I’ve picked some colleges to apply to and began the application process a few months ago. Here’s my current list:
MIT (EA)(Extreme Reach)
Caltech (EA)(Extreme Reach)
Rice University (Reach/High Target)
UVA (Target)
UT Austin (Reach/High Target since this is OOS)
Virginia Tech (Low Target)
GMU (Safety)
I scored a 1480 in the SAT recently (710 reading, 770 math) which is a noticeable improvement from my sophomore SAT (1430 SAT, 690 reading, 740 math). I’m homeschooled and my school course load is heavily STEM-focused at this point (currently taking Calculus III and University Physics II (which covers E&M) at my local community college besides my work at home).
I know that colleges where my SAT scores fall in the middle 50% are very selective (making it difficult to find the “match” schools), so I am thinking of adding a few more colleges in order to have some options to choose from this spring (preferably some targets or realistic reaches). I am interested in theoretical CS and physics. Below are a few colleges I am considering.
Cornell University (Reach/High Target): Has a strong CS program. I will need to decide on my major quickly since they accept according to the department (rather than the whole university). My academics may be in the ballpark but this college is still very selective.
Stanford University (Extreme Reach): Very strong CS program (but a bit more on the applied side) and there are good research opportunities. I’m not sure if I should apply because my current college list is rather top-heavy.
In short, I would like to find some good academic matches taking into account my background and interests.
Based on your current inclusions of tech-oriented schools, RPI would fit your mix.
For colleges with a strong undergraduate emphasis that would be excellent for CS and physics, look into Swarthmore, Hamilton, Carleton.
URochester could serve as a match for you.
Cornell as far as I know does not accept by major, but rather asks you to choose an undergraduate school as you apply. CAS might be a good choice for either of your prospective majors.
You list is very, very reach heavy. UT for CS is not a high target - it’s a reach reach because they fill 90% of their class with instate residents and CS is the most popular major.
In general, matches in your case will begin at schools with overall acceptance rates of ~25% or greater. However, adjustments should be made for competitive programs or for public schools that may be more selective for OOS students.
Cornell and Rice are very much reaches with a 1480 SAT. So is UVA if you’re OOS. If you apply to 10 schools, a good mix would be 3 reach, 4 match, 3 safety. Right now you have 5 reach schools. Adding two more to the list (Cornell and Stanford) is a bad idea.
You definitely need more low target and target schools. Virginia Tech is more likely a target than a low target, even in-state, because their admission rate went down sharply last year. UVA is a high target, even in-state. Stanford is not just an extreme reach, it’s very unlikely because the admissions rate is so low, and your list is already very reach-heavy.
How about Pitt? But apply ASAP, because they are rolling and the scholarship committee meets weekly starting in early October, so the earlier you apply, the more aid you are likely to get. Case Western could be another good option, though I’m not positive if they’d fit your aid needs.
Some schools in the match/safety category that you could add - beside U of R and RPI (mentioned above), Penn State, WPI, Stevens, University of Maryland, RIT.
@merc81 I know that SAT subject tests are required for MIT and Caltech and have already taken them. Regarding your suggestions, my main obstacle in choosing colleges is the cost. In-state public universities such as Virginia Tech and GMU are cost-effective enough to be realistic, as are many top-tier private universities such as MIT and Caltech due to generous financial aid. RPI unfortunately appears unfeasible due to the high sticker costs and more limited financial aid. URochester seems like a good potential option; I will look at their course offerings and opportunities to get a sense of what the college is like. The colleges in question would only be worth applying to if I actually had a chance of enrolling. @momofsenior1 I know that UT’s CS program is very competitive but I have not decided on CS as a major. Since I want to work as a researcher in theoretical CS/intersecting physics topics, it may be best to instead major in math or physics during undergrad in order to be better prepared for the more rigorous grad school courses (undergrad CS is treated more like engineering/software development at most colleges now).
As a final note, I will be paying the cost of college on my own, so I am looking for either lower-tier colleges with decent merit aid or top-tier colleges which have generous financial aid (besides the somewhat affordable in-state public universities I am applying to).
@TheBigChef and @Genevieve18 I agree that I really need more safeties/matches; that’s why I posted. I wasn’t sure how to assess Virginia Tech since it is objectively speaking quite competitive (although my academics match up fine). I have doubts on GMU too due to the recent increase in unpredictability of colleges in general, especially the ones which were once considered safeties.
Regarding Virginia Tech, a friend who runs a college admissions counseling service spoke this past Spring with an admissions officer from Virginia Tech, who said that their office had gotten a directive from their provost to lower the admissions rate. So they did and put all the students whom they would normally have accepted (beyond an elite group of applicants) onto the waiting list — apparently, it was a huge list. In the end, Virginia Tech took a good number of students off the wait list; but if you’re on that list, you just never know.
