Chances at top CS schools?

<p>I want to apply to MIT, Stanford, CMU, Caltech, and Cornell for Computer Science. I haven't done way too much research, but my top choice (as of now) is MIT (it's an excellent school, and it's only one hour away).</p>

<p>I'm from Massachusetts. I'm currently a Junior / rising Senior. I was in a different school from grade 6 to grade 10, and then I moved to this two year program where we essentially get to be college freshmen during our senior year.</p>

<p>ACT: 36 (Math: 36, Writing: 36, Science: 36, English: 34 | Essay: 8, Combined English/Writing 31)
SAT II: Math Level 2: 800, Physics: 800, Biology: 770 (took the bio one freshman year)
GPA: My school doesn't calculate this for me, and I don't know if I'm supposed to provide an overall GPA for high school or just for junior year. I got all As junior year (no such thing as A+ at this school), and I got only one B+ in my previous school (all others A- to A+).
Class Rank: School doesn't rank
Ethnicity: Indian (first generation)</p>

<p>Extra-curriculars: Piano (8 years), Clarinet (5 years), Contest Math (6 years), Computer Programming (8 years), Contest Programming / Algorithms (1 year), Tennis (5 years)
Community service: ~150 hours plus one project I did on my own last summer (fundraising for children's education, put on a solo piano concert to raise $1000), going to do it again this summer
School Clubs:
•Math Team Founder/President
•Computer Science Team Founder/President
•Math Team Captain (in previous school, captain from 6th to 10th grade)</p>

<p>Summer Job (summer after junior year): Learned Human Interface Design and Cocoa Touch / Objective-C, founded a LLC, released an iPhone app (and working on others).</p>

<p>Computer Science skills: C, C++, Objective-C, Python, Racket (Scheme derivative), Bourne Shell and Linux Systems Administration, Human Interface Design and Graphics Design</p>

<p>Gender: Male</p>

<p>Accomplishments:
• ISEF 2012, 3rd Award and a First Place Special Award
• State Science Fair, 1st Award, Patent Award
• Regional Science Fair, 2nd Award
• USAJMO 2011
• USACO, Gold division participant (~top 30 in US)
• National Merit Semifinalist* (predicted based on score of 229 in Massachusetts)
• AIME qualifier since 7th grade, highest score of 11 in 10th grade
• 20-30 assorted math awards for local, regional, state, and New England competitions (got a big box full of these)
• 5-7 assorted computer science awards for local and national competitions
• National Honor Society (11th grade)
• AMC8 Perfect Score
• A bunch of other random things that aren't as important as the ones listed above</p>

<p>Other information:
I took calculus at a local college in 8th grade, but then my school required me to take lower level classes in school (so I took calc 8th grade, and then precalculus in 10th because my school made me). Will this look bad? I have a solid understanding of calc material (also I do math team, and that helps). Next year, I'm taking Linear Algebra I, Linear Algebra II, Graph Theory, and Multivariable/Vector Calculus at WPI.</p>

<p>I took only one AP class (World History) at my previous school, didn't do all that well on the AP test. My current school does not have any AP classes, but I get to take all college courses next year at WPI through my school. My course selection includes one freshman level class, and the other 14 classes are higher level.</p>

<p>Aside from writing great essays and getting great recommendation letters, what am I missing? What are my chances of getting in, and how can I improve the odds?</p>

<p>Ok so your competitions are amazing. JMO and USACO tend to be held in high respect at MIT especially. I would say you’re a perfect match for MIT, and all the schools you mentioned. The 25 on the AMC8 should help, but focus on the JMO. Multivar calc would place you straight into sophomore year at MIT assuming you continue on the CS path. </p>

<p>Now that you have done all the competitive stuff, focus on your essays. Good luck!</p>

<p>No one can accurately give you chances, but you fit the profile of typical acceptances to those schools! Particularly MIT and Caltech. </p>

<p>I’ll say you will probably get into Cornell and the others are straight toss ups. But more likely you will get waitlisted at least.</p>

<p>Also, if you focus on your application on CS, you’ll be miles ahead of other applicants for the simple reason that you are one of the top kids in CS in the country.</p>

<p>Oh, is it possible to be placed directly into sophomore year at MIT (at this point, that school is my goal)?
I’m 99% sure I’m going to take EECS. In terms of CS, I should be fine (this year I’m taking Operating Systems, Assembler, Foundations of CS, Database Systems, Networks, Graphics, and Animation at WPI), but would it be a problem on the EE side?</p>

<p>bump
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