Finalizing My LIst

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi CC,
So, I've got my college list down to 14 as of now, and I'd like some opinions. For reference:</p>

<p>States:
GPA: 4.0 (UW). School doesn't weight, but it should be around 4.6
Schedule - toughest possible without skipping levels.
SAT: 2360 (800M 800CR 760W)
SATII- 800 Math2, 800Lit, 790USH, will be taking Physics come October
PSAT: 231, should be NMF
APs: Euro - 5, Calc AB - 5, USH - 5, Japanese - 3, and Lang&Comp - 5
Will take classes in Lit, US Gov, Stats, Comp Sci, and Calc BC this year
Decent extracurriculars, orchestra, debate. Not exceptional, not bad.
Unlikely to get FA outside of Ivy League, but will probably need some amount, merit or need-based.</p>

<p>Interested in Computer Science (haven't taken any classes in it yet, so not sure). Otherwise, something similar in math/science/engineering.</p>

<p>UW (in-state)
Northeastern</p>

<p>URochester
Carnegie Mellon</p>

<p>USC
Tufts</p>

<p>CalTech
WUSTL
Harvey Mudd</p>

<p>Harvard
Stanford
Princeton
Brown University
UPenn</p>

<p>Questions:</p>

<p>Two colleges that I really liked are Pomona (and the other Claremonts, but mostly Pomona), and UChicago. However, neither has engineering (Pomona has a 3-2).</p>

<p>Do I need another safety? Northeastern feels like a safety to me, but it has a relatively low acceptance rate (35%), and I haven't found a school considerably higher that I like besides in-state UW.</p>

2

<p>Why aren’t you applying to MIT and UC Berkeley ? I would drop Brown and UPenn .</p>

3

<p>I’m not applying to UC Berkeley because they don’t offer much aid for out-of-staters like me, and they’re facing heavy budget cuts, to the point that I’d rather go elsewhere.
I’m not applying to MIT because I was kind of unimpressed by my visit there. The main building was hideous, and, even though I know they have top-notch academics, I think I can get that elsewhere. It’s kind of hard to define, but I just got mixed feelings on my visit.</p>

<p>I’m definitely keeping Brown, because I liked it when I visited. Why should I drop UPenn, in your opinion?</p>

4

<p>Yes, Northeastern should be a safety for you, and it looks like they hand out some average merit scholarships (~$11K). Glad to see you have an in-state college on the list for affordability.</p>

5

<p>At Northeastern, if you are a NMF finalist and list them as your first choice, you will get a FULL tuition scholarship for each year.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.northeastern.edu/financialaid/grants-scholarships/undergraduate.html[/url]”>Undergraduate - Applying for Aid | Student Financial Services;

6

<p>veryindecisive- If you liked U Chicago, you may also like Reed and they do have a 3-2 engineering program.</p>

7

<p>Unlikely to get FA outside of Ivy League, but will probably need some amount, merit or need-based.</p>

<p>Would you be happy to go to UW if the others don’t work out (either because of rejections or bad FA)? </p>

<p>Have your parents said that they will pay for UW? If not, then that’s not a financial safety.</p>

<p>I think you need another financial safety just in case. Since you will be a NMF, why not apply to a school or two that would give you a huge NMF scholarship?</p>

8

<p>Parents will pay for UW if that’s all that works out.</p>

<p>Northeastern offers full tuition NMF scholarship. URochester offers somewhere between 17-20 thousand a year for NMF (based on numbers I’ve seen on their website and elsewhere on here). USC offers a half tuition NMF scholarship.</p>

9

<p>Have you considered Rice? Rice offers merit scholarships, it’s small, it has engineering, and is a little less selective than most of your reach schools.</p>

10

<p>Get rid of Harvard (seriously, Harvard isn’t great for comp sci) and UPenn,
add Cornell and UIllinois
This is assuming you seriously want CS.</p>

11

<p>Might look at Duke which is pretty fair with financial aid. Another school in the greater Boston area is Holy Cross-which has solid computer science. Holy Cross has good reputation in the sciences with new $70 million science building. HC(don’t have to be religious) is need blind for financial aid same as Duke and the IVIES.</p>

12

<p>Is UW the University of Washington? If so, the only schools I can think of that are stronger for CS are Stanford, MIT, UCB, CMU, Cornell, Princeton, Texas, and Illinois.</p>

13

<p>Chicago is not strong in CS, why there? CMU should be on your list, perhaps even Caltech. Cooper Union has fee tuition and Harvy Mudd is a better engineering than Pomona, they are the same school system.</p>

14

<p>UW is University of Washington. While I know it’s an excellent CS school, I’d rather get out of WA, and I’m not even sure if I want CS. I’d prefer a school that is excellent all around, although I will go to the UW if I need to.</p>

<p>I’m avoiding OOS publics, because I know that they have very limited scholarship/FA opportunities, and are facing budget cuts.</p>

<p>I don’t want to go to Rice or Duke because I’d like to avoid the South.</p>

<p>My main issues right now are whether or not I have enough safeties/whether my match schools are appropriate.</p>

<p>CMU, Caltech, and Harvey Mudd are all on my list. I just liked Pomona and UChicago from my research, and I’m wondering whether or not it’s worth it to keep them on the list, knowing that they don’t have Engineering.</p>

15

<p>I have an issue with your comment about wanting to “avoid the South.” I live in the Northeast and I see this viewpoint too often for my tastes.</p>

16

<p>You have an issue with my preferences? I haven’t made any statements about what I think about the South. I haven’t made any implications that the South is necessarily a “bad” place, merely that I don’t want to spend my four undergrad college years there. There is no viewpoint here, just a statement of preference. </p>

<p>I didn’t dismiss Duke or Rice simply for being in the South, but I generally just don’t want to go there. I looked at the two schools, taking into account location, and decided against them. </p>

<p>What is your “issue?”</p>