<p>Hi,
I am a Turkish rising senior and I will be applying to these schools, mostly in their early action periods. My intended major is computer science.</p>
<p>Here is my list:
1 Carnegie Mellon <a href="reach">Early decision</a>
2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (far reach)
3 Stanford University (reach)
4 Georgia Institute of Technology (high match)
5 University of Texas -- Austin (match)
6 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (match)
7 University of Washington (match)
8 California Institute of Technology (far reach)
9 University of Wisconsin--Madison (match)
10 University of Michigan--Ann Arbor (match)
11 University of Maryland: College Park (match)
12 Purdue University (safety)
13 University of Massachusetts - Amherst (match)
14 Pennsylvania State University (safety)
15 SUNY Stony Brook (safety)
16 Virginia Tech (high match)
17 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (match)
18 University of Rochester (high match)
19 George Mason University (safety)
20 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (match)
21 Rochester Institute of Technology (match)</p>
<p>What do you think I should change in my list? I am aware that it's a long list and it will cost a lot of money to apply all these schools and send scores etc. but I don't want to regret later, because I did not apply to a school. Do you think any of my classifications is wrong about schools being safety, match and reach? Do you have any safety schools with prominent computer science programs in your mind?</p>
<p>Ideally, depending on your stats, you should apply to a couple of super reaches, another couple or so of reaches, several matches and a couple or so of fall backs. </p>
<p>as examples,</p>
<p>super reaches include HYPSM + Caltech</p>
<p>reaches: Berkeley, Mudd, Cornell, Brown, CMU and the like</p>
<p>@thenatural
Being an international student, I feel the need to apply to more schools than an US citizen does. My school counselor advises me to apply to 12-15 schools, and I am aware that I can cut off some reaches to make the list shorter.</p>
<p>@RML
So you are saying that reach-and-far-reach-wise, there is nothing wrong with my list and I should try my chances.</p>
<p>I am thinking about crossing RIT and RPI off the list, what do you think?</p>
<p>^ Yes, I would recommend that you apply to several reaches. You wouldn’t know …</p>
<p>You can replace RPI and RIT with UC Berkeley and Harvey Mudd College. Apply to as many California schools as you can. Silicon Valley - the epicenter of computer/information technology in the world - is there.</p>
<p>@RML
I think replacing them with Berkeley and HMC is a good decision but I am also thinking about Cornell? I don’t think that it’s harder to get acceptance from Cornell than it is from Berkeley.</p>
<p>@Redroses
As long as the school is prominent in the field of computer science and paying the tuition will worth the education that I will get in return, I don’t need financial aid. Of course, I won’t say no to merit aid. :)</p>
<p>If you apply to a match that has rolling admissions (like Michigan) you could take some of the safeties off. I think 12 - 14 is OK. If you want to apply binding early decision to Carnegie Mellon is it at all possible to visit? (maybe you have already) They seem to be influenced by that. Good luck!</p>
<p>Oh, I just browsed through your stats and sad to say they’re not good enough for schools like Berkeley. I suggest you look for schools like Santa Clara University or the lower-ranked UCs, as your best bets. There are a lot of fantastic schools in California that have solid computer science programs.</p>
<p>@Hitch123
UMich has a EA deadline of November 1, PennState’s regular decision deadline is February 1 and Purdue also offers rolling admission.</p>
<p>If I get accepted to UMich, just like you’ve said I most probably won’t apply to PennState and Purdue.</p>
<p>By the way, unfortunately it’s not possible for me to visit CMU but if I am not mistaken, their website says that admissions’ decisions are not influenced by interviews and visits.</p>
<p>@RML
Does the you-wouldn’t-know rule from your previous message still apply? I am willing to take risks and try my chances at top schools while securing myself by applying to my safeties. What’s your current opinion about my list?</p>
<p>I would apply to 2 super reaches, at most. I won’t waste my money, time and effort in applying to schools that I am least likely going to get admitted. I would start looking out ofr schools that would most likely going to give me offers. Again, check out Santa Clara University. It does not have an intenrational prestige like MIT or Berkeley, but it has close links to Silicon Valley companies and their graduates are some of the higest paid according to Forbes’ payscale data. </p>
<p>superreaches: Berkeley, CMU, Cornell
reaches: Michigan and the like
matches: Santa Clara, U of Washington and the like</p>
<p>1 Carnegie Mellon [Early decision] - low reach
2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology - far reach
3 Stanford University - far reach</p>
<p>4 Georgia Institute of Technology - low reach
5 University of Texas – Austin - low reach
6 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - low reach 7 University of Washington - low reach to match
8 California Institute of Technology - far reach
9 University of Wisconsin–Madison - low reach
10 University of Michigan–Ann Arbor - low reach
11 University of Maryland: College Park - no idea
12 Purdue University - match
13 University of Massachusetts - Amherst - no idea
14 Pennsylvania State University - idea
15 SUNY Stony Brook - match
16 Virginia Tech - no idea
17 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - low reach
18 University of Rochester - low reach
19 George Mason University - no idea
20 Worcester Polytechnic Institute - no idea
21 Rochester Institute of Technology - low reach</p>
<p>You have extremely unconventional ECs, and you’re also an international, so I don’t think any of us here could really tell your chances at these universities. It really depends on the focus of admissions officers - some will tend to reject you solely based on the scores, while some might look at your remarkable ECs and ignore your scores. I have a similar experience - I’m an international with high test scores but unconventional grades and few ECs; in the end, a few of my “safeties” rejected me and a few of the best universities on my list accepted me with merit aid. </p>
<p>Your best chance is to apply to as many universities as possible - I’d suggest five safeties/matches, four low reaches, and the rest your dream schools. The reason you need a reasonable amount of safeties/matches is because, even if a few of them accept you, some might offer merit aid and some might not. IMHO, more choices is always better.</p>
<p>Also, pick only universities with Common App if you’re worried about the amount of time and money you need to spend.</p>
<p>Sorry, but I don’t think you will get into any of the top schools (MIT, Stanford, CMU, Berkeley, Caltech, Cornell, etc.) with your stats. Even UIUC, GaTech, Michigan and other similar top public universities are out of reach.</p>
<p>@RML
Thank you, that helps a lot. I got lots of low reaches and matches, my list needs a little more work. But it seems like because of the high number of low reaches, it’s not a bad list.</p>
<p>@Herunar
I am aware of the unpredictability of my situation. As you said, that’s exactly why I am applying to lots of universities. I am still working on my list and use your advise on number of safeties, reaches and dream schools.</p>
<p>@bruno123
Some people think like you do, and some say that I have a big chance of getting acceptance while some say that it’s unpredictable but my ECs will help a lot and I have a chance. I don’t think that my situation is bad. I think there is no need to be pessimistic.</p>