I am a sophomore in high school, and my ultimate goal would be to major in cs at a school like Berkely, Mit, Caltech, etc.
Are there some things that I should do over the summer or now, that will make me stand out at a cs major applicant? Any specific ideas of things i can do related to cs, will be helpful. ex. internships, learning new comp. languages,…
THANKS!
You stand out by DOING. Not passively by learning another language, taking a summer course.
What specific things can I do. I’m asking bc im not sure what opportunities there are
Here’s a harsh truth, there are too many completely qualified students looking to get into those schools. There is nothing you can do that will guarantee your admission to anyone of them. The best you can do is to be in the running to have a chance. Beyond that, there’s a huge amount of randomness to it. When everyone is the same by objective measures (high GPA, great test scores, good letters, good ECs), some simply don’t get in. Find safety schools that you will be happy with.
Find something you like. Learn more about it. Work/study/play in that field. Participate in your area of interest. Be a leader. Make use of the opportunities afforded to you.
Do those things, get good grades and you’ll be better prepared and have fun doing it. The admit rate is very low for the top schools. I am an alumni interviewer for one of those schools and I see a lot of very good students who have done all the “right” things and still don’t get in. But if you do those things, you’ll be better prepared and a good candidate for a lot of other good colleges.
It is an interesting debate whether it is better to be an average student at MIT or a standout student at a college in the next tier. You’ll get about the same education from either school.
To amplify what @HPuck35 said, do something you like. Admissions readers can usually distinguish between students who have a joy in what they are doing vs. ones who were checking off boxes. More importantly, if you don’t get in, you won’t have wasted that time doing drudgery because you thought you were supposed to. Good luck!
“my ultimate goal would be to major in cs at a school like Berkely, Mit, Caltech,etc” - Those are fine schools. BUt there are MANY others, and if you are chasing merit scholarships you will get a better deal elsewhere.
I say do things you enjoy! They may or may not help with college admissions, but that is OK.
Yeah, to put it frankly, your odds are going to be slim no matter what.
I’d recommend not trying to max out your academics, because it’s a lot of work for minimal gain. You could take 12 AP classes, but those schools have hundreds if not thousands of applicants who’ve taken 13+. I believe one of the Ivies turns down 75% of the 2400 SAT scorers who apply. Grades don’t really do anything for you, on the flip side, keep in mind that a few high school Bs doesn’t change much either.
One guy I know is doing engineering right now at HYPMS, despite having some average test scores, middle class parents, and checking every majority box on the list. He was very focused and passionate about his extracurriculars, and I have no doubt that it came across on his application. That seems like the best way to do it, but I also know a lot of other people with some very strong interests who went oh-for on their Ivy League applications.
Without some kind of “in”, getting admitted to MIT, Caltech, etc, is pretty much a 3% roll of the dice regardless of what you do, and there’s really nothing that will improve your odds. So don’t sweat it, just enjoy high school and take your shot a year and a half from now.
The simple answer is that you should work to your potential, but avoid trying to go beyond your means and just burn yourself out. Admission vs non-admission to those schools is very lottery-based and many qualified students fail to get admission because there isn’t enough space there for them. If you have a miserable time of high school because you pushed yourself too hard because you wanted admission, that will be bad for you.
Also, as a less commonly mentioned tip, learn to write and interview well. 90% of experience is less about what you do, than what you can talk about. An experience that seems minor and almost trivial can be much more than that if you can write it to be so.
It’s not as simple as what you find “joy” in. It’s taking on relevant opportunities and challenges. You shouldn’t need to ask strangers what, if you want the level of B, MIT, or Caltech.
It’s not a lottery, it’s a fierce competition among highly qualified kids, the best of whom are empowered and experienced. What are you doing now besides, presumably, rigorous classes in math and sci?
@lookingforward, saying that’s it’s a “fierce competition among highly qualified kids” implies objectivity. There’s plenty of evidence to show that there are so many qualified applicants to a few schools that subjectivity has to come into play. Simple things like the mood the reader was in, legacy status, and fame, things that have nothing to do with a student’s qualification to matriculate, can and do influence admissions every year. The bottom line is a student can do everything “right” and still not get in. It’s not a true lottery, but in no way is it objective or repeatable.
I think the main thing here is fitting in with the people that go to those schools. All of them are unique, but it’s really important you display that you’re genuinely, highly passionate about something and whatever that is is very important. That it’s not about you, it’s about the work you wish to do. Being active in relevant clubs and placing high in competition related to that passion cannot hurt your chances,and might make you stand out. But by simply fitting in you have a chance, which means you want to show them that you’re in general (overly) well read, and have a good record–your academically gifted high ACT /SAT score.
A lot of the posts are talking about “doing something you like”, but I think they are missing the point. It’s true that AdComs can see that you are doing something you love, but they see that because you tend to put more effort into something you love. Ultimately, do something that you want to do because you will be more inclined to want to keep pursuing it, and I think colleges will like to see your passion in that way.