You mean rising senior, right?
In any case, you are not “behind” by any means. As long as RD admissions for the class of 2026 haven’t opened, you have time to figure out your college list.
What is your SI for your PSAT?
Haha yep, rising senior. My SI was 225.
Got it, thanks!
You are going to be a NMSF, and, so long as you remember to apply, you’ll be a finalist or more.
Look at some of the colleges which have full tuition ot full ride scholarships for National merit finalists.
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UBC is almost totally stats oriented and would be a safety. And not far away.
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As @tsbna44 raised earlier, if you like NYU, it would be a match/safety. What kind of environment do you like? Mid-sized, big name, without lots of sports?
Search for need aware colleges and the top ones would be matches if you’re willing/able to pay.
I’d enjoy pretty much any type of out-of-state environment, although I’ve definitely dreamed of getting to live near DC, New York or in California and I am not too excited about the idea of living in the south. I’d like a collaborative environment where I have the flexibility to double major in polisci while also having access to career fairs with the big tech companies. I don’t care about sports but I’d like an environment where people have lives and interests outside of cs as well (don’t live and breathe robots in every waking moment). To be frank, prestige as a cs (and to an extent polisci) school is a factor in what my parents would be willing to pay for and where I’d be most satisfied.
What do you like to do outside CS? As an example, Utah is amazing if you like the outdoors (great skiing, climbing, backpacking, etc) but New York would be better if you want to spend your time in museums, restaurants, etc.
Given your poli sci interests, it’s worth considering colleges in a state capital/major government center (Salt Lake City, Madison, etc).
NYU is not a safety for anybody nowadays, nor a match either, their acceptances are not all that stats-based, and they are extremely stingy with financial aid. @tsbna44 just said that their daughter was accepted to NYU. Since their daughter was a very strong applicant, then the fact that she was accepted to NYU does not mean that NYU in any way a match.
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I based it on Harvard Westlake’s stats where it said that half of the students with 3.2-3.4 GPAs were getting in. It seems that NYU dipped down to get wealthy, full pay students. Yes, of all the schools that the valedictorian at @tsbna44 's kid’s school applied to, (s)he got into NYU. The OP said the parents didn’t want to pay $65-$70K per year for a safety. So call it a match with those stats with a full pay profile. The question is whether OP and the parents believe that NYU is prestigious enough to full pay. TSBNA44’s valedictorian decided that UT-K was better than NYU full pay. It may be advisable to add some colleges between NYU and UTK that will offer a chunk of merit if the T20 turn out to be out of reach.
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Are you comfortable using one of Washington’s non-flagships as a safety? So WWU, WSU? That eliminates the issue of your parents’ willingness to pay full COA for a safety.
I agree with the rec to get your Pitt app in ASAP, as long as that school appeals. You will likely have that acceptance by October. You also need clarity from your parents that they will pay for Pitt. Two cycles ago there was a student with highly impressive stats and ECs who received $0 in merit from pitt…this student ultimately went to MIT. If you don’t like Pitt, pick another rolling admission school as someone suggested…Iowa, or Iowa State are both safeties and are already accepting applicants for Fall 2022.
It sounds like you don’t want schools in the south…but as likely NMF those are the schools where you will get guaranteed big money. Alabama, UT Dallas, some of the Florida publics.
NYU is not a safety, and it’s expensive, $80k all in. If your parents won’t pay that, don’t apply….same for any school that people have mentioned.
Make sure you are demonstrating interest where that is part of the admissions decision.
Lastly, you mentioned you are Indian, so confirming you are a US citizen or permanent resident.
I think Utah is a much better safety for the OP than Pitt, and the two schools are similarly ranked for CS. I have talked to a GC recently and to someone else that is familiar with Pitt’s process. and demonstrated interest does matter. Someone with the OP’s stats applying to a school in Pittsburgh that is 2000 miles away without any contact with the school will come across as safety hunting. Pitt will probably accept her anyway, but there is the risk that they don’t.
Utah is upfront that stats are all that matter for them, and Utah explicitly does not care about demonstrated interest, It is only a 2 hour flight from Seattle, and it will be cheaper for the OP.
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Great points about Utah and OP’s request for stat based safety.
Just be aware that Utah is not rolling admission, the early results of applications (before Dec 1) are all released in late Jan. Honors college admissions come out at that point too. Last year merit wasn’t released until late March because they changed the award structure, although in prior years auto merit came out with early admissions (with basically none left over for later applicants). It’s unclear if they will go back to the prior merit award timeline this coming year.
For CS, my understanding is that top applicants get direct admit to the major, while the majority of admits have a GPA requirement to get in after taking the prerequisites (albeit one that is lower than the GPA required to retain merit scholarships).
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No reason one can’t have more than one safety. For Pitt, doing a virtual admission session, completing all the essays, and applying relatively early in the late summer/fall is all the demonstrated interest one needs. Utah also has a high proportion of current or former practicing Mormons, so that must be copacetic for any applicant.
that’s BS … that would mean all the Manhattan’s private schools would have had ridiculous exmissions, and they DIDN’T … this year was a pretty significant downtick.
THIS LIST of HW grads from 2018-2020 excludes students with distinctions (legacy, recruited athletes, etc.).
For those in the 3.0-3.2 GPA range, it appears that one has good odds applying to these schools:
Colorado (13/13), SMU (9/9), Indiana (8/8) and NYU (6/11). U of Miami (5/14) is more selective than NYU in this GPA range. That seems to suggest that NYU also favors high pay HW students. 16 of the 24 NYU applicants with a 3.2-3.4 GPA were admitted.
@dimkin Did Manhattan privates have a particularly tough year at NYU? Could historical admissions acceptance rates be an issue of being local and NYU wanting geographic diversity?
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HW data does not apply to non-HW students for many reasons. Not to mention 2018 and 2019 data is outdated already…it’s just not relevant to the current admissions landscape.
Any college with a sub 20% acceptance rate is a reach for any unhooked student. Can certain private HSs be considered as providing some level of hook at some colleges? Sure, but that can and does change from year to year, and cross HS comparisons can’t be made.
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Doesn’t NYU admit by division? If so, then perhaps the admission of 3.0-3.2 HS GPA students to NYU reflects admission to its less selective (for HS GPA) divisions.
My son’s school (~ 110 ppl class) sends 3 per year to NYU, USC, Cornell, Stanford, UChic etc.
(all students are typically full-pay)
This year 1 to each only. Same for other T20s … so definitely a significant downtick.
Anecdotally - my friend’s son (my friend is in 0.5% percent nw) from a top LI public hs. His son had near 4.0, 1560 SAT, took 2 math analysis at Harvard the summer before, really into Math (legacy to Cornell). Applied to a whole bunch of schools (ED to Cornell). Gets rejected everywhere but Wisco, Mich and Stony Brook… WL at NYU (never got off). So even though UM is great, it came as a disappointment.
Another example a girl (also from 1% nw) 4.0 UW from Horace Mann - one of the tippy top priv schools, 35 ACT, legacy to Brown and UVA … only gets into Wisco …
So much for the 3.2 GPA kids getting into top schools …
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