Is this a good college list for me?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi, thanks so much for taking the time to read my thread :slight_smile:

I’m a senior preparing to send out my college applications and I’m very nervous, but very excited! I’d like your opinions to help me out. I posted a chance thread a while ago, but now I have more stats and information. I’ll post my stats and then my colleges, and let me know if you think it’s a good list. Feel free to comment schools that you think I should add. Also if you can, chance me for my reach schools, please :slight_smile:

I go to a small public school. I’m a girl applying for computer science/engineering as my major.

GPA: 97/100
Class rank: 12/112 :frowning:

Note: I missed a lot of school during my junior year due to personal issues, which caused my grades to decline. My guidance counselor wrote about it and how I persevered through it in her rec letter.

AP’s:
2014- World History (3)
2015- Music Theory(3), US History (4), Physics 1 (4), English Lang&Comp (5),
Currently taking: College Economics, AP Chemistry, AP Lit, AP Bio, AP Calc

SAT: Taken once.
C: 2180
CR: 750
M: 680
W: 750

ACT: Taken once.
C: 32
Math: 29
Reading: 35
English: 34
Science: 29
W: not released yet

I’m VERY worried about my math scores. I expected my math scores to be my highest. In school I do very well in math, and I do semi-okay in English. But according to my test scores, I’m not so great at math but very strong in English. So I don’t really know what the deal is.

I’m taking Math 1, Math 2, and Physics subject tests in November. If I do very well, do you think schools will consider it and realize that I really am a good math student after all? And for my reach schools that don’t require all of my testing, I’m considering only sending my SAT so that they don’t see a pattern of low math scores.

EC’s:

Robotics team (9-12), captain (12)
Organizing coding club for middle school girls.
Self-taught JavaScript, HTML & CSS
Math team (9-12). Among the top 5 scorers from my school. Captain/Head programming developer (12)
Music: School chorus. 6 years of classical/operatic vocal training. Soprano 1. Invited to All-County chorus 7 times. Perfect score on Level VI NYSSMA (for non-New Yorkers, NYSSMA a vocal festival where you sing for judges and are given a score out of 100. Level VI is the hardest level.) President of Tri-M Music Honor Society.
Cast of theater productions (9-12). Lead roles.
Member of National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society.
Virtual Tutoring (11-12). 30+ volunteer hours.
Hospital volunteer (11). 50 Hours
Named a gifted math scholar.
Varsity tennis (9-12). MVP Award (11)
JV Softball (9-11), Captain (11). Varsity Softball (12)
Published research in computer science.

Awards:
Scholar Athlete
A Honor Roll
50 Hour Award from local hospital volunteer office
AP Scholar With Distinction
National Merit Commended

Teacher recs - my guidance counselor said they were “fantastic” but who knows lol
essay - I wrote about the gender gap in computer science and how I’m taking steps in my community to solve it by starting a coding club for the MS girls.

And now for my colleges! Sorry this has been long haha.

Safety: Siena, Scranton, NYIT
Match: RPI, RIT, Fordham, SUNY Binghamton
Reach: CMU SCS (I’m considering not even bothering with CMU because it’s such a ridiculous reach for me, but you let me know), Columbia, Princeton, UPenn, Tufts

Thanks so much all :x

2

I think there is a big gap between your matches and your reaches. You should consider adding in some more schools somewhere between those two groups.

3

@wisteria100 I agree, but I don’t know what to add. I’m told by my GC that Tufts is more of a match for me than a reach, but I don’t want to get my hopes up.

4

Lehigh and Villanova have strong engineering programs and would probably be matches

5

My parents say that I can only add another school if I also take one off. Should I get rid of CMU SCS? Is it worth trying with my stats?

6

Princeton is probably the biggest reach on your list.

7

My parents have convinced me to remove CMU and add Lehigh. We are not removing Princeton because if I somehow do get in, the financial aid policy will be very helpful for my family.

8

I’d really appreciate some more input guys :slight_smile:

9

Anyone? I’m a little nervous seeing as so many kids on here have accomplished so much and I’m just a normal 17 year old X_X

10

:slight_smile:

11

I would recommend the following

CMU SCS - No - very high emphasis in Math. Reachout out to tennis coach he may give you some insight about your chances. If you plan to play tennis. They are DIII school.
Columbia, - Eng - NO
Princeton, - NO
UPenn, - Eng - NO; LAC - may be
Tufts - May be

12

I did reach out to CMU about tennis but then I realize I suck at tennis :smiley:
I also removed Columbia from my list and replaced it with Cornell.

13

Any SAT2s? A strong math would offset the poorer math SAT score.

14

May I suggest looking at Boston College and Emory? They seem to be lower than your reaches, yet higher than your matches! Both are excellent private schools!

15

Oops I did not see the Engineering/Computer Science remark, I’m sorry, my suggestions are not as strong as I thought they were!

16

@Jcannon1023 Thank you for trying though, lol
@lostaccount I will be sitting for subject exams this November

17

@anon9362, have you and your parents run the NPC on all the schools on your list? Your comment about leaving Princeton on because of the good FA makes me wonder if your parents could afford all of your choices, should you get in?

18

@GnocchiB Sorry I forgot to respond, I typed my comment and forgot to click “Post comment” :))
We have run NPCs on a few of them and had pretty good results. My parents just really like Princeton.
I actually changed up my list quite a bit since I was last on this thread and I’m not even applying to Princeton anymore so I’m not gonna worry about Princeton anymore lol

19

What’s your new list?

20

@MYOS1634

Reach: Penn, Columbia, Tufts, Vanderbilt
Match: Binghamton (accepted), RIT, RPI, Stony Brook, Fordham(accepted), Case Western
Safety: Siena (accepted), Scranton, NYIT (accepted)