I think you need to look at this as a trial at which you do not get to interview jurors and you do not get any juror strikes, and by the way it’s taking place in the equivalent of 12 lawyers as jurors tasked with a particular institutional agenda beyond scores and numbers. Your facts are anywhere between 60 and 40 percent against you. Does that picture the uncertainty for which you must plan? I think you are probably out of time for a consultant; I would quickly enter your kids info into the collegevine chancing application and see what it says. It will be good enough to force you to have a balanced list. Given the weakness on ECs and probably avg recs, it should give you a good ballpark assessment. I would strongly recommend that you include at least 5-6 schools that come out as target and safety (not hard target or reach). You need to do your best to stack the jury; that means including a number of schools that would likely want your kid. Feel free to come back to this group for further feedback after that. This is an incredibly smart, mature and caring group of folks, even if some are inclined for a little tougher love than others of us. It’s all love though.
Also - please resist the urge to write or “polish” their essays. This will be painfully obvious to the readers. Let them write in their own words.
My S is at RIT. Brilliant kid academically, but with ASD needed EF support. We knew at a higher ranked school auch as GT he would not have succeeded.
He is graduating in 3 years this spring with a 3.8 from RIT. Had a great coop last summer. RIT requires coops.
He was thinking of RPI at the time as well. We went to see CMU ( where i went) and he walked out saying that he did not to apply, as for him too much pressure.
Have you asked them what they want from their college experience (other than a big name)
If your kids are as good and talented as you represent them, then they will succeed wherever they end up.
Yes, I understand how difficult it is to get into these schools but didn’t know the distinction between EA/ED and RD. I am basing my impression from their peers in their HS who got in. They have similar ECs. My son kept saying with UIUC, it didn’t matter with the rolling admission. None of the admissions page mentioned the difference. One submitted his application EA with the certainty he will get in. I have yet to check what’s in it.
They were focused on two schools. MIT and UIUC. Worse case scenario, they’ll (or one of them) do CC for one sem, then transfer. Seems weird to me with their grades and scores but that’s what will have to happen if they don’t get in to these two schools or any of the other top schools for their program. I was indeed clueless.
Transferring into a tippy top after one semester isn’t possible. Those colleges won’t take frosh transfers.
They will need fantastic professor recs. That means getting involved and getting to know profs. Not likely to happen in one semester.
You have to disregard where their classmates got in. They are not their classmates, and you don’t know what was in those other kids’ apps.
I have no doubt about it but being in the right “eco-system” to build that network early on is a huge benefit. We now know how to be proactive for grad school. Or at least they should know. This isn’t about getting a job out of college. It’s about them being successful in life 
.
They absolutely don’t have to go to MIT to be successful in life.
I know what was in there because I spoke to the family. They’re neighbors. Plus it’s public knowledge.
You do realize that pretty much every applicant to MIT has a 1500+ SAT and straight A’s in very rigorous classes? Same with all top 20 schools. The competition is fierce, so few get in.
Application contents are not public knowledge …you don’t know the students’ transcripts/rigor, their essays, what’s in their teacher LoRs, or their counselor rec.
Retroactively you might be able to see gpa and test scores in Naviance/Scoir, but you don’t know whether a given student applied test optional, you can’t see superscores, and you can’t see what major/school they applied to (just to stick with UIUC, the admission rate for Grainger is different than LAS, and different by major within those schools too).
ETA: I don’t think you are duping us, most of us are genuinely trying to be helpful. Cost is a primary factor for many people, so we have to ask.
The people on this forum are incredibly knowledgeable AND generous with their time. Your posts about luxurious ski trips and your net worth make me feel that you are not for real of serious. If college apps were do in a day, would a kid not skip a practice? Sorry its not adding up.
I am out but I will suggest the incredibly helpful posters on this forum save their time for real posts.
Yes, but I spoke to the sister. No filter there. she’s a teen. and we know his ECs and honors, public. we even know the LORs, that’s was shared. Their school bulletin board has all the SAT and AP superstars.
No problem since I really don’t need your vibe right now. Jealousy is a strong emotion. I wasn’t trying to be anything but honest. Did you see my handle? “SkiMom”. I’m a little
obsessed with that.
Are you more obsessed with skiing or your kids getting into a university for Fall 22?
I wouldn’t get too hung up on “eco-system.”
Even if your kids land a coveted spot at a Top 20 school, it isn’t like people wander around handing out internships and opportunities like party favors. Students have to keep informed and compete for them and the same factors that have left you scrambling to complete applications now will likely come into play then.
And if breathing that rarefied air is deemed essential, there is always grad school, which is arguably more important for those who pursue an advanced degree.
I prepared a long answer to that but best not to answer this very personal question. Weird. Let’s stick to RD applications for top CS schools. i get that chances are low now. no need to hanker on that “luxurious ski trip” that snowballed from the “can you afford” question.
I’m going to post for the last time as you are still focused on ‘top CS schools’ only.
CS grads are in high demand no matter the school they graduate from. Dayton, DePaul, ASU, and Pitt (just to name a few mentioned on this thread) CS grads are getting fabulous, high paying jobs at FAANG companies and many others. There are not enough CS grads from ‘top’ programs (what does that even mean, how do you define ‘top’ when students from 100s of schools are going to the many of the same companies in the same jobs?) to fulfill demand.
Good luck with the apps and rest of the process.
Maybe they have another parent to help them?