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Stanford Bound: Anagha Ramaswamy’s mission to make computer science inclusive

Her nonprofit, ComputeX, has now reached over 500 users globally

Published: Mon 16 Dec 2024, 10:21 PM

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Anagha Ramaswamy, a recent graduate of Delhi Private School Dubai, became the first in her school’s history to be accepted into Stanford. Perhaps even more impressively, she was accepted as a computer science major, which Times Higher Education ranks as the best in the United States.

What is yet more remarkable is her unusual journey towards this field and how she is ensuring that other girls can achieve the same. During the recent Ivy Insider Panel, hosted by Anagha’s mentors at Hale Education Group, she readily admitted, “most of my competition has been coding since elementary school—I just started two years ago!”

After overcoming significant roadblocks to “catch up from behind” with her male peers, Anagha sought to make the same journey possible for others by founding her own nonprofit, ComputeX. Growing from a small-scale tutoring initiative into an international platform for K-12 computer science education platform featuring innovative learning tools and gamified activities, ComputeX has now reached over 500 users globally.

During group tutoring sessions, she introduces students to programming basics, AI models, web and game development, data structures, and algorithms, particularly aiming to engage girls and underrepresented minorities in STEM. Her work has been so impactful that Gulf News, the UAE’s largest publication, scheduled an interview with her. “Inspiring the next generation of diverse programmers is incredibly fulfilling,” she shares.

Far from being one-dimensional, Anagha has also extensively studied and perfected Carnatic music ragas under the guidance of Dr. Vasantha at The Music Academy, Madras. Anagha has performed at Dubai Carnatic meets and Indian temples, composed songs, led auditions, and trained juniors for annual orchestra performances. Her dedication to music earned her a Spot Award for a music video performed for the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.

It was this interest in music that sparked her research at the intersection of music and AI through an internship at the Charotar University of Science and Technology’s Department of Computer Science & Engineering. At Stanford, she hopes to employ the algorithms she developed both to improve platforms like Spotify and Apple music to expose listeners to a broader array of music, and for ethnomusicologists to better understand the connections between cultural traditions of music.

Anagha’s journey to Stanford is a remarkable example of how a commitment to inclusivity and social justice can set an applicant apart in an increasingly competitive admissions landscape. Her journey, supported by strategic guidance from her mentors at Hale Education, is an inspiration to aspiring STEM students across the UAE and beyond—particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds who feel overwhelmed by intense competition.

Hale believes that—with sufficient drive and ambition—any student can reach the pinnacle of US higher education. Through our customized guidance encompassing extracurricular development, test prep, and writing support, we exist to make those dreams come true.



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