Future EECS Major

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Let me just start by saying that I attend a rigorous high school in California, consistently one of the top rated high schools. We send about 80 kids every year to UCB and UCLA. Everybody is so damn good. I am a junior and am considering applying to all the good engineering schools next year for Computer Science/Electrical Engineering. </p>

<p>Here's a little bit about me:</p>

<p>SAT: 2260(plan to retake because I somehow got a 710 on math when I usually get 800; So I expect 2330+ next time)
ACT: 34 (I think it translates to 2300 on the SAT)
Weighted GPA: 4.4(for 10th and 11th grade) 4.5 counting Senior year (assuming straight a's)</p>

<p>Unweighted: I only got 2 b's throughout my first three years. My high schoolhas some nasty teachers for AP physics.</p>

<p>Class Rank: Should be top 4% which is damn good at my high school.</p>

<p>Haven't taken any SAT 2's yet but expect 800 in math 2c and close to that in physics and us history.</p>

<p>EC'S</p>

<p>1)Cross Country Varsity Captain
2)Track-Captain
3)Received awards and got many of my poems published. I write a lot of poetry
4)Won several piano competitions- I have been playing for 7 years
5)Will obtain a job tutoring at Princeton Review over the summer; teaching math and science
6)Will work in India in my uncle's gaming company- requires great programming skills; he will give me an internship
7)Speech and Debate- I did it freshman and soph. year. I won a few tournaments
8)Robotics- Will become more actively involved next year.
9) 100 hrs of Community Service- at YMCA and plan to do more at India over the summer. </p>

<p>Essays:
I consider myself a gifted writer. I write poetry in my spare time so I really have an affinity for writing. My essays will definitely boost my application.</p>

<p>I would appreciate comments on my chances at the following schools:</p>

<p>Berkeley for EECS
Stanford (Single Choice Early Action)
MIT
Caltech
UPENN(my dad went there for his MBA; He still keeps in touch with Wharton)
CMU(Carnegie Mellon)
Cornell
Princeton
Harvard
Columbia
Dartmouth</p>

<p>I also was wondering where I should early apply. Stanford(which is single choice) or MIT and Caltech(both of which are non restrictive)</p>

<p>Thanks a bunch. Please let me know what I should improve on.</p>

2

<p>Well, presuming you get the 800 in the SAT I Math and SAT II Math2 and SAT II Physics and SAT II US History (lots of presuming of 800s in your post if you ask me--you expect to get 4 more of them--or close to it--according to what you wrote here), then you are "good to go" at a lot of these schools.</p>

<p>There are things that bother me about what you posted, though--and that make me thing you haven't yet decided what you are really planning to do with your life. For example, you rave about your poetry skills and writing skills--and then talk about your applications to Stanford, MIT, and Caltech as the first choices and how you want to major in EECS. </p>

<p>Looking at your awards--to this point, you have none relating to math, computers, or sciences.</p>

<p>You say you will work over the summer--both at Princeton Review, in India at your uncle's programming company, and will also do volunteer work overseas in India. So, which is it that you plan to do?--since doing all three seems to me to be impossible.</p>

<p>You also say you are going to be active in robotics next year--but you haven't done anything in robotics yet.</p>

<p>In other words, I see all these promises of things to be done on here--robotics, 4 perfect 800 test scores, internships in New Jersey and in India in two different fields, volunteer work overseas, etc.--</p>

<p>And while the things you have done are pretty good--good test scores, good grades, poetry, track, piano--none of these relate to your EECS interest.</p>

<p>If you actually want to get into MIT, Stanford, or Caltech in EECS, let's get going with the stuff related to EECS--and not concentrate so much on piano, poetry, track, and debate.</p>

<p>Where are your awards in competitions in math, science, and computer work?--because your competition will have awards in these areas.</p>

<p>Just my two cents worth, you understand.</p>