Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):
ACT: 35 (34E, 36M, 34R, 35S)
SAT II: 800 on US History, 800 on Physics, 800 on Math II
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.92
Weighted GPA: 4.36
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): European History (5), BC Calculus (5), Microeconomics (5), Macroeconomics (5), Computer Science (5), Physics C (5 x2)
Senior Year Course Load: 4 More APs, band, required science classes
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
-Band (9-12): play bass trombone, principal in band (11-12), principal in orchestra (9-12), all-district honor band (11)
-Physics Team (11-12)
-Electronics Club (11-12)
-Political discussion club (9-12): Secretary
-(independent) Programmed a few apps for Android and iPhone for fun, and I made a website where I published a few web apps. I have gotten lots of downloads on the iPhone app, and made $1200.
Job/Work Experience: Programming internship at prestigious government physics lab the summer after 11th grade
Volunteer/Community service: Tutoring for free (I won a few awards for this)
State (if domestic applicant): Maryland
School Type: Public Magnet
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Chance me for:
UC Berkeley (Letters & Sciences)
UCLA
UIUC
Georgia Tech
UMD (instate safety, but chance me for Banneker/Key scholarship?)
With incredible stats like those, you’re match for any top school. I’m not an expert on the objective stats of those schools, but I do know some stuff about the subjective.
The app thing is great. Definitely talk a lot about that on your Activities portion of the CA.
Since your scores are all maxed-out (besides the ACT, one point away), you have a chance. Make yourself stand out with an amazing essay that highlights your personality. Spend a lot of time on that. A strong essay that describes your passion (and makes you stand out from typical applicants) will make you. An essay where you fabricate a forced “epiphany” that the admissions officers will see right though, will break you.
Spend a lot of time making your essay and app stand out. Don’t waste this opportunity. You’ve got the scores for these schools. Good luck!
@coterie Thanks for taking the time to respond, and thanks for the encouraging words. Assuming my writing skills/presentation skills are good on the common app, can I treat the 5 schools I listed as safeties? I am at or above the 75th percentile for test scores at all of them, but is it still possible that I could be rejected?
I’d say UCB and UCLA are still somewhat reaches because they have many high-stats applicants with great subjectives as well, but the other schools you’re more than likely to get accepted to (:. Also, the UCs give very little, if any, FA for OOS students. Will you be able to afford the cost of attendance there? Good luck (:
Do you have any honors/awards?
That would definitely boost your application up to top school level for sure.
As for the schools you listed, I would consider them a low match to safety for you.
As mentioned by @Exwire, the UCs are $55k to OOS students. Before you apply to anything in California, can you afford it? They wont offer anything to OOS students. Can your parents pay $55k a year for 4 years?
It is debatable whether any of those schools are worth it over UMD in-state, since it has a very nice CS program and you will be paying in-state tuition. FWIW, one of my friends at Michigan who is majoring in Computer Engineering (not CS) chose UMich over UMD (I doubt you will see much of the reverse happening, unless serious $$$ is involved in favor of UMD). I think if you are going to consider UCLA and Berkeley, considering Michigan is definitely worth it (especially since Michigan will likely be cheaper than either Berkeley or UCLA and is a direct peer with Berkeley, UCLA, and GTech).
I would apply to the schools, and see what happens (UC schools, if I am not mistaken, have phased out any non-federal need-based aid for OOS). UMD CS is probably the way to go, unless you want to leverage your degree for non-software jobs like investment banking or consulting, for which your best bets from your list (if you were to add Michigan) would be Michigan, Berkeley, GTech, and UCLA.
If you wanted to switch out of your major to a non-CS and non-engineering (I am not sure how likely this is for you), you may want to consider a school that has top programs all around. Schools that fit that bill would be Berkeley, UCLA, and Michigan.
I think I also owe you full disclosure, since I applied to many of those schools listed and was in asimilar position as yourself.
I am a NJ resident - applied to UCB, UCLA, Michigan, UIUC, and UMD all for CS.
I was turned down from UCB and UCLA (same application if I remember correctly), I got into UIUC with the Honors Program, Maryland with very good merit $$$ renewed yearly for all four years, and Michigan. I did not apply to GTech. I am now attending Michigan.
I also strongly disagree with @coterie 's assertion that “you’re match for any top school”.