Posted about being accepted hours ago here, here’s my stats
Washington state comm college transfer, international student
College GPA: 3.95
HS GPA: 3.67
ACT: 33
TOEFL iBT: 117
Also sent in SAT II Subject tests, Physics: 710, Math II: 760, Literature: 640
Major: Computer science
Work experience: International student peer mentor, writing tutor
College ECs: Indonesian Student Organization, Sisterhood (women’s rights club), Phi Theta Kappa active member, international student orientation volunteer, volunteered for a local museum as their library admin, Sustained Dialogue club
Essays: In my CommonApp essay I mentioned about my interest in researching natural language processing using how my perception of the world/computers changed from being super binary to a field flourishing with complicated ways of thinking. For the major essay I wrote about this research class I signed up for during high school and how I worked on building a sensor aid for the blind using Arduino (I attached my extended abstract for that too). For Why Columbia I wrote about its core curriculum, activism opportunities, and NYC (and mentioned about poets of the Beat Generation). I go to a lot of concerts and I read lots of books; I mentioned a wide variety of stuff since I listen to a variety of music and read fiction, nonfiction, and creative nonfiction.
Recommendations: I got one from my English 101 instructor who recommended me from my job and one from my Physics instructor (we bonded over women in STEM and my passion for research). I also got one from my writing tutor boss. I’m pretty close to them, I guess!
Feel free if you have any questions! I am still shocked tbh wow…
@victom A full ride includes room,board, tuition, mail, etc.
Generally speaking, the amount of financial aid they give you depends on your need. So those whose parents make less get more.
Haha yep that’s right. I’m an international transfer and I don’t think I’ll be applying next year. I really like the core but I can always read tons of humanity books myself. The application is just a waste of my energy and my energy deserves a better place to be… Too bad they cannot have me XDDD
I should say to prospective first-year applicants, transfers, and re-applicants that no matter what, don’t give up your dreams (IK, it sounds cliche). I was flat out rejected from more than 10 different colleges last year, including Columbia and UChicago to which I was accepted this year after a wonderful, productive year at my second-choice college. I never thought this would have been even possible. Of course, having been rejected from so many schools last year, I think that 50% or even more is just pure luck. But if you don’t try now, you’ll never know if you’ll get in. Whatever you feel is impossible, just go ahead and try. And even if it doesn’t work out, you will find success in other ways. (BTW, I went through this twice. When I was in 8th grade I got rejected from boarding schools I wanted to go to but then the school I eventually ended up at could not have offered a better education).
Good luck to you all.
^^^
I really want to second this. Last year when I applied for freshman admissions I was rejected and/or waitlisted into all the schools I applied to except Chapel Hill and my safety school. I couldn’t afford Chapel Hill so I went to my safety for the year. This year I tried again and got into Columbia, Georgetown, and Rice so far. Don’t give up on your dreams!