Chance Junior for Top Astrophysics and/or CS Programs

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Demographics

  • US domestic student
  • State/Location of residency: VA
  • Type of high school: that one. You know what I’m talking about.
  • Gender/Race/Ethnicity: M, Asian
  • Other special factors: none.

Intended Major(s): Astrophysics/Physics/CS (in order of preference. I know it’s better for astro enthusiasts to major in physics, but if a school offers astro I’ll apply with that program in mind and see what to do once I matriculate.)

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.99. :frowning: one A- second semester this year (in a CS course).
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.54 (honors +0.5, AP’s/post-AP’s +1.0)
  • Class Rank: no rank published or given to colleges, but estimated top 5% based on Naviance GPA hack and current junior year grades.
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1540 SAT (750R, 790M). Just about average for my school. Retaking in August.

Coursework
(AP/IB/Dual Enrollment classes, AP/IB scores for high school; also include level of math and foreign language reached and any unusual academic electives; for transfers, describe your college courses and preparation for your intended major(s))

AP’s: CSA (5), Chem (5), APUSH, AP Physics C M & E&M, AP Calc BC, AP Stats. If I may be cocky, I predict 5’s on all.

Post-AP’s: AI, Computer Vision, Organic Chem, Web Development, Stats 3.

Senior Year: AP Gov, AP Lang, Geosystems (ugh), Quantum, Quantum Lab, Multivariable Calculus + Advanced Math Techniques, Philosophy, Law

Awards: in a bit of a pickle. Detailing basically any of the top three will open me up for a doxx.

  1. International thing (very prestigious, related to major)
  2. National things (prestigious, related to major)
  3. National thing #2 (prestigious, related to major)
  4. USACO Silver
  5. AIME Qualifier (only this year)
  6. 9x superior (top) rating in a piano thing

Additional: AP distinctions, Nat’l Merit Semifinalist

Extracurriculars: again, will be vague – thus might be seen as dry. In no particular order of impact or importance or favorability.

  1. Leadership position in thing corresponding to award 2 (conventional, well-known activity). Leading + competing + mentoring + volunteering.
  2. Research, 1st author publication in most popular journal of the field
  3. Kickstarting first ever astronomy conference designed for high schoolers (hopefully 100+ in attendance, good shot at this)
  4. Co-founder and captain of club corresponding to award 3 (relates to major)
  5. In-person astronomy lecture @ rural school in 3rd world country + thousands raised for the school. Not part of an organization, completely solo.
  6. Leadership position in club corresponding to major.
  7. Piano (playing, volunteering, teaching sibling if that counts).
  8. Paid summer research internship (~10% acceptance rate, 2 years in a row working on the same project)
  9. Summer program @ Princeton (not sure of acceptance rate – unrelated to major)
  10. Leadership position in teen-lead initiative (somewhat related to major – meshes well w/ EC #9)

Fluff that may or may not become substantial in the next few months: more leadership positions (unrelated to major), essay/writeup competitions, astrophotography, volunteering w/ local astronomy club.

Just realized my ECs here show like no CS at all – my leadership positions all involve CS. My research and internship do as well.

Essays/LORs/Other: When I look at how some of my peers think about college and college applications, I worry for their essays and even LORs. I’ve got too many options to choose from for LORs, and I think my essays will be at least above average? I’m considering REA’ing Princeton, so they better be.

Cost Constraints / Budget: No constraints, but obviously would prefer cheaper options all else equal.

Schools

  • Safety (certain admission and affordability): UArizona, Penn State. All EA.
  • Likely (would be possible, but very unlikely or surprising, for it not to admit or be affordable): UWash Seattle, Case Western. EA, RD.
  • Match: UVA (maybe a reach from my school nowadays), UNC-CH, UMich, UIUC CS+X. All EA.
  • Reach: Princeton (dream, REA?), Caltech (dream, REA?), Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Cornell, Penn, MIT, UChicago, Northwestern, Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA, Duke, GTech CS. RD.

Not sure how to categorize VTech, which I’m 90% sure yield protects. Wouldn’t be surprised at a WL.

Not sure whether to REA to Princeton or Caltech, or even REA at all.

