Looking for application suggestions

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey guys!
I go to a highschool that is ranked in the top 20 nationally, which has been disadvantageous in terms of my stats. I'm Hispanic and I have a huge upward trend starting at junior year, which I hear helps.
I'm interested in studying computer science at the best possible school.
Considering my stats, what colleges should I be applying to?
So far my list entails
BU,
BC
UT
Austin,
Georgia Tech
University of Michigan
Texas A&M</p>

<p>My stats:
3.5/4 unweighted GPA
3.8/5 weighted GPA
45/145 (top 30% unfortunately)
31 ACT (10 writing)(32 math, 31 english, 31 critical reading, 30 science)
2100 SAT (660 math, 710 writing, 730 critical reading)</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests:
Physics - 740
Spanish - 770</p>

<p>AP Scores:
Psychology - 4
Spanish - 5
Computer Science - 3
English III - 4
U.S. History - 4
Physics B - 4</p>

<p>Currently taking 6 AP classes my senior year. Will have 12 AP classes by the end of graduation.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
New Scholar Academy Mentor (chosen by school to mentor incoming freshman during the year)
Solar Car member
Vice President of a tutoring club
Member of Student Council
Parliamentarian of Culture Club
Masterminds (science trivia) competitor
KQSA representative (play music in dances, during morning, afterschool)</p>

2

<p>Cost constraints? State of residency?</p>

<p>Financial aid at out-of-state publics won’t be good (none of your schools are among the few exceptions).</p>

<p>At rank only about top 30%, UT Austin and Texas A&M are probably reaches, even if you are a Texas resident.</p>

<p>Consider Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Stony Brook, NCSU, and Cal Poly SLO if you will be paying list price without financial aid but don’t want to pay a high private or out-of-state public school list price.</p>

3

<p>Well, I go to a school that is ranked top 20 nationally. Therefore, the ranking is very competitive. You don’t think schools will factor that into their admission decisions? And my state of residency is Texas with no cost constraints.</p>

4

<p>Texas public universities admit a large part of their class on class rank alone. For example, UT Austin admits about 3/4 of its frosh from the top 7% HS rank applicants. That means that everyone else, including those who just missed the top 7%, out-of-state applicants, and international applicants, compete for the remaining 1/4 of the spots. Texas A&M may be somewhat easier to get into as a non-automatic admit (automatic admit goes down to top 25% with 30 ACT with 27 ACT English and math or 1300 SAT CR+M with 600 in each of CR and M), but certainly not something you can count on.</p>