Hi! I’m wondering if I could get some advice on some safeties to add to my list, particularly schools that are strong in computer science. Obviously my list is a bit long and reach-heavy…but I’ll probably pare it down by the fall. It’s ordered alphabetically, not by interest.
Caltech
UCB
UCLA
UCSD
Carnegie Mellon
UChicago
Columbia
Duke
Georgia Tech
Harvard
UIUC
Johns Hopkins
MIT
UMich
Northwestern
Princeton
Stanford
UT-Austin
Ohio State
U of Washington
Yale
For reference, here are some of my stats:
2380 SAT
800 Chem, Math II, World History
4.0 UW; top 10% at a competitive private school
12 APs taken, six 5’s, six scores pending
ECs/Awards: decent. Doing a semi-prestigious research program this summer, along with some other smallish awards in math/science, leadership positions in a couple of clubs I’ve been committed to for the past few years, hoping to make semis in STS or Siemens next year. I did JHU-CTY last summer.
Recs: Should be good, I’ve had both of these teachers for multiple years and I really enjoy (and do well in) their classes.
Essays: Haven’t started yet!
Your reaches would be: Caltech, UChicago, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, JHU, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, Yale, and Northwestern
Somewhat between a match and a reach: UCB, Carnegie Mellon, UCLA
Match: UMich, UT- Austin, Georgia Tech
Safeties: UCSD, UIUC, Ohio, Uwashington
You have a good number of matches and safeties, I really think all you need to do is eliminate some of your reaches and you’re set.
Although you look like a very competitive applicant, you cannot consider UCSD a safety even if you can afford full costs. UCSD is a top tier UC which had over 70,000 Freshman applicants along with the disadvantage of being OOS. For 2015, 8% OOS admits. UCSD is a Solid Match school.
Good luck.
@JadedJunior I’m glad to see that you think I have a few safeties–the only thing I would say is, UIUC is much more competitive for CS than general admission, so I feel like it’s more of a match than a safety. And yeah, I’ll definitely be cutting the number of reaches in half, if not fewer when I actually apply.
@GumbyMom whoa, didn’t know the OOS rate was so low for UCSD! So that’s a match too then.
@ClarinetDad16 yes. I mean, it would be nice to get scholarship money, but my parents are able to pay full tuition if it’s where I want to go. Put another way-- I’m not getting need-based aid.
So I still only have OSU and Washington in terms of safeties…and obviously Washington isn’t as safe as OSU because out-of-state…anyone else have any suggestions?
Actually OOS acceptance rate for UCSD has been in the low 40%, but matriculated OOS students were 8% for 2015. We will see if these numbers decline for 2016, since UC’s are trying increase in-state enrollment and no longer FA for OOS.
McGill is very stats-focused in admissions, and so your chances there are excellent. Perhaps not a true safety, but a very strong match for someone with your high stats. Northeastern, RPI, WPI, Pitt, or Syracuse are probably all safeties for you (they aren’t for most people). If you want California, UCSC would be a true safety (UCSD solid match, but probably not absolute safety only because STEM majors are the most competitive). I recommend applying to a match with either rolling admissions or non-binding EA, so that you won’t have to worry about safeties and can focus energy on reaches. If, by chance, you don’t get in, most “safe” colleges can be applied to by a later date. Michigan and Tulane both have non-binding EA, I think. Does OSU have rolling admissions?
Mid-tier UCs (UCI,UCSB,UCD) could be considered (high) safety for you in my opinion. Frankly, any school outside of the top 20, should admit you and if any did not, it would be because you were considered over-qualified (yield protection!?)
@woogzmama I’ll have to add those safeties to my list! (Or at least research them.) Thanks! I can’t believe I forgot about RPI-- I’ve heard it has a great CS program. And yes, I believe OSU does do rolling beginning Nov. 15.
So my (very) preliminary plan for early action, based on colleges I’ve visited and researched so far, would either:
MIT and Caltech EA + public schools like Michigan and OSU
or
SCEA at Stanford/Princeton/Harvard (choose one) + publics
I’m leaning towards the former option, because I really liked MIT when I visited, but MIT doesn’t even have a higher admit rate EA vs. regular, so I’m not so sure. I also haven’t visited Stanford or any other Cali schools yet, so I’ll just have to see. I’m not really that partial to geographic location-- however, year-round warm weather would be a nice change B-)
@uclaparent9 Yeah, I figure I might as well apply to many UCs other than Berkeley/LA/San Diego, since it’s just one application. And my counselor told me about yield protection…that is very unnerving.
You might want to take a look at UMCP. Its computer science program in general is well ranked and if you are interested in cyber-security it has a lot of very interesting programs and you can’t beat the location for that, right between DC and NSA headquarters.
@UWfromCA I was Googling around for OOS admission rates at UCs yesterday but couldn’t find it…thanks so much!! It’s interesting that the OOS rates are either similar or much higher than in-state rates for most schools (But the overall rate is lower…Simpson’s paradox??) I suppose this is because since the out-of-state applicant pool is more competitive.
@Mom24boys Thanks! The computer vision program at UMCP seems really interesting.
I agree with most of @JadedJunior 's list, except for the big exceptions of Carnegie Mellon and UCB. You indicated an interest in Computer Science, and getting into the computer science programs at these schools is be very tough, especially for CMU, so consider CMU and UCB as reaches.
OSU is a good safety to have, but if I were you I’d add another in-state safety, just in case OSU is having an off day when they review your resume: maybe Miami(OH), U of Cincinnati, or a less selective private school.
Also, could you afford to pay full OOS prices at Michigan, the UCs, Illinois, Washington, GIT, Texas? They don’t give much aid, if any, to OOS admits.
Because those OOS state schools are essentially the only matches on your list, you might consider replacing a few of them with match-range private schools like (for you…) Wake Forest, Tulane, Lehigh, Northeastern. If you need aid, good private schools tend to give it.
Get a few nice Safeties where you would like to attend, and don’t worry if the others are Reaches or Matches or Low Reaches or High Matches. Your stats make you competitive for top schools, pick the ones you like and where you think you would fit. Good luck!