What is AI (Artificial Intelligence); Why is AI important; Where are AI being used and Which Colleges offer best AI programs?

What is AI: AI (Artificial Intelligence) is Human Intelligence Simulation Process by Machines, mostly refer to Computer Machine Systems. AI applications includes NLP (Natural Language Processing), Machine Vision, Speech Recognition, etc. As the stock market cheers for Big Chip companies such as NVIDIA (unlike the Memes Stocks) and hype around AI has sped up. Software vendors and service providers have increased their race to promote AI products and tools. In most scenarios, they are referring to the Machine Learning (ML) technologies. AI requires a solid foundation of hardware and software for writing ML (Machine Learning) algorithms and Training the Models. Not one programming language can explain AI, but Python, R and Java, C++ have popular features for AI developers.

In simple words, AI works by intaking large amount of “Labeled Training Data” first, then analyzing the data for “Correlations and Patterns”; 3rd use these patterns to make “Predictions” about the Future. By this methods, a robot (such as a chatbot) can learn to generate “conversations” with people by “learning/feeding” with examples of text. Another robot (such as an image recognition bot) can learn to “identify” the object in image by “learning/viewing” millions of image examples. Nowadays, “Generative AI” can actually create vivid/realistic text, image, music, video and so on!

AI programming focuses on cognitive skills such as: Learning (Accessing and acquiring data; creating rules/algorithms; giving the super fast speed company a step by step instruction on how to finish a task; Reasoning (Choosing the right algorithms); Self-correction: fine tuning and make sure the most accurate results possible; Creativity: generating new things (new voices, new images, new videos, new music, new ideas).

Why is AI so important? AI is important because it can fundamentally changed how we live our lives, how we work, and how we play. So far, it has proven its value in many businesses to automate tasks, such as call centers, IT service tickets, law reviews, fraud detection, quality control, etc. AI, in a lot of cases, can do a better job than humans can. Especially when it comes to repetative works (writing, typing, spelling), very detail-tasks (referencing materials, compare texts, etc). AI tools can complete the tasks far faster than humans can, and generate way less errors. Because the vast amount of data it processes, AI can provide insight to businesses and suggestions/conclusion/action items where the businesses never thought of. The fields where AI can be applied range from product design to marketing, from education to manufacturing. AI can also open doors to new opportunities and connect the dots where humans never imagined. AI is so important today to large software companies, such as Google, Apple, Microsoft and Meta (Facebook). In Google, AI is essential to its search engine.

Where is AI being used? AI in Healthcare: Hospitals are applying Machine Learning (ML) to make better and faster medical diagnoses than humans. There are lots of AI technologies in Healthcare and their aims are to understand natural language, mine the patients’ data and create a hypothesis, which then is tested for confidence scoring schema. Also AI healthcare chatbots can help patients find appointments, sorting thru billing questions, providing virtual health assistance. AI in Business: Machine Learning (ML) are being used in Customer Relationship management (CRM) system or business analytics. Chatbots can offer online assistance, virtual chat services to help with better customers’ satisfaction, ChatGPT, the rapid generative AI can eliminate certain jobs, revolutionize products, etc. AI in Education: AI can automate scoring tasks. assess programs, students, faculty performance. AI tutors can provide support to students, adapt to their levels and paces, yet still hold them accountable and make sure they stay on track. Current technology already created lot of various learning methods. ChatGPT can help educators create new course works, teach materials and engage students in multitude of levels. AI in Finance: AI in Turbo Tax, HR Blocks are very normal tools. These tools can help to collect data and offer tailored finance advices. It can detect fraud, help purchasing a home or provide trade in stock markets. AI in Law: All the lengthy process of law documents reviewing, scanning, reading, comparing can now be automated by AI technology. These labor-intensive processes now are replaced by machine learning to process data, predict outcome. AI in Media: AI technologies are used for targeted advertising, recommend content on social media, making script for the movies. These automated steps help media center to reduce time to prepare, proofreading, etc. AI in Coding and IT: AI is being used to automate IT requests, such as data entry, voice to text, security and early stage of application code creation.

