Chance Me | Interested in: Cal Schools - Berkeley, Caltech, UCLA, USC, etc.; MIT? etc.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello,

I’m a junior in high school and I want some feedback on my chances at schools, along with some suggestions to increase said chances. Let me discuss some of my stats

Classes/Load:
I did class accelerations since 7th grade, leaving me to be ahead in my classes, and further allowing me to take classes at my local university (I live in Iowa) on top of numerous AP’s since my sophomore year.

Here is a list of the classes that seem to be more impressive/essentially none of my peers have taken a lot of the university classes (I have the hardest classload in comparison to anyone in my school, even the seniors, when counting AP’s + UNI courses in a given semester):

– AP’s –
AP Chemistry (sophomore year, A- both semesters, got a 4 on the AP exam)
AP Calculus BC (sophomore year, A both semesters, got a 4 on the AP exam)
AP Human Geography (sophomore year, A first semester, ended up dropping the class semester and did it independently to get a 3 on the AP exam at the end of the year)
AP Psychology (junior year, A first semester) - (I’ve only done my first junior year semester)
AP Biology (junior year, A first semester)

AP US Government (I’m going to take this second semester of junior year)
AP Language & Composition (I’m going to take this second semester of junior year)
AP Microeconomics (I’m taking this online and have an A, but haven’t completed it yet and plan to take the AP exam in may)

AP Computer Science Principles (My school offers this class in Python, and I’ve already maxed out the curriculum by taking classes at my local university, but I plan to take the AP exam in May since I’ve learned the content in a different class)

here’s what I plan to take during my senior year for AP’s:
AP Environmental Science
AP Physics C - Mechanics
AP English Literature
AP US History
(any advice of AP classes I should do online this coming summer?)

– University Classes –
I’m interested in going into Computer Science as my degree, so I did one computer science core class per semester of sophomore year at my local Iowa university:

Introduction to Computing (first computer science core class, got a high A)
Discrete Structures (based on more mathematical side of computer science, things like probabilities, etc.; got an A - highest overall grade and score on the final in the entire class)

For my junior year, I had more space in my schedule, so I ended up taking 3 university classes per semester: 2 computer science classes and 1 math class (since I finished AP Calculus BC the first semester)

First Semester:
Computer Organization (got the highest class average in the class; got an A)
Data Structures (got an A; second highest score on the final in the class)
Linear Algebra (got an A in the class)

Second Semester:
Intermediate Computing (haven’t taken yet)
Theory of Computation (haven’t taken yet, but the class had a pre-req of junior standing and I had to get the department head’s approval to take it)
Calculus III (haven’t taken yet)

– What I plan to Take –
For my senior year, I plan to take 3 university classes per semester once again; 2 computer science and 1 math.

I’m unsure what classes I want to take, but I know I want to take Differential Equations and another math course; and I would be really interested in completing Undergraduate Research with one of the professors I’ve had before during the first semester of my senior year (I’m assuming this would look good on apps??)

If you have any tips with what I should take next year, let me know as well!

– OVERALL CLASSES/GPA –
I’ve gotten all A’s in my classes except for the two semesters of AP Chemistry in which I got A- both semesters (I don’t plan to be a chemistry major, and AP Chemistry is known to be the hardest class at my school by far)

WEIGHTED GPA (at the end of junior year semester 1): 4.18
UNWEIGHTED GPA (at the end of junior year semester 1): 3.99

– SCORES/STANDARDIZED TESTING –

PSAT (sophomore year): 1330
PSAT (junior year): 1430 (I should have studied other than the night before)

I’ve signed up to take the ACT as well in February.

– EXTRACURRICULARS –
At the beginning of last summer, I got a job at my local McDonald’s; At the beginning of junior year, I got a job at my local Target. I still work at both of these places (I don’t work super often at my McDonald’s, but I work 20 hours a week at Target (in Starbucks, hahaha)

I play Piano and I do a local contest yearly (I’ve gotten the highest rating 9 years in a row and have trophies for it as well)
I plan to do volunteering at Allen (my local hospital) and also my local humane society (probably about 100 hours at each place over this coming summer).