One thing that you might consider doing, for both Virginia Tech and GMU, is to visit those schools (if you haven’t already). Showing interest in the form of a visit might reduce some of the unpredictability in the admissions process.
Cornell is a reach, and Stanford is really a reach. Unless you have some amazing admissions “hook”, I wouldn’t even bother with an application to Stanford.
I second the suggestions of WPI, RIT, and Stevens.
Unless you are an independent student, your parents’ income and assets will dictate much of your need-based financial aid. At some schools you may earn merit awards, but that is unlikely to cover anything close to 100% of tuition, let alone room and board, books, travel, fees, health insurance, etc. What can your family afford to pay each year of college?
@syntacticalbeing picking up on " I will be paying the cost of college on my own,"
As you have already observed, it will be difficult to receive FA from the more competitive colleges without reporting parental income. This is not a new development as I was told I needed my parents to complete an FA form when I was 26 and returning to college from the military. In a separate case there was a valedictorian from a very strong Texas HS whose father would not complete an FA form. Please note this information is very dated, but many competitive universities still award “merit” monies from their own endowments to students who have not demonstrated any financial need.
Check out section H1 of the Common Data Set (CDS) for the latest year posted on the University’s website. My alma mata listed over $21,000,000 in “merit” aid (2016-2017) to all undergraduate students who had not received any financial assistance based on demonstrated need or athletic scholorship. It would be difficult, but not impossible, to compete for those funds given the entering class statistics.
Without talking about usual GPA/SAT/ACT info… What makes you who you are? What sort of experience are you searching for? How are you unique? What makes your selected match a good one? Keep your favorite “match” universities on the list even if they are competitive.
Re: Virginia Tech, I think acceptances from waiting list count in the final admission rate. It could be they wanted to put out a press release with a lower admission rate when first acceptances were released. Do we know if OP is in Virginia?
@IzzoOne: I assumed that the OP is a Virginia resident based on the statement about “in-state public universities such as Virginia Tech and GMU . . . .” but that could be an incorrect assumption on my part.
Given your interest in Physics and math, I’d suggest adding William & Mary in state. It is very strong in science education, you should get good teaching and individual attention of needed in those majors. I think only Berkeley is above W&M in producing undergraduates going on to get STEM PHDs (on a per capita basis) among national public universities, which is probably a good indicator even if you don’t intend to get a PHD. You should be able to see the data on the National Science Foundation’s WEBCASPAR site. The trend at W&M is also toward interdisciplinary work in sciences. I see you are already considering UVA and Virginia Tech.
Others have already commented on the financial aid issues you may have if you don’t include parental income. I’m not sure how that will work
You have some schools on your list where if you are fortunate and strong enough to gain admission (MIT, Caltech, Rice), you would probably be in the running for merit aid at a lower tier school . These, as you know, are extraordinarily competitive. Your SAT scores are going to be on the low side for them, and it is difficult for me to evaluate your transcript, although I note that you are taking a very challenging workload. Some of the strong STEM, but lower tier schools like RPI, Rochester, Stevens, have been mentioned. Again, it is difficult to calculate financial aid options, though. Georgia Tech probably fits the bill on what you want to do but is parsimonious with OOS aid. Texas also fits the bill, but you’ll probably need a direct admit if you want to do CS or Computer Engineering.
Some of what you want to do sounds kind of interdisciplinary, so you’ll need to feel out the different schools on that.
W&M, UVA, and Tech have merit scholarships, but the numbers are limited and it is very competitive. Some schools like Pitt, Alabama, and South Carolina are more actively recruiting with merit scholarships and honors programs that may not be as competitive.
I think you need to get clarity on how financial aid will work and work from there.
It seems quite possible OP will only be admitted to VaTech and GMU from that list. Homeschool and 1480 does not make UVA a match, particularly from a competitive county. Those may be the cheapest options too,but investigate Alabama for merit options. Unless you are published, I’m not sure why you are applying to CalTech.
@roycroftmom, given the competitive nature of college admissions, I agree with your observation that I may only be admitted to Virginia Tech and GMU, and in fact would go further to say that it is the most likely result (there’s also a decent chance I will be rejected by Virginia Tech). I’m fine with that; I’ve researched these colleges and see a way to make my future plans work there. I also think their academic options are pretty good.
However, I disagree with your suggestion that Caltech requires applicants to have officially published research in order to have a chance of acceptance. Although such work does advocate strongly for a student’s interest in research and STEM, it is by no means a requirement nor is it the only way to demonstrate interest in STEM (something Caltech very much cares about).