<p>CMU: if you’re applying for computer science might be a bit hard because of how solid CS applicants are for CMU. especially in the case of international, among whom CMU’s CS is popular. so that might be hard-ish, but you’re definitely still competitive. if you’re applying for anything other than CS at CMU, then i think you stand quite a good chance of getting in. </p>
<p>Cornell: decent chance at cornell because it loves singaporeans. which one of the top 2 JCs do you attend? if it’s RJ then your cornell chances are very high. cornell seems to love RJ kids. no idea what the HC acceptances are like, but i’m willing to bet that cornell loves them too. definitely apply. </p>
<p>Columbia: hard and only continues to get harder every year especially now that the whole 9/11 thing has faded away and also because of the obama factor. the admission rate stands at something like 10% and definitely lower for internationals. and because columbia is so pro-international, you’ll face tons of competition from other internationals like yourself. especially from singaporeans. so to be very honest i think you’re going to be rejected from columbia because nothing really stands out for you in your current profile. unless you write stunningly good essays, it’s going to be a no. the early admission rate was 12% this year and it will probably get lower at the regular round.</p>
<p>MIT: i’m from singapore too and judging from the record of people from singapore accepted to MIT (generally ISEF/RSI/international olympiad people) and from the competition you face this year (some of whom are my schoolmates at NUS high) i can confidently say you’ll be rejected from MIT unless Lady Luck decides to do you a huge huge huge favor.</p>
<p>Stanford: probably not. looking at the stanford early rate of 12% this year, regular applicants are going to have a very hard time getting in competing against what is likely to be a record-large pool. apply but do prepare for the worst. </p>
<p>Michigan: this is one school that i can pretty much say quite confidently you’re in unless it’s the business school you’re shooting for.</p>
I’ve an acquaintance who, although pretty strong in the CS field with experience, was rejected. I chalked it up to being not well-rounded. Looking at your application though, I can’t see any major ‘holes’, except maybe not having a major academic achievement, but of course you don’t <em>have</em> to have that.</p>
<p>EDIT: Eh, did you get a Ungraded (U grade) for GP??!!</p>
<p>Anyway, yea Ive heard countless anecdotes from my batch about how this olympiad medal winner didnt get into that college. One huge crapshoot it all is.</p>
<p>No its not in order, gp was b3, U was for Chem s. Lazy to arrange.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon - 50/50 (edit: SCS specifically)
Cornell - 60% for E, 20% for CAS.
Columbia Engineering - 50%+ accept I would say.
MIT - Almost definitely a reject.
Stanford - Reject-ish. Slight chance here.
University of Michigan Ann Arbor - Definitely in.</p>
<p>As fiona_ said, a fine record but nothing truly outstanding in the context of the Singaporean applicant pool.</p>
<p>^ Columbia Engineering isn’t very strong so they don’t tend to attract the strongest engineering/science/math students to apply - unlike say Stanford, MIT or Berkeley.</p>