From Nepal to the Ivy League: How Rodin Got Into UPenn| Outsmash Podcast Episode 8

In this insightful episode of Outsmash🎙, we sit down with Rodin Bantawa, a shining student now studying at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), to tell us about her incredible journey from Nepal to being a student at one of the top universities in the world. Rodin tells us about her academic interests, extracurricular activities, career in debating, internship, and how she connected the dots between Nepal and America's educational system. If you are an international studies student or a multitasking enthusiast, this interview is packed with practical advice and thought-provoking reflections. Timestamps: 00:00 – Start 01:22 – Background of Rodin 02:14 – What inspired Rodin to pursue her current field 03:44 – What fascinated Rodin about the University of Pennsylvania 05:15 – How to balance multiple activities at once 06:49 – When is the right time to look for opportunities abroad? 09:21 – Long-term career goal 10:42 – Why UPenn? 12:46 – Common Application journey 15:05 – Most useful resources while applying to college 16:43 – How she decided which college to apply to 19:30 – Transition from Nepal to the U.S. 21:57 – Main academic interest in high school 24:35 – Significant extracurricular activities 27:00 – Managing extracurriculars with studies 28:03 – How she started debating 29:41 – Experience with Debate Network Nepal (DNN) 32:14 – How to join DNN 33:28 – Opportunities provided by DNN 37:20 – Should youths join DNN? 39:22 – Experience as a debate coach 42:06 – Experience at the Global Leadership Program 44:11 – Internship: Interacting with Moroccan women 46:51 – Lessons from the internship experience 48:41 – Why join the Global Leadership Academy? 49:31 – Experience in theatre production 53:34 – Role as an Administrative Assistant at the Communications Neuroscience Lab at UPenn 55:25 – How past experiences shaped her personality 58:19 – Advice for high schoolers 59:10 – Gift segment Connect with Us: 🌐 Website: www.outsmash.com 📸 Instagram: @outsmash 📧 Email: [email protected] 🔔 Subscribe to Outsmash for more insights, tips, and updates!