I plan to start a club for computer science at my high school this coming semester as we don’t have one yet… any tips for starting a club? I’m not sure exactly how to do it.

That’s all I can think of right now. I’ll edit as needed, but feel free to ask me any questions you have! I appreciate any advice anyone can provide!

2

Can and will your parents pay the full out of state costs for public UCs? $50K/year. You should run the net price calculators at all the schools on your list. Divorced parents, small businesses, or rental properties can reduce your aid below what the calculators show, too.

Honestly, your ECs are light for MIT or CalTech (both schools really want to see strong STEM ECs, and you are waiting til 2nd semester junior year to start most of what you are talking about). You might consider Harvey Mudd as a reach instead — your geographic diversity might be a boost there in spite of light ECs. Study for your standardized tests, and check what subject tests your reaches require. But bottom line - top colleges want more than good grades and lots of APs.

USC looks like a low reach, assuming the calculator looks affordable.

I’d focus your energy on finding some match and safeties that are affordable.

Be sure you look at the coursework expectations on each college website. For example, I’m not spotting a foreign language in your curriculum. Most colleges post on their website or show on their common data set (Google for each school) what they expect students to have taken in HS.

3

@intparent I’m taking French III right now in my school (my school doesn’t offer AP french or anything like that), but I do the work outside of class since it doesn’t fit in my schedule. My parents are immigrants from Europe and aren’t super high-income, which may make it more difficult to pay the UC tuitions - but I’m willing to do student loans. Are there any recommendations you have for more extracurriculars I can do? I was thinking maybe I could try to get an software engineering internship this summer? Also, the thing with the club is that, at my high school, it’s not easy to start clubs younger (they likely wouldn’t have let me during my sophomore year as they want to prioritize seniors to lead these kinds of things since seniority I guess?)

I will look into coursework expectations for each college! Thank you for the feedback!

4

UC’s now cost $65K/year to attend and as a student you can only take out a total of $27K for 4 years. Any loans beyond that amount could have to covered by your parents. You have listed all top and very competitive schools for CS so I would start and first figure out how much your parents can realistically pay each year. Run the Net Price calculators for each school of interest.

Next I would identify at least 2 safety schools which are affordable, you have a guaranteed admission, offer CS as a major and where you would be happy to attend. From there, build your list based on Match schools (Stats above the 50th percentile or higher) and then a few of the Reach schools you have listed.

You do not have to go to a top school (ranking) to get a very good paying job as a CS major. Apply widely and best of luck.

5

Unless $50k+ is an easy amount for your family to pay, I would avoid expensive OOS publics.

It is impossible to chance you without an ACT or SAT result. It isn’t as important as GPA at most schools, but it is a slice of the pie, and the difference between a 30 and a 35 (or 1350/1550) at the most selective schools is probably considerable for most kids. So we simply cannot predict chances without it.

6

If you are thinking of MIT/Harvey Mudd/CalTech, please do prepare to take subject tests Math II and at least one other science subject.
Congratulations on your good grades so far. Are you female?
Good luck!

7

Yes, you can only borrow $5,500 yourself freshman year in federal loans, and slightly more each year after. Any other loans would have to have an adult co-signer and likely would have far fewer consumer protections that you get with federal loans. I assume you are a US citizen? In general, many OOS publics are going to be poor choices for you due to finances. But run all the net price calculators with your parents soon; there is really no point in applying to schools they can’t or won’t cover your EFC for. And the sooner you know, the sooner you will be able to make an appropriate list of schools. Don’t let your parents put you off with a “we’ll figure it out” comment. Now is the time to get a clear look at the financial situation.

Also, just to clarify, is your HS giving you credit for your French classes?

8

@Gumbymom Thanks for the financial tip! I will be sure to run net price calculators. I already have two safety schools selected (they’re in-state, a couple of hours away from where I live now).

@prezbucky I guess we’ll soon know my ACT score!

