Chance Me for +20 colleges '22

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Demographics
US Citizen

  • State/Location of residency: LA
  • Type of high school : all girls private school
  • Gender/Race/Ethnicity : female/asian
  • Other special factors (first generation to college, legacy, athlete, etc.): none

Intended Major(s)

  • listed below with colleges

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: my school doesn’t do UW but around 3.8/3.9
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.3
  • Class Rank: N/A
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 33 ACT (test blind for some schools)

Coursework
AP Courses: AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Lang, APES, AP Bio, AP Micro, AP Euro, AP Gov, AP Calc AB
Important honors/electives: Honors Engineering, Honors Physics, Honors Calc
Dual Enrollment: Statistics (A), Intro to CS (A)

  • I have three years of Spanish
  • I think it’s important to note my school caps us at 4 AP/Honors per year and we don’t get offered many APs

Awards

  • i don’t have many outstanding ones unfortunately
  • National Cybersecurity Scholarship Competition Finalist
  • AP Scholar
  • NHS
  • CSF
  • Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honors Society)
  • NCWIT Regional Honorable Mention (Women in Computing)
  • Presidential Service Award

Extracurriculars Might be important to note my school also caps us at one club/year and one main leadership role/year

  • Boeing Engineering Internship (11)
  • JPL Engineering Space Academy (12)
  • tutors kids in Python every weekend for free (10-12)
  • Student ambassador for a big program (not gonna mention name) in LA (12)
  • Founder/President of Animal Club (10-12)
  • Speech and Debate (9, 11, 12)
  • Mock Trial (10-12)
  • VEX Robotics (10-12)
  • Tech Team Board Member (10-12)
  • School Ambassadors Board Member (10-12)
  • Asian Food News and Culture (10-12)
  • Mental Health and Awareness Committee (10-12)

Essays/LORs/Other

  • I would say they’re all very good according to the multiple college counselors and admissions officers that have read it

Cost Constraints / Budget

  • I’m extremely appreciative that income is not an issue for both my parents

Schools
Reach:

  • UCLA - data theory
  • UCB - legal studies - my sister goes there but I don’t think that matters
  • Barnard - cs - I had a really good interview
  • University of Washington, Seattle - first choice (cs) - second choice (undeclared engineering)
  • Boston University - idk major
  • WashU - idk major
  • UMich (EA) - School of Informatics Preferred Admissions
  • Cornell (ED) - CALS Information Sciences
  • USC - Intelligence and Cyber Operations
  • Carnegie Mellon - School of Information Sciences

Match:

  • Santa Clara University (EA) - compsci + engineering
  • Purdue (EA) - first choice major (compsci) - second choice (data science)
  • UCR - cs
  • UCSD - cs
  • UCSB - cs
  • UCSC - cs
  • UCI - undeclared/information sciences
  • UC Davis - cs
  • Northeastern (EA) - cs
  • SDSU - cs
  • UIUC - school of information sciences

Likely:

  • Cal Poly Pomona
  • Cal State LA

BTW: I’d like to add my dream school is Santa Clara so if you just state my chances for SCU specifically, that’d be much appreciated

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If Santa Clara is your dream school, why did you list Cornell for ED? Why not just ED your dream school, which is in your match range?

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So - a few things - lots of schools - but what is the theme? I see lots of UCs, etc. But other parts.

So let’s look at your profile - no awards, no problem. Things like NHS and Mu Alpha Theta are filler - unless you can show activities were done and quantity.

What a college wants to see/know - is what you’ve done - what you’ve accomplished that will better yourself, better society…that makes an overall impact. Whether it’s you playing in the band, having a job, walking dogs, whatever. You have some interesting activities - but make sure you quantify. For example, you started the animal club…what did it do? Did you raise money for a local shelter? If so, how much? How many members did you recruit to join, etc.

The Boeing internship sounds interesteing as well.

As for your GPA, you can figure it out - 4 for A, 3 for B, etc. But we’ll go with 3.8/3.9 and 33. You probably know the UCs are test blind - so your ACT won’t count.

I agree that your reaches are reaches - you’ll have to consider where you send your ACT and where you go TO. Just curious about Berkeley - why legal studies when the rest of your schools are IS or Data, etc. That it’s on there makes me thing you are chasing a name and not a major - and that’s not good. You need to find the right school - even if that were LSU. What I’m saying is - find the right fit, not just the name that sounds best.

