What does it take to get admission into several top schools in the country? How does research in high school help you, and how do you take initiative? How do you avoid getting overwhelmed with extracurricular activities and derailed by distractions? What is the value of leadership roles in high school?

Enjoy a High-5 with this month's superstar – Kailash Raman – to learn about these and more…

Kailash Raman is a Class of 2017 high school graduate from Sandra Day O'Connor High School in Phoenix.  While he excelled in academics and finished top of his class, Kailash explored his strong passion for chemistry through research at the ASU School of Molecular Sciences.  Some of his other interests include vocal music (Western choir and Carnatic), Model UN, and running. Kailash was accepted into several top engineering institutions, including Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley, and University of Southern California.  He will be attending Stanford University in the fall to pursue a degree in chemical engineering. 
 
Interview done by Muskaan Daryani. Muskaan is a junior at Mountain Ridge High School. She is passionate about volunteering, Best Buddies club, and art.
 
MD:  What helped you get accepted into several premier schools in the country? What factors ultimately led you to choose Stanford over the others?
KR: Schools are looking for students who display an authentic passion for something, who immerse themselves and take their experience to the next level; for me, that passion was science. Throughout high school, I did lots of research at various labs at ASU. Through these opportunities, I was able to conduct my own independent research which I presented at competitions. I ultimately chose Stanford for its immersive innovation and more technology and application-oriented programs compared to other schools. Also, being located in the Bay area, there is more access to industry opportunities.

MD: Research was a big part of your focus. How did you discover these opportunities? What advice do you have for high school students regarding research?
KR: I encourage high school students who are passionate about science to involve themselves in research opportunities. This could be extremely rewarding. I emailed many professors asking for internships and research opportunities. Even though I heard back only from one or two, I embraced every chance I got and was able to work at ASU in the civil engineering department. Then, I emailed a professor in the chemistry department as chemistry was my main interest. It is important to understand that these professors are busy and it is possible that you may not hear back; you need to be persistent and not give up. There are also programs that set you up with research mentors such as TGen's Helios Scholars program and Barrow Neurological Institute's SEPS program.

MD: You have a very impressive list of extracurricular accomplishments. How did you find time to excel in those? How did you balance this with such strong focus on academics?
KR: For me, academics always came first. However, I involved myself in Cross Country, classical music, and Model U.N. Yes, it was difficult to manage all these activities but what mattered was that I enjoyed all of them, and so I made it work. Cross Country practice was at 5 am, after that I would go to school, which was followed by Indian classical music and choir. These activities were also staggered through the year so I was able to focus on them separately. For example, research was primarily in the summer, whereas Cross Country was August through November.

MD: In high school, there is peer pressure and there are also many distractions. How were you able to develop the emotional intelligence to avoid these traps and stay focused on your goals?
KR:  It is a challenge to avoid distractions. Thinking long-term was what kept me focused. There were moments when I had friends wanting to hang out, but I was busy doing other stuff that didn't allow me to join them. At the end of the day, I am happy with the choices I made because I was so passionate about my interests. In high school, we tend to be overly concerned about what other people are saying and doing, but you come to realize that it is important to be yourself and there is no one way to do things and be acceptable.

MD: What's the importance of leadership roles during high school, and how should students approach that?
KR: Leadership was an important aspect of my personal development in high school. I was leading Model U.N and a few other organizations that gave me the experience and confidence to bring new ideas and implement them. Through these experiences, you will learn valuable life skills. Students should find ways to experiment with leadership roles and get the experience of being a leader. It is important to find out what things really interest you and then immerse yourselves fully.

High '5' Takeaways:
1. While college admissions process is a black-box, being passionate about some subject and immersing yourself in it will take you to the next level and help get you noticed.
2. You have to be independent and look for opportunities instead of waiting for them. You may not always be successful, so be persistent and patient.
3. Pursue a few extracurricular activities according to your schedule and fully enjoy them. This will make them less stressful and help you avoid becoming overwhelmed.
4. Think long-term and be so busy pursuing your interests that you don't have time to get distracted by other things such as peer pressure.
5. Leadership roles will enable you to gain confidence and valuable life skills. Experiment with activities to find out what interests you.