Circling back with an update on how things turned out with the hopes that it might be helpful for other high stat/decent EC kids looking for possible merit and wanting to study CS.
In a nutshell:
GPA UW: 4.0, W: 4.9
13 APs (8 5’s, awaiting 5 scores)
ACT 36 (one sitting)
School doesn’t rank
Major ECs: Eagle Scout, Robotics Club (Lead Programmer 2 years, President 2 years, won a couple state competitions), IT intern, has worked 2 years at geek-squad equivalent position, peer tutor, several independent studies with college faculty related to quantum computing and AI (2 abstracts accepted for virtual presentation due to COVID). Several school-level awards, national Latin award, nothing extraordinary.
Essay: while I’m biased, I thought it was outstanding (as did a couple of his teachers)
One teacher shared LOR: it was beautifully written
School-specific essays: he spent a TON of time on these last summer, even attending some virtual dissertation defenses at various schools (out of genuine curiosity)
CMU: RD waitlisted, declined spot
CWRU: EA deferred, accepted in RD with 34K/yr university scholarship. Applied for their full ride scholarship (name escaping me), did not receive
Cornell: RD rejected
Duke: RD rejected (I did grad school there, not sure it matters)
Georgia Tech: EA accepted, no merit
Johns Hopkins: RD waitlisted, declined spot (I did grad school, taught there as well)
Lehigh: RD accepted with 15K/yr merit
Maryland: EA accepted, honors, 12K/yr merit
NEU: EA deferred, accepted in RD with 29K/yr merit
Notre Dame: REA accepted, no merit
Penn: RD rejected
Pitt: Applied in September, accepted, no merit
RIT: RD accepted though waitlisted in CS, accepted into Computing and IT alternate program, 18K/yr merit
UVA: EA accepted, Rodman Scholar
Vanderbilt: RD waitlisted, declined spot
VT: EA accepted, no merit
Final decision came down to GT and UVA. I think if he (like every other kid…) had a more normal HS experience, he’d be headed to GT. He’s had a tough last year for a number of reasons and thus ultimately decided to stay quite close to home and will be going to UVA. Last summer he told me his top 4 choices were Duke, GT, Penn, & Cornell- UVA wasn’t even in the mix. Hopefully he’ll settle in nicely and not look back!
I don’t think we would have done anything differently. This is our first to go through and we truly had no idea how things would shake out with his demographic and desire to study CS.