I am an Indian male at a super competitive public high school in Minnesota.
Applying for Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Interested in AI.
WGPA : 4.39
UGPA : 4
ACT : 33
SAT II : Math2:800, Physics:800, Chemistry:780
Courses:
Freshman: For my freshman year, I was in a high school in NJ
1.Geometry Honors
2.World History
3.Language Arts 1
4.Biology Honors
5.French 2
6.Principles of Engineering
Sophomore: I relocated to MN
AP Calculus BC (5)
AP Physics C: Mech (5)
AP Physics E&M (5)
AP Computer Science (5) and also a student TA
AP Human Geo (5)
Pre-AP English 10
French 3
Student tutor for physics and math
Junior:
AP Econ Micro and Macro (5)
AP US Lit and Lang. Took the lang test (5)
AP Chem (5)
Pre-AP French 4
Official TA for comp sci.
PSEO Computer science
UMTYMP Calculus 2
Digital Electronics
Student Tutor for math and physics.
Senior:
AP World Lit. Took the Lit test (4)
AP Comp Gov. (5) / AP Pysch (5) Each course 1 sem
AP French (5).
AP EV (5)/
US Gov.
Photography.
PSEO Comp Sci
UMTYMP Calc 3
Student Tutor for Math and Physics
Recs: From comp sci teacher and math teacher.
Summer Courses:
Python from the edx platform. Certificate from MIT.
C++
Robotics and Electronics
EC’s
Math Team (9, 10, 11, 12 - Leader)
Comp Sci club (9). Not offered at new school
Sci Bowl (10, 11 - Leader, 12 - Leader)
Red Cross club.
Founded Cyber Security Club for CTF’s
FTC Robotics
FRC Robotics
Competitions:
MN Math League (obv)
Sci Bowl (obv) Nationals.
ARML
AIME Qualifier. Close Call
HMMT
Google Code-In (Worst Experience of my life)
Google Code-Jam (Best Experience of my life). Never made it past the first round. Always ran out of time Lol.
F = MA. Qualified for USAPHO. Never for the USA team tho.
FTC. Made it to qualifiers finals. Was the only programmer on my team. Lead factor for my entry into the FRC team.
Innovation Fair: Science fair in NJ. Wasn’t really a competition. More like an exhibit to show off stuff, but I got offered an internship for python programming, which I did not accept because I had to relocate.
Trying out for USACO Silver or Gold division
I think I can make to USAMO this year.
Volunteering.
Public Library in NJ.
Taught python programming in local middle school.
Mentored FTC teams.
I know I wasn’t really involved in any sort of sport, or music, but I was not really interested in playing for the school. I am more of a guy who plays cricket or soccer with his friends in a park on Sunday. My profile is similar to most Asian kids, with the exception of not playing the piano, so my chances are pretty slim.
I am really looking forward to getting admitted into Harvard more than anything. GTECH, Berkley and Carnegie are my second priorities. I have a few safety colleges in mind like Washington, UCLA, Texas - Austin, and Columbia. I don’t mind harsh comments, so please comment truthfully. Thanks!
Crap. I was also a National Merit Semifinalist and National AP Scholar. I also worked on combination cipher solver in Java, which will soon become an app. I also worked on a 3D room mapping robot-to-drone transformer. I am currently working on designing a new microcontroller, which will hopefully be a better version of the raspberry pi, that will not require the Raspbian OS.
for Cal put your UC GPA. Also, please get some actual safeties. Im sorry, but not even uwash CS is safe as its quite competitive. Still counts for your stats, but UCLA, and especially Columbia, cannot be considered safeties
If you want a quality safety, you have one in your own back yard with the U of Minnesota. And with the reciprocity agreement, you’d pay Wisconsin’s in-state price for UW-Madison. I’m not sure if you’d be considered OOS for admissions at UW. If so, it is not a safety, but you would probably be admitted. Those are two awesome schools for about half of what you’d pay for the UCs, Washington, GA Tech…
We usually advise kids to avoid going OOS to publics because they tend to cost a lot and don’t offer much in the way of financial aid for OOS students. Notable exceptions would be if your flagship didn’t offer a major that the OOS school did, or if you could get merit or need-based aid – a few flags do offer some of the latter to OOS students, like UNC, UVA and (I think) Michigan.
As has been stated, no quality state school can be considered a safety as an OOS applicant. And Columbia is one of the reachiest schools in the country – in the RD round, it’s a reach for everyone who isn’t supremely hooked.
@Hamurtle I skipped Advanced Algebra over the summer and self-studied Calculus AB. I joined sophomore with Precalc, but my teacher said I was too smart for it and upgraded me to BC.
I think you didn’t fully explain your AP exam schedule. If you are still in this high school(which you said you are) you should be still taking the senior AP courses, but did you take the AP exam before taking these course? Otherwise how did you know what you got(or will get)?
@duola Yes, I am a senior. The AP scores I listed for my senior year are scores I will assume I will get based on my performance in class. I currently have an A in comp gov, and pysch is an easy course to get a 5 in.
After reading a bunch of comments, I think I might have messed up on the concept of a safety school. I made a list of schools, which I think are the best for studying AI, and listed the ones on the bottom of my list as safeties. Is this where I messed up?
A safety school is a school that, with your stats, is essentially one that is certain to admit you - and if they admit by major then to your intended major - that is affordable and that you would be happy to attend. Typically your state’s flagship may fit the bill. Do you have such a safety to which you have applied or will apply?
What and How many AP exams of collegeboard did you take ? You are in a super high school, and super student for sure. All ivy will accept you. Good luck.
Safety=
A school you know will admit you based on your stats (like your instate publics)
A school you can afford
A school you wouldn’t mind attending
The schools you’ve listed are NOT safeties for anyone.
FYI: I strongly believe that not participating in a sports or music program narrows your options. Stepping outside of your comfort zone shows the colleges that you participated in something other than your strengths and developed relationships with others on a team or in a band.
I agree with @Hamurtle, learning to spell the name of the school would be a strength: Berkeley.
So there are either 2 people sharing this account or you are misrepresenting yourself. Neither is allowed, and only confuses users who are trying to help. Additionally, wishing-and-hoping scores should be clearly labeled as projected to help other users.