Hi, I’m Arjun Master Bose, and I’m currently a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Economics and potentially minoring in Business. I completed the IB Diploma Programme at Neev Academy.
For Grades 11 and 12, my Higher Level subjects were Economics, History, and Math Applications & Interpretation. At Standard Level, I took Environmental Science, Spanish ab initio, and English Language & Literature.
In Grades 9 and 10, I followed the IB MYP curriculum at Neev, which included the standard subject combinations required for all students.
Standardized Testing
For U.S. admissions, I took the SAT and primarily prepared using online resources like Khan Academy. My Math section was consistently strong—I scored 800 in Math multiple times. English was comparatively weaker for me, so in my later attempts, I focused almost entirely on improving that section.
My final superscore was around the low 1400s.
My advice: identify whether you’re naturally stronger in Math or English and devote most of your preparation time to improving the weaker section rather than over-preparing your strength.
Choosing Economics
I’ll be honest, I still don’t have a fully defined long-term career plan. I’m currently studying at the College of Liberal Arts and using the U.S college system’s flexibility to explore my options.
In high school, I genuinely enjoyed Economics. I was good at it, and my teacher made the subject engaging (shout out to Miss Chaitra). Compared to my other subjects, it was the one that held my interest the most. I’ve always been drawn toward finance, investing, and analytics, so Economics felt like the most natural academic extension.
My IB Extended Essay was in Business Management, where I analyzed how Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium would impact revenue growth. That project aligned heavily with financial analysis and data modeling, which reinforced my interest in the economics/finance side of things. I also chose it because the internship I did during my 11th-grade summer gave me primary access to experts who could help me through it.
Extracurricular Profile
I had a broad extracurricular profile built around three pillars: sports, leadership, and service.
Sports & Leadership
- Captain of both my school and club soccer teams
- Vice Sports Captain at school
- Organized events related to sports day for the student body and an underprivileged school (Parikrama) that we work with
Soccer was central to my Common App essays. I wrote about leadership, teamwork, time management, and overcoming setbacks—including almost losing an important match and bouncing back to win it. Many college essay prompts can be answered using the same core experiences; it’s about framing them appropriately.
Internships If you can secure internships, they are extremely valuable.
- Summer after Grade 11: I interned at Tavistock (real estate division) in Florida, working on budgeting and financial analysis.
- Summer after Grade 12: I worked in management at a manufacturing company to understand business operations from a hands-on perspective.
- Upcoming summers: I have secured internships at investment firms and banks. I cold emailed and secured them for myself up until my Junior year here.
In grades 9 and 10 during the summers, I attended programs at Duke, Berkeley (soccer camp), and Columbia research. These experiences strengthened my résumé and I think demonstrated initiative towards my learning.
Community Service
- Middle school (6-8): Food and donation drives
- Grades 9–10: Worked in slum communities, creating ration kits and supporting donation drives
- Grades 11–12: Taught at a government school
I’ve continued service work at Pitt through:
- Hope for Spandana (serving as Treasurer)
- Trash cleanup initiatives
- Hospital-focused drives through my business fraternity (Alpha Kappa Psi)
Application Process
I applied to around 8–10 U.S. universities. I applied Early Decision to Emory (didn’t get in). I received offers from the rest.
Applying to Pittsburgh was straightforward. It was rolling admissions and required submitting one Common App essay. There were no additional supplements for the standard application. There is an honors application with additional essays, but I did not apply to that.
Pittsburgh was initially a safety school for me, and it’s not an impossibly hard school to get into if you are a decent student in high school with high-level extracurriculars and show true commitment to your activities.
However, after visiting campus and speaking to seniors from my school who were already there, I connected with it. It offered diversity, scale, and opportunity. I also visited universities like Villanova and Santa Clara University, after speaking to a couple of my seniors at Pittsuburg I figured it was the best fit for me. When I came here for the first time, I loved the campus and was instantly drawn to the place and people.
Why I Chose the University of Pittsburgh
I originally thought I wanted a small college in a traditional college town. Pittsburgh is the opposite—it is a large public university located in a vibrant city.
For me, the transformation happened after visiting, and I realized:
- The campus felt lively and diverse.
- There were significantly more clubs and opportunities.
- Being in a city provided a stronger pathway for internships and networking access.
- Speaking to my seniors from school who were thriving here also helped.
That combination ultimately made the decision clear. There is so much to do in the city, and if you go out, there will be a plethora of things to try both academically and socially.
Academics at Pitt
Academically, the transition from IB to freshman year has been manageable. There’s considerable overlap, and IB prepared me well. I currently hold a 4.0 GPA and am on the Dean’s List.
I’m taking mostly general education courses right now, including fun electives like piano. The support systems at a large public university are strong—tutoring, advising, and academic resources are widely available. Which is exactly the case for me here.
IB also gave me around 20 transfer credits. I could have skipped Intro to Micro, Intro to Macro, Calculus 1, language requirements, and some Gen Eds. However, I chose to retake some introductory courses like Economics because they connect to my intended Major and help me maintain my GPA, giving me time to engage with the community. However, for subjects like a second language, I transferred my IB credits.
If you have the option to take IB, AP or A level classes in highschool they can be extremely helpful in reducing the financial burden by skipping a semester, or just making it easier to pursue a double major or minor.
An Important thing to consider is that most internships and clubs care more about your GPA than the difficulty of individual freshman classes. Protecting your GPA early can be strategic.
Campus Life and Opportunities
Socially, Pitt is what you make of it.
As an international student, I attended international orientation and made dozens of connections on the first day. The key is being proactive—talk to people, introduce yourself, and put yourself out there.
Clubs I’m involved in include:
- Soccer clubs
- Undergraduate Finance Club
- Undergraduate Economics Club
- Panther Equity (Senior Analyst, managing part of a $600,000 endowment portfolio)
- Hope for Spandana (Treasurer)
- Business fraternity AK PSI
- Hindu Student Council
- Board game club
Being in a business fraternity has been particularly helpful for networking and career exposure. Unlike social fraternities, it focuses on professional development and connections in finance and banking. Many people here get their internships through this pathway, so joining the right social groups can help both socially and from a career standpoint.
Cost and Scholarships
As a public university, tuition varies significantly:
- In-state students pay around $20,000.
- Out-of-state students may pay around $50,000.
- International students generally face higher tuition and fewer scholarship opportunities.
I’m on a scholarship, which significantly reduces my costs to near in-state levels. However, international students have fewer scholarship options compared to U.S. citizens.
First-year costs are higher due to on-campus housing and meal plans. Second-year costs typically decrease when moving off-campus, as you are obligated to pay for fewer things.
Advice for Future Applicants
For Pitt specifically:
- It’s a large university—you must actively seek community.
- It’s particularly strong in STEM fields like public health and nursing, hence applying for that is competitive.
- The application process is straightforward and done on a rolling basis.
For college admissions in general:
- Build depth in a few areas (sports, leadership, service).
- Seek internships if possible.
- Protect your GPA in college.
- Show personality in essays—not just achievements.
- Be open socially. College rewards initiative.
One thing I didn’t fully understand in high school but do now: putting yourself out there changes everything. During my first international orientation, I made 50+ new connections simply by starting conversations. There were so many people that I brought together that they called our group chat “Arjun’s Cult,” which I found funny.
Some people won’t reciprocate—that’s fine. The ones who do will become your community.
At the end of the day, where you go for undergrad matters—but what you do in the college itself, especially in terms of Network and Resume building, matters far more.
