College List Initiation

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

School Type: Private, religious
Location: Raleigh, NC
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: male
Intended major: Materials Science & Engineering

Basic Stats
GPA: 3.95 (UW); 4.33 (W)
Ranking: 2nd quintile (# of students of graduating class: ~30)
UC GPA: 4.29
Highest ACT: 32 (may have to take it again in my senior year)
SAT Math Level 2 (800); SAT Chemistry (800)
AP Calculus AB (5); AP Chemistry (5); AP Calculus BC; AP Physics C-Mechanics; AP Music Theory

No major awards: however, I managed to be the only AIME qualifier at school

Summer Activities
10-JHU Engineering Innovation Program
11(potentially) UMass Amherst Summer Research Program

Senior Course-Load/Plan
AP Lit, AP Stat, AP Bio, AP Physics C-E&M, French 3, Honors Chorale, and Senior Seminar
Calc 3 and Intro to MSE at local univ.
Assisting a prof’s lab on polymer architecture at local univ.

ECs:
School Math club founder & president
School AP Chemistry TA
ESL TA Internship at a local institution in China
Choral Society of Durham (Auditioned group; only 2 high-school students in the group)
School chamber group (selected group; 14 ppl)
School theatre/musicals
Music Compositions - I write music, but I have no dedicated, long pieces so far (I may have to work on that during the summer)

College List
MIT
U Chicago
U Michigan
Rice
UCLA
U Washington
UT Austin
UMass-Amherst
Penn State-University Park

I’m still trying to figure out my matches and safeties - it’s hard because I previously only took academic credentials, rather than school dining and housing, into my consideration. After all, I want to go to a college where I’d be happy studying and living there. Does the list seem to be a good one for me, or do I need to make some changes?

PLEASE JUST GIVE ME A BUNCH OF COLLEGES THAT WOULD FIT ME ACADEMICALLY AND I CAN START RESEARCHING TO ONLY ADD THE ONES TO MY LIST THAT WOULD ACTUALLY FIT ME
Thank you!

2

Penn State: good chance
MIT: Requires a more competitive application.
UT Austin: good chance
Umass: good chance
UCLA: Requires a more competitive application.

Retake the ACT and aime for a 34 at least. Then you are gonna have much more chances.

Good luck!

3

Do you personally think I need more matches or safeties?

4

I think you have a good chance for all of the schools except Chicago, Rice and UCLA because of how low their acceptance rate is. I believe you can get into all of them though, GOOD LUCK

5

Also why don’t you have USC in here lol :stuck_out_tongue:

6

Here’s an updated version:
MIT
U Chicago
Rice
U Michigan
USC
UCLA
U Washington
UT Austin
Wisconsin-Madison
UC Davis
UM Amherst
Penn State - U Park

In addition, I’ll also be applying to
Oxford
Imperial College London
U Manchester
U Southampton

7

You have a solid list, but I recommend adding either NC State or UNC in there as a safety. While I think you can get into PSU and UMass, you can never really tell so I really recommend applying to your state university. MIT, UChicago and Rice seem like reaches with your ACT, but try to take again in June. If you increase your score to a 33-34, you have a better chance at getting into all your schools. UCLA and USC are very hard to get into, and quite honestly, I think you’re better off at UNC. The quality of education vs. the money you’re paying for a UC and USC isn’t worth it… I know NC State has materials engineering. Virginia Tech also has materials engineering. Also might be interested in University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, Ohio State, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Lehigh and UConn. All have materials science/engineering and you should get into them all (Lehigh is a bit of a stretch, but with a 33 on your ACT you shouldn’t have an issue). Best of luck in your search :slight_smile:

8

I was searching the US news ranking on materials science engineering for those schools on my list - and they seem to be the most suitable for me (with relatively high ranking and good rating on dining/housing and public transportation, say, like having a developed subway system). But thank you for your advice! I’ll look more into the schools you mentioned.