@makemesmart I will be sure to take those subject tests. Thanks for the tips! I’m male as well!

@intparent Yes, I’m a US citizen. I’ll run the net price calculators soon. I ran a couple already - it says my expected contribution for USC is like $65,000? Does that mean yearly? Or for all four years?
And yes, my HS is giving me the credit for the french classes - the class is still in my schedule as if it’s one of my classes that I go to and all the assignments go in as graded - I just make them up outside of class.

9

Yearly. Did your parents help you do it? What is your approximate family income?

10

@intparent At some point, they helped me do it but they weren’t sure. I forgot the numbers so I tried it again based on what I remembered, so it may not have been exactly right. Combined, my parents make around $90,000

11

“aren’t super high-income,”

If USC’s NPC gave you an EFC of 65K, like as not your parents do have quite a high income and possibly a very high income/assets/home equity, as that NPC is the whole cost (minus the direct loan).

12

^The whole cost for one year.

13

“My parents are immigrants from Europe”

Do you have dual citizenship? If so, what is the other country where you have citizenship?

“and aren’t super high-income,”

Do you know how much you can afford to pay for university without taking on any debt?

14

@DadTwoGirls
I don’t have dual citizenship, but I could get it if I wanted to (something about the European Union - if I go there, I can get one since my parents have one) - my parents have dual citizenship

I think I can afford to pay about 10K per year tbh without loans - it would be more but my little sister has to go two years after my first year.

15

“I think I can afford to pay about 10K per year tbh without loans”

The cost of education is going to be a major issue for you. You should run the NPC on schools that you are considering. You will need to get help from your parents to input the necessary information.

Given your budget, you should forget about the Universities of California (assuming that you are out of state, which I thought I saw somewhere in your post).

“I don’t have dual citizenship, but I could get it if I wanted to”

One reason that I asked is that you mentioned that your parents are from Europe, and that you are studying French. If you were to be a citizen of France, then you would pay Canadian tuition at any university in the province of Quebec. This would put the total cost of attendance well under $20,000 per year in US dollars. Three of these teach in English, the rest teach in French. Your excellent stats would make admissions relatively easy.

I am not sure what a European citizenship would do regarding the affordability of European universities.

16

If your parents were able to come up with the quarter of a million dollars you need to pay for a UC, the UC’s also require the F section:
F) Visual and performing arts

UC-approved high school courses
One yearlong course of visual and performing arts chosen from the following disciplines: dance, drama/theater, music, interdisciplinary arts or visual art — or two one-semester courses from the same discipline is also acceptable.

AP or IB Examination
Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP History of Art, Studio Art or Music Theory Exam;
score of 5, 6 or 7 on any one IB HL exam in Dance, Film, Music, Theatre Arts or Visual Arts

College courses
Grade of C or better in any transferable course of 3 semester (4 quarter) units that clearly falls within one of four visual/performing arts disciplines: dance, drama/theater, music or visual art

Agree that your late-planned EC’s don’t bode well. Your work experience is better.

17

@“aunt bea” so, i could take an AP Art History class online and that would count well?

Also, that’s a requirement for the School of Engineering? Huh

18

@repaul, you should always read the requirements of each university with respect to what it requires from high school before applying. The UC requirements apply to all freshmen applicants: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/index.html

19

@SJ2727 whoa, thanks for letting me know! The thing is that my school doesn’t offer things like Art History or European History … I’d have to take those online? I don’t know what to do HAHAHA someone help

20

Always read the requirements of the colleges you hope to attend. Agree with @SJ727.
Would you have been aware of the A-G requirements if we hadn’t mentioned them?
Every university is different with different requirements.

I also don’t think you understand the ramifications of paying OOS fees for the UC’s.

You won’t be able to, on your own, pay $65K per year to attend a UC.

If your parents don’t qualify for loans, for $260K, you will have wasted a lot of time and effort applying to a university system which gives priority to their instate students.

Also, tone down your self-grandeur. Not good to apply with that kind of attitude-that you are better than everyone else.