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<p>Are you kidding? This may be true of non-Top 50 schools in general, but I can tell you that UMich, UVa, Berkeley, UCLA, and UNC all place great importance on non-academic qualities and activities.</p>
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<p>As for the OP, I think you’re on the right track. MIT is a huge reach for anyone, but CMU would be perfect for you.</p>
<p>Some other schools to consider: University of Wisconsin-Madison; University of Texas-Austin; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; UCLA; University of Michigan; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Georgia Institute of Technology; Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Purdue University; University of Maryland-College Park; Case Western; Harvey Mudd; Cornell; Rice; Duke.</p>
<p>The above list is huge and incredibly diverse. The aforementioned institutions range from prohibitively expensive to relatively inexpensive as well as from relatively easy acceptance wise to incredibly difficult for anyone to get in. Your task is to take our suggestions and research them completely: check out monetary aid, scholarships; schedule some trips; talk to admissions counselors; etc.</p>
<p>My best advice, which I wish I had heeded in the past: reach for the stars, or you’ll never know what you could have achieved. A lot of these institutions may seem unrealistic and outside of your grasp, but apply anyway: all you have to lose is the application fee(s).</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>PS: As an aside, you most certainly can achieve a “good career” with a degree in English or History. Computer Science may seem more practical, but I have come to know too many people with History, Political Science, and English degrees who have accomplished much in life–and above all, happiness–to discount such majors. And bear in mind that there are distinct differences between a traditional college and a vocational school. If you truly prefer the latter, look more closely at the “Tech” schools. They try to have a basic liberal arts curriculum, but their focus is on career training.</p>