The Zinch Report

This is Part 1 of the All-Star Series. Recently, USA Today came out with their annual All-Academic team, showcasing 20 of the most talented and accomplished high school seniors in America. I was able to catch up with a bunch of them, interviewing them about their high school accomplishments, asking about their college admissions experiences, and begging them to share some of their nuggets of wisdom with y'all. Read my introduction post.

Quick facts: Meredith just graduated from Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado. She will be attending Harvard in the fall. She graduated with a 4.0 GPA (unweighted out of 4.0).

Accomplishments: She built a computer-controlled electromagnetic shaker to study the Brazil Nut Effect, or why the larger pieces of granular material rise when shaken, winning the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award and placing ninth in the Intel Science Talent Search; Siemens Competition semifinalist; varsity cross-country and track captain and all-state in both; AfricAid Club co-founder and co-president; National Honor Society treasurer; Knowledge Bowl team; French Club treasurer; Volunteer Mafia board member.

Tell us about your research on the Brazil Nut Effect? Any ground-breaking discoveries? Explain it to us as if I were 8 years old. Cuz if not, it'll probably be way over my head.
Well, the Brazil nut effect (BNE) is an interesting phenomenon that occurs in granular materials. Basically, when a container of mixed-size granular particles is shaken the larger particles end up rising to the surface. The name was inspired by a can of mixed nuts. When you pop off the lid, all of the large Brazil nuts are on top. The BNE is actually a fairly common phenomenon.

Real world examples include avalanches, rock slides, and really anything involving granular particles. My research was essentially an attempt to study the BNE in detail and determine what mechanisms are behind it. In the end, it seems that it is produced by a combination of convection and air pressure.

Of your many achievements, with which one did you feel the greatest sense of satisfaction and fulfillment?
Hmmm. That’s hard. I guess probably my scientific research. It was just a lot of fun to conduct my own research and try to explain a very common physical phenomenon. Plus, the Intel Science Talent Search was just a ton of fun. I loved meeting and talking to all of the other finalists.

I see that you are quite the runner. What's the longest distance you've ever had to run? Have you...ummm...vomited after a ridiculously long run? Be honest.
Surprisingly, the longest race I’ve ever run is a 10k. But, I’ve done longer runs in practice (1:30 to 2 hours). Distance running is certainly tough. And, no, I’ve never thrown up after running…yet…

You are involved with so much. How do you balance it all. What advice would you have for current high school students trying to manage all their responsibilities?
It’s definitely difficult to balance everything. I’ve acquired some pretty good time management skills over the course of high school. I guess I would just say to find things that you are interested in and commit yourself to them. You can usually find a way to squeeze anything in.

Where do you turn for motivation and inspiration?
I find that when I’m stuck or in need of inspiration running really helps. It’s just nice to get away from everything and enjoy being outdoors. Plus, it gives me time to think.

What are your long term goals? What do you want to become, professionally and personally?
I’ve always been fascinated by science, particularly scientific research. So, I hope to continue to pursue that throughout college and into my professional career. I also plan on running cross country and track in college. And, I hope to be fairly competitive in that. But, in the end, I guess I just want to be happy and enjoy doing whatever it is I’m doing.

Who are your heroes?
Well, I’m definitely a physics nerd. So, I’d have to say Lisa Randall. Women are certainly underrepresented in physics. And Lisa Randall has really reached the top of the field. Also, I really admire my dad. He has always been incredibly supportive of everything I’ve done.

If you could change one thing about how you treated your high school experience, what would it be and why?
I’m not sure that I would change anything. I’ve always pursued whatever I was interested in. And, I’ve had many opportunities to do just that in high school. Science fair and the Intel Science Talent Search were tons of fun. They were definitely very motivational. Plus, it was fascinating to meet so many incredibly smart people. I would recommend pursuing that if they are interested in science.

Give us a little excerpt of part of one of your college application essays. The juciest piece.

It is the middle of January. The clock over the kitchen sink reads 4:30P.M. A quick glance outside the window confirms that this is definitely a day to remain indoors. The temperature is a brisk ten degrees Fahrenheit, and a gusty wind is blowing an exponentially increasing number of snowflakes to the already frozen ground. On such a day, the vast majority of the American population would choose to remain at home. They would close their drapes, seal their windows, and settle in for a relaxing evening under a cozy blanket. However, I am about to open the door, walk down my driveway, and commence an hour long run along the bike paths of Boulder. Yes, today is a day when it is appropriate to question the sanity of long distance runners. What inner force causes them to have a strong desire to run through a blizzard in nothing but shorts and a light windbreaker?

What advice do you have for high school students trying to get into their dream school? Any college admissions nuggets of wisdom you'd like to share.
Well, to be honest I’m not entirely sure what the key is to getting into colleges. But, I would have to say that it works best if you just present yourself openly and honestly on the application. Make sure that what you write really reflects you and your personality not what you think the college is looking for. And, try to have fun with it. Creativity is always a plus.

What do you think about Zinch.com? Do you believe students are more than just test scores?
I completely agree! Test scores are definitely not everything. I mean, they are important. But, students should spend a little less time perfecting their test scores and spend a little more time just being themselves.