How He Earned a Record-Breaking 11.99 GPA, Took 20 APs & Got Into Duke | Vaibhav Bhaskar

In this episode of The Synapse Podcast, we’re joined by Vaibhav Bhaskar, a recent graduate of Steinbrenner High School and current Duke University student. Vaibhav graduated as valedictorian with a record-breaking 11.99 weighted GPA, completed 20 AP classes and 24 dual-enrollment courses, and was involved in research, leadership, nonprofit work, and more. He has also published research using machine learning in areas including financial risk analysis and wildlife conservation, and now studies Economics and Statistical Science at Duke University. In our conversation, we talk about what motivated him to take on so many AP classes, how he managed such a demanding workload, how he got started in research, and what it was like pursuing such ambitious goals throughout high school. We also talk about something a lot of high school students can relate to: feeling like you’re never doing enough. Vaibhav shares his perspective on comparing yourself to others, choosing which opportunities to pursue, and what students should actually prioritize in high school. Thanks for listening to The Synapse Podcast! Make sure to follow us for more episodes, and check out our website to learn more about the podcast and our team. Website: thesynapsepodcast.com #TheSynapsePodcast #VaibhavBhaskar #DukeUniversity #HighSchool #apclasses