Where to study for AI and Which schools offer best AI programs?
MIT Artificial Intelligence Program/Certificate: 6 weeks, 6-8 hours per week, online only, flexible learning, weekly modules.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: AI Boot Camp, 24 weeks, part-time, 9 hours per week
Here are the best Artificial Intelligence Programs in the country: Ranking 1-25

Based on US News, the best colleges and universities in 2023’s ranking just came out.

The Ivy League is still listed at the top, which includes below 8 universities: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.

Picture referenced from https://pointavenue.co.th/blog/what-are-the-ivy-league-schools/

Picture referenced from https://sportprospective.wordpress.com/2017/03/29/concerns-in-college-athletics/

There are 2 types of schools based on funding: Private schools and Public schools. Public schools usually has a larger enrollment and private schools provide smaller class size.

Applying for colleges is a big task. It involves meticulous preparation, and lasts for a long time. Applying for financial aid is even a bigger task since you need to start the process for that from 11th grade till senior year in College.

What is the college application timeline? When should you apply for schools, grants, scholarships? Are you aiming for Ivy League or Top 10, 20, 50, 100 schools? In-state or out-of-state? Public or Private school? When should you take the ACTs and SATs (What are the differences between them?) When should you apply for Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision? When to fill out the FAFSA form, CSS profile? What effects do the parents’ assets or parents’ incomes have on applying financial aid? What is 529? There are scholarships from all 50 States:

There are so many questions! Where should I begin? Well, here is a timeline chart to help you keep track of them first, and let’s get ready for the ride of college application!

Starting in high school, 9th grade, you should start thinking about college. Besides getting good grades, you should participate in EC (Extracurricular Activities).

10th grade’s parents’ tax return will be used for FAFSA filing down the road (The FAFSA uses information in your tax return from two years earlier, which is often referred to as the “base year” or the “prior-prior year”. For example, the 2023-2024 FAFSA will use income information in your 2021 tax return. This change was made in October 2016, for the 2017-2018 academic year, by President Obama).

11th Grade Fall (Aug – Dec): PSAT/PreACT; Research / create a list of Schools…

11th Grade Spring (Jan – June): SAT/ACT; AP Exams; Touring (virtual) Schools…

11th Grade Summer (June – Aug): SAT/ACT; Choose Admission plan (deadlines); Create portals accounts, fill out detail; Request Letter of Recommendations; Tour schools (in person/virtual); Thinking about writing admission essays…

12th Grade (Sept): Send test scores, transcripts, recommendation letters for ED/EA deadlines; Writing admission essays; Continue Scholarship applications;

12th Grade (Oct): File FAFSA, continue to send scores, transcripts for ED/EA…

12th Grade (Nov): Early Decision I (Nov 1 or 15); Early Action (Nov 1 or 15); Regular decision: Send scores, transcripts, recommendation letters for RD deadlines;

12th Grade (Dec): RD rolling admissions, repeat Nov steps for RD admission

12th Grade (Jan): Early Decision II (deadline Jan 1 or 15)

To build a list for your colleges, you should prepare 3 tiers:

1) Top Choices + 2) Target Schools + 3) Safety Schools.

For the Top Choices, students normally apply 1-5 colleges. These are your dreamed schools and your grades or scores or class rank may be at the lower threshold of the school’s range.

For Target Schools, these are the schools that your grades and scores fall within their threshold. Normally students apply for 2-10 target schools to increase the chance of acceptance. Sometimes you may receive a few offers from target schools.

For Safety Schools, students usually apply for 2-3 of them and there is small chance of not being accepted. Your grades and scores are well above the school’s threshold. You are almost certain that you will be accepted.

There are several types of college application apps:

Common Application: Common App is a non-profit organization representing more than 1,000 diverse institutions of higher education. They connect applicants and those who support them to a wide array of public and private colleges and universities across all 50 U.S. states, and 20 countries.
Universal College Application: It’s accepted by 33 schools.
Coalition for College Access: They are 150+ top colleges & universities working together to help you learn about, prepare for, and apply to college
College specific: A lot of schools only accept application from their own websites