Case Western, as suggested. No additional essay.
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Thanks! You were very helpful.
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Lots of people get denied at MIT. It’s a reach for just about everyone…no guaranteed acceptances.
There are plenty of respectable programs outside of the top 50 colleges…and especially in Computer Science.
I think you need to look at some of the recommendations of schools on this thread that are NOT tippy top.
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@Ski_Mom you’ve gotten incredibly valuable advice here from very experienced posters. You have gotten thoughts from parents of similar learners as well as links to specific CS programs. This is free advice (and good advice) that you would probably pay a college consultant for otherwise.
Take a deep breath. You’ve got this. Just time to take a step back now that you understand (or should understand) the landscape.
Yes, kids with 1510 are getting denied. The problem with TO is that it has raised the scores, because the kid with the 1450 - who may have otherwise been amazing - has now applied TO. Some people are recommending for tippy-top schools to go TO if you aren’t 1550 or above.
Yes, your kids are matches. What I think would be really interesting is if they published the stats of the denied kids. I bet they are remarkably similar. The difference is the hook. And without the hook, you have essentially lost a lottery ticket.
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Thank you! We’re working on it! 2e students have their own challenges but we’ve gotten this far, AND I’M VERY PROUD OF THEM whatever they do and whereever they go!
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I would apply to Wisconsin. Still fits your criteria of top CS school but is easier in admissions. Their deadline in Feb 1. It is still likely a high match because they are out of state and not in the EA round.
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Skimom, why the focus on top tier prestigious schools when you have top rated state schools (UIUC, Purdue, Wisconsin Madison, etc.) in your back yard? UIUC is #6 in Engineering, #6 in Computer Engineering, and #5 in CompSci, you get in-state tuition, and likely preference for admission as an Illinois resident. Admission to UIUC will be more a function of grades and test scores than essays and other subjective qualifications. UIUC, Purdue and Madison are all strong in CompSci (top 20), and engineering in general.
If your son is ADHD and on the spectrum you may want to consider schools that are more student friendly. Our son is ADHD and socially awkward, and he applied to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for MechE. RHIT, like the better known Harvey Mudd, does not confer PhDs and the focus is on undergrad teaching. Class sizes are capped at 30 students, advisors take a personal interest in students, and there is lots of support. Outcomes (salaries by major and grad school admissions) are similar to UofM. You may want to look into RHIT and similar schools like Olin, WPI, Harvey Mudd, etc. RHIT, btw, has a very strong comp sci program. A smaller, more student friendly school might be a better fit for an ADHD / spectrum student than a meat grinder like CMU.
Do you think your son will continue on to graduate school? A good strategy might be to target strong, but not the most elite, programs for his BS, then shoot for the big name schools for his masters. Think UIUC or RHIT for undergrad, then apply to CMU or MIT for grad. RHIT is a feeder school to strong graduate programs like CMU, Purdue, Georgia Tech, Cornell, RPI and U Penn (no, I am not getting finder’s fees from Rose).
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This thread went off the rails very quickly. I closed it temporarily to review and to clean. Having done so, I think the OP has received some great advice and could use some time to digest, so I will not be reopening the thread.
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