Chance me for top universities

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I really want to go to the following universities (computer science): MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, Georgia Tech, Cornell

Unweighted GPA: 3.87/4.0
Weighted GPA: 4.35/5.0
Class rank: 19/436
SAT: 2150 (710M, 720CR, 720W, 10 essay)
Ethnicity: Mexican American

AP Courses per year:

Sophomore:
AP World History

Junior:
APUSH
AP Language
AP Calculus AB
AP Physics C

Senior course load:
AP Govt
AP Macroeconomics
AP Computer Science (free 5.0)
AP Lit
AP Calculus BC
Honors Band
Honors Jazz band

Extracurricular activities (note I went ahead and put 4 years for some stuff because I’m going to be in it next year):

Marching Band (4 years, trumpet section leader Sophomore-Senior)

Symphonic Band (4 years, principal chair)

Jazz Band (4 years, lead trumpet)

Symphony Orchestra (4 years, principal chair)

My ISD’s Honor Band (2 years)

All-Region Band North Texas (1 year)

All-State Trumpet soloist

Sometimes I’ll go to middle schools and assist the band with rehearsals, and lead trumpet sectionals there

Docent for the Kimbell Art Museum presenting Renaissance-era German paintings

UIL Spelling regionals participant

National Honor Society (2 years)

Self- taught programmer starting at age 9, specializing in C++

Programming Club and UIL Computer Science Team (4 years, founder and president)

District-wide Computer Science competition winners (2 years)

Founder of computer science classes at a charter school for disadvantaged children, where I teach regularly

I do regular freelance programming work, and have made over $5000 in commercial programs that I’ve written for various corporations

I’ve done bug fixing for open source projects such as Ubuntu and CodeBlocks

Wrote my own game engine that I use to power all of my games (going to release one to Steam soon)

I also have some other random awards and achievements that aren’t that big of a deal.

Thanks for reading!

2

They are mostly reaches (except Cal, GeorgiaTech, and maybe Cornell). You should apply to all of the reaches and it is likely you will make at least one.

If you really like CMU SCS, you should ED there, and do EA MIT/Caltech (there is a good chance you would be done in the early round).

3

Thanks for the reply! I’m thinking that Berkeley, Georgia, and CMU are going to be my safeties. My top school choice is definitely MIT (aka if I get accepted there I won’t even look at other acceptance letters). I also forgot to mention I got 800 on my Math 2 SAT and 760 on Physics SAT subject test.

One more question as well, is being Mexican a strong hook for these types of universities?

4

In terms of top universities, 1939. I already have automatic acceptance into UT.

5

Berkeley is not a safety for you. You might get in, but it is for SURE not a safety.

6

CMU is one of the best schools for comp sci and there is no way it should be considered a safety.

7

What were your AP scores in all those AP classes?

8

I have AP tests next week, but expecting 5 for AP Cal, 4-5 APUSH, 3-4 Physics C (absolutely horrendous teacher, class was basically self-taught), I got a 4 on the AP WH, and I know I’ll get a 5 on my AP language.

But, I thought colleges didn’t look at AP scores? Correct me if I’m wrong.

9

GT is no safety either,

10

GT, CMU, and Berkeley are NOT safeties. You have good scores, decent GPA, and good ECs, but in no way should those schools be considered safeties. All the schools that you listed are reaches, with the lowest reach being GA Tech (which still only accepts a third of applicants).

And you are right, schools do not look at AP scores for admission.

11

Thanks for all of the feedback so far. Sorry if that early statement sounded a bit presumptuous, I interpreted the first comment in a different way.

One last question, do you guys think that retaking the SAT again is worth it? Or will it not make much of a difference, because I doubt I could make much, maybe up to a ~2200 ish.

12

Try taking the ACT; it’s a lot easier to do well if you are a math/science oriented student. More complicated math than the SAT but reading comp is more straightforward

13

Just so you know what a safety should be:

  1. Affordable
  2. High chance for an acceptance meaning greater than 75% chance with Stats at the 75th percentile
  3. A school you are willing to attend if all other acceptances fall through.
    None of the schools listed meet these 3 criteria. Home state?
14

Berkeley is definitely not a safety for you. My nephew with better stat and from in state got waitlisted this year. Since you got 800 in Math 2, you should be able to get a better Math section score in SAT1 too. You don’t have any safety school on your list. NONE AT ALL.
There is at most one high match schools if in state and the rest are reach schools at different levels.

15

Incorrect. Many do. In fact some schools will accept a set of AP scores in lieu of SAT/ACT scores (NYU for example).

16

I think you have solid chances at all of those schools for several reasons:

  1. You are an URM with STEM credential/major and a decent SAT score

  2. You have a clear passion (computer science)

  3. Good ECs and leadership positions

Here are my specific chances for you:

MIT, Mid Reach
Stanford, Mid Reach
Caltech, Mid Reach
Berkeley, High Match
Carnegie Mellon, Match
Harvard, High Reach
Georgia Tech, Low Match
Cornell - Low Reach

17

The most selective school in the country is not a mid-reach for anybody.

18

UT Austin is your safety. Can you afford to attend UT? If you can’t afford it, UT is not a safety. You would likely receive a scholarship to UT Dallas.

As far as the other schools, you are a good candidate, but these are extremely selective schools. You need to add match schools as you can’t depend on getting in to any of them.

Also, can you afford these schools? Run the NPC on some of them to make sure you can afford to enroll if you are accepted. If your family has a high EFC, then you need to apply to schools that grant scholarships. If your family has a low EFC, then apply to schools with generous financial aid.

19

Money is not an issue, I can afford to go anywhere I want fortunately. Do you guys have any recommendations for some more “match” schools with strong computer science programs?

Also, I have automatic acceptance to UT Austin because of my class rank.

20

Caltech is definitely a high reach because of the class size and admission rate. UT Austin is a safety only because of auto-admission for in state student within the top 7%. If an in state flagship is not affordable, one can pretty much forget most of the schools on the list.
Purdue would be a good match school. However, I don’t see why one would give up UT Austin in state for that.