Chance me for Computer Science Programs, mainly California schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi guys, I’m just looking for some insight on whether this list of schools makes sense for me. Please, feel free to comment on anything that stands out or if you have any suggestions/better fits.

Here is my categorized list of schools:
Reach: Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Pomona, USC, Cornell, MIT
Target: GaTech, UMich, UIUC, Cal Poly SLO
Safety: Purdue, UMD College Park, Minnesota Twin Cities, Rutgers (State School)

About me: Indian male from New Jersey. U.S. citizen; moved here when I was 6 months old so basically grew up here. Family is strictly middle class. My father is the only one working; my mother was a doctor in India who has been studying to become certified here while raising me and my sister. Don’t know if I can use that in my essays lol.

My stats:
School: Selective county-wide public school with career oriented programs (Healthcare, business, design, etc). I am in the computer science program.

GPA: 4.49W out of a total possible 4.9W. GPAs are on a 5.3W and 4.3UW scale. My UC GPA is a 4.10W, 4.0UW.
Course load: I have taken the hardest possible course load at my school. We only offer two APs and I have taken both. I have had all As except for two B+ freshman year, when I was not very academically motivated (never studied; did not really care).

ACT: 35 (36E, 34M, 35R, 36S)
SAT: 1480 (750M, 730RW)
SAT II: Getting Math II soon, expect 770-800. Taking Physics in Aug.
AP: Physics 1: 3; Comp Sci A: 4 (Not too strong, but I was advised to submit anyway.)

ECs (This may be my weak area imo, as my ECs are not as glamorous as some other applicants):

NHS

NTHS

JV Soccer (possibly Varsity this year)

Varsity Lacrosse

Volunteer at library teaching STEM programs (Google CS First, robotics, circuits)

Campaign Intern at local Democratic Committee office (canvassing, phone calls, voter outreach events. Both of my candidates won their primaries!)

Starting a school NJHS Democrats chapter, which I will be the president of. This will get involved in the race for governor of New Jersey.

Currently looking for a Computer Science related internship (required by my school to graduate)

Work as a Soccer Referee

Worked on a programming/research project for Prudential Insurance with a few of my classmates on Robotic Process Automation and how they could implement the concept in their company. I was the front end/database team lead. I also presented the proof-of-concept with the other team leaders to a group of executives.

Essays: I am good at writing. I will be able to craft an interesting essay.

Rec letters: I have requested three.

My French teacher has had me for three years and we have a great relationship. She only writes LORs for students that have excelled in her class over the years. I have discussed my dreams and aspirations with her and she knows me well as a person. I believe her letter will be very good, but I am not sure which schools I should submit it to if I will be applying to study CS.

I had a good relationship with my Alg 2 Honors teacher. She definitely liked me and I remember at the end of the year she loved a certain project I did for her. I ended with an A- average, but it is known as the hardest class in the school and she knows that. She is the NTHS advisor, which I am a member of. It will be a good letter but nothing remarkable.

I had a good relationship with my English III Honors teacher as well. I know that she respects my writing ability and knows a good deal about me through the essays I have written for her. I have had some personal conversations with her. I definitely have her respect and I believe it will be a decent letter.

Overall, I am really banking on my academics over LORs and ECs. I was never able to go out and do a lot of things even though I wanted to because of our financial situation and because my parents were too busy. I was the type of student to finish my schoolwork and then play video games. I am doing more things now because I can drive, but I don’t think it is enough. I’m just hoping to be good enough for my target schools.

Thank you for any input, and please be straight up haha. Don’t try to make me feel good. I’m a realist, and that is the point of this chance me thing after all.

2

Forgot to put Santa Clara University as one of my safeties. Is my list perhaps too big? lol

3

Have you and your parents run the net price calculators on all of the schools?

The out-of-state publics will offer you no or little need-based financial aid. While they may have merit scholarships, earning the large ones is likely to be reach level, so they should be treated as reaches if you and your parents cannot afford their list prices.

4

Definitely keep USC, I think you have a shot at some of their merit scholarships (and coming from someone who got one, you really don’t need to consider acceptance alone a “reach” with those stats lol). And come one now, you and I both now those ECs are more than enough!

Also, check out Harvey Mudd if you’re looking into Pomona. The Claremont Colleges are all technically liberal arts colleges, but it’s a consortium, so it feels like a university and you can take many classes offered in colleges other than your own. Plus, Harvey Mudd is all about engineering of all sorts, so it could be a pretty good fit.

5

Yeah, we have talked about cost and the main issue will be the UCs as they will run around 60k/year no matter what + airfare due to distance. I did visit most of the schools on my list, and I absolutely loved California. My dad has been saving for college since I was born and has been investing some of that money, so ultimately ability to pay will not be an issue if the school is worth it for me.

6

I loved USC and I’m really banking on one of their scholarships because they appear to be pretty generous. Haha I know my stats are decent and I did put a lot of effort into them. I was just worried because a few other people have similar or better stats with much better ECs.

7

I did visit Pomona and I liked it so much I’m considering ED lol. Harvey Mudd is better for comp sci, but I think I have a better shot at Pomona, and I heard that comp sci classes can be taken at Mudd as a Pomona student.

8

You probably already know this, but at Pomona, comp sci is now the fastest growing major and the second largest overall, but I might still think about adding HMC to your reaches instead of one of the big R1s. If OOS public tuition isn’t an issue and you want to focus on big west coast schools, then UCI, UCSD, and UW might replace a couple of your midwest options, with San Jose State maybe for more of a match/safety. I was going to suggest Santa Clara for a mid-size private, but you beat me to it. Glad you included Rutgers as an in-state safety.

9

This statement doesn’t sound like a student whose parents can afford to pay for OOS schools.
USC is generous with NM winners, recruited athletes, and URM’s. They fund a number of California residents who qualify for state funding. They also have a number of alumni-related funds.

Given that USC is $72K per year, you can’t “bank” on getting one of their scholarships, especially since you are applying to a competitive major.

When you apply to USC, and all of the other expensive OOS schools, assume that you will be paying full price.

10

@otisp I’m definitely considering UDub but the only thing that worries me is that it’s very difficult to get into the major after admission, whereas with other schools you have a good idea of whether you’ll be able to study CS at the time of admission.

@“aunt bea” you make some very good points there. I guess I’m being slightly ambiguous with our financial capability. We can afford around 60k per year if it must come to that, but we would rather avoid that if possible as it would mean my sister definitely has to get scholarships or settle for a state school. I have made sure that my safeties include some financial safeties, but I think the decisions will be based on money once I know where I have been accepted. I definitely understand that money is a huge factor to be considered, but I wonder what the point of all I have worked for is if I don’t go to the school I like most out of my choices.