I’m okay with shotgunning. What I really want advice on is my REA selection (or lack thereof) and what I should focus on to improve my overall profile. My main issue is that a lot of my activities are conventional (especially for my demographic), which I feel may hinder me. In addition, most of my big volunteering stuff was started last summer, which may be a red flag. Overall, I’m optimistic for a T20 but would love to have a decent shot at one or both of my two dream schools.

If you know me, no you don’t.

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As a college major, astrophysics could be studied by doing physics plus a few upper level astronomy / astrophysics electives. Astrophysics PhD study will expect undergraduate preparation equivalent to that of a physics major.

While physics major programs have similar core upper level physics courses, the upper level electives at each school may vary, so you may want to check on the astrophysics electives available at each.

Also, the general education requirements vary considerably. For example, Caltech and MIT have heavy general education requirements in both science / math and humanities / social sciences. At Caltech, the require science / math general education courses are more theoretical and rigorous than at other colleges (they may be like or more rigorous than what other colleges call honors courses). Some other colleges like Columbia, Chicago, and Yale may have a more humanities / social sciences focused set of general education requirements.

So you may want to start looking in college catalogs to see which ones may be better academic fits for your preferences.

Note that Caltech, Chicago, Northwestern, Stanford, and UCLA are on the quarter system, with the academic year divided into three 10-week quarters instead of two 15-week semesters.

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So you may want to start looking in college catalogs to see which ones may be better academic fits for your preferences.

I’ve thought a bit about that, but only for my top schools so far. My worries for Caltech are that a) it’s really difficult and b) I could be a bit pigeonholed into hardcore STEM culture. I used to love that prospect (working on difficult psets with like-minded individuals at 2AM sorta thing), but not sure anymore. Princeton has enough academic rigor to satisfy whatever “learning-for-the-sake-of-learning” curiosity I may have, but it feels less hardcore STEM, and I feel like more paths are open. I have a soft spot for the humanities, which makes me think Princeton might be a better fit. All this being said, I think I’d be quite happy at either school. I’ll make sure to look into fit for the other schools on my list, thanks for the advice.

In terms of the REA decision, my line of thinking is that: a) Princeton takes in the hooked applicants REA. I’m unhooked. b) I’m guessing that not many people apply to Caltech REA, but the people who do are likely incredibly self-selecting. I think I’ll try to REA to the school with the best chance of my admission, but it’s hard to gauge which of the two that may be right now.

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@hebegebe may want to chime in here.

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Caltech REA admit rate is under 5% and the overall admit rate well below 4%. If you decide to apply REA to Caltech, the reason shouldn’t be that you’ll get a bigger bump. However, you may get a greater bump at Caltech if you can convincingly demonstrate your passion for STEM. Both Caltech and Princeton emphasize theoretical foundations in their approaches to many subjects in STEM, so there’re many similarities between them in what they offer in your intended major(s). Princeton obviously gives you greater selection of possible majors and courses in the humanities, but if you intend to stick to your intended majors, Caltech probably offers more opportunities.

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I think Va Tech, PSU, and Arizona are safeties and if you’re ok with those - Arizona being the strongest. I’d add CU Boulder too.

The rest are reaches. All of them. Doesn’t mean you won’t get into many but none are matches. Maybe UVA depending which part of the state you’re from.

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Thanks for the input. I think I’ll have no problem demonstrating (theoretical, especially) STEM passion, but of course I recognize that Caltech is a long shot by any means. I recognize that choosing an REA based on admissions chances is likely a waste of time, but I can’t find a reason right now to REA to one over the other. It’s a tough decision to make.

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Hmm. I think I disagree with your assessment. Namely, that VTech is a safety and that the publics are all reaches. This is based on detailed admissions data from my school’s senior classes over the years, Naviance data, and the like. I wish I could be less vague with my ECs and awards. But thanks for the input. CU Boulder looks great for astro too, yes.

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How likely are you going to stick with your intended majors? And what potential opportunities are you going to seek outside STEM?

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You’re allowed to disagree but you’d be amazed at the USACO medalist with the 1560 just turned down everywhere. And now is without school.

