Chances for the impossible (Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, UPenn, Harvard)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Dear all:

I live in Fairfax County, VA. I would really appreciate some input on my chances for the following schools:

Cornell (RD)
Carnegie Mellon (RD)
UPenn (RD)
Harvard (RD)

Desired Major = Computer Science
Desired Minor = Finance/Business Administration

I have a pretty good resume, except for one awful SAT II score.

GPA (weighted) = 4.2
SAT Score = 1490
SAT Essays score = 7, 5, 7
SAT II Math = 790
SAT II Physics = 550 (There was a family crisis around the time I took the test, I wrote a letter to the colleges about it).
SAT II World History = 690

I have taken 5 AP Courses before my Senior Year: AP World History, AP BC Calculus, AP Computer Science A, AP Language and Composition, and AP US History.

This year I am taking: Computer Science AB (post-AP), Multivariable Calculus (post- AP), Orchestra, AP Literature, AP Economics, AP Comparative Government, and AP Physics C.

I have also taken Orchestra for four years and Spanish for three years.

Activities:

Head Treasurer of Model Orchestra Board for two years
Secretary of the National Honor Society at my school

Senior Member of Model UN (ever since 7th grade)
Assistant to Lead Programmer/Mentor of Robotics Team
Side note: For Robotics, I participated in FRC last year (our team went to the world championships) & I am a mentor for an FTC team right now (won another outreach award).
Creator of CodeCville (one-day coding-fest in my school)
Creating my own club called CARE (Child Advocacy Research and Education)

Community Service/Other Achievements:

Volunteer at a retirement home every Sunday since the summer of my freshman year (taken on the role as a co-manager)
Creator of TechTalks at Retirement Home (explain technology to senior residents)
Taught English for two weeks at an underfunded school in India
Did Ph.D. level Computer Science Research at the University of Virginia for a month (summer 2017) (got three college credits)
Took a college class as well at UVA, got college credit (got an A on my transcript)
Discussed and Written Public Policy with Federal Congressman Gerry Connolly on the state on our Education system

Honors:

Academic Honor Roll
Engineering Inspiration/Outreach award/other awards for Robotics
Outstanding Delegation and other awards in Model UN
Member of 3 honor societies at my school (including Secretary of NHS)
AP Scholar with Distinction
Participated in National Solo and Ensemble Festival for Music twice (got 1’s)

FYI:

I can speak four languages: Bengali (first language), English, Hindi, and Spanish
I can play the violin and have taught myself how to play the piano
I am a first-generation college student
I know three programming languages: Java, Python, and R
I previously earned my second-degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do

My essays are pretty good because I explained that I’m really passionate to go to those schools.

What do you think?

2

The fact that you’re first generation to go to college in your family is your hook and your “in”; colleges are actively looking for first gen students. Other than that, there’s not a lot on the list that would really stand out (as you’ve described it here - it may be more interesting or unique on your essays) since it sounds very, very similar to so many others.

3

@milee30 Thanks for the advice!

4

your SAT score might be a little low but your EC’s and volunteer work are really great! Good luck!

5

@snaffy18 Thank you so much! I did see that for the Cornell class of 2021 the 25-75th Percentile was 1480

6

What was your unweighted GPA, or alternately how many A’s and how many B’s do you have (and is there anything lower)? Weighted GPA is calculated so differently in different school that it doesn’t actually mean much.

What is your proposed major?

Do you have safeties and matches?

7

@DadTwoGirls I’m not sure what my unweighted is, however my lowest grade for all of high school is a B+ (BC Calc, AP Lang). My transcript consists of mostly A’s and A-'s.

Proposed Major: Computer Science, minor in Finance/Economics

Other Schools that I am applying to: UVA, UMD, Georgia Tech, VT, UNC, etc.

8

from what i’ve seen with previous seniors from my school going to cornell, they focus a lot more on grades than SAT score so I think you have a good shot!

9

@snaffy18 Thank you so much!

10

Hi, I was recently accepted to Cornell as a CS major! I would say that you have a solid chance to get in because you have great extracurriculars; but I do think that your SAT subject tests are a bit on the low side. If you sent a letter explaining the reason why they weren’t as high, then I think it should be fine!

11

@altns18 Thank you so much!