeed the major for me.
About Philadelphia
I love Philadelphia as it has the perfect balance of nature as well as an urban life. The city is so fascinating as there's so much to do even when I’m not on campus. I think it would be extremely difficult to get bored in a city that offers so much. More importantly, I think that there’s so much in the city to explore related to different academic interests, which can be an extremely useful method of learning new information that you can use in your school/university life.
What I would recommend to other students
In terms of how to strengthen your application, I would definitely tell everyone to make academics their main focus because I think, regardless of where you’re applying, whether it’s for a summer program or university, they will check your academic record before anything else. I would also advise students to prioritize how they write their essays while applying for any extracurricular program, as it plays a major role in ensuring that you actually do have an interest in the subject. I believe that you can make your essay stand out by getting involved in different extracurricular activities linked to what you would like to pursue. Admissions officers for these summer programs probably read a lot of generic answers, which makes it easier for them to identify when a student is genuinely interested and passionate about the subject, versus when they’re not.
A summer program for me was extremely useful, but it isn’t necessary to develop your interest in a subject. In fact, I don’t think there’s any specific activity that you need to do to build a stronger foundation in a field. There are so many other opportunities, whether that’s a research program or an online course, that you can engage in. However, if you are unsure about what extracurricular activity will be the most beneficial, I think a summer program is definitely a great place to begin, even as a starting point to find out whether you’re interested in a specific area. If any student reading this is considering going to a summer program, definitely go. However, don’t stress out about not having a summer program listed in your university application. Attend the program to gain exposure, not to have another activity mentioned in your Common App.
