Hobbies
Computer and Video Games, Table tennis, reading, fishing, 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), National Science Olympiad, Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT)

Biography
My name is YingYu Gao, but most people call me Daniel. I’m currently a 9th grader at Phillips Exeter Academy, a boarding school in Exeter, NH. 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. 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 just started recently.

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 twice. 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. 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 test when I was in the 8th grade, and managed to score a 5 on the test. I plan to take the AP Physics C exam this spring. In addition, I took the SATs in 7th and 8th grade, scoring a 1400 and 1530, respectively (800 in math both times). I also scored 800’s on the SAT II Math IIC and Physics subject tests. 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. However, I’m still only in 9th grade, so I can take my time with the decision.