Onto your matches -

Purdue is a reach, Northeastern is a reach and UIUC are reaches. The UC schools - you need to figure out your UC GPAs and go from there. But know that UCs limit their OOS student quantity - my guess is SD and SB are likely reaches - but others can give you a better idea after you figure out your UC GPA. SDSU is likely a match - I’d agree.

I’d say your likely are safeties…but again, that’s an odd mix - why Cal State LA when you’re applying to all well known names, etc.

So what about Santa Clara is it that you like? And why not apply to other similar schools vs. this crazy hodge podge of big names you are applying to.

You might inquire to SCU about test scores for the CS school to see if you should submit. My guess is you should - and that with your above average ACT and geographic diversity (they are heavy CA), you will get in. It’s a match though and not a likely to me on a rating system - but I do think it’s “likely” you get in :slight_smile:

Good luck.

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Hello, Cornell was my parents requirements for ED.

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But if you get in, you have to go. What’s done is done - and I hate to say it, but hopefully you’ll get turned down (and likely will).

You, not your parents, are going to school. I know that’s not easy. However, this is an opportunity to let your parents know that it’s now your life, you need to excel and it’s where you fit well.

Perhaps your parents see Cornell being worth it financially but not SCU due to name.

Well good luck to you. SCU is a fine school…as is Cornell.

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A majority of these schools are my parents’ choices - not mine hence why SCU is my dream school and I’m not applying ED. Also about UCB, I’m only applying cause the majority of my extended family went there or is going there, so my parents want me to have the highest chance of getting in, hence why legal studies. Cal State LA cause I live in LA. I’ve also extended my activities list in my actual application with specific descriptions. Thank you for the response, I’m glad to hear that about SCU!

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Aaaah - for state of residency, you said LA - I thought you meant Louisiana.

Now all the UCs make sense.

Have you calculated your UC GPA.

You are going about this all wrong. I realize it’s your parents but - you need to go to school for what you will study.

Based on your logic of the easiest way to get in - well, you could have said that for each and every school.

You’re going to be an adult and I know it’s not easy, but remind your parents that this is your life, not theirs and your happiness is paramount. Sure, you’ll make mistakes but that’s part of growing up.

Good luck.

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Have you visited Cornell?

Northeastern, UIUC and Purdue are reaches.

I would try to figure out which UC’s are likely. Then drop schools that aren’t competitive. BU is nice but not better than UCLA, UCSD, etc. This should cut the list.

Try to sell your parents that staying in Cali for school is a good thing. So many opportunities for internships, co-ops or research. Save the money for grad school.

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Oh, shucks. Sorry.

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At UCB, you can study CS as either CoE EECS or L&S CS. CoE EECS admits to major and does not accept change of major from outside CoE. L&S CS currently does not admit by major, but applicants are just in the L&S undeclared pool along with other L&S majors like legal studies, although there is a proposal to change that. L&S undeclared students do need a 3.3 college GPA in the first three CS courses to declare the L&S CS major.

Either way, better to put the major you really want to do, since there is no admission advantage to applying as legal studies instead of L&S CS, and putting L&S CS will be more consistent with your extracurriculars and essays. If you want CoE EECS, you should apply directly to that major. (In other words, your parents’ advice on what major to indicate is incorrect.)

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I’m nervous that you are at the chance me stage with so many schools at this point in the application process. UCs seem to be the foundation of your list — how far along are you on your PIQs and EC list? How far along are you with the rest of your essays?

I’m sorry that you felt compelled to apply ED to a school that was not your No 1 choice. It looks like SCU does ED 2so I hope you are doing all you can to research that school, visit, etc.

Regarding safeties— would you truly be happy to attend these schools?

I think you should pare your reaches way down and focus on doing a great ED 2 to SCU, writing strong PIQs and making sure you have viable safeties. Good luck!

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Why CS at UDub and not Informatics, which seems to be your choice at most others that have that option? The OOS direct-admit rate for CS is incredibly low. Informatics is a tough admit too, but not quite as bad as CS, and it’s a phenomenal program.

What makes Santa Clara your dream school? I think your chances there are very good.

You should have lots of great options. Good luck getting whichever outcome you’re hoping for, from Cornell!!

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Here is the UC GPA calculator and all 3 UC GPA’s are considered in the admission process:

https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/

Overall you look competitive and depending upon what your UC GPA’s calculate out to be, some of the UC’s could be in the Likely Category vs. Match category (ie. UC Riverside). You really only need 1 Likely/Safety school so make sure that CSULA or CPP are schools you would attend no matter what.

Best of luck.

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