Hobbies
computer/video games, reading science fiction and fantasy novels, playing the flute, ping pong, frisbee, anime, and listening to music

Clubs
math club, physics club, and concert band

Experience
Math League, MathCounts, School/District/State Spelling Bee, American Mathematics Competition (AMC), American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), Math Olympiad [Summer] Program (MO[S]P), National Science Olympiad, Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT), American Regions Mathematics League (ARML), 2005 US Physics Team

Biography
My name is YingYu Gao, but most people call me Daniel. I’m currently a 10th grader at Phillips Exeter Academy, a boarding school in Exeter, New Hampshire. I was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, but I grew up in 7 different cities and went to at least 10 different schools. Now, my family lives in Hockessin, Delaware. At school, I'm taking French, chemistry, biology, and number theory. During my spare time, I like to hang out with my friends. Sometimes we play a game of basketball, or compete in video and computer games. I also enjoy playing table tennis and Frisbee, even though I'm only mediocre at both. I probably became interested in math and science because of my older sister. Growing up, we were always close, and she was my biggest role model. I remember her competing in MathCounts when she was in middle school, as well as in several math competitions in high school. I first started participating in competitions when I was in elementary school. I started Math League in 4th grade, and I became the state champion when I was in 5th grade. In middle school, I competed in MathCounts, and qualified for nationals three years in a row. I’ve also been competing in the AMC and AIME since 7th grade, and have qualified for the USAMO three times. Last year, I qualified for the red group in MO[S]P. For the past two years I've competed at HMMT, and last year I competed at ARML for the first time. I plan to go again this June. Finally, I have also participated in the state Math League, the national Science Olympiad, and the state spelling bee. I learned much of my math and all of my physics at the University of Delaware. I took my first class there (precalculus) when I was in 6th grade. By the end of my 8th grade summer, I had completed two calculus courses, four physics courses, and an introductory chemistry course. I took the AP Calculus BC and Physics C tests in 8th and 9th grade, respectively, and managed to score a 5 on both. This year, I took the AP Chemistry and Biology tests. In addition, I took the SATs in 7th and 8th grade, scoring a 1400 and 1530, respectively (800 in math both times), and took a practice PSAT this year (with a score of 224). I also took the SAT II Math IIC, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology tests, scoring 800 on the Math IIC and Physics. (Chem and Bio score reports haven't been received yet.) I’m not sure what I would like to do when I graduate from college, but I’m confident that it’ll involve both math and science. Maybe I’ll choose something involving chemistry, like my parents, or electrical engineering, like my sister.