Ananya Singhal has been nursing a passion for technology ‘‘ever since I discovered the world of code in early high school,’’ she says. It’s a passion that has continued. Today, she is a sophomore in the Jerome Fisher Program of Management & Technology at the University of Pennsylvania. She studies Computer Science in the School of Engineering and Finance and Entrepreneurship at the Wharton School.
Outside of class, she is involved with the Global Research & Consulting Group, the M&T Innovation Fund, the Undergraduate Assembly (a branch of student government), and is a teaching assistant for an introductory CS class. She is planning to work as a Software Engineering Intern at a start-up this summer, and as a Venture Capital Fellow for an entrepreneurial VC firm. Ananya hopes to build her own start-up and to be ‘‘a self-sustaining tech entrepreneur’’.
Excerpts from an interview:
What extracurriculars were you involved in at school?
My main extracurricular involvements were debate (tournaments and Model UN conferences), chess, and poetry. One of my first computer science projects was a Twitter sentiment analyzer that I developed as part of the Big Data & Machine Learning capstone group at the Yale Young Global Scholars summer program the summer after my junior year.
How did you go about preparing your college applications?
I had always wanted to go to college in the US, and I knew my college list would be extremely ambitious. Hence, I decided to start early, beginning my personal statement at the start of the summer before senior year. I also found that incorporating games and rewards into my daily tasks make me more productive, so I made my college supplement tracker into a Bingo grid of essays and tasks I had to do each day. The sheer amount of prep that needs to go into college applications can be intimidating, but staying on track with an effective planner can help. Also, having people like my parents and Hale counselors I could rely on to look over my applications and support me during the rough patches of the application process was extremely helpful.
Tell us about your mentors and their advice you cherish.
During a moment of self-doubt I remember confiding in Peter Davos, Hale’s CEO, and his reassuring words to have faith in myself and the process, and to remember that my personality is my greatest strength is a piece of advice I will forever cherish.
He indirectly emphasized the importance of truly being yourself in your essays, interviews, and throughout the application process, which I think cannot be stressed enough.
Your experience studying at University of Pennsylvania.
The university is known as the “social ivy,” through its rigorous academic workload and pre professional emphasis on a balanced lifestyle with frequent social events and networking opportunities. The heavy focus on recruiting, particularly within the Wharton school, encourages students to explore different industries and be more prepared for the real world after college. I believe the alumni network is one of the biggest strengths of attending Penn.
Three tips for students aspiring to follow programs similar to yours?
In high school, I suffered from the common misconception that I had to be able to do everything. I took classes in almost every sport, learned multiple musical instruments, and stressed about my drawing and art skills. The biggest tip I would give to high schoolers would be to pick a couple of extracurriculars they are passionate about and to put all of their energy towards building those skills further.
Two common qualities among M&T students are ambition and a drive to constantly be busy simultaneously doing everything from building an app to rushing a business fraternity. Time management and networking skills are key, and can be developed from an early age.
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