One kid recently is in at MIT but not at BU. Another is in at Berkeley but not SDSU

It’s a crazy world, with nothing a surprise.

I don’t think Va Tech is a hard admit for you nor yield protects. My guess is you are in. But I’d likely go to Arizona over it unless you want to stay home.

As noted I wouldn’t be surprised if you get into reaches but given the zaniness we’ve seen, I want to be conservative.

Good luck.

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Majors? Unlikely to be outside the three I listed (astro, physics, CS). 30-40% chance I’ll sell out and do CS if I could switch. Minors could be a different story (interested in philosophy, polisci, int’l relations, etc). Outside STEM, I’d love music/piano stuff, perhaps a club/intramural sport (tennis), or hiking.

In general, I like flexibility – college should feel like a fresh start.

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Thanks. It’s getting crazier every year, you’re right.

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Neither of these is a likely. UW for CS will be a low reach (yes!). CWRU may be a high target, more likely a low reach. Show them lots of love else you’ll be waitlisted.

Move UMich to reach. You need additional true matches. Have you considered UMD? Both its CS and Physics programs are highly ranked (T20), and should be a target school for you if you apply EA.

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Neither of these two schools puts up any barrier to switch to any major. Your HS sends quite a few graduates to both of them every year and you may want to get in touch with some of them to get their takes on the two schools before deciding on which one to REA/SCEA to.

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So, except for playing the piano, impressive as they are, all of your ECs are major related.

Aside from “volunteering” in piano (which you do not position as being a significant EC), your one community-service-ish activity is a one-off sponsored speech in your subject area. My interpretation of that is that the “rural school” is in your heritage “Asian” country, that you have family/friends there who connected you to the school, that you speak the local language, that your family subsidized your travel costs and that much of the money you raised came from sponsoring family and friends- in other words a fancy version of selling wrapping paper or candy or cookies to raise money. Is it a bad thing to have done? of course not! Any more than it is a bad thing to do a sponsored run for charity. But, you seem to think you have some “big volunteering-type stuff”, and as presented here, you don’t.

You say that you have a “soft spot for the humanities” but from what you have chosen to share and how you have presented it I see a one note song- a beautiful, strong, clear, note, but just the one. That says CalTech- or the UK- not MIT or Princeton to me.

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Yeah, this one really concerns me, at least how it’s been packaged, so I’m glad you mentioned it. And please, for the love of all that’s holy, do NOT describe it as helping people in a “3rd world country” - this comes off super smarmy as well as out of touch with current international development issues - which, in turns, makes the activity come off as very superficial.

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Can we clarify. I missed UW. For Astro, it’s a target. Yaw admits half.

For CS, I’d say @DadOfJerseyGirl a high reach but I base that in the 3% OOS acceptance rate.

I’m not sure if one can internally transfer but I would not think so.

So OP would really have to be settled on major (of the physics vs CS) b4 applying.

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My suggestion is to apply to GT for EA. They do have a small number of merit scholarships but they only go to EA applicants. WIth the vagueness of your ECs (which I understand) I can’t tell but you should be competitive for these. Not a burdensome application - common app and a Why Georgia Tech essay. Focus on why GT but also include how you/your interests/your activities fit into their motto of progress and service/improving the human condition. If you apply to physics they also have Dean’s Grants for the College of Sciences that you would be very competitive for. They are a top 5 CS undergrad school and their thread program is unique and might satisfy the CS+X. There seem to be some holes in the service portion of your application - which is BIG at GT - so think about how you package that. . .

You can confirm your major before enrolling (can be different from what you applied for) and then it is easy to switch once after you start your freshman year (other switches are possible just require more hoops), so it has some flexibility which may be important as you seem a little unsure as to your major.

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Whether @collegemom3717’s interpretation is correct or not, a one-off (and probably expensive) activity like this is useless, and may even be harmful for college admissions.

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The AIME accomplishment is not that significant.

But the OP also states he comes from THAT school in VA, and has a number of international and national awards. Given it is THAT school, I will assume that the awards are in STEM. There are a number of STEM awards that tend to result in multiple admissions to HYPSMs. Examples include RSI, Regeneron STS finalist, ISEF Grand Prize winner, MOP, etc.

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