Inspirit AI Reviews: Hear from Inspirit 1:1 AI + X Alums Now at Top Universities
Inspirit 1:1 AI + X alumni share their experiences and reflect on their journeys through the program. These students provide valuable insights into how the 1:1 AI + X Research Mentorship Program has shaped their understanding of AI and influenced their college and career trajectories thus far.
How to Highlight Your Inspirit AI Project in College Applications: Insights from a Former Harvard Admissions Officer
In this engaging webinar with Justin Neiman, former Harvard admissions officer and academic dean at Stanford, as he explores the value of independent research in college admissions. Learn how to effectively showcase your Inspirit AI project to craft compelling college applications that stand out.
Justin Neiman is a seasoned college admissions strategist and founder of Selective Admissions, an education consulting firm focused on guiding students through the competitive college application process. With experience as an Admissions Officer at Harvard University and Assistant Dean at Stanford University, Justin offers unparalleled insights into what top colleges seek in applicants. He holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.A. from Stanford University.
Alex K., Now at Harvard University
Alex is currently an undergraduate student at Harvard University. Before getting admitted to Harvard, Alex was a student in the Inspirit 1:1 AI + X Research Mentorship Program, where he developed a research project titled: “Machine Learning Algorithms for Consumer Plastics Identification and Sorting.”
“I had a phenomenal time in the 1:1 program learning about AI and machine learning. The most beneficial thing for me about the program was that it established a base level of knowledge about AI that I have been able to apply in other areas I am passionate about even though I am no longer doing strictly AI and ML development.”
“The most valuable part about the 1:1 program had to have been expanding about my knowledge of AI within the context of something else. AI is very frequently used as a buzz word and sometimes its meaning is lost on people because it is so frequently being thrown around. By working hands on on a project that involved AI, I actually got to learn how AI does the things that we say it can do and gain a broader appreciation and perspective for how AI can make the world a better place. Additionally, getting base level research exposure was incredibly important for my future time in high school and ultimately my applications to college.”
Ruby Amyeen, Now at Columbia University
“The most valuable part of the 1:1 mentorship program was the direct support I got during the research process, which is often very daunting. The notebooks were helpful, providing outlines for steps during my research, from selecting a project idea to data preprocessing and visualization. The research process is often very abstract, and there were many times I needed guidance on what to do next, but the notebooks and my mentor made the process much more structured. I also really appreciated the flexibility of the program.”
“Prompt-Engineering and Transformer-based Question Generation and Evaluation,” by Ruby Amyeen, was published in arXiv.
James Sohigian, Now at Duke University
James is currently an undergraduate student at Duke University studying Math and Econ. Before getting admitted to Duke, James was a student in the Inspirit 1:1 AI + X Research Mentorship Program, where he developed a research project titled: “Unmasking Fraud: Applying Machine Learning to Detect Bank Drops.”
James’ research project was accepted into the Open Journal of Business and Management!
“I had an incredibly positive experience in the Inspirit AI + X Mentorship Program. I was able to translate and expand upon the skills I learned in the Scholars Program to a more specified research project that combined my interests of business and tech. Working with a mentor to help guide me through my research allowed me to explore advanced avenues of applied machine learning and develop a strong paper that was accepted for publication in an esteemed journal. This program truly strengthened my technical knowledge and gave me the opportunity to apply AI to a field that I am passionate about.”
“The 1:1 program and my research project represented my curiosity in my college application process. The paper itself was a tangible piece that supported my essays which exclaimed my interest in AI research… Having completed the Inspirit AI program, I continue to explore opportunities to research AI related topics. I am taking machine learning and statistics courses this semester which dive into how models actually work. Additionally, I am in the process of applying for AI related research with a variety of different professors on campus.”
Christopher Gossman, Now at Georgia Tech
“My main essay for Georgia Tech was about why I wanted to major in computer science. I based this essay on my experience with the program and all the technical skills I acquired there, which ultimately led me to choose computer science as my major.”
Antong Cao, Now at University of Cambridge
Antong Cao is currently an undergraduate student at University of Cambridge studying Anthropology, Sociology, & Political Science. Before getting admitted to University of Cambridge, Antong was a student in the Inspirit 1:1 AI + X Research Mentorship Program, where she developed a research project titled: “Air Quality, Race, and Income by County Level in the Contiguous USA 2015-2020.”
“My experience was very informative and I learned a lot from it. It was very rewarding to conduct research in a field that I'm passionate about, and I had a lot of guidance from my mentor. It was difficult at first since I had never conducted a research project before, but my mentor helped direct me to resources I could search and helped me with my code as well.”
“The most valuable part of the 1:1 mentorship program for me was that it helped me become more self-motivated in pursuing other interests. I hadn't realized that academic research was so accessible before then; that I could simply find data online and download it and analyze it myself. The program inspired me to start looking for similar opportunities to investigate my interests in AI and ethics.”
Neil Samant, Now at Georgia Tech
“The program definitely helped me during the college application process as I was able to put it in my activities section. I think this may have helped me stand out from other applicants, as I actually had an AI project to show as experience.”
Michael Zheng, Now at UCLA
Michael is currently an undergraduate student at UCLA studying Statistics and Data Science. Before getting admitted to UCLA, Michael was a student in the Inspirit 1:1 AI + X Research Mentorship Program, where he developed a research project titled: “Predicting Populations: Modeling Demographic Predictions for Nations Around the World Using Population Pyramids and Demographic Transition Models.”
“The Inspirit AI Research Program was overall an exceptional experience for me because I improved my skills in a plethora of aspects in the field of data science, including data preparation, building ML models, data visualization, as well as extracting real-world insights from my data-driven predictions. It was very impactful for enhancing my problem-solving abilities and improving my overall versatility as an aspiring data scientist.”
“The Inspirit AI Research Program was instrumental in my college application process, as I talked about it at length in my essays and activities sections. It was one of the pivotal components of my application because it demonstrated tangible, real-world experience in a subject that I am genuinely interested in.”
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
