<p>I applied EA to MIT and was rejected. I applied to CIT at Carnegie Mellon and was waitlisted. I'm seriously starting to despair right now. Rice was my pretty much my #2 choice behind MIT and is currently my #1 choice. If I don't get into Rice or Columbia SEAS, then I'll be 0/4 for my target/reach schools. </p>
<p>I've heard I might have a good shot at Rice simply because I'm from NY with very good academic accomplishments and Rice is looking to increase their yield from the northeast. I've got 2360 SATs (2370 superscored) and my SAT IIs are near-800s. My high school courseload was the most rigorous offered at my school (all APs, etc.) and my rank is within the top 2%</p>
<p>I'm wondering though: if I applied for mechanical engineering, does it look bad that I took the chem sat II instead of physics?</p>
<p>My ECs are decent enough - nothing amazing, but fairly concentrated. My main concern here is that I'm applying for engineering and many of my ECs are music-related and not science related. Anyway, here they are:</p>
<p>-Violin (9 years and still counting)
-Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (concerts in NYC/Carnegie Hall, very advanced)
-NYSSMA Music Festival (participant since 4th garde but I also helped organize the auditions when the festival was held at my school)
-All County Honors Orch (2008-2009)
-Long Island String Festival Honors Orch (2008-2009)
-Tri-M Music Honor Society
-Science Research Club
-Science Discovery Fair Judge (provide kids with feedback for their research projects)
-National Honor Society
-AP Scholar
-C.W. Post Summer Chamber Music Festival participant</p>
<p>My essays were okay. They weren't a huge flop or anything. I made sure to research Rice and I told them what particularly interested me about rice. But I dunno: I talked a lot about Engineers Without Borders at Rice as well as traveling abroad for engineers at rice; are these that well-known?</p>
<p>Do my chances look good? I'm guessing not, especially in light of the waitlist at CMU. Also, please don't tell me that I'm just stressing myself out over this and not to worry. I really just need some closure and at least SOME idea of what to expect.</p>
<p>Im shocked that you got waitlisted at CMU with those stats…however, i think that as long as you didnt screw up the essays too bad, youre in at rice. man what could have gone wrong at CMU though? :/</p>
<p>You realize, of course, that we don’t know the answer to this. Do you have a chance at Rice? Absolutely! Do your chances look good? Possibly. Yes, you have terrific stats. Rice’s admissions are holistic, so it’s really the other intangibles that will make or break you. So if the point is for you to get closure and know what to expect, I suggest not expecting it as a given that you’ll get in. But I sincerely wish you the best and hope you get accepted. Good luck!</p>
<p>Just to answer one of your questions, YES, EWB & trips abroad are big for engineers. I have tons of friends who go to El Salvador and Nicaragua for breaks to build water purification systems and stuff. That’s one of the things that drew me to Rice and I wrote about it in my essays too :)</p>
<p>I think you’ve got Rice in the bag. My stats were similar (scores slightly higher but ECs less well-developed) and most people I know in this range get merit money, so good luck :)</p>
<p>Didn’t see who asked, by my s was active with EWB bith in undergrad and now as a professional. Went to Nicaragua and Honduras. Its wonderful!!
Have you cked your status? Admissions results are up. Good luck!</p>
<p>omg. I am soooo sorry to hear that. you have such amazing stats you know. Have you applied to HYP? probably one of them is where you shall attend!
hmmm…if possible, could you talk a little more about your essays? I think the problem is with your essays, since your scores and ECs are absolutely wonderful!</p>
<p>I could PM you my essays if you want me to. And the only other school I’m waiting on is COlumbia, and I’ll probably faint if I get in because right now, it’s 100% a longshot for me.</p>
<p>OP, I’m so sorry to hear about this. You have had terrible luck with admissions thus far, considering your stats. I’m sure you will be happy at whatever college you attend. Don’t lose hope!</p>
<p>JDong, they don’t know what they’re missing. I got deferred ED then waitlisted with 1600/1600 and 2320/2400 and a triple legacy with a grandfather professor there, not to mention National Merit Finalist. Like you, I have been waitlisted or rejected at the top schools I applied to and given substantial scholarships at some public ones. In all honesty, it makes no sense that we were waitlisted. I could challenge them to find 100 students who could handle the course load better than you. The best of luck at Columbia, but in all honesty, education (especially undergrad) is what you make of it, and I think you will make a lot of it. My grandmother actually showed me this article yesterday : [When</a> Success Follows the College Rejection Letter - WSJ.com](<a href=“When Success Follows the College Rejection Letter - WSJ”>When Success Follows the College Rejection Letter - WSJ)</p>
<p>It has some of the most successful people in the world who were rejected from the colleges they applied to. Good luck in your college career!</p>
<p>I think you have a great chance at Columbia. ( You’re also from N.Y. so that should help somewhat). I bet that from all the schools you’ve applied to, you’ll end up at Columbia. </p>
<p>CIT at Carnegie Mellon is very difficult to get into, probably equivalent to the difficult of getting into Caltech.</p>
<p>Waitlist at Rice doesn’t make sense at all. Pm me your essay if you want so maybe I could give you some feedback. You should’ve been a shoe-in at Rice.</p>