I wanna know my chances for Ivy League schools and MIT in particular, and I’m currently a junior. I want to major in Computer Science and Math. Here are my credentials:
4.7 weighted GPA
3.94 unweighted GPA (will this hurt me?)
hopefully/probably National Merit Scholar
1600 SAT
36 SAT
SAT Math 1: 800
SAT Math 2: 800
SAT Biology: 800
SAT Chemistry: 800
SAT Physics: 800
SAT World History: 800
6th Place In Mathcounts State
24 on AMC 8
AIME Qualifier
USAJMO qualifier
most likely USAMO qualifier (hasn’t happened yet)
Top 3 Placement at University Math Competition for 3 years (don’t wanna reveal which uni, ex competition Berkley Math Tournament)
eCyberMission competition state and regional r
top 20 National ARML placement
USAMTS Silver
Tutor Math to kids for 5 hours every weekend for 2 years (still am)
Played Varsity tennis all of highschool
Middle School National Science Bowl top 5 placement (captain)
High School National Science Bowl top 5 placement
USAPHO qualifier
USABO Semifinals Qualifier
Top 20 Chemistry Olympiad Camp
Top 20 Earth Science Olympiad Camp
USACO Platinum Division
Run Math Club
214 Volunteer Hours
Accepted and went to PROMYS Math camp
but one thing…
I got a B in AP World History first semester of freshman year (oof); Second semester I received an A. I’ve heard from some that the first screening tool is “all A’s” and clearly this puts me out of luck.
I forgot to list my AP scores:
AP World History: 5
AP Computer Science A: 5
AP Chemistry: 5
AP Biology: 5
AP Physics 1: 5
AP Calculus BC: 5
AP Micro Economics: 5
AP Macro Economics: 5
and I was also on a National Economic Challenge Finalist team in the Adam Smith division
and I am an officer for the Coding Club/Organization in our high school where we make applications for small companies
I am currently taking AP Physics C and AP Environmental Science
I’m not as familiar with those programs as I am with sciences, but comparing your stats with those of kids who reported that they were accepted, I would say that your profile matches those of kids who were accepted. Basically, you’ve done all that you could the maximize you chances, and, as long as your grades during the first semester of your senior year match what you’ve been doing so far, I would say that you are competitive.
Make sure that you have stellar letters of recommendations and a compelling essay. It’s also worth your while to apply for early decision in whatever school you like best. Also - do you have a “hook”, i.e., something that will differentiate you from the other several hundred brilliant and talented applicants?
While your profile looks excellent, there are many other people applying for CS in the same schools, and they can only accept a limited number. So it would now depend on little things and on chance. As I wrote, apply to ED in your top school, and apply to a number of schools.
There are also a number of amazing public engineering schools. So if you live in CA, look at UCLA and Berkeley, if you’re in MI look at U of M, etc.
You have a fantastic academic record that will certainly make you a competitive candidate at any school in the land, including the Ivies, Stanford, etc. That said, you should bear in mind that MIT is not an Ivy League university.
If you want to do CS, Ivies are not the best places, except maybe Princeton. You should apply to MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Harvey Mudd, UCB, UCLA, Northwestern, Georgia Tech, UMich, UIUC, and similar schools with top engineering schools. If you want to study math, the Ivies are good.
Like any student, you should set up reaches, matches, and safeties. Based on your stats, these will be shifted up a level, compared to most students, but some schools, like MIT, are reaches for almost every student, even the top of the top ones. Bear in mind that, while for many private schools, you require a hook, for the state schools, it is less important, compared to the basic stats, since their admissions decisions are often less holistic than those of private schools.
Also, if finances are an issue, and slightly lower ranked school is more likely to provide a merit scholarship.
MIT is a reach for everyone, but I honestly think you have a great chance.
I have a friend(Asian, American Citizen) who had similar stats and qualified for USAMO. He applied EA to MIT and got deferred. I also have friends who are in the provincial team selection in China(roughly=to USAMO in America) who got straight rejected.
You have a great chance at all of these schools, I have heard that Penn is very generous at recruiting past USAMO participants.
I would consider applying to the following schools:
Harvey Mudd College
UCB
Stanford
CMU
MIT
Caltech
NW
UIUC(CS)
Washington(CS)
Penn
Harvard
Princeton
Academic record looks good, but if I were an admissions officer, I want to know what you would bring to the school. The idea of holistic admissions and all that.
I see somebody who is focused on standardized testing. 6 SAT subject tests is overkill and won’t really help your application. How can you convince your potential school that you are a perfect fit? Grades don’t show the full picture.
I think the best fit schools in your case as mentioned by other posters would be CalTech and Harvey Mudd.
Depending on your home state, the public schools are just as fine. Berkeley, UCLA, UT-Austin, Michigan, Wisconsin, UIUC, and Georgia Tech all have competitive CompSci programs.
And it’s a good idea to have an in-state public as a match. There are horror stories on CC of students with similar credentials to yourself who were completely shut out of the Ivies and MIT/Stanford. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
