Chance me for 30+ Colleges.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Disclaimer / Background: Personally, yes I am a URM and have an understanding that that definitely weighs in on my decision overall, however, I believe that I am not stealing spots. I understand that CC isn’t really the place that views URMs in the best light. That said, I hope you can be objective regarding this chance me as I too acknowledge the extra forces at play in my decision. Thank you!

So, with WashU ED2 coming at this weekend, I’d like to post this just to gauge what my chances are to the school and others that will come out in the near future.

First are my current results:

Rejected: Columbia (ED1)

Deferred: Northeastern (EA), Rutgers (technically cause they wanted to see my midyear)

Accepted: UMich (COE), UMD (L&S), Seton Hall, Temple, WPI, Stony Brook

Major: Computer Science / Poli Sci / English (whenever three choices were asked for, this is the order I gave them in)

Schools:

WashU (ED2) applied for Poli Sci

(Regular)

  • 7 Ivies (rejected Columbia ED1) -Northwestern, USC, Stanford, Duke, NYU, UVA, Tufts, CWRU, UNC-CH, Rice, URochester, Boston U, Vanderbilt
  • Stevens IT

(LACs,

  • Williams, Swarthmore, Colby, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Wesleyan, Pomona

Demographics: Hispanic

Hooks: Low Income <20k for family of 4+, Identify as Gay, First-Generation

School background: very poorly funded & low income. Average SAT <930. No average ACT (no one takes it).

Stats:

SAT: 1370 (2nd only to the Salutatorian)

ACT: (highest in my school) Composite:29 Superscore: 31

First person to take ACT and subject tests.

GPA: 3.63 UW / 4.2 W

Circumstances: Basically catholic conservative parents found out I was LGBT and I received backlash from everyone during my freshman year which causes a significant decline in my grades. Massive upward trend Sophomore year and beyond. Taking care of Siblings take up too much of my time, so it causes a lack in ECs.

ECs: (nothing relevant to CS, again poorly funded school) :

GSA
NHS
2 Jobs
(a few more but they’re kinda irrelevant)

Course rigor:

Take basically the hardest course rigor. I’ve taken the hardest language class all 4 years, and have taken a total of 4 APs (basically the max, unless you stayed over the summer) school placed a restriction limiting students to 2 APs/ year.

Because they placed a restriction, I’m self studying AP Calc BC, Spanish, and CSA. (only student doing so)

Essays / LORs

Counselor : didn’t know her well. She basically spoke about my persistence and determination, but it wasn’t all too well. 6/10

Waived my right to read the other LORs

Common app essay: spoke about my identity (of course, right?), my evolution, my story and my passions and how I’ve overcome obstacles (7 - 8.5/10)

2

Congratulations on your acceptances. I can’t chance you for the rest of the schools, but are any of the schools you have been accepted to affordable?

3

Somewhat, I really am trying to get into a school with good aid… Unfortunately, that’s why I was limited to either T20s or “lower tier” state schools. I’ll have to wait!

4

The college list is sort of all over the place. Have you applied for a scholarship? Because there’s a good possibility you won’t be able to afford any of these schools even after financial aid. The safest bet is your in-state university.

5

Mostly all of these schools meet one hundred percent of my demonstrated need. To answer your question though, I did apply to a few scholarships just in case I had to go to a public.

6

Hard to predict; even more difficult to predict when one doesn’t apply ED to ultra-selective schools.

However, you have been admited to the University of Michigan. If affordable, congratulations !

P.S. Please keep us updated as you receive decisions. Good luck !

7

Thank you!

8

What is your state of residence? Did you apply through Questbridge?

9

I’m sorry if there is talk on here about stealing spots. I think your stats are decent and better than decent considering the school you went to and your families finances. People forget that hiring tutors, expensive prep classes and EC participation costs big money. Some people take these opportunities for granted but it’s not realistic for many. Yes, there are often scholarships but it doesn’t feel good to always have to apply.
As for the acceptances, all you can do is wait and see because there is no crystal ball. Full need met isn’t always exactly full need met so read everything carefully and don’t forget travel costs and other incidentals.
Look at the unfunded amounts from the schools that accept you and take it from there. You’ll see it on the award sheet. Remember to take out the loan amounts from your aid because you won’t be able to use the loans toward the money gap that is left over because it’s already spoken for.
If you have a few choices then it’s time to consider fit. Since you appear open to a few majors, consider which campus and what type of students will make you the happiest and most productive.

10

I did, and unfortunately did not become a finalist.

11

You are definitely NOT stealing anybody’s spot. Every acceptance you get will have been earned. The fact that ended up with a very good GPA and a very good SAT score in your situation indicates that you will do even better if given the chance.

You cannot expect somebody running into serious winds to have the same speed as somebody running with the wind at their back, even if the person running into the wind is the better runner.

As for your chances? You list is all over the place, as @coolguy40 wrote, and most of the colleges are reach colleges and you are applying RD. On one hand, RD are accepted at a lower rate, however, most applicants from your “bucket” (low income, first-gen) apply RD, so the fact that 45% of the class has been filled (in some cases) may have less of an impact on your chances than it would on the chances of many other applicants.

You’ve been accepted to one reach (UMich) and to all of your matches/safeties. The rest are all reaches or high reaches (though Stevens is more of a low reach). So overall, you’ve done well. If I were you, I would start seeing which of the colleges to which you were accepted is affordable, and start planning that.

If you are accepted elsewhere, that’s great. However, since, of the rest, there isn’t any college at which you can point and say “I have a really good chance of being accepted into that particular college”, I would treat them all as though they were a single high reach college, and start planning accordingly.

Good luck and congratulations on a pretty successful applications season!