Hi. I’ve applied to a bunch of places, and have started getting results back (The ones I’ve gotten are below) I just had a string of rejections/waitlists, and am starting to get really worried… Could people predict where else, if anywhere, I get in? Thanks. Applied in Computer Science or Biomedical Engineering to all, so schools/colleges of engineering.
Decisions from:
-University of Michigan - Accepted EA
-University of Maryland - Accepted
-Johns Hopkins University - Rejected RD
-UCLA - Rejected RD
-Washington University in St. Louis - Waitlisted RD
-Georgia Tech - Rejected RD
-Johns Hopkins University - Rejected RD
-Carnegie Mellon University (School of CS) - Priority Waitlist RD
-USC - Rejected RD
-Harvey Mudd - Rejected RD
Still to go:
-Columbia University
-UC Berkeley
-Cornell University (5 legacies, parents, grandparents, great grandparents)
-Princeton University (2 legacies, one of whom is still very very connected with the school (was an interviewer, knows some admissions people))
-Stanford University
Objective:
-SAT I (breakdown): 1580 (790 M, 790 R/W, 23/24 Essay) (1 Sitting)
-SAT II: 800 Math II, 780 Bio
-Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.80 w/o freshman year , 3.7 with. (4.0=A, 3.0=B, no +/- weighting)
-Weighted GPA (Out of 5.0): 4.7 w/o freshman year , 4.5 with. (All AP/College level honors-y are on a 5.0)
Lots of the schools i’m applying to cut out freshman year from their GPA calculations.
-Weighted and capped GPA (For UCs): 4.03 ( I know it’s low, but it gets lowered since I took more classes than is normal during sophomore/senior year, which deflates it)
-Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10-15%, extremely competitive magnet program school, worried that it makes it harder for me to get in.
AP (place score in parenthesis): National AP Scholar, Computer Science (5), Biology (5), Physics (5), Chemistry (4), Statistics (4), BC Calculus (5), English Lang (5), World History (4), NSL (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Linear Algebra, Mathematical Physics (Crazy hard), Marine Biology, Political/Sports statistics, Honors English, AP Macro, Research Project
Pretty crazy course rigor throughout HS: Quantum Physics, Organic Chemistry, Linear Algebra, Discrete Math, Cell Physiology, Immunology, Analytical Chem, Physical Chem, Bio Chem, and all AP english and social studies’.
All the math/science courses i’ve taken are college level, above AP.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, National AP Scholar, AP Scholar with distinction.
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (leadership in parenthesis):
Debate Team (Captain of school team), Also on an independent team. Top 200 in the country, made NSDA Nationals and a bunch of other national tournaments. Round of 16 at a big international debate tournament, have gone far in a bunch of other national tournaments too.
3rd degree Black Belt, Have won a few sparring competitions
Independent Soccer Team (Captain, Goalkeeper) On it since kindergarten
Independent Baseball/Basketball teams, Low-level
Surf and Rock climb a lot, wrote some essays about the rock climbing community.
Job/Work Experience: Interned in a well-known Parkinson’s disease lab over the summer at UCLA, independently invented something to improve their research… Possible that I may get a patent on it. They’re using it now.
Camp counselor the previous two summers
Volunteer/Community service: Lots of miscellaneous stuff, but the Camp counselor work experience was as a volunteer.
Summer Activities: (See above)
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Essays are 9+, both parents are writers and I had them working with me on them. I’ve got a lot of dramatic, good stories about how my grandparents have Parkinson’s so I did Parkinson’s research, carried a kid out of a valley on my back during a camping trip when he gashed his knee open, etc. I pretty consciously tailored my essays to what the different schools I applied to were looking for in students.
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: Computer Science Teacher, 8/10. He had everyone he gave a rec to fill out a form, so I gave him a bunch of good material to write about. Very eloquent guy, Harvard journalist turned CS major, should be a good rec.
Teacher Rec #2: Economics teacher: 9-10/10. Loves me, I get hundreds on everything in his class.
Teacher rec #3: Physics teacher: 8/10, I’ve known him for a while and he likes me, should be a pretty solid rec.
Counselor Rec: 7/10. I talk with her fairly often, she likes me. Gave her some good material to write about, wouldn’t expect anything too fantastic though.
Additional Rec:10/10 From the PI of the lab where I worked, well-respected researcher. Said he would write a “Glowing” rec for me at the end of the internship
Interview: I interview well, have had a few and they’ve gone well so far.
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes, but don’t really need it
Intended Major: Computer science/BME
State (if domestic applicant): MD
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Public, Magnet
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Upper
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): No real hooks
Thanks for reading this far… I’m very happy with being into Michigan, but I just want to know what choices people think I’ll have going forward, and if the results so far are indicative of any broader trend. I’m pretty worried having been rejected from places I considered safeties, and now having my most selective schools still to go. I’ll chance you back.
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